Out of the Blue (Debbie Gibson album)

Out of the Blue is the debut album by American singer-songwriter Debbie Gibson, released in August 1987. The album received favorable reviews from music critics and sold more than 3 million copies in the United States (3 times platinum by RIAA) and 5 million copies worldwide.

Out of the Blue
Studio album by Debbie Gibson
Released	August 18, 1987
Recorded	1986–1987
Studio	Z Studio, Brooklyn, NY, Sorcerer Sound, Right Track, and Quad Recording New York City, and International Sound, Miami, FL
Genre	Pop teen pop pop rock dance-pop freestyle R&B
Length	40:53
Label	Atlantic
Producer	Fred Zarr Debbie Gibson John Morales Sergio Munzibai Lewis A. Martineé
Debbie Gibson chronology
Out of the Blue (1987) Electric Youth (1989)
Singles from Out of the Blue
"Only in My Dreams" Released: February 1987 "Shake Your Love" Released: September 1987 "Red Hot" Released: November 1987 "Out of the Blue" Released: January 1988 "Foolish Beat" Released: April 1988 "Staying Together" Released: September 1988

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]
The Village Voice	C+[2]

Background

Gibson personally wrote all ten songs on this album. As executive producer, Douglas Breitbart of Broadbeard Productions, Inc. (whom Gibson's mother had hired as manager five years before), assembled a team of producers from both New York and Florida: Fred Zarr, John Morales, Sergio Munzibai and Lewis A. Martineé.

Zarr produced "Shake Your Love" and "Fallen Angel" in addition to "Only in My Dreams," and co-produced "Out of the Blue," "Staying Together" and "Wake Up to Love" with Gibson, sole producer for "Foolish Beat." Morales and Munzibai produced "Red Hot" and "Between the Lines." Martineé produced "Play the Field".

Out of the Blue made #7 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart and #26 on the UK Albums Chart.[3][4] The album sold over 3 million copies in the United States,[5] and 5 million copies worldwide.[6]

The album received mixed to favorable reviews from music critics.

Track listing

All tracks are written by Debbie Gibson[7].

No.	Title	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Out of the Blue"	Zarr, Gibson	3:55
2.	"Staying Together"	Zarr, Gibson	4:07
3.	"Only in My Dreams"	Zarr	3:54
4.	"Foolish Beat"	Gibson	4:25
5.	"Red Hot"	Morales, Munzibai	3:54
6.	"Wake Up To Love"	Zarr, Gibson	3:42
7.	"Shake Your Love"	Zarr	3:44
8.	"Fallen Angel"	Zarr	3:43
9.	"Play the Field"	Martineé	4:37
10.	"Between the Lines"	Morales, Munzibai	4:42

Personnel

Musicians[8]

• Debbie Gibson – lead and backup vocals, rhythm programs, keyboard, synthesizer, additional keyboards
• Fred Zarr – rhythm programs, keyboards, synthesizer, additional keyboards (tracks 1–4, 6–8)
• John Morales – programming, sequencing (tracks 5, 10)
• David "Jaz" Grant – keyboard overdubs, guitar (tracks 5, 7–8, 10)
• Lewis A. Martineé – rhythm programs, keyboards, backup vocals (track 9)
• Mike Baskt – keyboards (track 9)
• Ira Siegel – guitar, acoustic guitar, electric guitar (tracks 1–4)
• Tommy Williams – guitar, electric guitar (tracks 1, 6)
• Nestor Gomez – guitar (track 9)
• Gary Down – bass (track 3)
• Bashiri Johnson – percussion (tracks 1–4, 6–8)
• Billy Amendola – Tom Tom overdubs (track 3)
• Jimmy Maelen – percussion overdubs (tracks 5, 10)
• Jeff Smith – saxophone, sax overdubs, backup vocals (tracks 2–8, 10)
• LaRita Gaskins – backup vocals (tracks 1–3, 6)
• Carrie Johnson – backup vocals (tracks 1–2, 4, 6–8)
• Libby Johnson – backup vocals (tracks 1–2, 6–8)
• Norma Jean Wright – backup vocals (track 3)
• Tim Lawless – backup vocals (track 4)
• Connie Harvey – backup vocals (tracks 5, 10)
• Janet Wright – backup vocals (tracks 5, 10)
• Wendell Morrison – backup vocals (tracks 5, 10)
• Haydee – backup vocals (track 9)

Production

• Debbie Gibson – arranger (tracks 1–4, 6–8)
• Fred Zarr – arranger, mixing (tracks 1–4, 6–8)
• John Morales – arranger, mix engineer (tracks 5, 10)
• Sergio Munzibai – arranger (track 5)
• Lewis A. Martineé – arranger, engineer (track 9)
• Don Feinberg – recording engineer (tracks 1–4, 6–8)
• Bernard Bullock – recording engineer (tracks 1–4, 6–8)
• Phil Castellano – recording engineer, mixing (tracks 1–4, 6–8)
• Peter Sturge – recording engineer (tracks 5, 10)
• Billy Esses – assistant engineer (tracks 1–4, 6–8)
• Jim Goatley – assistant mix engineer (tracks 1–2, 4, 6–8)
• Carlos Santos – assistant (track 9)
• Michael Hutchinson – mixing (tracks 2, 6)
• "Little" Louie Vega – mixing (track 3)
• Doc Dougherty – mixing (track 3)
• Douglas Breitbart – executive producer, management (Broadbeard Productions, Inc.)
• Greg Porto – art direction
• Adrian Buckmaster – photography
• Howie Weinberg – mastering (Masterdisk)

Charts

Weekly charts Year Chart Position 1987 Canada Albums Chart[9] 22 1987 Dutch Albums Chart[10] 48 1987 Japanese Oricon Albums Chart[11] 75 1987 New Zealand Albums Chart[12] 23 1987 Swedish Albums Chart[13] 34 1987 UK Albums Chart[14] 26 1987 US Billboard 200[15] 7

Year-end charts Chart (1988) Peak position Billboard Year-End[16] 7

Certifications and sales

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Japan (RIAJ)[17]		14,290^^
Hong Kong (IFPI Hong Kong)[18]	Gold	10,000^*
United Kingdom (BPI)[19]	Gold	100,000^^
United States (RIAA)[20]	3× Platinum	3,000,000^^
Summaries
Worldwide	—	5,000,000[6]
^*sales figures based on certification alone ^^shipments figures based on certification alone

References

1. Huey, Steve. "Debbie Gibson -Out of the Blue | Overview". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved February 17, 2016.
2. Christgau, Robert (February 23, 1988). "Christgau's Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. New York. Retrieved April 26, 2016.
3. Keith Tuber (June 1989). On Top with Tiffany. Emmis Communications. pp. 244–. ISSN 0279-0483.
4. "The Official Charts Company - Out of the Blue by Debbie Gibson". The Official Charts Company. 17 February 2016.
5. Hunt, Dennis (December 9, 1990). "POP MUSIC : 10 QUESTIONS : Debbie Gibson". Los Angeles Times. Timothy Ryan. Retrieved February 17, 2016.
6. Debbie Galante Block (15 March 1997). Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. pp. 94–. ISSN 0006-2510.
7. Out of the Blue (Debbie Gibson songbook), CatNo. HL00356822. Hal Leonard, 1988
8. Liner notes, SD 81780. NYC: Atlantic Recording Corp., 1987
9. "Top Albums/CDs - Volume 48, No. 15 July 30, 1988". Archived from the original on July 19, 2016. Retrieved 2017-05-21.CS1 maint: BOT: original-url status unknown (link). RPM (magazine).
10. "Debbie Gibson – Out of the Blue". dutchcharts.nl. Archived from the original on February 29, 2016. Retrieved February 29, 2016.
11. "Debbie Gibson – Out of the Blue". Missing or empty |url= (help)
12. "Debbie Gibson – Out of the Blue". charts.nz. Hung Medien. Retrieved February 24, 2016.
13. "Debbie Gibson – Out of the Blue". swedishcharts.com. Hung Medien. Archived from the original on February 29, 2016. Retrieved February 24, 2016.
14. UK charts - Debbie Gibson www.officialcharts.com Retrieved February 24, 2016.
15. Billboard charts - Debbie Gibson Billboard. Retrieved February 24, 2016.
16. "Billboard 200 Albums - Year-end charts". Billboard.com. Archived from the original on 8 April 2013. Retrieved 2011-12-30.
17. "Japanese album certifications – Debbie Gibson – Out of the Blue" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan.
18. "IFPIHK Gold Disc Award − 1989". IFPI Hong Kong.
19. "British album certifications – Debbie Gibson – Out of the Blue". British Phonographic Industry. Select albums in the Format field. Select Gold in the Certification field. Type Out of the Blue in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
20. "American album certifications – Debbie Gibson – Out of the Blue". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH.