Agent Provocateur (album)

Agent Provocateur
Studio album by Foreigner
Released	December 7, 1984
Recorded	1984
Genre	Rock
Length	41:42
Label	Atlantic
Producer	Mick Jones, Alex Sadkin
Foreigner chronology
Records (1982) Agent Provocateur (1984) Inside Information (1987)
Singles from Agent Provocateur
"I Want to Know What Love Is" Released: November 13, 1984 "That Was Yesterday" Released: February 1985 "Reaction to Action" Released: April 1985 "Growing Up the Hard Way" Released: May 1985 "Down on Love" Released: September 1985

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]

Agent Provocateur is the fifth studio album by American/British rock band Foreigner, released on December 7, 1984. The album was the band's first and only number one album in the United Kingdom, and it reached the top 5 in the United States. Although album sales were lower than their previous work in the U.S., it contains the band's biggest hit single, "I Want to Know What Love Is", which is their only #1 single in the UK and the U.S., staying at the top spot for three and two weeks respectively. The follow-up single, "That Was Yesterday", also proved to be a sizeable hit, peaking at #12 in the U.S. The album was certified Platinum in the UK by the BPI, and triple Platinum in the U.S. by the RIAA.^[2]

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Tooth and Nail"	Lou Gramm, Mick Jones	3:54
2.	"That Was Yesterday"	Jones, Gramm	3:46
3.	"I Want to Know What Love Is"	Jones	5:00
4.	"Growing Up the Hard Way"	Jones, Gramm	4:18
5.	"Reaction to Action"	Jones, Gramm	3:57
6.	"Stranger in My Own House"	Jones	4:54
7.	"A Love in Vain"	Jones, Gramm	4:12
8.	"Down on Love"	Jones, Gramm	4:08
9.	"Two Different Worlds"	Gramm	4:28
10.	"She's Too Tough"	Jones, Gramm	3:07

Personnel

• Lou Gramm – lead vocals, percussion
• Mick Jones – guitar, backing vocals, keyboards, synthesizers
• Rick Wills – bass, backing vocals
• Dennis Elliott – drums

Additional personnel

• Wally Badarou – analog and digital synthesizers
• Tom Bailey – vocals
• Brian Eddolls – synthesizer
• Larry Fast – synthesizer
• Don Harper – backing vocals
• Jennifer Holliday – backing vocals
• Dave Lebolt – synthesizer
• Ian Lloyd – backing vocals
• Bob Mayo – synthesizer, piano, backing vocals
• New Jersey Mass Choir of the GMWA - backing vocals
• Mark Rivera – saxophone, backing vocals
• Jack Waldman – synthesizer
• Thompson Twins - backing vocals

Production

• Producers: Mick Jones, Alex Sadkin
• Engineers: Josh Abbey, Larry Alexander, Joe Ferla, Frank Filipetti, Howie Lindeman
• Assistant engineers: Bobby Cohen, Tim Crich, Scott Mabuchi
• Original mastering, digital remastering: Ted Jensen at Sterling Sound, NYC
• Art direction: Bob Defrin
• Design: Bob Defrin

Charts and certifications

Charts Album Chart (1985) Peak position Austrian Top 75 Albums[3] 10 Canadian Top 100 Albums[4] 3 French Top Albums[5] 15 German Albums Chart[6] 1 Netherlands Top 100 Albums[7] 12 New Zealand Top 40 Albums[8] 4 Norwegian Top 40 Albums[9] 1 Swedish Top 60 Albums[10] 1 Swiss Top 100 Albums[11] 1 UK Albums Chart[12] 1 US Billboard 200[13] 4 US R&B/Hip-Hop Albums[13] 49 Singles Year Single Chart Position 1984 "I Want To Know What Love Is" Billboard Hot 100 1 Mainstream Rock Chart 1 Adult Contemporary 3 Hot R&B/Hip Hop 85 1985 "That Was Yesterday" Billboard Hot 100 12 Mainstream Rock Chart 4 Adult Contemporary 24 "Reaction to Action" Billboard Hot 100 54 Modern Rock Chart 44 "Down On Love" Billboard Hot 100 54

Certifications Album Region Certification Sales/shipments France (SNEP)[14] Gold 100,000 Germany (BVMI)[15] Platinum 500,000 Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[16] Platinum 50,000 United Kingdom (BPI)[17] Platinum 300,000 United States (RIAA)[18] 3× Platinum 3,000,000 ^*sales figures based on certification alone ^^shipments figures based on certification alone

References

1. [Agent Provocateur (album) at AllMusic
2. RIAA database
3. "Foreigner – Agent Provocateur (Album)" (ASP). Austrian Charts (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved July 26, 2011.
4. "100 Albums" (PHP/PDF). RPM 42 (3): 5. March 30, 1985. ISSN 0315-5994. Retrieved July 26, 2011.
5. "Les "Charts Runs" de chaque Album Classé" (PHP). InfoDisc (in French). Find "FOREIGNER" under the drop-down menu to see statistics.
6. "Album – Foreigner, Agent Provocateur" (ASP). Media Control Charts (in German). Retrieved July 26, 2011.
7. "Foreigner – Agent Provocateur (Album)" (ASP). Dutch Charts (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved July 26, 2011.
8. "Foreigner – Agent Provocateur (Album)" (ASP). New Zealand Charts. Hung Medien. Retrieved July 26, 2011.
9. "Foreigner – Agent Provocateur (Album)" (ASP). Norwegian Charts. Hung Medien. Retrieved July 26, 2011.
10. "Foreigner – Agent Provocateur (Album)" (ASP). Swedish Charts. Hung Medien. Retrieved July 26, 2011.
11. "Foreigner – Agent Provocateur (Album)" (ASP). Swiss Charts. Hung Medien. Retrieved July 26, 2011.
12. "All the Number One Albums: 1985". The Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 26, 2011.
13. "Agent Provocateur – Foreigner". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Archived from the original on 26 July 2011. Retrieved July 26, 2011.
14. "French album certifications – Foreigner – Agent Provocateur" (in French). InfoDisc. Select FOREIGNER and click OK
15. "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Foreigner; 'Agent Provocateur')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie.
16. "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards (Foreigner; 'Agent Provocateur')". Hung Medien.
17. "British album certifications – Foreigner – Agent Provocateur". British Phonographic Industry. Enter Agent Provocateur in the field Keywords. Select Title in the field Search by. Select album in the field By Format. Select Platinum in the field By Award. Click Search
18. "American album certifications – Foreigner – Agent Provocateur". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH