Kissing to Be Clever

by Culture Club

Overview

Kissing to Be Clever is the album that put Culture Club on the musical map. Incorporating pop, rock, dance, new wave, soul, and Caribbean rhythms (an amalgamation of "cultures"), the result was a soulful, progressive pop outing that scored several landmark international hits and made a star out of the band's outrageous frontman, Boy George. A couple of tracks were European dance hits, but the first "official" single, "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me," was a simple masterpiece, resonating with an ache that harked back to the classic torch songs of yesteryear. Most of the other songs were quite different, with energetic beats and sometimes silly, campy themes ("Boy Boy I'm the Boy," "White Boys Can't Control It," and "White Boy"). The album scored two other major hits, the zippy and bouncy "I'll Tumble 4 Ya" and the gorgeous "Time (Clock of the Heart)." However, beware that "Time" is only on certain pressings of the album. When the album was issued on CD, and once the Epic label dissolved, the formerly colorful album cover had turned to black and white, and "Time" had been omitted, which is pretty ridiculous, considering the song was a huge number two hit, and the album was then left with only nine tracks. Still, this set is a highlight of 1980s music, and set the stage for one of the decade's most loved and oft-remembered bands. ~ Jose F. Promis

Product Details

Release Date:	12/23/2022
Label:	Universal Music
UPC:	4988031542200
Rank:	51912

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Culture Club   Primary Artist
Captain Crucial   Primary Artist,Featured Artist
Terry Bailey   Trumpet
Denise Spooner   Vocals (Background)
Colin Campsie   Vocals (Background)
Keith Miller   Synclavier
Nicky Payne   Flute,Harmonica,Saxophone
Jon Moss   Drums,Percussion
John Moss   Drums,Percussion
Roy Hay   Piano,Sitar,Guitar,Keyboards,Sitar (Electric)
Phil Pickett   Keyboards,Vocals (Background)
Mikey Craig   Bass
Helen Terry   Vocals
Boy George   Vocals

Technical Credits

Nick Egan   Logo
Jackie Ball   Artwork
Keith Miller   Synclavier Programming
Mark Lebon   Photography
Steve Levine   Mixing,Engineer,Producer
Culture Club   Composer
Jon Moss   Mixing,Composer,Drum Programming
John Moss   Programming
Roy Hay   Composer
Mikey Craig   Composer
George O'Dowd   Composer
Gordon Milne   Assistant Engineer
Helen Terry   Composer
Jaki Graham   Typography,Cover Design,Logo
Boy George   Make-Up