Happy Birthday (Altered Images album)

Happy Birthday is the debut album by the British new wave band Altered Images. Released in 1981, the album's title track, "Happy Birthday", became the band's biggest hit, peaking at number 2 in the UK in October of that year.[5]

Happy Birthday
Studio album by
Altered Images
ReleasedSeptember 1981
StudioRockfield Studios, Wales
(except "Happy Birthday" recorded at Genetic Sound, Berkshire)
GenreRock, new wave
Length38:45
LabelEpic (UK) Portrait (US) Edsel (CD) Vinyl 180 (LP reissues)
ProducerSteven Severin
(except "Happy Birthday" produced by Martin Rushent)
Altered Images chronology
Happy Birthday
(1981)		 Pinky Blue
(1982)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Smash Hits6/10[2]
Q[3]
Uncut[4]

The album reached number 26 in the UK Album Chart[5] and was certified Silver by the BPI for sales in excess of 60,000 copies.[6]

Originally released on vinyl album and cassette in 1981, the album was reissued on CD several times in the 1990s as straight album reissues, and then in 2004 by Edsel Records. Entitled Happy Birthday...Plus, it contained the original album along with six bonus tracks including the band's first single "Dead Pop Stars" which had peaked at number 67 earlier in 1981[5] but was not included on the original album. The album was re-issued again in December 2016 on 180-gram black vinyl LP with bonus 7" on red vinyl. It was then re-issued in April 2017 as a double LP set for Record Store Day on 180-gram black vinyl containing additional period material not included on the previous bonus 7". The U.S. edition of the album differed from the original UK edition by using the later Martin Rushent re-recorded version of the song "Insects", rather than the original Steven Severin produced version.

Track listing

All tracks composed by Altered Images

Side One
  1. "Intro: Happy Birthday" – 0:44
  2. "Love and Kisses" – 2:18
  3. "Real Toys" – 3:23
  4. "Idols" – 2:27
  5. "Legionaire" – 3:30
  6. "Faithless" – 3:49
  7. "Beckoning Strings" – 3:05
Side Two
  1. "Happy Birthday" – 3:00
  2. "Midnight" – 3:39
  3. "A Days Wait" – 4:20
  4. "Leave Me Alone" – 4:08
  5. "Insects" – 3:28
  6. "Outro: Happy Birthday" – 0:44
Bonus tracks on Happy Birthday...Plus CD
  1. "Dead Pop Stars" – 3:17
  2. "Sentimental" – 3:24
  3. "Who Cares?" – 3:00
  4. "Happy Birthday" (Dance Mix) – 7:03
  5. "So We Go Whispering" – 3:47
  6. "Jeepster" – 2:29
Bonus 7" on colored vinyl (2016)
  1. "Dead Pop Stars"
  2. "Sentimental"
Bonus LP - Record Store Day release (2017)
Side One
  1. "Happy Birthday" (Dance Mix)
  2. "Jeepster"
Side Two
  1. "Leave Me Alone" (Original cassette single version)
  2. "Who Cares"
  3. "So We Go Whispering"
  4. "Real Toys" (Flexi version)
  5. "Happy New Year"

Personnel
Altered Images

with:

  • Gerard "Caesar" McNulty - guitar on "A Days Wait"
Technical
  • Ted Sharp - engineer

"Thanks to Janet and The Ice Bergs, John Peel, Ginge with special thanks to Caesar, Bobby, Kathleen and a very special hug for cheesy agency Ian Wilson at Wasted Talent".[7]

References
  1. Woodstra, Chris. "Happy Birthday – Altered Images". AllMusic. Retrieved 13 June 2018.
  2. Cranna, Ian (17 September 1981). "Altered Images: Happy Birthday". Smash Hits. London: 29.
  3. "Altered Images: Happy Birthday". Q. London (107): 136. August 1995.
  4. "Altered Images: Happy Birthday". Uncut. London (82): 112. March 2004.
  5. Charts Stats UK (Altered Images)
  6. BPI Certifications Database
  7. https://www.discogs.com/Altered-Images-Happy-Birthday/release/398853


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