Rhythm of Love (Kylie Minogue album)

Rhythm of Love is the third studio album by Australian singer Kylie Minogue, released on 12 November 1990 by Pete Waterman Entertainment (PWE) in the UK, and on 3 December 1990 by Mushroom Records in Australia. Opting to re-establish her music career, Minogue started to become independently more involved in the process of creating and arranging the project. Recording sessions took place in London and Los Angeles during Spring and Summer 1990. Minogue was credited as co-writer for the first time, while Stock Aitken Waterman were the primary producers of the album, along with new producers and collaborations including Keith Cohen, Stephen Bray and Michael Jay.

Rhythm of Love
Studio album by Kylie Minogue
Released	12 November 1990
Recorded	Spring–Summer 1990
Studio	PWL Studios
Genre	Dance-pop
Length	44:28
Label	Mushroom PWL
Producer	Stock Aitken Waterman Keith Cohen Stephen Bray Michael Jay
Kylie Minogue chronology
Enjoy Yourself (1989) Rhythm of Love (1990) Let's Get to It (1991)
Singles from Rhythm of Love
"Better the Devil You Know" Released: 30 April 1990 "Step Back in Time" Released: 22 October 1990 "What Do I Have to Do" Released: 21 January 1991 "Shocked" Released: 20 May 1991

Rhythm of Love represents a musical departure from her earlier bubblegum pop works, with a more sexually liberated image and dance-influenced sound. It received generally positive reviews from music critics, who complimented it as her best work with Stock Aitken Waterman and considered by many to be a definitive turning point in Minogue's career, showing her as a more credible musical artist. It was not as much of a commercial success as her previous albums, becoming her first studio album not to reach number one in the United Kingdom, but was still certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) for selling 100,000 copies. In her native Australia, it was her third top-ten studio album when peaking at number 10 four months after its release. It also peaked in the top twenty in Ireland, France, and Spain.

The album spawned four singles—"Better the Devil You Know", "Step Back in Time", "What Do I Have to Do", and "Shocked"—all peaked inside the top ten in the United Kingdom and Ireland, making Minogue the first artist to have the first thirteen releases inside the top 10 in the former region. Promotional efforts for the album, such as controversial music videos for "Better the Devil You Know" and "Shocked", continued to associate Minogue with an increasingly provocative image. Minogue promoted the album with her Rhythm of Love Tour, which traveled to Australia and Asia. The album was re-issued in the United Kingdom for the first time in 2015, when it returned to the UK Albums Chart.

Background

Rhythm of Love was influenced by Minogue's romantic relationship with Michael Hutchence (left), as well as Madonna's (right) 1989 album Like a Prayer.

Minogue relocated to London after filming her final scenes for Neighbours between June and July 1988.[1][2] She tried to steer her public image away from her character Charlene Robinson, a schoolgirl turned garage mechanic, whom she felt at that point was merely an "exploitation" to her career.[3] In April 1989, it was announced that Minogue had accepted the lead role of Lola Lovell in her debut feature-film The Delinquents.[4] She believed the role as a rebellious and passionate country girl, who suffers through an abortion during her teenage years and has several love scenes in the film, would establish herself as a serious actress.[3][4] Principal photography of The Delinquents began in May and lasted about two months,[5][6] coinciding with the recording process of her sophomore album Enjoy Yourself.[7] Released in late 1989, both projects received commercial success[6][7] but also mixed reviews from critics, many of whom considered them as failed attempts to differentiate her girl-next-door image.[8][9]

Minogue first met INXS frontman Michael Hutchence at the Countdown awards show in July 1987.[10][11] They started a romantic affair in Hong Kong in September 1989, just days before her first concert tour Disco in Dream opened.[11][12] That December, she broke up with her three-years partner and Neighbours co-star Jason Donovan over the telephone[13][14] and subsequently went to the Australian premiere for The Delinquents with Hutchence, publicly announced their relationship to intense attention.[14] She also lent her voice to "Do They Know It's Christmas?", an all-star ensemble charity single to raise funds for famine in Ethiopia.[14] Produced by SAW,[14] it was the Christmas number-one single on the UK Singles Chart and the ninth biggest-selling single of 1989.[15][16]

Recording and production

As alternative rock and techno entered the musical mainstream, the SAW producers struggled to find their audience. They became more aware of their gay following, who still embraced their pop output—Mike Stock pointed out the strong appeal their "pure pop songs about love, life, and feelings" had towards women and a certain amount of male audience, including gay men.[17][18] The trio also acknowledged Minogue's evolving public image and discussed how to change the emphasis both musically and lyrically in her next album. They decided to subtly move on from her previous material to avoid alienate her fans.[19][20]

"To be more involved in writing and producing my songs I had to go elsewhere. And for me, it's a change and it gave me the chance to co-write the songs. You know, I'm really proud of the songs I've written, and having had two albums with nothing that I've written on, this one seems so much more important to me."

—Minogue in an interview with Smash Hits in October 1990.[21]

Rhythm of Love was recorded for six months in spring and summer of 1990.[21][22] One of their earliest songs was "Better the Devil You Know",[17] which was recorded in three hours in London during the Enjoy Yourself Tour in March.[23][24][25] They tried to adopt a more fitting approach for the current music market.[17] Matt Aitken stated they took many cues from techno music, and felt that "pure pop [songs] had run its course" at the time.[18] Due to Pete Waterman's background as a popular DJ in gay clubs, PWL co-owner David Howells thought that making more club-oriented songs for Minogue was simply "inevitable". Meanwhile, Stock was not familiar with the genre and felt "[alienated] in many respects". They also had to update their rhythm tracks to match the Roland 909 sound, which was popular back then. "We struggled to make it sound more like what everybody else was doing at the time, but we got there in the end", said Aitken.[18] "Step Back in Time" was one of the tracks recorded in late July.[21] In London, the sessions occurred at the PWL Studios.[23]

Rhythm of Love marked a stage where Minogue began to take more control over her workload.[26] She came up with a lot of ideas visually,[20] and took inspirations from American singer Madonna and her 1989 studio album Like a Prayer.[17] Before starting to work on Rhythm of Love, she asked not to record all the tracks with the SAW producers, to which they accepted.[27][21] "She was going to clubs, seeing different people, hearing different things... I knew the artist was going to want to get involved," Pete Waterman recalled.[20] In March, she took a trip to Los Angeles to enlist the help of other music producers from the United States.[28] Those sessions with Keith Cohen, Michael Jay, and Madonna's longtime collaborator Stephen Bray eventually produced four tracks—"The World Still Turns", "One Boy Girl", "Count the Days", and "Rhythm of Love"—all of which credited Minogue as co-writer for the first time.[28][21] Hutchence held a key position to the process—he was with her in the sessions, listened to the rough tapes and gave advice towards her songwriting.[21] "[Hutchence] really does help me and influence me a lot... He encourages me to be myself and go for it", Minogue said.[21] In Los Angeles, the sessions took place at Trax Recording, Ultimo, Ground Control Studio, Scotland Yard, Larrabee Sound, and Saturn Sound.[23]

Music and lyrics

Rhythm of Love is primarily a dance-pop album, a departure from the bubblegum pop music of its predecessors.[29][30] It features a more dance-oriented production, with instrumental such as saxophone and guitar.[31][32] Cameron Adams from the Herald Sun considered it the first album "that tried to inject some R&B" into Minogue's discography.[33] Its opening track, "Better the Devil You Know", is a dance-pop song with worldbeat influences which finds Minogue wrestling with a lover's flaws.[34][35] The SAW producers wrote it as a response to her leaving Neighbours, as well as her overexposed romantic relationships with both Donovan and Hutchence.[24][36] Her delivery was compared to Madonna by Joe Sweeney of PopMatters.[35] A disco song about the love for music, "Step Back in Time" is one of a few non-relationship-related tracks by Minogue.[37][33] It pays homage to 1970s disco music by referencing many titles and catchphrases,[34][21] while containing uncredited samples of Bobby Byrd's "Hot Pants – I'm Coming, Coming, I'm Coming" (1972) and B. T. Express's "Give Up the Funk (Let's Dance)" (1980).[38] Adams described the track as "Motown meets Hi-NRG meets Studio 54" and said that it has laid the path for her disco-related material.[33]

The rave-infused "What Do I Have To Do" features piano lines, whooshing noises, and built-in rushes.[33][34] The song gained comparisons to Madonna's "Vogue" (1990), Black Box's "Ride on Time" (1989), and Deee-Lite's "Groove is in the Heart" (1990).[33] Lyrically, it finds Minogue trying to get someone to know how much she loves him, with a more mature approach with lines such as "There ain't a single night / When I haven't held you tight / But it's always inside my head / Never inside my bed."[34][37] "Secrets" draws similarities to the earlier work by Olivia Newton-John and Minogue's previous album Enjoy Yourself.[38][34] It shows the singer's vulnerability towards her lover, where she scared her secrets would "force [him] to leave".[31] She sings about falling in love on "Always Find The Time", a SAW-produced upbeat track with incidental cymbal crashes.[34] It samples Mary Jane Girls' 1983 single "Candy Man", which was written and composed by Rick James.[38] Jeremy Mark of Number One noted "The World Still Turns", the album's first song co-written by Minogue, as "the only real attempt at a ballad on the album", even if its pace is "not especially slow and smoochy".[34] On the seventh track, "Shocked", Minogue exclaims how amazed she is to find herself so deep in love. It contains a more sophisticated dance sound with electric guitars against disco beat.[34]

"One Boy Girl" blends rhythmic new jack swing with house elements. It included strong dance beats, as well as a rap conversation between Minogue and American female rapper The Poetess, for which she was uncredited.[34][38] "Things Can Only Get Better" is a Saturday Night Fever-influenced dance song that contains a message about striving to fulfill your dreams.[34] An ode to long-distance relationship, Minogue co-wrote "Count the Days" with Bray. She dedicated it to her relationship with Hutchence, saying "It's obviously difficult for us to match up – we're both so busy."[28][38] Ian Wade from Classic Pop felt that the "jaunty" pop song strongly influenced by Madonna and it "wouldn't have been out of place on True Blue".[39] Jeremy Mark found the merry tune of "Count the Days" is reminiscent of "Everybody" (1983) and the early work of Paula Abdul.[34] He further called the title track, which serves as the album closer, as "an exceedingly Madonna-esque affair", while Ian Wade noted its similarities to Janet Jackson's "Rhythm Nation" (1989).[39] Adams felt that the song has the "funk/swing of early Madonna".[33]

Release

English artist Nick Egan designed the album cover and directed the music video for "Step Back in Time"

Rhythm of Love was released in the UK on 12 November 1990 by PWL.[23] The album was not released in Australia until 3 December 1990, through Mushroom Records.[40][41] The album's artwork, shot by Austrian photographer Markus Morianz, shows Minogue wearing a white bare-midriff blouse, with her hand raising behind her head. Christian Guiltenane of Classic Pop commented that the seductive pose offered "a freeer — and, it was implied — more sexually liberated" nature from her previous image.[42] English artist Nick Egan, who previously art-directed sleeves for Duran Duran and INXS, designed the overall album with designer Eric Roinestad.[43] The photoshoot for Rhythm of Love took place in Los Angeles in October, which included Minogue wearing a small cropped leotard with chains, and a white feather costume while standing in the desert.[42] A month ahead of the release, the shoot was revealed in a six-page spread on Smash Hits, where she explained "dramatic" new image: "I've grown up. I'm more womanly!... I think the outrageous me has been kinda subdued for a long time and now it's coming out!".[44]

Two special editions of Rhythm of Love were released in 1990: an Australasian Tour Souvenir edition was released in Australia to support the tour, containing three bonus tracks in a gold outer sleeve—it was later released in the UK, and is commonly referred to as the Gold edition;[45][46] another edition in special packaging was released in Australia only to promote the "Shocked" single.[47] In Japan, the album was originally released on 15 November 1990 by PWL. It went on to be re-released twice by WEA in 1993 and 1995,[48][49] before PWL announced their reissue in 2012 with bonus tracks and mixes.[50] Kylie's Remixes: Vol. 2, an eleven-track remix compilation of songs from Rhythm of Love and Let's Get to It, was released in July 1992 in Japan.[51] It peaked at number 90 on the Oricon Albums Chart and sold 7,330 copies, as of 2006.[52][53] The compilation was later released in Australia in 1993.[54]

In October 2014, it was announced that Rhythm of Love was to be re-released by Cherry Red Records and PWL, along with her studio albums Kylie (1988), Enjoy Yourself (1989), and Let's Get to It (1991).[55][56] The release date was later postponed to 9 February 2015.[55][57] The albums were digitally remastered from the original studio tapes and available on vinyl, CD, and DVD. This was the first time these albums had been released in the United Kingdom since their original release.[57][56] The reissue peaked at number ninety-six on the UK Albums Chart on 15 February 2015.[58] "I Am the One for You", written by Minogue, Phil Harding and Ian Curnow, was an unused track from recording sessions which was eventually made available on the Australian-only compilation album Greatest Remix Hits 4 (1998).[59]

Promotion

Minogue performing lead single "Better the Devil You Know" during the Aphrodite: Les Folies Tour in 2011

Minogue failed to find an audience in the United States following the release of Enjoy Yourself, and was dropped as an act by Geffen Records.[60] Subsequently, MCA Records refused to distribute Rhythm of Love and canceled plans to release "Better The Devil You Know" on the soundtrack of a new US film. The single "Shocked" and its music video were deemed unsuitable for the market.[61] In Australia and Asia, Minogue promoted the album with her Rhythm of Love Tour, which was sponsored by Coca-Cola, from February to March 1991.[62][63] Her provocative dance moves and choice of costumes — PVC mini-dresses and skin-tight body suits — faced strong reactions from the critics, many of whom compared them heavily to those of Madonna. Regarding the controversy, Minogue said "Madonna has definitely influenced me as have lots of people, men and women... I am certainly not trying to imitate Madonna. I'm continuing to develop my own style."[64][65]

Singles

The album spawned four singles, sometimes referred to as "The Golden Quartet".[66] The lead single, "Better the Devil You Know", was released on 30 April 1990.[67] Directed by Paul Goldman, its accompanying music video was filmed in Melbourne, Australia in two days in early April, away from the constraints of PWL.[68] The video caused controversy for its sexual tone—it featured Minogue dancing in a revealing black dress and posing suggestive scenes with a shirtless black man.[39][24][67] In the United Kingdom, "Better the Devil You Know" became her fifth non-consecutive number-two single, and stayed at the position for two consecutive weeks.[69][70] It also peaked inside the top five in Australia,[71] Belgium,[72] and Ireland.[73]

"Step Back in Time" was released on 22 October 1990 as the second single.[74] It debuted at number eight on the Australian Singles Chart, before peaking at number five the following week.[71] It had a similar chart run on the UK Singles Chart, where it debuted at number nine, and peaked at number four the following week.[69] It was her second consecutive single to peak at number four on the Irish Singles Chart.[73] An music video was directed by Egan in Los Angeles a month before the single release, Minogue's first to have been shot in the United States.[75][76] Minogue paid homage to the 1960s and 1970s culture in the video—it opens with Minogue putting an 8-track tape in a stereo, and moves to moments with Minogue and back-up dancers dancing near a large cityscape, wearing colorful wardrobes. Minogue and the back-up dancers are also driving in a red Cadillac throughout Los Angeles.[75][76][34]

Originally planned to be the follow-up to "Better the Devil You Know", "What Do I Have to Do" was released on 21 January 1991 as the third single when a new remix of the song was used.[77] A mostly black-and-white music video was directed by Dave Hogan in London in December 1990.[78] Minogue appears in a variety of film star looks, does the ironing in a French maiden costume, and shows a tattoo of a black panther on her back.[39][77] Her sister Dannii Minogue appeared as a cameo to silence the tabloid rumors about their feud.[79] Model and eventually Minogue's real-life boyfriend, Zane O'Connell, also had a cameo in the video.[39] The video's sexual undertones proved too much for Saturday morning TV shows in the United Kingdom, who aired a censored version of the video.[77] The single was her first to miss the top-ten in Australia when peaking at number 11,[71] while also broke her run of Top 5 singles in the United Kingdom when reaching at number six.[69] In Ireland, it also peaked at number six, her third top-ten single from Rhythm of Love in the region.[73]

English producers DNA requested to remix "Shocked", which was chose to release the last single on 20 May 1991.[80] The remix featured a rap in the bridge, written and performed by Jazzi P. Its music video, also directed by Hogan, was shot at the Pinewood Studios in England on April 24 & 25.[81][80] In the video, Minogue kissing a man in the back of a car while arriving at a mansion. Jazzi P raps in the video through a keyhole; O'Connell made an appearance again as her romantic partner.[39] "Shocked" peaked at number six on the UK Singles Chart, making Minogue the first artist to have the first thirteen releases inside the top 10.[69][80] It also peaked at number two in Ireland, and number seven in her native Australia.[73][71]

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[29]
Classic Pop	(favourable)[43]
Digital Spy	[31]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music	[82]
Entertainment Weekly	(favourable)[66]
Number One	(favourable)[34]
PopMatters	[35]
Select	[37]
Slant	(favourable)[83]
Smash Hits	[84]

Rhythm of Love received generally positive reviews.[32][85] In a three-stars out of five review, Chris True of AllMusic considered it to be a "more complete album" than Minogue's previous output, benefited from the songwriting, production and her "confident [vocals]", and termed it her best work during the Stock Aitken Waterman years.[29] Writing for Digital Spy, Nick Levine similarly labeled the album as Minogue best effort despite its uneven nature towards the end. He cited the strong choice for singles as the main reason that made the album "well worth another listen".[31] Jeremy Mark of Number One was impressed by the "catchy" and "memorable" material, praising "Step Back in Time" and "Better the Devil You Know" as two of the singer's finest singles.[34]

In a review for the 2015 reissue of Rhythm of Love, Joe Sweeney of PopMatters felt the album "clears up the mess" from Minogue's first releases by "letting [her] natural charisma and underrated voice" to shine. He commended the producers for "[taking] a big step in the right direction" and rated the album eight-stars out of ten, higher than any of her album under PWL.[35] By contrast, Select's Andrew Harrison was disappointed by her mature appeal to the audience, saying it was "a post-pubescent at least", and criticized the "useless" collaboration with other producers.[37] Marc Andrews from Smash Hits also commented that the album "is not as 'different' as it could have been" with the majority of familiar dance tunes, but found it was "pretty much a cracking pop outing" overall.[84]

In retrospect, Rhythm of Love is considered to be a definitive turning point in Minogue's career.[86] Oliver Hurley from Classic Pop wrote that the album "marks the high-water mark of the singer's entire PWL period" while helping Minogue "[flexing] her compositional skills".[87] In another review from the same publication, Wade noticed it was "certainly contemporaneous to the mood of the new decade", one that "set Minogue up for the rest of her career". He ultimately commented that the album was "an underrated classic that richly deserves its due."[43] In 2018, Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine selected the album as Minogue' strongest effort during PWL-era based on the singles choice alone. He acknowledged the producers put Minogue "somewhere near, if not in, the same league as her female chart rivals for the first time."[83] Ernest Macias from Entertainment Weekly cited Rhythm of Love to be the first album that "fully understand the sound and essence of a Minogue song, and her entire career for that matter", one that "spropelled by her angelic vocals, sensual music videos, chic fashion, and distinct dance sound."[66] It was one of Minogue's only three studio albums to receive a four-stars rating from British writer Colin Larkin in the Encyclopedia of Popular Music (2011), besides Light Years (2000) and Fever (2001), classifying it as "high standard".[82]

Commercial performance

Minogue singing Rhythm of Love's third single, "What Do I Have to Do", during her 2019 summer tour

Rhythm of Love was not as much of a commercial success as the previous albums.[32][43] It debuted and peaked at number nine on the UK Albums Chart,[88] becoming her third consecutive top-ten entry and her first studio album not to reach number one.[69] It fell to number sixteen the following week and stayed inside top twenty for a total of five weeks.[69] It returned at number sixty-two in June 1991 and stayed on the chart for three more weeks.[69] It was certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry for selling 100,000 copies on 6 December 1990.[89] In Ireland, it peaked at number two on the album chart on 28 October 1990, as reported by Music & Media.[90]

In her native Australia, the album debuted at number seventeen.[91] It climbed to number thirteen the following week but fell afterwards.[91] When Minogue was promoting her Rhythm of Love Tour, it peaked at number 10 in the week of 10 March 1991, becoming her third top-ten studio album four months after its release.[91][92] Later that year, it was certified platinum by Australian Recording Industry Association for selling 70,000 in the region.[93][94] In New Zealand, the album only spent a sole week on the charts at number thirty-six.[95] It performed similarly in Sweden, only peaking at number forty-four on the charts there.[96] In Spain, the album reached number twenty-six and stayed in the charts for ten weeks, later being certified gold by the Productores de Música de España for selling 50,000 copies.[97] It peaked at number seventy-six and spent seven weeks on the album chart in Netherland.[98] In France, it peaked at number twenty-five and later became the seventy-ninth best-selling album of the year in the region.[99][100] In Japan, it peaked at number thirty-two on the Oricon Albums Chart and sold 67,000 copies as of 2006.[53][101]

Track listing

All songs written, produced and arranged by Mike Stock, Matt Aitken and Pete Waterman, except where noted.

Rhythm of Love – Standard version[23]

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Better the Devil You Know"			3:52
2.	"Step Back in Time"			3:05
3.	"What Do I Have to Do"			3:44
4.	"Secrets"			4:06
5.	"Always Find the Time"	Mike Stock Matt Aitken Pete Waterman Rick James		3:36
6.	"The World Still Turns"	Kylie Minogue Michael Jay Mark Leggett	Jay	4:00
7.	"Shocked"			4:48
8.	"One Boy Girl"	Minogue Willie Wilcox	Keith Cohen	4:35
9.	"Things Can Only Get Better"			3:57
10.	"Count the Days"	Minogue Stephen Bray	Bray Cohen	4:23
11.	"Rhythm of Love"	Minogue Bray	Bray Cohen	4:13
Total length:				44:28

Rhythm of Love – Limited gold edition bonus tracks[46]

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
12.	"Step Back in Time" (Walkin' Rhythm Mix)			7:55
13.	"What Do I Have to Do" (Between the Sheets Remix)		Stock Aitken Waterman Pete Hammond	7:08
14.	"Shocked" (DNA Mix featuring Jazzy P)	Stock Aitken Waterman Pauline Bennett	Stock Aitken Waterman DNA	3:10

Rhythm of Love – Australasian Tour Souvenir bonus tracks[45]

No.	Title	Producer(s)	Length
12.	"Better the Devil You Know" (U.S. Remix)	Stock Aitken Waterman Cohen	6:03
13.	"Step Back in Time" (Walkin' Rhythm Mix)		7:55
14.	"What Do I Have to Do" (Between the Sheets Remix)	Stock Aitken Waterman Hammond	7:08

Rhythm Of Love + Shocked – Australian limited edition bonus CD – "Shocked"[47]

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Shocked" (DNA Mix featuring Jazzi P)	Stock Aitken Waterman Bennett	Stock Aitken Waterman DNA	3:10
2.	"Shocked" (DNA 12" Mix featuring Jazzi P)	Stock Aitken Waterman Bennett	Stock Aitken Waterman DNA	6:20
3.	"Shocked" (Harding/Curnow 7" Mix)		Stock Aitken Waterman Phil Harding Pete Curnow	3:18

Rhythm of Love – 1990 Japanese edition bonus tracks[102]

No.	Title	Length
12.	"Better the Devil You Know" (Mad March Hare Mix)	7:09

Rhythm of Love – 2012 Japanese reissue bonus tracks[50]

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
12.	"Better the Devil You Know" (Dave Ford Remix)		Stock Aitken Waterman Dave Ford	5:49
13.	"Step Back in Time" (Tony King Mix)		Stock Aitken Waterman Tony King	7:29
14.	"What Do I Have to Do" (12" Mix)			7:09
15.	"Shocked" (DNA 12" Mix featuring Jazzi P)	Stock Aitken Waterman Bennett	Stock Aitken Waterman DNA	6:14
16.	"One Boy Girl" (12" Mix)	Minogue Wilcox	Cohen	4:56
17.	"Things Can Only Get Better" (Original Mix)			3:36

Rhythm of Love – 2015 reissue deluxe version (Disc 1)[57]

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
12.	"Better the Devil You Know" (Mad March Hare Mix)			7:08
13.	"Step Back in Time" (Walkin' Rhythm Mix)			8:00
14.	"What Do I Have to Do" (Pumpin' Mix)			7:47
15.	"Shocked" (DNA 12" Mix featuring Jazzi P)	Stock Aitken Waterman Bennett	Stock Aitken Waterman DNA	6:14
16.	"Things Can Only Get Better" (Original Mix)			3:36

Rhythm of Love – 2015 reissue deluxe version (Disc 2)[57]

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Better the Devil You Know" (Dave Ford Mix)		Stock Aitken Waterman Ford	5:50
2.	"Step Back in Time" (Tony King Mix)		Stock Aitken Waterman King	7:30
3.	"What Do I Have to Do" (Between the Sheets Mix)		Stock Aitken Waterman Hammond	7:05
4.	"Shocked" (Harding/Curnow 12" Mix)		Stock Aitken Waterman Harding Curnow	7:32
5.	"Better the Devil You Know" (Alternative Mix)			3:20
6.	"I Am the One for You"	Minogue Harding Curnow	Harding Curnow	3:12
7.	"What Do I Have to Do" (Billy the Fish Mix)			7:31
8.	"Better the Devil You Know" (U.S. Remix)			6:03
9.	"One Boy Girl" (12" Mix)	Minogue Wilcox	Cohen	4:57
10.	"Shocked" (Harding/Curnow 7" Mix)		Stock Aitken Waterman Harding Curnow	3:19
11.	"Things Can Only Get Better" (12" Mix)			7:12
12.	"What Do I Have to Do" (Sax on the Beach Mix)			8:55
13.	"Step Back in Time" (Big Shock Mix)		Stock Aitken Waterman Steve Anderson	6:38

Rhythm of Love – 2015 reissue deluxe version (Disc 3)[57]

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Better the Devil You Know" (Music video)
2.	"Step Back in Time" (Music video)
3.	"What Do I Have to Do" (Music video)
4.	"Shocked" (Music video)
5.	"Better the Devil You Know" (Behind the Scenes, part of the bonus footage section)
6.	"Step Back in Time" (Behind the Scenes, part of the bonus footage section)
7.	"What Do I Have to Do" (Behind the Scenes, part of the bonus footage section)
8.	"Better the Devil You Know" (Live on Going Live!)
9.	"Better the Devil You Know" (Live on Top of the Pops)
10.	"Better the Devil You Know" (Live on Christmas Top of the Pops)
11.	"Step Back in Time" (Live on Going Live!)
12.	"Step Back in Time" (Live on Top of the Pops)
13.	"Shocked" (Live on Top of the Pops)

Notes[38][39]

• "Step Back in Time" contains uncredited samples of "Hot Pants – I'm Coming, Coming, I'm Coming", written by James Brown, performed by Bobby Byrd; and "Give Up the Funk (Let's Dance)", written by B. T. Express and Carlos Ward, performed by B. T. Express.
• "Always Find the Time" contains a sample of "Candy Man", written and composed by Rick James, performed by the Mary Jane Girls.
• "One Boy Girl" included guest vocals by American female rapper The Poetess, but was uncredited.

Personnel

Adapted from the album's liner notes.[23]

Kylie Minogue – lead vocals, backing vocals Matt Aitken – guitar, keyboards, arranger John DeFaria – guitar Stephen Bray – keyboards, producer Claude Gaudette – keyboards, arranger Mike Stock – keyboards, arranger Jim Oppenheim – saxophone Michael Jay – drum programming, arranger, producer Mark Leggett – drum programming Maxi Anderson – backing vocals Peggie Blu – backing vocals Joey Diggs – backing vocals Alice Echols – backing vocals

Mae McKenna – backing vocals Miriam Stockley – backing vocals Linda Taylor – backing vocals Keith "KC" Cohen – producer, mixing, engineer Pete Waterman – arranger Peter Day – engineer Karen Hewitt – engineer John Chamberlin – assistant engineer Mauricio Guerrero – assistant engineer Kimm James – assistant engineer, assistant producer Sylvia Massy – assistant engineer, mixing assistant Mitch Zelezny – assistant engineer Nick Egan – art direction, design

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (1990) Peak position Australian Albums (ARIA)[91] 10 Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[98] 76 Europe (European Top 100 Albums)[103] 27 French Albums (SNEP)[99] 25 Irish Albums (IFPI)[90] 2 Japanese Albums (Oricon)[101] 32 New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[95] 36 Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[104] 26 Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[96] 44 UK Albums (OCC)[88] 9 Chart (2015) Peak position UK Albums (OCC)[58] 96

Year-end charts Chart (1990) Position Australian Albums (ARIA)[93] 77 Chart (1991) Position Australian Albums (ARIA)[93] 52 French Albums (SNEP)[100] 79

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[94]	Platinum	70,000^^
Japan	—	67,000[53]
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[97]	Gold	50,000^^
United Kingdom (BPI)[89]	Gold	100,000^^
^*sales figures based on certification alone ^^shipments figures based on certification alone

Release history

Region	Date	Edition(s)	Format(s)	Distributor(s)	Ref(s).
United Kingdom	12 November 1990	Standard	CD cassette LP	PWL	[23]
Japan	15 November 1990				[102]
Australia	3 December 1990			Mushroom Records	[40][41]
United Kingdom	1990	Limited Gold	Cassette LP	PWL	[46]

See also

• List of UK top-ten albums in 1990

References

Footnotes

1. Flynn 2019, p. 14: "The Sweet Sensation" by Elliot, Mark
2. Goodall & Stanley-Clarke 2012, p. 50
3. Smith 2014, p. 81
4. Goodall & Stanley-Clarke 2012, p. 55
5. Goodall & Stanley-Clarke 2012, pp. 56, 58
6. Flynn 2019, p. 123: "Get Me Acting Crazy" by Elliot, Mark
7. "Albums: Enjoy Yourself". Kylie.com. Archived from the original on 12 October 2007. Retrieved 3 December 2007.
8. Smith 2014, p. 79
9. McManus, Jason, ed. (12 March 1990). "Picks and Pans Review: Enjoy Yourself". People. Vol. 33 no. 10 (Single issue ed.). ASIN B009BUKEKG. ISSN 0093-7673. Archived from the original on 5 August 2019. Retrieved 8 April 2015.
10. Goodall & Stanley-Clarke 2012, p. 42
11. Maloney, Shane; Grosz, Chris (December 2007). "Kylie Minogue & Michael Hutchence". The Monthly. Archived from the original on 20 April 2018. Retrieved 31 January 2019.
12. Goodall & Stanley-Clarke 2012, pp. 61, 62
13. "Ex devastated by Kylie's phone break-up". Stuff.co.nz. 31 January 2009. Archived from the original on 4 October 2019. Retrieved 31 January 2019 – via Australian Associated Press.
14. Goodall & Stanley-Clarke 2012, p. 66
15. Myers, Justin (30 November 2018). "Every Official Christmas Number 1 ever!". Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on 25 September 2019. Retrieved 4 October 2019.
16. "Year-End Charts '89: Top 100 Singles". Music Week. London, England: Spotlight Publications. 3 March 1990. p. 12. ISSN 0265-1548.
17. Flynn 2019, p. 28: "The Hitmen & Her" by Lindsay, Matthew
18. Flynn 2019, p. 29: "The Hitmen & Her" by Lindsay, Matthew
19. Lindores 2018, p. 28
20. Flynn 2019, p. 27: "The Hitmen & Her" by Lindsay, Matthew
21. Soutar, Mike (31 October 1990). "'Since I Met Michael I've Turn into a Different Person...'". Smash Hits. 12 (311). London: EMAP. pp. 40–42. ISSN 0260-3004.
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23. Rhythm of Love (Liner notes). Kylie Minogue. United Kingdom: PWL. 1990. ASIN B000024550. HFCD18. Archived from the original on 27 March 2016 – via Eil.com.CS1 maint: others (link)
24. Goodall & Stanley-Clarke 2012, p. 69
25. "Better the Devil You Know by Kylie Minogue". SongFacts. Archived from the original on 23 January 2020. Retrieved 23 January 2020.
26. Flynn 2019, p. 45: "Classic Album: Rhythm of Love" by Wade, Ian
27. Flynn 2019, p. 25: "The Hitmen & Her" by Lindsay, Matthew
28. Goodall & Stanley-Clarke 2012, p. 68
29. True, Chris. "Rhythm of Love – Kylie Minogue". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 29 May 2016. Retrieved 5 August 2019.
30. Barron 2012, p. 65
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36. Flynn 2019, p. 46: "Classic Album: Rhythm of Love" by Wade, Ian
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38. Flynn 2019, p. 46: Track by Track from "Classic Album: Rhythm of Love" by Wade, Ian
39. Flynn 2019, p. 47: Track by Track from "Classic Album: Rhythm of Love" by Wade, Ian
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43. Flynn 2019, p. 47: "Classic Album: Rhythm of Love" by Wade, Ian
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53. Okamoto 2006
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61. Goodall & Stanley-Clarke 2012, p. 75
62. "Rhythm of Love Tour 1991". Kylie.com. Archived from the original on 19 October 2007. Retrieved 19 October 2017.
63. Aspinall 2008, p. 137
64. Goodall & Stanley-Clarke 2012, p. 76
65. Flynn 2019, p. 106: "Lose It in the Music" by Guiltenane, Christian
66. Macias, Ernest (1 February 2018). "Your guide to Kylie Minogue's disco-pop music career". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 14 August 2019. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
67. "Singles: Better the Devil You Know". Kylie.com. Archived from the original on 15 April 2012. Retrieved 3 December 2007.
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75. Baker & Minogue 2002
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79. Goodall & Stanley-Clarke 2012, p. 73
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Sources

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• Aspinall, Julie (2 June 2008). Kylie. John Blake. ISBN 1-843-586-932 – via Google Books.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Baker, William; Minogue, Kylie (2002). Kylie: La La La. United Kingdom: Hodder & Stoughton. ISBN 0-340-73439-6. OCLC 50494879.
• Barron, Lee (2012). Social Theory in Popular Culture (Digital ed.). Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 978-0-230-28499-9 – via Google Books.
• Flynn, Rik, ed. (May 2019). "Classic Pop Presents Kylie Minogue". Classic Pop (Special ed.). Anthem Publishing. Archived from the original on 26 June 2019. Retrieved 25 June 2019.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Lindores, Mark (May 2018). Harness, Steve (ed.). "Kylie: The Princess of Pop – The 30th Anniversary". Classic Pop. Anthem Publishing (40). Archived from the original on 22 July 2018. Retrieved 25 June 2019.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
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• Larkin, Colin (2011). Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th Concise ed.). Omnibus Press. ISBN 978-0857125958.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Okamoto, Satoshi (2006). Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970–2005. Roppongi, Tokyo: Oricon Entertainment. ISBN 4-87131-077-9. Archived from the original on 13 September 2019.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
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• Salaverrie, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (in Spanish) (1st ed.). Madrid: Fundación Autor/SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Smith, Sean (13 March 2014). Kylie. London, United Kingdom: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 978-147-113-5804. Archived from the original on 6 April 2015. Retrieved 3 April 2015.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)

External links

• Rhythm of Love at Kylie.com (archived from 2008)
• Rhythm of Love at Discogs (list of releases)