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Riff Raff (album)

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Riff Raff
Studio album by
Dave Edmunds
ReleasedSeptember 1984
StudioMaison Rouge Studios, London
GenreRock, synth-pop
LabelArista (UK); Columbia (US)
ProducerDave Edmunds, Jeff Lynne
Dave Edmunds chronology
Information
(1983) 		Riff Raff
(1984) 		Closer to the Flame
(1989)
Alternative cover
US/Canada cover.
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[2]

Riff Raff is a 1984 album by Welsh rock musician Dave Edmunds.[3][4] The album was his third release for Arista Records (in the UK) and Columbia Records (in the US), following 1983's Information.

Riff Raff continued Edmunds' collaboration with Electric Light Orchestra frontman Jeff Lynne; Lynne produced six tracks on the albums, and wrote three of the songs. However, compared to the pair's success with Information (which hit #51 on the Billboard 200 album chart and spawned a top-40 single in "Slipping Away"), Riff Raff was a commercial flop. The album made it to only #140.[5] "Something About You" failed to crack the Billboard Hot 100 (although it did hit #16 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart).[6]

Riff Raff was the last time Edmunds and Lynne would collaborate on record. Edmunds wouldn't make another studio album for six years (although he would release a live album in the interim).

The majority of the tracks on Riff Raff are originals by Lynne, Edmunds, and band member John David. The most notable cover is the aforementioned "Something About You", originally a top-20 hit for the Four Tops in 1965. Edmunds also covered the Paul Brady-penned "Steel Claw" which was originally recorded, with a tighter, more frenetic hard rock arrangement, by Tina Turner for her multi-platinum comeback effort, "Private Dancer", released just four months prior.

Track listing

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  1. "Something About You" (Lamont Dozier, Eddie Holland, Brian Holland) – 3:03
  2. "Breaking Out" (Jeff Lynne) – 3:26
  3. "Busted Loose" (Paul Brady) – 4:33
  4. "Far Away" (Jeff Lynne) – 4:11
  5. "Rules of the Game" (John David) – 4:10
  6. "Steel Claw" (Paul Brady) – 4:18
  7. "S.O.S." (Jeff Lynne) – 3:14
  8. "Hang On" (Steve Gould) – 3:24
  9. "How Could I Be So Wrong" (John David) – 3:20
  10. "Can't Get Enough" (Dave Edmunds) – 3:08

Personnel

[edit]

Charts

[edit]
Chart (1984) Peak
position
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[7] 26
US Billboard 200[5] 140

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Riff Raff at AllMusic
  2. ^ "[The New] Rolling Stone Album Guide: Dave Edmunds". tomhull.com.
  3. ^ "Dave Edmunds".
  4. ^ Poore, Billy (6 July 1998). Rockabilly: A Forty-year Journey. Hal Leonard Corporation. ISBN 9780793591428 – via Google Books.
  5. ^ a b "Dave Edmunds Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 18 February 2021.
  6. ^ "Dave Edmunds Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved 18 February 2021.
  7. ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Dave Edmunds – Riff Raff". Hung Medien. Retrieved 18 February 2021.
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