Hold Me In Your Arms | ||||
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Studio album by Rick Astley | ||||
Released | 26 November 1988 | |||
Recorded | 1988 | |||
Studio | PWL Studios (London, UK) | |||
Genre | Pop, dance-pop, disco | |||
Length | 38:20 | |||
Label | RCA | |||
Producer | , Rick Astley, Ian Curnow, Phil Harding, Daize Washbourn | |||
Rick Astley chronology | ||||
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Singles from Hold Me in Your Arms | ||||
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Professional ratings | |
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Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
Allmusic | |
Rolling Stone |
Hold Me in Your Arms is the second album by the British pop singer Rick Astley, released in November 1988 on RCA Records serving as the follow-up to his debut album Whenever You Need Somebody. Like his previous albums, half the record was written and produced by , and the other half were Astley's own compositions produced by PWL associates Phil Harding, Ian Curnow and Daize Washbourn. The release of the album was delayed a few months due to a fire at PWL Studios destroying some of Astley's recorded material. This would be Astley's last record with Stock, Aitken & Waterman, due to Astley wanting to leave behind the dance-pop sound of the producers, of wanting to shed his boy next door image, and wanting to focus on his original compositions on his albums, reappearing in 1991 with the soul album Free.
The album spawned six singles. Unlike his previous album, where all the singles were Stock, Aitken & Waterman compositions and productions, Astley's compositions were also released as singles. The lead single, "She Wants to Dance With Me", was Astley's first single which he wrote himself, and became a worldwide top 10 hit. In Europe, "Take Me to Your Heart" and "Hold Me in Your Arms" were released as the next singles. "Giving Up on Love" was released as the second single off the album in the USA and Canada, and was later released in some countries of continental Europe as the fourth and last single off the album, and a cover of The Temptations' "Ain't Too Proud to Beg" was released as the third and last single in the USA and Japan.
The album continued Astley's success, with the three UK singles becoming top 10 hits. While the record did not achieve the same level of sales as his debut album, it sold well all around the world, achieving Platinum and Gold certifications worldwide.