Doppelganger (Kid Creole and the Coconuts album)

Doppelganger is the fourth studio album by Kid Creole and the Coconuts, released in 1983. The album was a relative commercial and critical disappointment following the group's most popular album Tropical Gangsters/Wise Guy. The album was released on LP and cassette in September 1983 and peaked at #21 in the UK,[2] and to moderate success throughout Europe but did not chart in the US. The album includes the singles "There's Something Wrong in Paradise", "The Lifeboat Party", and in the US "If You Wanna Be Happy". It was reissued by Universal Island Records with bonus tracks added to album in 2002.

Doppelganger
Studio album by
Kid Creole and the Coconuts
ReleasedSeptember 1983
RecordedElectric Lady Studios, Daily Planet Studios
GenreLatin, funk, tropical
Length38:23
LabelZE Records
Island
Sire Records
ProducerAugust Darnell, "Sugar Coated" Andy Hernandez
Kid Creole and the Coconuts chronology
Tropical Gangsters/Wise Guy
(1982)		 Doppelganger
(1983)		 Cre~Olé: The Best of Kid Creole & the Coconuts
(1984)
Singles from Doppelganger
  1. "There's Something Wrong in Paradise" b/w "Fireside Story (Fireside Chat)"
    Released: September 1983
  2. "If You Wanna Be Happy" b/w "The Seven Year Itch"
    Released: October 1983 (US only)[1]
  3. "The Lifeboat Party" b/w "Gina Gina"
    Released: November 1983

The album includes two covers, "If You Wanna Be Happy" originally recorded by Jimmy Soul in 1963, and a remake of "The Seven Year Itch", a song by August Darnell's previous band Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band. "The Seven Year Itch" was originally released on their third album Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band Goes to Washington in 1979. Doppelganger also marked the renewal of Darnell's collaboration with his older brother Stony Browder Jr. Four songs including "The Seven Year Itch" were co-written by the brothers.

Critical reception
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[3]
The Village VoiceA− [4]

Doppelganger received mixed reviews from critics. Vince Ripol writing for Allmusic gave the album a mixed review. He calls the album entertaining provided listeners have the prerequisite of an acquired taste for the bizarre, often comical travelogues set to exotic pop which represent the essence of Kid Creole & the Coconuts.[3] The album is compared unfavourably to the group's previous hit album Tropical Gangsters/Wise Guy noting that nothing on Doppelganger can compare to "Annie, I'm Not Your Daddy" and "I'm a Wonderful Thing, Baby,", yet nothing will fail to satisfy devoted fans either. For the uninitiated, Doppelganger's peculiar content presents a love-it or hate-it dilemma.[3]

Robert Christgau writing for The Village Voice rated the album A-. He calls the album a return to the musical comedy stage for yet another original-cast recording after his previous (and best) album some which Darnell called some kind of sellout because it's held together by a dance groove.[4] Christgau also praises the apparently surface wit of the Kid's lyrical-musical synthesis-pastiche[4] but wants to clarify just what these songs are about.[4]

Track listing
Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."The Lifeboat Party"August Darnell, Ronnie Rogers (a/k/a Ron Rogers[5])2:38
2."Underachiever"Darnell3:15
3."If You Wanna Be Happy"Frank Guida, Carmela Guida, Joseph Royster2:29
4."Distractions"Darnell, The Coconuts, Peter Schott2:56
5."Survivors"Andy Hernandez3:32
6."Call Me The Entertainer"Darnell, Stony Browder Jr.3:23
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
7."There's Something Wrong In Paradise"Darnell, Mark Mazur3:22
8."It's A Wonderful Life"Hernandez3:12
9."Bongo Eddie's Lament"Darnell3:02
10."Broadway Rhythm"Darnell, Browder Jr.2:48
11."Back In The Field Again"Darnell, Browder Jr.3:29
12."The Seven Year Itch"Darnell, Browder Jr.4:26
2002 Reissue Bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
13."Fireside Story (Fireside Chat)"Hernandez4:40
14."There's Something Wrong in Paradise" (12" Mix)Darnell, Mazur5:45
15."Don't Take My Coconuts"Darnell2:08

Personnel

Charts
Charts (1983) Peak
position
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[6] 54
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[7] 46
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[8] 44
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[9] 13
UK Albums (OCC)[2] 21
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References
  1. "Kid Creole And The Coconuts - If You Wanna Be Happy". 45cat.com. Retrieved 11 May 2019.
  2. "The Official Charts Company - Kid Creole And The Coconuts". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2008-12-27.
  3. Ripol, Vince. Review: Doppelganger. AllMusic. Retrieved on 2010-01-07.
  4. Christgau, Robert. Consumer Guide: Kid Creole and the Coconuts. Robert Christgau. Retrieved on 2010-01-07.
  5. "BMI - Repertoire Search". Archive.is. 7 September 2012. Archived from the original on 7 September 2012. Retrieved 11 May 2019.
  6. "Discographie Kid Creole & The Coconuts". Officialcharts.de. Retrieved 2012-10-27.
  7. "dutchcharts.nl - Discographie Kid Creole and the Coconuts". Hitparade.ch. Retrieved 2010-01-17.
  8. "Discography Kid Creole & the Coconuts". charts.nz. Retrieved 2012-01-12.
  9. "Discography Kid Creole & the Coconuts". Swedishcharts.com. Retrieved 2012-01-12.


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