Stateless (Lene Lovich album)

Stateless
Studio album by
ReleasedOctober 1978 (1978-10)
Recorded1978
Studio
GenreNew wave
Length35:31
LabelStiff / Epic (US)
Producer
  • The Stateless (Lene Lovich, Les Chappell)
Lene Lovich chronology
Stateless
(1978)
Flex
(1980)
Singles from Stateless
  1. "I Think We're Alone Now"
    Released: July 1978
  2. "Lucky Number"
    Released: January 26, 1979
  3. "Say When"
    Released: May 11, 1979

Stateless is the debut studio album by English-American singer Lene Lovich. It was released in October 1978 by Stiff Records and produced by Lene Lovich and Les Chappell (credited as "The Stateless").

Release

[edit]

The UK version of the album was released in 1978 and in the United States in 1979.

The album was available in two different releases. The more common release had most of the songs remixed from the original versions and included the single version of "Lucky Number". On this version, the tracks were slightly shortened. While the original vocals were often straightforward, this release featured new vocals accentuating Lovich's quirky singing style.

The album cover varied between countries.

Stateless peaked at number 35 on the UK Albums Chart,[1] while also managing to chart in Australia,[2] the Netherlands[3] and New Zealand.[4] "Lucky Number" peaked at number three on the UK Singles Chart.[5]

Reception

[edit]
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[6]
Christgau's Record GuideA−[7]

Upon its release, Stateless received positive reviews from music critics. The Village Voice's Robert Christgau called Lovich "an original" and found that her "goofy energy doesn't distract her from her feelings or damage her sex appeal or conceal a mawkish underside."[7]

Track listings

[edit]
US version = remixed by Roger Bechirian* (1979) and Original UK version (1978)
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Home*"
3:40
2."Sleeping Beauty*"
  • Lovich
  • Chappell
3:00
3."Lucky Number*"
  • Lovich
  • Chappell
2:47
4."Too Tender (To Touch)*"
  • Lovich
  • Chappell
4:04
5."Say When*"2:49
6."Writing on the Wall*"
  • Lovich
  • Chappell
3:08
7."Telepathy*"
  • O'Neill
2:45
8."Momentary Breakdown*"
  • Lovich
  • Chappell
3:18
9."I Think We're Alone Now"2:45
10."One in a 1,000,000"
  • Lovich
  • Chappell
2:48
11."Tonight*"4:27
Total length:35:31
U.S. CD Remastered edition bonus tracks (Stateless...Plus) (1991)[8]
No.TitleWriter(s)NotesLength
12."Be Stiff"From Be Stiff Tour (Stiff Records ODD 2)2:37
13."One Lonely Heart"
  • Lovich
  • Chappell
B-side of "Say When" (7" & 12")3:23
14."Big Bird"
  • Lovich
  • Chappell
B-side of "Say When" (12")3:26
15."The Fall"B-side of "Angels" (12")3:38
16."Blue"
  • Lovich
  • Chappell
B-side of "It's You, Only You (Mein Schmerz)" (7" & 12")3:02
17."I Think We're Alone Now (Japanese Version)"
  • Cordell
A-side of "I Think We're Alone Now" (UK 7" Version 2)2:46
Total length:54:33
UK version (1978)
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Lucky Number"
  • Lovich
  • Chappell
2:47
2."Sleeping Beauty"
  • Lovich
  • Chappell
3:00
3."Home"
  • Lovich
  • Chappell
3:40
4."Too Tender (To Touch)"
  • Lovich
  • Chappell
4:04
5."Say When"
  • Jimme O'Neill
2:49
6."Tonight"4:27
7."Writing on the Wall"
  • Lovich
  • Chappell
3:08
8."Telepathy"
  • O'Neill
2:45
9."Momentary Breakdown"
  • Lovich
  • Chappell
3:18
10."One in a 1,000,000"
  • Lovich
  • Chappell
2:48
11."I Think We're Alone Now"2:45
German CD Reissue bonus tracks (1991)[9]
No.TitleWriter(s)NotesLength
12."Be Stiff"From Be Stiff Tour (Stiff Records ODD 2)2:37
13."Big Bird"
  • Lovich
  • Chappell
B-side of "Say When" (12")3:26
14."The Fall"B-side of "Angels" (12")3:38
European CD Reissue bonus tracks (Stateless...Plus) (1993)[10]
No.TitleWriter(s)NotesLength
12."Be Stiff"From Be Stiff Tour (Stiff Records ODD 2)2:37
13."Big Bird"
  • Lovich
  • Chappell
B-side of "Say When" (12")3:26
14."The Fall"B-side of "Angels" (12")3:38
15."I Think We're Alone Now (Japanese Version)"
  • Cordell
A-side of "I Think We're Alone Now" (UK 7" Version 2)2:44

Personnel

[edit]
  • Lene Lovich – vocals, saxophone
  • Les Chappell – guitar, EMS synthesizer, percussion, vocals
  • Jeff Smith – synthesizer
  • Nick Plytas – Hammond organ, piano
  • Ron François – bass, percussion, vocals
  • Bobby Irwin – drums, percussion, vocals
  • Don Snow – piano on "Too Tender (To Touch)"
Technical

Charts

[edit]
Chart (1978–79) Peak
position
Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)[2] 13
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[3] 17
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[4] 19
UK Albums (OCC)[1] 35

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
  2. ^ a b Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 182. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  3. ^ a b "Dutchcharts.nl – Lene Lovich – Stateless" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved April 5, 2016.
  4. ^ a b "Charts.nz – Lene Lovich – Stateless". Hung Medien. Retrieved April 5, 2016.
  5. ^ "Lene Lovich". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 11 November 2020.
  6. ^ Hanson, Amy. "Stateless – Lene Lovich". AllMusic. Retrieved 11 November 2020.
  7. ^ a b Christgau, Robert (1981). "L". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor and Fields. ISBN 0-89919-026-X. Retrieved 1 March 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
  8. ^ "Lene Lovich - Stateless...Plus (1991 US CD)". discogs.com. Retrieved 10 December 2021.
  9. ^ "Lene Lovich - Stateless (1991 German CD)". discogs.com. Retrieved 10 December 2021.
  10. ^ "Lene Lovich - Stateless...Plus (1993 Europe CD)". discogs.com. Retrieved 10 December 2021.
[edit]