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Neon Nights

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Neon Nights
Standard edition artwork
Studio album by
Dannii Minogue
Released17 March 2003
Recorded2001–2003
Genre
Length56:42
LabelLondon (UK)
Ultra Records (US)
Producer
Dannii Minogue chronology
The Remixes
(1998) 		Neon Nights
(2003) 		The Hits & Beyond
(2006)
Singles from Neon Nights
  1. "Who Do You Love Now?"
    Released: 19 November 2001
  2. "Put the Needle on It"
    Released: 4 November 2002
  3. "I Begin to Wonder"
    Released: 3 March 2003
  4. "Don't Wanna Lose This Feeling"
    Released: 9 June 2003

Neon Nights is the fourth studio album by Australian singer Dannii Minogue. It was released through London Records on 17 March 2003. Spurred by her success with the 2001 single "Who Do You Love Now?", Minogue signed a new record contract and began working on the album with the likes of Ian Masterson, Korpi & Blackcell, Neïmo and Terry Ronald.

The effort culminated in a dance record largely influenced by 1980s music and the European club scene. Neon Nights became the most successful album campaign in Minogue's career, which saw her chart in several territories for the first time. The album peaked at number 8 in the United Kingdom and spawned four top-ten singles in the territory, including "Put the Needle on It" and "I Begin to Wonder". The latter became her highest-charting single, peaking at number two.

Minogue received generally positive reviews from music critics, and it has since been regarded as a cult classic. She went on a limited tour in support of the album, which included a one-off show in New York City. Neon Nights has been reissued twice since its release, marking its 15th and 20th anniversaries.[1]

Background

Despite producing a top-five hit with 1997's "All I Wanna Do", Minogue was dropped by record label Warner Brothers after her third studio album Girl became a commercial disappointment, and she saw herself as effectively retired from the music industry.[2][3] She appeared in productions of Macbeth and Notre-Dame de Paris during this time.[4][5]

In 2001, DJ Pete Tong approached her and asked her to record vocals for the trance instrumental "Stringer" by DJ duo Riva, which was becoming a hit in European clubs. The track became "Who Do You Love Now?", which peaked at number three on the UK Singles Chart in late November and remains her longest-charting entry, spending 16 weeks on the chart; it also reached #5 on the UK Dance Chart,[6] and was a Top 40 hit in Australia, Canada, and across Europe. Described by Sound Generator as a "nice serene and dreamy vocal on the dance floor anthem",[7] the song is widely regarded as Minogue's comeback song. In Australia, the song peaked at number fifteen, while in the United States the song was released to dance clubs, and reached number twelve on the Billboard Dance Club chart.[8]

The single's success led to a six-album record deal with London Records, a subsidiary of Warner Music International,[9] and work on a new album soon began with London giving Minogue free rein of its production, with a goal that sounded like remixes of pop songs:[10] "[the blueprint was] to translate stuff that’s happening in the clubs and more underground onto a pop record. No other pop artists at big labels were getting that opportunity."[2]

The album's initial output mimicked "Who Do You Love Now?"'s trance sound, which was discarded in favor of an early '80s pop and French house direction. She worked with several distinct production teams during the recording process, including Korpi & Blackcell; Neïmo; and Ian Masterson with Terry Ronald. Minogue turned 30 while recording the album, a milestone that she wanted to celebrate with Neon Nights and reflect her positive mindset as a time capsule.[11]

Recording and development

In her 2010 autobiography, Minogue commented that Neon Nights was the first time she had a significant involvement in writing the songs.[12] She worked on the album in London, Paris, New York and Stockholm, and longtime collaborator Terry Ronald accompanied Minogue on many of the songwriting trips. The recording process commenced in 2002 at Murlyn Studios, a cabin located in the outskirts of Stockholm.[13][12] She first met with Henrik Korpi and Mathias Johansson, better known as Korpi & Blackcell, and Karen Poole; the four wrote three of the tracks on Neon Nights, including opener "Put the Needle on It".

The French indie rock band Neïmo became involved with the album after sending several backing ideas to Faversham.[12] In Paris, their studio was a living room outfitted with vintage music equipment, with Minogue's vocals recorded in a spare bedroom, holding a microphone at the end of a bed. The end result was a "tough electro-punk sound" that Minogue absolutely loved, which was toned down for the album. She and Ronald finished three tracks with the band. Their third time in Paris, in May 2002, became the pair's last writing trip together as Ronald later started chemotherapy.[12] Ronald is a co-writer on six Neon Nights tracks, and is a cancer survivor.[14]

Commercial performance

Neon Nights became Minogue's most successful album release, reaching number eight in the United Kingdom, where it was certified Gold.[8] In Australia the album was initially a moderate success, reaching #25 on the albums chart. However, when re-issued for its 20th year anniversary, the album reached a new peak of #17 - the highest position for any of Minogue's albums, besting the chart position of her debut album in 1990.[15] The album was also nominated for Best Pop Release at the 2003 ARIA Music Awards, making it Minogue's only ARIA nomination to date.

Release and promotion

Promotion

Tour dates

List of tour dates
Date City Country Venue
Europe
28 April 2003 London United Kingdom Hackney Empire
6 July 2003 Party in the Park
27 July 2003 Glasgow Hampden Park
3 August 2003 Cork Ireland Guinness Michelstown Festival
North America
24 September 2003 New York City United States Webster Hall
Europe
25 August 2004 Athens Greece MTV Beach Beats
28 August 2004 Istanbul Turkey Club Laila
23 October 2004 London United Kingdom Astoria

Critical response

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
About.com[16]
AllMusic[17]
BBC Musicpositive[18]
MusicOMHpositive[19]

Neon Nights was met with generally positive reviews. John Lucas of AllMusic described it as a "varied collection, a veritable pick and mix of the European dance scene at the turn of the century" and felt that it "flows better than any of Dannii's albums have before."[17] Jack Smith of BBC Music called it "a pleasant cocktail of pop sophistication, club culture and accessibility" that "goes a long way to remind the world of Dannii's powerful vocals."[18] Alexis Kirke of MusicOMH praised the singles "Who Do You Love Now?", "Put the Needle on It" and "I Begin to Wonder" and stated that "if Dannii cannot win and hold a position of new popularity with this album [...], she may never get another chance."[19] Ron Slomowicz of About.com felt that Neon Nights is "good pop music", though "generic in some songs" with some "obvious filler".[16] In a retrospective for the album's 10th anniversary, Mike Wass of Idolator wrote that "it's one thing to create an excellent three-and-a-half-minute dance-pop song, but another to sustain the appeal over an entire album. Kylie managed it with Fever, Madonna followed suit on Confessions on a Dance Floor. Dannii's contribution to the genre is every bit as good as those classics."[13]

20th anniversary reissue

On 1 April 2023, Minogue confirmed the deluxe, expanded anniversary issue of Neon Nights would be released later in 2023.[20] On 16 June 2023, Minogue released Neon Nights 20; the 33-track album was made available on all digital outlets and CD and vinyl.[21][22][23] The reissue release saw the album re-chart at number 17 in Australia, higher than the original issue's peak of 25, and number 55 in the UK.

Track listing

Neon Nights track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Put the Needle on It"Henrik Korpi, Mathias Johansson, Karen Poole, Dannii MinogueKorpi & Blackcell3:24
2."Creep"Korpi, Johansson, Poole, MinogueKorpi & Blackcell3:28
3."I Begin to Wonder"Dacia Bridges, Olaf Kramolowsky, Jean-Claude Ades, Minogue, Ian MastersonJean-Claude Ades3:40
4."Hey! (So What)"Hannah Robinson, Julian Gingell, Barry StoneJewels & Stone3:32
5."For the Record"Korpi, Johansson, Poole, MinogueKorpi & Blackcell3:21
6."Mighty Fine"Gil Cang, E. Winstanley, Sekou Bunch, Thomas Brown, Thomassina SmithGil Cang3:55
7."On the Loop"Bruno Alexandre, Camille Troillard, Minogue, Matthieu Joly, Terry RonaldNeïmo3:28
8."Push"Minogue, Masterson, Ronald, John Guldberg, Tim StahlIan Masterson and Ronald3:21
9."Mystified"Masterson, Ronald, MinogueMasterson and Ronald3:43
10."Don't Wanna Lose This Feeling"Alexandre, Troillard, Minogue, James Khari, Joly, RonaldNeïmo3:50
11."Vibe On"Savan Kotecha, J. Bjorklund, MinogueJock-E3:40
12."A Piece of Time"Alexandre, Troillard, Minogue, Joly, RonaldNeïmo3:22
13."Who Do You Love Now?"H. Pulmann, G. van Vlaanderen, Victoria HornRiva3:26
14."It Won't Work Out"Masterson, Ronald, MinogueMasterson, Ronald, Pete "Boxsta" Martin4:06
Hidden track
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
15."Come and Get It" (Sebastian Krieg Remix Edit)Ades, Minogue, RobinsonJean-Claude Ades6:30
Total length:56:42
Japanese bonus tracks
No.TitleLength
15."Begin to Spin Me Round" (Radio Edit)3:16
16."Don't Wanna Lose This Groove" (Radio Edit)3:17
Enhanced CD footage
No.TitleLength
1."Who Do You Love Now?" (music video) 
2."Put the Needle on It" (music video) 
3."I Begin To Wonder" (music video) 
4."Hey! (So What)" (photo gallery) 

Deluxe edition (2007)

Disc one

No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Put the Needle on It"Korpi, Johansson, Poole, MinogueKorpi & Blackcell3:24
2."Creep"Korpi, Johansson, Poole, MinogueKorpi & Blackcell3:28
3."I Begin to Wonder"Bridges, Kramolowsky, Ades, Minogue, MastersonJean-Claude Ades3:40
4."Hey! (So What)"Robinson, Gingell, StoneJewels & Stone3:32
5."For the Record"Korpi, Johansson, Poole, MinogueKorpi & Blackcell3:21
6."Mighty Fine"Cang, Winstanley, Bunch, Brown, SmithGil Cang3:55
7."On the Loop"Alexandre, Troillard, Minogue, Joly, RonaldNeïmo3:28
8."Push"Minogue, Masterson, Ronald, Guldberg, StahlThriller Jill3:21
9."Mystified"Masterson, Ronald, MinogueThriller Jill3:43
10."Don't Wanna Lose This Feeling" (Radio version)Alexandre, Troillard, Minogue, James Khari, Joly, RonaldNeïmo3:33
11."Vibe On"Kotecha, Bjorklund, MinogueJock-E3:40
12."A Piece of Time"Alexandre, Troillard, Minogue, Joly, RonaldNeïmo3:21
13."Who Do You Love Now?"Pulmann, van Vlaanderen, HornRiva3:26
14."Come and Get It" (radio version)Ades, Minogue, RobinsonAdes3:26
15."Nervous"Masterson, Ronald, MinogueThriller Jill4:21
16."Just Can't Give You Up"Masterson, Ronald, MinogueThriller Jill3:42
17."Hide and Seek"Masterson, Ronald, MinogueThriller Jill3:03
18."Don't Wanna Lose This Groove"Alexandre, Troillard, Minogue, James Khari, Ciccone, Joly, Bray, RonaldNeïmo3:17
19."(Est-ce Que) Tu M'aimes Encore"Pulmann, van Vlaanderen, Horn, I. NesmonRiva3:26
20."Goodbye Song"Masterson, RonaldThriller Jill3:51
21."It Won't Work Out" (acoustic version)Masterson, Ronald, MinogueFraser T Smith4:27

Disc two

No.TitleLength
1."Don't Wanna Lose This Groove" (extended version)5:05
2."Begin to Spin Me Round" (extended version)5:11
3."Who Do You Love Now?" (Riva's Bora Bora Club Mix)8:10
4."Put the Needle on It" (Jason Nevins Freak Club Creation Mix)8:15
5."Hide and Seek" (Thriller Jill Original Extended Mix)6:36
6."Come and Get It" (Jerome Isma-Ae Remix)6:38
7."Put the Needle on It" (Tiga's Cookies Dub)4:51
8."Creep" (Jon Dixon Club Mix)6:38
9."I Begin to Wonder" (Almighty Transensual Club Mix)7:57
10."Put the Needle on It" (Cicada Vocal Mix)7:52
11."Come and Get It" (Sharam Jey Remix)6:12
12."Don't Wanna Lose This Feeling" (Jupiter Ace Speared Thru the Heart Mix)4:15

15th anniversary edition (2018)

In March 2018, as part of the celebration of Neon Nights' 15th anniversary, Minogue announced a special reissue of the album on streaming, CD and, for the first time, on a limited edition 180g pink and blue double vinyl.[24] While the digital and CD versions followed the same tracklisting of the Deluxe Edition released on 2007, the double colored vinyl featured a slightly revised selection of bonus tracks, most notably omitting the B-side "Nervous".[25]

Side A

No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Put the Needle on It"Korpi, Johansson, Poole, MinogueKorpi & Blackcell3:24
2."Creep"Korpi, Johansson, Poole, MinogueKorpi & Blackcell3:28
3."I Begin to Wonder"Bridges, Kramolowsky, Ades, Minogue, MastersonJean-Claude Ades3:40
4."Hey! (So What)"Robinson, Gingell, StoneJewels & Stone3:32
5."For the Record"Korpi, Johansson, Poole, MinogueKorpi & Blackcell3:21
6."Mighty Fine"Cang, Winstanley, Bunch, Brown, SmithGil Cang3:55

Side B

No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."On the Loop"Alexandre, Troillard, Minogue, Joly, RonaldNeïmo3:28
2."Push"Minogue, Masterson, Ronald, Guldberg, StahlThriller Jill3:21
3."Mystified"Masterson, Ronald, MinogueThriller Jill3:43
4."Don't Wanna Lose This Feeling" (Radio version)Alexandre, Troillard, Minogue, James Khari, Joly, RonaldNeïmo3:32
5."Vibe On"Kotecha, Bjorklund, MinogueJock-E3:40
6."A Piece of Time"Alexandre, Troillard, Minogue, Joly, RonaldNeïmo3:22

Side C

No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Who Do You Love Now?"Pulmann, van Vlaanderen, HornRiva3:26
2."It Won't Work Out"Masterson, Ronald, MinogueThriller Jill4:06
3."Just Can't Give You Up"Masterson, Ronald, MinogueThriller Jill3:42
4."Come and Get It" (radio version)Ades, Minogue, RobinsonAdes3:26
5."Hide and Seek"Masterson, Ronald, MinogueThriller Jill3:03
6."Goodbye Song"Masterson, RonaldThriller Jill3:51

Side D

No.TitleLength
1."Put the Needle on It" (Jason Nevins Freak Club Creation Mix)8:15
2."Begin to Spin Me Round" (extended version)5:11
3."Don't Wanna Lose This Groove" (extended version)5:05

Samples

Multiple samples are featured on the album:

  1. "Mighty Fine" contains a sample from "Thighs High" performed by Tom Browne.
  2. "Push" contains a sample from "White Horse" performed by Laid Back.
  3. "Begin to Spin Me Around" is a mash-up between Minogue's song "I Begin to Wonder" and Dead or Alive's 1984 hit "You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)".
  4. "Don't Wanna Lose This Groove" is a mashup between Minogue's song "Don't Wanna Lose This Feeling" and Madonna's 1985 hit "Into the Groove".[26][27]

Credits and personnel

Charts

Chart performance for Neon Nights
Chart (2003) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[28] 25
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[29] 65
French Albums (SNEP)[30] 49
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[31] 68
Japanese Albums (Oricon)[32] 134
Scottish Albums (OCC)[33] 8
UK Albums (OCC)[34] 8
US Top Dance/Electronic Albums (Billboard)[35] 17
2007 chart performance for Neon Nights
Chart (2007) Peak
position
UK Dance Albums (OCC)[36] 25
2018 chart performance for Neon Nights
Chart (2018) Peak
position
Scottish Albums (OCC)[37] 33
UK Albums (OCC)[38] 89
UK Independent Albums (OCC)[39] 9
2023 chart performance for Neon Nights (20th Anniversary Edition)
Chart (2023) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[40] 17
Scottish Albums (OCC)[41] 16
UK Albums (OCC)[42] 55
UK Dance Albums (OCC)[43] 1
UK Independent Albums (OCC)[44] 7

Certifications

Certifications for Neon Nights
Country Certification Sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[8] Gold 100,000

Release details

All editions released by London/Warner Music Group/Ultra Records.
Release history and formats for Neon Nights
Release format Country Cat. no. Release date
United Kingdom Standard 2564600032 17 March 2003
Europe 25646 01105 17 March 2003
Australia 2564600032 April 2003
Colombia 2564600032 2003
Hong Kong and Taiwan 2564600032 2003
Canada 2.60003 21 June 2003
Japan Japanese edition WPCR-11579 9 July 2003
United States US edition UL 1173-2 7 October 2003
United Kingdom Deluxe edition 5144 25021 2 5 November 2007
Various Expanded re-issue LMS5521215 29 June 2018[45]
20th anniversary deluxe edition LMS5521940 16 June 2023

References

  1. ^ "Neon Nights 20". Spotify.
  2. ^ a b Bond, Nick (15 June 2023). "Dannii Minogue on Neon Nights and her surprise World Pride performance". news.com.au. Retrieved 20 July 2023.
  3. ^ Billboard Staff (3 October 2003). "Dannii Minogue Ponders The 'X-Factor'". Billboard. Retrieved 20 July 2023.
  4. ^ Grant, Matt (24 August 1999). "Is this a Dannii I see before me?". BBC News. Retrieved 20 July 2023.
  5. ^ Gibbons, Fiachra; correspondent, arts (16 January 2002). "Alarm as Cats heads for last miaow". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 20 July 2023. {{cite news}}: |last2= has generic name (help)
  6. ^ "DANNII MINOGUE". Official Charts. Retrieved 20 July 2023.
  7. ^ "A 'proper' record from young Dannii of well crafted little gems" Archived 2 July 2003 at the Wayback Machine. SoundGenerator.com. 19 March 2002. Retrieved 12 December 2006.
  8. ^ a b c DanniiMusic.com Archived 14 June 2006 at the Wayback Machine Chronology. Retrieved 30 June 2006
  9. ^ "Dannii Minogue Ditched By Record Label". ContactMusic.com. Retrieved 22 January 2007.
  10. ^ Copsey, Rob (25 June 2018). "Dannii Minogue reflects on Neon Nights: "There was definitely some magic in the air"". Official Charts. Retrieved 20 July 2023.
  11. ^ Ferber, Lawrence (24 October 2003). "Wonderland". HX Magazine. pp. 24–27. ISSN 1524-0339. Retrieved 8 November 2023.
  12. ^ a b c d Minogue, Dannii (2010). Dannii: My Story. Great Britain: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 9780857200549.
  13. ^ a b Wass, Mike (18 May 2013). "Dannii Minogue's 'Neon Nights' Turns 10: Backtracking". Idolator. Retrieved 25 January 2013.
  14. ^ "Terry Ronald: "What's on your mantelpiece?" | The Steeple Times". 13 September 2014. Retrieved 4 January 2024.
  15. ^ "The Teskey Brothers find a way - ARIA".
  16. ^ a b Slomowicz, Ron (2003). "Dannii Minogue – Neon Nights". About.com. Retrieved 25 January 2013.
  17. ^ a b Lucas, John (2003). "Neon Nights – Dannii Minogue". AllMusic. Retrieved 25 January 2013.
  18. ^ a b Smith, Jack (2003). "Dannii Minogue Neon Nights Review". BBC. Retrieved 25 January 2013.
  19. ^ a b Kirke, Alexis (17 March 2003). "Dannii Minogue – Neon Nights". MusicOMH. Retrieved 25 January 2013.
  20. ^ Varvaris, Mary (1 April 2023). "Dannii Minogue Announces Release Of 'Neon Nights' 20th Anniversary Edition". The Music. Retrieved 16 June 2023.
  21. ^ "Dancing shoes at the ready 👠 💃🕺🪩 Happy #NeonNights20 day! Download, stream or join the celebrations with some exclusive NN20 merch". Twitter. 16 June 2023. Retrieved 16 June 2023.
  22. ^ Sinclair, Paul (11 April 2023). "Dannii Minogue / Neon Nights 20th anniversary edition". Super Deluxe Edition. Retrieved 16 June 2023.
  23. ^ "Dannii Minogue celebrates 20th anniversary of hit album Neon Nights". 7News. 16 June 2023. Retrieved 16 June 2023.
  24. ^ "@danniiminogue on instagram". instagram.com. Retrieved 23 March 2018.
  25. ^ "Dannii Minogue Neon Nights : Vinyl 12" Album | HMV Store". store.hmv.com. Retrieved 23 March 2018.
  26. ^ "Try the TIDAL Web Player".
  27. ^ "Don't Wanna Lose This Feeling (Title Code: 340839338)". ASCAP. Retrieved 22 November 2008.
  28. ^ "Australiancharts.com – Dannii Minogue – Neon Nights". Hung Medien. Retrieved 7 April 2018.
  29. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Dannii Minogue – Neon Nights" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 7 April 2018.
  30. ^ "Lescharts.com – Dannii Minogue – Neon Nights". Hung Medien. Retrieved 7 April 2018.
  31. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Dannii Minogue – Neon Nights" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 7 April 2018.
  32. ^ "Oricon Top 50 Albums: {{{date}}}" (in Japanese). Oricon.
  33. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  34. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  35. ^ "Dannii Minogue Chart History (Top Dance/Electronic Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
  36. ^ "Official Dance Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company.
  37. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  38. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  39. ^ "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company.
  40. ^ "ARIA Top 50 Albums Chart". Australian Recording Industry Association. 26 June 2023. Retrieved 23 June 2023.
  41. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  42. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  43. ^ "Official Dance Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company.
  44. ^ "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company.
  45. ^ "Neon Nights (Expanded Reissue Edition)". JB Hi-Fi. Retrieved 17 June 2018.
  • DanniiMusic.com – official website (including lyrics to the songs on Neon Nights).
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