I Am a Photograph is the debut studio album by French singer Amanda Lear, released in 1977 by West German label Ariola Records. The album was a success on the European market and spawned Lear's first disco hit singles "Blood and Honey", "Tomorrow" and "Queen of Chinatown", the latter available only on the album's re-issue. I Am a Photograph was officially re-released on CD in 2012.
| I Am a Photograph | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
.jpg) | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1977 | |||
| Recorded | 1975–1977 | |||
| Studio | Ariola & Arco Studios (Munich, Germany) | |||
| Genre | Euro disco | |||
| Length | 38:20 (Original edition) | |||
| Language | English, French | |||
| Label | Ariola | |||
| Producer | Anthony Monn | |||
| Amanda Lear chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Alternative covers | ||||
 Second edition | ||||
| Alternative cover | ||||
.jpg) French and Italian editions | ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| Billboard | positive[2] |
| Cash Box | positive[3] |
| Music Story | [4] |
Background
editAmanda Lear's first album, called I Am a Photograph in reference to her former modelling career, was recorded in Munich with a German producer Anthony Monn, and consisted of mainstream disco material, with majority of lyrics written by Amanda Lear herself. In addition to original songs composed by Anthony Monn and Rainer Pietsch, the album included a number of covers: Nancy Sinatra's "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'", "Blue Tango", paired with Lear's self-penned lyrics and a French-language version of Elvis Presley's "Trouble". In addition, "Alphabet" largely incorporated excerpts from Johann Sebastian Bach's The Well-Tempered Clavier.
The artwork is credited to Ariola-Eurodisc Studios. The front cover of the first pressing pictures a photograph of Amanda Lear taken from the Bravo magazine and stuck on a wooden garage door, between various photographs of motorcycles, a mirror, a crucifix as well as the American, Swedish and Dutch flags.[5] The second pressing featured a cropped nude picture of Amanda Lear, taken by Christa Peters for the Playboy magazine. German editions came with the full-size poster of the topless cover picture.[6] French and Italian pressings of the album used an alternative photograph from the Playboy shoot on the cover.[7]
The cover of Presley's "Trouble" was released as Lear's debut single in 1975. The French-language version of the song, "La Bagarre", met with a modest success in Germany in 1976, followed by "Blood and Honey" later the same year, which met with a major commercial success and was an international breakthrough for Lear in 1977. "Tomorrow" subsequently became a number 1 single in Italy and a trademark hit. "Blue Tango" and "Alphabet" were released in certain territories but did not chart. Later in 1977, "Queen of Chinatown" was released as a single from the second edition of the album, becoming a hit in Europe and Lear's greatest chart success up to that point.
The album's promotional campaign was based on Amanda's "scandalous sex-symbol personality", surrounded by gossip regarding her alleged transsexualism, place of birth, which at the time was believed to be Transylvania, and her relationships with Salvador Dalí and David Bowie.[8] A small concert tour was also arranged in Italy. It became a commercial success in Europe, especially in Italy, where it reached top 10.
I Am a Photograph was re-issued with alternative track listings and covers. The second West German pressing replaced "La Bagarre" with "She's Got the Devil in Her Eyes", which was an instrumental version of "Blood and Honey". On the following edition, "La Bagarre" was omitted in favour of the new recording, "Queen of Chinatown". American edition included an extended version of "Blood and Honey" while the 1978 East German release featured "Mother, Look What They've Done to Me", a Sweet Revenge album track. The album was released as Tomorrow in Brazil, yet again with re-arranged track listing, and as Pretty Boys in Zimbabwe and South Africa. In Argentina, the album was distributed as Soy una fotografía in 1979. The official CD re-release did not take place until 2012, when Gold Legion released the album in three different versions of the front cover, including the original topless poster in chosen editions. All three editions retained the track listing of the original LP release, adding four bonus tracks, including "Queen of Chinatown". The material has been remastered from original master tapes.[9][10][11] In August 2014, the album was officially released on digital music platforms.
The 1978 Billboard review praised the album's "catchy" melodies and lyrics, and described Amanda's vocal delivery as "unique" and "intriguing".[2] Contemporary music critic Michael Freedberg gave I Am a Photograph a four-star rating on AllMusic, praising its arrangements and calling it "an album not to be missed".[1] However, John C. Hughes of Popdose.com referred to the album as "nearly unlistenable", critically reflecting on Amanda's vocal performance.[12]
Commercial performance
editIn 1978 Amanda Lear received a gold disc for cumulative sales of one million units in Italy of the singles "Tomorrow" and "Queen of China Town" and the album "I am a Photograph".[13]
Track listing
editOriginal release
edit- Side A
- "Blood and Honey" (Anthony Monn, Amanda Lear) – 4:50
- "Alphabet (Prelude in C by J. S. Bach)" (Johann Sebastian Bach, Charly Ricanek, Anthony Monn, Amanda Lear) – 4:00
- "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'" (Lee Hazlewood) – 3:18
- "Tomorrow" (Rainer Pietsch, Amanda Lear) – 4:10
- "Pretty Boys" (Anthony Monn, Amanda Lear) – 2:55
- Side B
- "Alligator" (Rainer Pietsch, Amanda Lear) – 4:35
- "The Lady in Black" (Anthony Monn, Amanda Lear) – 3:30
- "I Am a Photograph" (Anthony Monn, Amanda Lear) – 4:25
- "La Bagarre" (Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller) – 3:27
- "Blue Tango" (Leroy Anderson, Amanda Lear) – 2:40
Second German edition
edit- Side A
- "Blood and Honey" (Anthony Monn, Amanda Lear) – 4:50
- "Alphabet (Prelude in C by J. S. Bach)" (Johann Sebastian Bach, Charly Ricanek, Anthony Monn, Amanda Lear) – 4:00
- "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'" (Lee Hazlewood) – 3:18
- "Tomorrow" (Rainer Pietsch, Amanda Lear) – 4:10
- "Pretty Boys" (Anthony Monn, Amanda Lear) – 2:55
- Side B
- "Alligator" (Rainer Pietsch, Amanda Lear) – 4:35
- "The Lady in Black" (Anthony Monn, Amanda Lear) – 3:30
- "I Am a Photograph" (Anthony Monn, Amanda Lear) – 4:25
- "She's Got the Devil in Her Eyes" (Anthony Monn, Amanda Lear) – 3:05
- "Blue Tango" (Leroy Anderson, Amanda Lear) – 2:40
Third German edition
edit- Side A
- "Blood and Honey" (Anthony Monn, Amanda Lear) – 4:50
- "Alphabet (Prelude in C by J. S. Bach)" (Johann Sebastian Bach, Charly Ricanek, Anthony Monn, Amanda Lear) – 4:00
- "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'" (Lee Hazlewood) – 3:18
- "Tomorrow" (Rainer Pietsch, Amanda Lear) – 4:10
- "Pretty Boys" (Anthony Monn, Amanda Lear) – 2:55
- Side B
- "Queen of China-Town" (Anthony Monn, Amanda Lear) – 4:15
- "Alligator" (Rainer Pietsch, Amanda Lear) – 4:35
- "The Lady in Black" (Anthony Monn, Amanda Lear) – 3:30
- "I Am a Photograph" (Anthony Monn, Amanda Lear) – 4:25
- "Blue Tango" (Leroy Anderson, Amanda Lear) – 2:40
American edition
edit- Side A
- "Blood and Honey" (Anthony Monn, Amanda Lear) – 7:14
- "Alphabet (Prelude in C by J. S. Bach)" (Johann Sebastian Bach, Charly Ricanek, Anthony Monn, Amanda Lear) – 3:58
- "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'" (Lee Hazlewood) – 3:18
- "Tomorrow" (Rainer Pietsch, Amanda Lear) – 4:10
- "Pretty Boys" (Anthony Monn, Amanda Lear) – 2:54
- Side B
- "Queen of China-Town" (Anthony Monn, Amanda Lear) – 4:15
- "Alligator" (Rainer Pietsch, Amanda Lear) – 4:31
- "The Lady in Black" (Anthony Monn, Amanda Lear) – 3:38
- "I Am a Photograph" (Anthony Monn, Amanda Lear) – 4:24
- "Blue Tango" (Leroy Anderson, Amanda Lear) – 2:44
East German edition
edit- Side A
- "Blood and Honey" (Anthony Monn, Amanda Lear) – 4:50
- "Alphabet (Prelude in C by J. S. Bach)" (Johann Sebastian Bach, Charly Ricanek, Anthony Monn, Amanda Lear) – 4:00
- "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'" (Lee Hazlewood) – 3:18
- "Tomorrow" (Rainer Pietsch, Amanda Lear) – 4:10
- "Pretty Boys" (Anthony Monn, Amanda Lear) – 2:55
- Side B
- "Mother, Look What They've Done to Me" (Anthony Monn, Amanda Lear) – 4:25
- "Alligator" (Rainer Pietsch, Amanda Lear) – 4:35
- "The Lady in Black" (Anthony Monn, Amanda Lear) – 3:30
- "I Am a Photograph" (Anthony Monn, Amanda Lear) – 4:25
- "Blue Tango" (Leroy Anderson, Amanda Lear) – 2:40
Brazilian edition
edit- Side A
- "Tomorrow" (Rainer Pietsch, Amanda Lear) – 4:10
- "Alphabet (Prelude in C by J. S. Bach)" (Johann Sebastian Bach, Charly Ricanek, Anthony Monn, Amanda Lear) – 4:00
- "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'" (Lee Hazlewood) – 3:18
- "Blood and Honey" (Anthony Monn, Amanda Lear) – 4:50
- "Pretty Boys" (Anthony Monn, Amanda Lear) – 2:55
- Side B
- "Queen of China-Town" (Anthony Monn, Amanda Lear) – 4:15
- "Alligator" (Rainer Pietsch, Amanda Lear) – 4:35
- "The Lady in Black" (Anthony Monn, Amanda Lear) – 3:30
- "I Am a Photograph" (Anthony Monn, Amanda Lear) – 4:21
- "Blue Tango" (Leroy Anderson, Amanda Lear) – 2:40
CD re-issue
edit- "Blood and Honey" (Anthony Monn, Amanda Lear) – 4:50
- "Alphabet (Prelude in C by J. S. Bach)" (Johann Sebastian Bach, Charly Ricanek, Anthony Monn, Amanda Lear) – 3:56
- "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'" (Lee Hazlewood) – 3:18
- "Tomorrow" (Rainer Pietsch, Amanda Lear) – 4:10
- "Pretty Boys" (Anthony Monn, Amanda Lear) – 2:55
- "Alligator" (Rainer Pietsch, Amanda Lear) – 4:35
- "The Lady in Black" (Anthony Monn, Amanda Lear) – 3:36
- "I Am a Photograph" (Anthony Monn, Amanda Lear) – 4:25
- "La Bagarre" (Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller) – 3:27
- "Blue Tango" (Leroy Anderson, Amanda Lear) – 2:43
- "Queen of Chinatown" (Anthony Monn, Amanda Lear) – 4:15
- "Blood and Honey" (12" Version) (Anthony Monn, Amanda Lear) – 8:55
- "She's Got the Devil in Her Eyes" (Anthony Monn, Amanda Lear) – 3:05
- "Lethal Leading Lady" (Amanda Lear, La Bionda, Malachy) – 2:52
Personnel
edit- Amanda Lear – lead vocals
- Bavarian Strings – strings
- Mats Björklund – guitar
- Hermann Breuer – horns
- Harold Faltermeyer – keyboards, Moog synthesizer
- Rudi Fuessers – horns
- Lee Harper – horns
- Martin Harrison – drums
- Howard Katz – horns
- Peter Lüdermann – sound engineer
- Renate Maurer – backing vocals
- Anthony Monn – record producer, musical arranger
- Paul Niezgoda – horns
- Charly Ricanek – musical arranger (tracks: A1, A2, A5, B1, B4), keyboards
- Claudia Schwarz – backing vocals
- Giuseppe Solera – horns
- Pit Troja – percussion
- Gary Unwin – bass guitar
- Gitta Walther – backing vocals
Charts
edit| Chart (1977–78) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[14] | 25 |
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[15] | 26 |
| Italian Albums (Musica e dischi)[16] | 7 |
Release history
edit| Date | Region | Format(s) | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | West Germany | LP, cassette | Ariola Records |
| France | LP | ||
| Italy | Polydor Records | ||
| Portugal | Phonogram Records | ||
| Greece | Epic Records | ||
| Yugoslavia | PGP-RTB | ||
| USA | Chrysalis Records | ||
| 1978 | East Germany | Ariola Records | |
| Spain | |||
| Zimbabwe | |||
| South Africa | |||
| Japan | |||
| New Zealand | RCA Records | ||
| Brazil | |||
| 1979 | Argentina | ||
| 6 November 2012 | USA | CD | Gold Legion |
| 2 August 2013 | |||
| 4 August 2014 | Worldwide | digital | Sony BMG |
References
edit- ^ a b Michael Freedberg. "I Am a Photograph - Amanda Lear". www.allmusic.com. Retrieved 2009-01-07.
- ^ a b "Billboard's Top Album Picks". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media. 1978-01-07. p. 96. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved 2017-12-23.
- ^ "Album Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. Vol. XXXIX, no. 35. New York, NY. 1978-01-14. p. 13. ISSN 0008-7289. Retrieved 2019-07-10.
- ^ Anne-Claire Duchossoy. "Critique de I Am a Photograph, Amanda Lear" (in French). www.music-story.com. Archived from the original on 2015-10-09. Retrieved 2017-09-22.
- ^ "Images for Amanda Lear - I Am A Photograph". Discogs. www.discogs.com. Retrieved 2013-08-17.
- ^ "Images for Amanda Lear - I Am A Photograph". Discogs. www.discogs.com. Retrieved 2013-08-17.
- ^ "Images for Amanda Lear - I Am A Photograph". Discogs. www.discogs.com. Retrieved 2013-08-17.
- ^ Lear, Amanda (1985). My Life with Dalí. London: Virgin Books. p. 267. ISBN 0-86369-095-5.
- ^ "Amanda Lear I Am A Photograph [Expanded] V1". www.shop.goldlegion.com. Archived from the original on 2014-11-29. Retrieved 2013-08-22.
- ^ "Amanda Lear I Am A Photograph [Expanded] V2". www.shop.goldlegion.com. Archived from the original on 2015-09-24. Retrieved 2013-08-23.
- ^ "Amanda Lear I Am A Photograph [Expanded] V3". www.shop.goldlegion.com. Archived from the original on 2015-09-24. Retrieved 2013-08-23.
- ^ John C. Hughes (23 April 2009). "Lost in the '70s: Amanda Lear, "Blood and Honey"". popdose.com. Retrieved 2013-08-13.
- ^ "Golden Amanda" (PDF). Billboard. 24 June 1978. p. 98. Retrieved 21 October 2019.
- ^ "Austriancharts.at – Amanda Lear – I Am a Photograph" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 18 July 2022.
- ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Amanda Lear – I Am a Photograph" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 18 July 2022.
- ^ Racca, Guido (2019). M&D Borsa Album 1964–2019 (in Italian). ISBN 978-1094705002.