Sad Café (album)

Sad Café
Studio album by Sad Café
Released	3 October 1980[1]
Studio	Strawberry Studios South, Dorking
Genre	Pop rock
Length	41:44
Label	RCA Swan Song
Producer	Eric Stewart
Sad Café chronology
Facades (1979) Sad Café (1980) Live in Concert (1981)
Singles from Sad Café
"La-Di-Da" Released: September 1980 "I'm in Love Again" Released: December 1980 "No Favours-No Way" Released: October 1981 (US promo only)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[2]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music	[3]
Record Mirror	[4]

Sad Café is the fourth studio album by English rock band Sad Café, released in October 1980 by RCA Records.

Release

In the UK, two singles were released, "La-Di-Da" and "I'm in Love Again" both of which charted on the UK Singles Chart.[5] On some editions of the album, "Love Today" and "I'm in Love Again" are swapped around on the track listing.

The album failed to continue the success of the band's previous album and it charted at number 46 on the UK Album Charts.[6] It was also certified silver by the BPI in February 1981.[7] In the US, the album was released by Swan Song Records and it charted at number 160 on the Billboard 200.[8]

The album was reissued on CD in 2009 in the US by Renaissance Records.[9]

Reception

Reviewing the album for Record Mirror, Paul Sexton described it as "more of the same. Which is fine, as the band is still relatively young... and there's so much diversity in their music, that it'll take quite a while before they come to the bottom of that particular well. The album doesn't feature any ballads in the form of 'Every Day Hurts', and probably for that reason, won't spawn any hits that big. But 'La Di Da' is already making an impression, and it's indicative of the midpace, happy/sad ambivalence the band specialises in." "It's also good to see vocalist Paul Young, the band's chief lyricist, being able to vary the content of his lyrics, and providing a contrast to the usual love-gone-right and love-gone-wrong fodder".[4]

Track listing

All lyrics are written by Paul Young, except where noted

No.	Title	Lyrics	Music	Length
1.	"La-Di-Da"		John Stimpson, Young	5:00
2.	"Digital Daydream Blues"		Ashley Mulford, Young, Vic Emerson	4:53
3.	"What Am I Gonna Do"	Ian Wilson	Wilson	4:40
4.	"Keep It from the Troops"		Sad Café	6:12
5.	"Love Today"	Wilson, Young	Sad Café	4:42
6.	"Losin' You"	Mulford	Mulford	3:54
7.	"Dreamin'"		Mulford, Stimpson, Young, Emerson	4:13
8.	"No Favours No Way"		Stimpson, Young	3:57
9.	"I'm in Love Again"	Wilson, Young	Wilson, Emerson	4:13
Total length:				41:44

Personnel

Sad Café[10]

• Paul Young – lead vocals, percussion, congas
• Ashley Mulford – lead guitar, slide guitar, vocals
• Ian Wilson – electric guitar, acoustic guitar, vocals, percussion
• John Stimpson – bass guitar, vocals
• Vic Emerson – piano, synthesizer
• Dave Irving – drums, vocals, percussion
• Lenni Zaksen – saxophone, vocals

Technical

• Eric Stewart – engineer, producer
• Alwyn Clayden – art direction
• Vic Emerson – strings arrangement and synthesisation
• Lenni Zaksen – horns arrangement
• John Shaw – photography
• Recorded at Strawberry Studios South in Dorking and mastered at Strawberry Mastering in London

Charts

Chart (1980)	Peak position
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[11]	28
UK Albums (OCC)[6]	46
US Billboard 200[8]	160

References

1. "News" (PDF). Record Mirror. 13 September 1980. p. 3. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
2. "Sad Café – Sad Café | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 27 April 2020.
3. Larkin, Colin (2011). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th concise ed.). Omnibus Press.
4. "Albums" (PDF). Record Mirror: 20. 11 October 1980. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
5. "SAD CAFE | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". www.officialcharts.com. Retrieved 27 April 2020.
6. "Sad Cafe | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart.
7. "BRIT Certified Award – Sad Cafe – Sad Cafe". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
8. "Sad Cafe Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard.
9. twilightdawning (17 May 2019). "Sad Cafe – Discography 1977-2019". twilightdawning. Retrieved 27 April 2020.
10. Sad Café - Sad Café | Credits | AllMusic, retrieved 27 April 2020
11. "Swedishcharts.com – Sad Café – Sad Café". Hung Medien.