Hand Cut

Hand Cut
Studio album by Bucks Fizz
Released 1 March 1983
Recorded 1982-83
Genre Pop
Length 40:44
78:10 (2004 Reissue)
Label RCA
Producer
Bucks Fizz chronology
Are You Ready
(1982)		 Hand Cut
(1983)		 Greatest Hits
(1983)
Singles from Hand Cut
  1. "If You Can't Stand the Heat"
    Released: November 1982
  2. "Run for Your Life"
    Released: March 1983
  3. "You Love Love"
    Released: May 1989

Hand Cut is the third studio album by pop group Bucks Fizz. It was released in 1983 and features the UK top 20 hits, "If You Can't Stand the Heat" and "Run for Your Life".

Overview

Hand Cut was the third album released by Bucks Fizz. Released in March 1983, the album continued the group's success, which had been building for two years since their Eurovision win.

The first single from the album was "If You Can't Stand the Heat" in November 1982, which became their fourth consecutive top ten hit in the UK charts.[1] This was followed in March 1983 by "Run for Your Life", which reached UK#14.[2][3] Along with this came the album's release, which received favourable reviews and became their third UK top 20 album.[4] Remaining on the chart for three months, Hand Cut was certified silver by the BPI.[5] The album also coincided with a successful 40 date UK tour.

Despite this, the group's management were concerned that the singles hadn't performed as well as the ones on their previous album and took the decision not to release any further singles from Hand Cut. Realising that their fans were now slightly older, they made a move for a more adult market - a factor which would remain for the rest of the group's recording career, but would ultimately provide their downfall. The following single became the hard edged "When We Were Young", which in the Summer of 1983 returned Bucks Fizz to the top ten, and a Greatest Hits compilation followed.[6]

Some time after the group had fallen out of vogue, their record company, RCA made one last attempt to revive fortunes by releasing a single taken from this album six years after its release. The song was the ballad "You Love Love".[7] Somewhat predictably it failed to chart and remains the group's last ever UK single release.

Other notable tracks from the album include "10,9,8,7,6,5,4" which was later covered by another Eurovision-winning group, Herreys. While today, fans of the group bemoan the lack of a third single from the album and cite "I'd Like to Say I Love You" as the perfect choice, which was voted in a poll as the group's all-time best song.[8]

Hand Cut was released on compact disc for the first time in June 2004.[9] In 2008, alternate versions of tracks "Run for Your Life", "If You Can't Stand the Heat", "I'd Like to Say I Love You" and "You Love Love" were featured on The Lost Masters 2 - The Final Cut compilation.

Reception and reviews

As with the previous album, Hand Cut received many good reviews in the media. Smash Hits gave the album a 7 out of 10 rating, but thought that the over production was sometimes overpowering and preferred the quieter songs on the album (referencing "Where the Ending Starts"). The review stated that the album was well-produced however, saying it was "...another busy Andy Hill-directed epic. The trademarks are all here: ferocious production, terrific drum sound and booming choruses".[10] Record Mirror claimed that "Run for Your Life" was too similar to a previous single "My Camera Never Lies", but did state that the group were now making "exceedingly good pop music". Writing for Irish magazine, RTE Guide, reviewer Brendan Martin gave the album a positive review, saying "Hand Cut follows the formula of their previous albums. There are two singles along with a selection of good pop songs".[11] The New Straits Times gave the album a largely negative review saying that it was "overly clean, lacking a rough hewn edge". It did however single out two tracks which rose above "the mundane", namely "10,9,8,7,6,5,4" and "If You Can't Stand the Heat" calling them "catchy".[12] NME gave "Run for Your Life" a particularly good review, saying that the group were at their peak and singling out praise to producer, Andy Hill. Member Mike Nolan has listed track "You Love Love" as the best of their own songs.[13]

Track listing

Side One
No. TitleWriter(s)Producer Length
1. "Run for Your Life"  Andy Hill / Ian BairnsonAndy Hill 4:12
2. "10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4"  Steve Glen / Matthew James / Bill EdwardsBrian Tench with Bobby G 4:29
3. "I Do It All for You"  Andy Hill / Alan CoatesAndy Hill 3:58
4. "Where the Ending Starts"  Andy HillAndy Hill 3:57
5. "Surrender Your Heart"  Bobby GBrian Tench with Bobby G 4:09
Side Two
No. TitleWriter(s)Producer Length
6. "If You Can't Stand the Heat"  Andy Hill / Ian BairnsonAndy Hill 3:35
7. "I'd Like to Say I Love You"  Warren HarryAndy Hill 4:30
8. "You Love Love"  Andy SellsAndy Hill 3:40
9. "Shot Me Through the Heart"  Andy Hill / Nichola MartinAndy Hill 4:25
10. "Running Out of Time"  Andy Hill / Ian BairnsonAndy Hill 3:45
2004 Reissue Bonus Tracks
No. TitleWriter(s)Producer Length
11. "If You Can't Stand the Heat" (12" version)Andy Hill / Ian BairnsonAndy Hill 5:39
12. "Stepping Out" (B-side of "If You Can't Stand the Heat")Bucks FizzBucks Fizz 3:28
13. "When the Love Has Gone" (Extra track on 12" of "When We Were Young)Andy Hill / Nichola MartinAndy Hill 5:50
14. "London Town" (Extended Club Mix)Andy HillAndy Hill 6:38
15. "Identity" (B-side of "London Town")Bucks FizzBobby G 2:40
16. "When We Were at War" (B-side of "Rules of the Game)Bucks FizzBobby G 6:00
17. "Pinball Wizard / Hot Stuff / Da Ya Think I'm Sexy? / Knock on Wood / Rockin' All Over the World" (hidden track)Pete Townshend / Pete Bellotte, Harold Faltermeyer, Keith Forsey / Rod Stewart, Carmine Appice / Eddie Floyd, Steve Cropper / John FogertyBucks Fizz 5:50

Personnel

[14]

Bucks Fizz

Musicians

Production

Design

Chart performance

Release date Single title UK Chart position
November 1982 "If You Can't Stand the Heat" 10
March 1983 "Run for Your Life" 14
May 1989 "You Love Love" -
Release date Album title UK Chart position
March 1983 Hand Cut 17
June 2004 Hand Cut (re-release) -

References

  1. ↑ Chartstats. "If You Can't Stand the Heat". Retrieved 2008-08-12.
  2. ↑ Chartstats. "Run for Your Life". Retrieved 2008-08-12.
  3. ↑ Ian Bairnson. "Writer/Guitarist's website with song clips". Retrieved 2008-12-10.
  4. ↑ Chartstats. "Hand Cut, UK album chart details". Archived from the original on 2012-07-29. Retrieved 2008-07-18.
  5. ↑ BPI. "Certified awars - Search Bucks Fizz". Retrieved 2009-09-22.
  6. ↑ Ian bairnson. "Guitarist's website (Greatest Hits)". Retrieved 2008-12-10.
  7. ↑ Raffem. "Bucks Fizz history - 1989". Retrieved 2008-07-18.
  8. ↑ Early years. "Bucks Fizz fan's Top 40". Retrieved 2008-06-16.
  9. ↑ BMG. "Promotion for album Re-issue". Archived from the original on June 5, 2007. Retrieved 2008-10-14.
  10. ↑ Ian Birch, Smash Hits Magazine, Album reviews, March 1983
  11. ↑ Brendan Martin, RTE Guide, Album reviews, March 1983
  12. ↑ New Strais Times album review, 26 June 1983
  13. ↑ Look-in. "Mike Nolan Profile, 1983". Retrieved 2008-12-19.
  14. ↑ Album sleeve notes
  15. ↑ Raffem. "Inner sleeve photograph taken by Gered Mankowitz". Retrieved 2008-07-18.
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