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Now & Forever (Kim Wilde album)

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Now & Forever
Studio album by
Kim Wilde
Released30 October 1995
GenrePop, R&B, dance
LabelMCA
ProducerRicky Wilde, C.J. Mackintosh, Serious Rope
Kim Wilde chronology
The Singles Collection 1981–1993
(1993) 		Now & Forever
(1995) 		The Very Best of Kim Wilde
(2001)

Now & Forever is the ninth studio album by Kim Wilde, released in autumn 1995 via MCA Records.

Background

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After three albums featuring a consistent pop sound, Wilde decided it was time for another change and chose to make an album with a decided soul/R&B feel to it. Ricky Wilde still produced, but joined forces with CJ Mackintosh for four of the album's tracks and co-produced with the Serious Rope team for seven others.

Opening with "Breakin' Away", an obvious dance track, and including R&B tracks like "C'mon Love Me", "You're All I Wanna Do" and "Where Do You Go From Here", the album was a departure from the familiar Wilde sound and didn't please fans and audience. It was her first album not to chart in the UK, and Radio One refused to add "Breakin' Away" to its airplay lists. The album was a daring move for Wilde, who wanted to make something to please herself first and foremost. Her interest in music by artists such as Chaka Khan and Pebbles heavily influenced the album.

Lyrically, the songs were either very happy ("Sweet Inspiration", "Heaven", "High on You") or bordering on depression ("Now & Forever", "Hold On"). Two singles were released in the UK, "Breakin' Away" and the second being "This I Swear", a dubious choice given the array of more radio-friendly songs on the album. The flip-side, "Heaven", was remixed twice (once mix by Matt Darey) and helped sales, but "This I Swear" stalled at No. 46 in early 1996.

Now & Forever was Wilde's last album before she started working in the musical Tommy and wound down her pop career. During the twelve-month run of the play, she remixed and released a version of the disco track "Shame", which had been recorded in the Now & Forever sessions but not included on the album.

Critical response

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Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusiclink
Music & MediaPositive[1]
Music Week[2]

Music & Media commented, "A true bonanza of ACE nuggets are offered on this album. The collection of US-style R&B tunes with grand production contains at least five solid airplay candidates. The ballads C'mon Love Me and Hypnotise are perfect shimmering beauties. The midtempo number True To You as well as uptempo dance tracks Heaven and Breakin' Away combine R&B elegance with tight garage house rhythms."[3] Music Week wrote, "Kim has come a long way since Kids In America and, now in her disco diva phase, she offers a soulful enough selection."[4] Q described Wilde's voice as "more likable than impressive" but praised her ability to adapt "to prevailing trends like a blank canvas". Favorably comparing the album to the recent work of Kylie Minogue, the reviewer notes: "Wilde has taken on the trappings of swingbeat, soft soul and jazziness; unlike the Australian, she's done so with convincing songs, invested with enough charisma to make them hers.". "This I Swear" was described as melodic and charming while the "eminently catchy" and "gutsy" "High on You" was compared to the work of Five Star.[5]

Track listing

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  1. "Breakin' Away" (Tracy Ackerman, Tim Lever, Michael David Percy) - 3:37
  2. "High on You" (Kim Wilde, Ricky Wilde) - 4:32
  3. "This I Swear" (Pam Sheyne, Tony Swain) - 4:24
  4. "C'mon Love Me" (Kim Wilde, George McFarlane) - 5:32
  5. "True to You" (Kim Wilde, David James) - 4:56
  6. "Hypnotise" (Kim Wilde, Ricky Wilde) - 4:49
  7. "Heaven" (Kim Wilde, Ricky Wilde) - 3:50
  8. "Sweet Inspiration" (Juliette Jaimes, Mark Jaimes, Steve Welton-Jaimes) - 3:51
  9. "Where Do You Go from Here" (Kim Wilde, Ricky Wilde, Ralph Tancredi, Peter Zizzo) - 4:33
  10. "Hold On" (Kim Wilde, Tony Swain) - 5:35
  11. "You're All I Wanna Do" (Kim Wilde, Arnie Roman, Peter Zizzo) - 4:03
  12. "Life & Soul" (Kim Wilde, Tony Swain) - 4:33
  13. "Now & Forever" (Kim Wilde, George McFarlane) - 5:09
  14. "Back to Heaven" (Kim Wilde, Ricky Wilde) - 1:42
  15. "Staying with My Baby" (Japanese bonus track) - 4:28

Charts

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Chart (1995) Peak
position
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[6] 37
Chart (2024) Peak
position
Scottish Albums (OCC)[7] 89
UK Independent Albums (OCC)[8] 27
UK Album Sales Chart(OCC)[9] 54

References

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  1. ^ "New Releases: Albums" (PDF). Music & Media. 16 December 1995. p. 12. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
  2. ^ "Reviews: Albums" (PDF). Music Week. 28 October 1995. p. 18. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
  3. ^ "New Releases: Albums" (PDF). Music & Media. 16 December 1995. p. 12. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
  4. ^ "Reviews: Albums" (PDF). Music Week. 28 October 1995. p. 18. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
  5. ^ "Review - Now & Forever". Q. Retrieved 21 October 2012.
  6. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Kim Wilde – Now & Forever". Hung Medien. Retrieved 7 November 2020.
  7. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 9 October 2024.
  8. ^ "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 12, 2024.
  9. ^ "Official Album Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. 4 October 2024. Retrieved 12 October 2024.
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