Some People (Belouis Some album)

Untitled

Some People is the debut studio album from British musician Belouis Some, released in 1985.

Background

Neville Keighley began performing as Belouis Some in 1983. He would sign with Parlophone Records that year and began recording his studio album soon after. Recording of Some People began at Good Earth, Maison Rouge and Air Studios in London, with Ian Little and Pete Schwier at the producers' helm. In late 1984, recording continued at New York with producers Steve Thompson and Michael Barbiero. Some People was released in 1985, however failed to chart.

Preceding the album, the first single "Target Practice" was released in June 1984, but failed to chart. In March 1985, "Imagination" was released, and saw some chart success across various countries, including reaching #50 in the UK and #88 in America. The album's third single, "Some People", followed in June, and reached #33 in the UK and #67 in America. Both "Imagination" and "Some People" were also successful on the US Hot Dance Club Songs chart, reaching #4 and #8 respectively. In January 1976, "Imagination" was re-issued, reaching #17 in the UK, however a March re-issue of "Some People" failed to re-chart. In July, the final single, "Jerusalem", was released, reaching #98 in the UK. A re-issue of "Target Practice" would also reach #16 in South Africa in May 1986.

A music video for "Imagination", directed by Storm Thorgerson, was met with some controversy as it featured full frontal nudity. The music video for "Some People" was filmed in Aldeburgh, Suffolk.

Release

The album was released by Parlophone/EMI on vinyl in various countries, including the UK, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Greece, Japan, Argentina and South Africa. In the US and Canada, it was released by Capitol Records. Jugoton/Parlophone released the album in Yugoslavia. Although the album wasn't commercially released on CD, a UK promo version appeared on the format, which was made in Japan and released by EMI.

Later in 2009, Cherry Pop would remaster and reissue the album on CD. For the release, Cherry Pop mastered the album from vinyl, leading to complaints over the sound quality. A second edition of the CD was released by the label in 2010.

Track listing

All songs written and composed by Belouis Some.

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Some People"	4:01
2.	"Stand Down"	3:34
3.	"Imagination"	3:35
4.	"Walk Away"	3:39
5.	"Aware of You"	3:43
6.	"Target Practice"	4:35
7.	"Have You Ever Been in Love"	4:04
8.	"Tail Lights"	5:42
9.	"Jerusalem"	5:49

Cherry Pop CD bonus tracks

No.	Title	Length
10.	"Imagination (Dance Mix)"	5:31
11.	"Stand Down (Live Version)"	3:18
12.	"Some People (Extended)"	7:38
13.	"Some People (Dub Mix)"	6:36
14.	"Jerusalem (Instrumental Version)"	5:54
15.	"Target Practice (Bullseye Mix)"	6:01

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Smash Hits
Number One
Billboard	favourable

In the 28 August-10 September 1985 edition of Smash Hits, a review of the album by Lisa Clark commented: "Belouis Some is actually Neville Keighley, but for the purposes of this debut album, it's also a bunch of "respected" musicians and four producers! Although basically a pop record, the funky production slants the songs quite differently - sometimes like the mega-brilliant "Imagination" with its sneery vocals, and sometimes like the haunting, David Bowie-inspired "Jerusalem". An excellently put together pop/funk collaboration."

In the 14 September 1985 issue of Number One magazine, Nick Adams wrote: "Belouis Some has already released a couple of strong singles and the rest of his songs are equally dramatic - big, thumping melody links punched out on synths with saxes and backing vocalists making sure you don't forget the tune. Belouis' phrasing often lapses into Bowie's London camp, and too many of the songs are striving to be 'Let's Dance Part 2'. Nevertheless, a promising debut."

In the 27 April 1985 issue of Billboard magazine, a review of the album by Brian Chin stated: "Some People is a really up-to-date pop production, with one attractive and danceable cut after another. It happens to include many of the people involved in David Bowie's "Let's Dance" tour and album, and the production handling of the vocalist is almost identical; best cuts are the pop title cut, and the rockier "Target Practice," along with the surfacing "Imagination"."

Chart performance

Singles

Imagination

Chart (1985)	Peak position
Belgian Singles Chart (V)	40
Canadian Adult Contemporary Chart	25
German Singles Chart	48
Italian Singles Chart	7
South African Singles Chart	13
Swiss Singles Chart	30
UK Singles Chart	50
U.S. Billboard Dance/Club Play Songs Chart	4
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Chart	88

Chart (1986)	Peak position
New Zealand Singles Chart	38
Irish Singles Chart	16
UK Singles Chart	17

Some People

Chart (1985)	Peak position
Italian Singles Chart	34
South African Singles Chart	9
UK Singles Chart	33
U.S. Billboard Dance/Club Play Songs Chart	8
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Chart	67

Chart (1986)	Peak position
Irish Singles Chart	21

Target Practice

Chart (1986)	Peak position
South African Singles Chart	16

Jerusalem

Chart (1986)	Peak position
UK Singles Chart	98

Personnel

• Belouis Some - vocals
• Carlos Alomar - guitar, backing vocals, arrangement
• Chester Kamen, Earl Slick - guitar
• Guy Fletcher - keyboards, backing vocals, arrangement
• Dave Lebolt, Jack Waldman - keyboards
• Bernard Edwards, Carmine Rojas, Gary Twigg - bass
• Alan Childs, Andy Duncan, Tony Thompson - drums
• Jimmy Maelen - percussion
• Rick Bell - saxophone (track 3)
• Gary Barnacle - saxophone (track 8)
• Diva Gray - backing vocals
• Frank Simms, Kurt Yahjin, Robin Clark - backing vocals
• Pete Schwier - producer (tracks 1-2, 6-9), engineer (all tracks)
• Steve Thompson - producer (tracks 1, 3-6), mixing (tracks 2, 6, 9)
• Michael Barbiero - producer (tracks 1, 3-6), mixing (tracks 2, 6, 9), engineer (all tracks)
• Ian Little - producer (tracks 2, 7-9)
• Alexander Haas, Carb Canelle, Rob Trillo - tape operators
• Richard Haughton - photography
• XL Design - sleeve