Friend or Foe (album)

Friend or Foe
Studio album by
Adam Ant
Released11 October 1982
RecordedJune 1982
StudioThe Townhouse (London)
Genre
Length39:44
LabelCBS, Epic (US)
ProducerAdam Ant, Marco Pirroni
Adam Ant chronology
Prince Charming
(1981) 		Friend or Foe
(1982) 		Strip
(1983)
Singles from Friend or Foe
  1. "Goody Two Shoes"
    Released: 7 May 1982
  2. "Friend or Foe"
    Released: 11 September 1982
  3. "Desperate But Not Serious"
    Released: 19 November 1982[3]
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[4]
Christgau's Record GuideB−[5]
Smash Hits[6]
Trouser Pressfavourable[7]

Friend or Foe is the debut solo album by English singer and musician Adam Ant, released in October 1982 by Epic Records in the United States and CBS Records elsewhere. The album peaked at number 5 in the UK, Adam Ant's highest charting solo album in his homeland and number 16 in the US, the highest-charting album in America of Ant's entire career (both solo and with Adam and the Ants.)

Release

Following the disbandment of the successful Ants earlier in 1982, Adam Ant began a solo career with fellow "Ant" guitarist and songwriter Marco Pirroni.

Like their previous band, which achieved 7 top-10 hits (2 at No. 1) in the UK Singles chart and the best-selling album of 1981 (Kings of the Wild Frontier), Ant's debut single "Goody Two-Shoes" was a smash hit. The single reached No. 1 in the UK and Australia in June 1982 and No. 12 in the US - Ant's first US hit single. The single "Friend or Foe" was released one month prior to the album in September 1982 and charted as high as No. 9 in the UK.

The album Friend or Foe, was released in October 1982 and reached No. 5 on the UK Albums Chart and No. 16 on the US Billboard Album Chart, becoming Adam Ant's most successful solo album and the most successful album in America of his entire career. It was certified Gold by the BPI for sales in excess of 100,000 copies.[8] and achieved US Gold Disc status.[9] In addition to "Goody Two-Shoes" & "Friend or Foe", the album included another hit single: "Desperate But Not Serious" (UK No. 33 / US No. 66).

A remastered version of the album was released in 2005, featuring twelve additional tracks.

Ant performed the album live on tour in the US and UK in late 2019. A second United States leg planned for 2020 was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and later cancelled.

Track listing

All tracks are written by Adam Ant and Marco Pirroni, except "Hello, I Love You" by Jim Morrison, Ray Manzarek, Robby Krieger and John Densmore.

Side A
No.TitleLength
1."Friend or Foe"3:22
2."Something Girls"3:52
3."Place in the Country"2:50
4."Desperate But Not Serious"4:14
5."Here Comes the Grump"3:35
6."Hello, I Love You" (originally recorded by the Doors)2:37
Side B
No.TitleLength
7."Goody Two Shoes"3:28
8."Crackpot History and the Right to Lie"2:44
9."Made of Money"3:28
10."Cajun Twisters"2:56
11."Try This for Sighs"3:03
12."Man Called Marco"3:27
2005 reissue bonus tracks
No.TitleLength
13."Goody Two Shoes" (Chris Hughes single version)3:21
14."Coup d'Etat" (Original album outtake)3:11
15."Goody Two Shoes" (Demo recording)3:12
16."Here Comes the Grump" (Demo recording)2:27
17."Little Italy" (Demo recording of "Man Called Marco")2:19
18."Made of Money" (Demo recording; Adam on drums)2:50
19."Place in the Country" (Demo recording; Adam on drums)3:01
20."And So You Shall" (Demo recording)3:40
21."Yellowbeard" (Demo recording for potential film score)2:26
22."I Know They Know" (Demo recording, rework of 1979 demo "Violin Fights")3:50
23."Gargoyles Are Go" (Demo recording)2:23
24."Good Sex Rumples the Clothing" (Previously unreleased track, rework of 1977 home demo)3:01

Personnel

Credits adapted from the album's liner notes.[10]

  • Adam Ant – vocals (1–11), bass (1–8, 10–12), marimba (1), percussion (1, 2), sticks (1, 11), acoustic guitar (3, 7), rhythm guitar (4), violin (8), triangle (8), backing vocals (12), brass arrangements, production, cover design
  • Marco Pirroni – guitar (1–12), castanets (8), bass (9), acoustic guitar (12), percussion (12), spoken vocals (12), brass arrangements, production
  • Bogdan Wiczling – drums (1–12), sticks (1, 11)
  • Martin Drover – trumpet (1–4, 6–11), flugelhorn (10)
  • Jeff Daly – saxophone (1–4, 6–9, 11)
  • Jude Kelly – additional vocals (4)
  • Sam Brown, Sonia Jones, Vicki Brown – backing vocals (6)
Technical
  • Alan Douglas – engineer
  • Gavin Mackillop – tape operator
  • George Chambers – tape operator
  • Allan Ballard – front cover photography
  • Julian Balme – graphic design

Chart positions

Chart (1982–1983) Peak
position
Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)[11] 60
Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[12] 14
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[13] 33
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[14] 55
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[15] 36
UK Albums (OCC)[16] 5
US Billboard 200[17] 16
US Cash Box Top 200[18] 17

References

  1. ^ Segretto, Mike (2022). "1980". 33 1/3 Revolutions Per Minute - A Critical Trip Through the Rock LP Era, 1955–1999. Backbeat. p. 375. ISBN 9781493064601.
  2. ^ Orski, Alan (1998). "Adam Ant/Adam & the Ants". In Graff, Gary; Durchholz, Daniel (eds.). MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Detroit: Visible Ink Press. pp. 29–30.
  3. ^ "Adam Ant Discography". adam-ant.net. Retrieved 18 October 2023.
  4. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Friend or Foe – Adam Ant | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 24 December 2014.
  5. ^ Christgau, Robert (1990). "A". Christgau's Record Guide: The '80s. Pantheon Books. ISBN 0-679-73015-X. Retrieved 16 August 2020 – via robertchristgau.com.
  6. ^ Hepworth, David (26 July 1982). "Album Reviews". Smash Hits. Vol. 4, no. 21. EMAP Metro. p. 23.
  7. ^ Young, Jon; Lewis, Kate; Rompers, Terry. "TrouserPress.com :: Adam Ant". TrouserPress.com. Retrieved 28 August 2016.
  8. ^ BPI online database Archived 15 March 2015 at the Wayback Machine
  9. ^ "American certifications – Adam Ant". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 9 March 2022.
  10. ^ Friend or Foe (Album liner notes). Adam Ant. CBS. 1982.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  11. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  12. ^ "Top RPM Albums: Image 4035". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved March 15, 2021.
  13. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Adam Ant – Friend or Foe" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved March 15, 2021.
  14. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Adam Ant – Friend or Foe" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved March 15, 2021.
  15. ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Adam Ant – Friend or Foe". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 15, 2021.
  16. ^ "Adam Ant Songs and Albums | Full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 15, 2021.
  17. ^ "Adam Ant Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved March 15, 2021.
  18. ^ "Cash Box Top 200 Albums" (PDF). Cash Box. 19 February 1982. p. 32. Retrieved 9 March 2022.
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