Renaissance (Village People album)
Encyclopedia
Renaissance is an album by the Village People
released in 1981. The title reflects the band's departure from the disco
genre with which they had long been associated to a New Wave
style following the downfall of disco
as well as the discontinuation of their signature costumes.
The album failed commercially and critically, and most were turned off by the unexpected harsh change in direction. One critic opined that the album "should have never been released" and was "simply an embarrassment that never should have seen the light of day." John Imatainte, writer for the acclaimed New York-based disco enthusiast magazine, DiSCO
was reportedly so disappointed upon hearing the album for the first time that he refused to write a review of it, only referring to it as "an embarrassment to recorded music that cannot exceed even the most remotely respectable of expectations."
In spite of being universally panned by critics, the album peaked at #138 on the Billboard 200
,. The album includes two singles, "Do You Wanna Spend the Night" and "5 O'Clock in the Morning". It was reissued to CD
in 1999 with additional tracks.
The album's artwork has found popularity as an Internet meme
as one of the worst album covers of all time.
Village People
Village People is a concept disco group that formed in the United States in 1977, well known for their on-stage costumes depicting American cultural stereotypes, as well as their catchy tunes and suggestive lyrics....
released in 1981. The title reflects the band's departure from the disco
Disco
Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
genre with which they had long been associated to a New Wave
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
style following the downfall of disco
Disco Demolition Night
Disco Demolition Night was a promotional event that took place on Thursday, July 12, 1979, at Comiskey Park in Chicago, Illinois, during which a crate filled with disco records was blown up on the field. It was held during the twi-night doubleheader baseball game between the Chicago White Sox and...
as well as the discontinuation of their signature costumes.
The album failed commercially and critically, and most were turned off by the unexpected harsh change in direction. One critic opined that the album "should have never been released" and was "simply an embarrassment that never should have seen the light of day." John Imatainte, writer for the acclaimed New York-based disco enthusiast magazine, DiSCO
Disco
Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
was reportedly so disappointed upon hearing the album for the first time that he refused to write a review of it, only referring to it as "an embarrassment to recorded music that cannot exceed even the most remotely respectable of expectations."
In spite of being universally panned by critics, the album peaked at #138 on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
,. The album includes two singles, "Do You Wanna Spend the Night" and "5 O'Clock in the Morning". It was reissued to CD
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
in 1999 with additional tracks.
The album's artwork has found popularity as an Internet meme
Internet meme
The term Internet meme is used to describe a concept that spreads via the Internet. The term is a reference to the concept of memes, although the latter concept refers to a much broader category of cultural information.-Description:...
as one of the worst album covers of all time.
Track listing
- "Do You Wanna Spend the Night" — 3:34
- "5 O'Clock in the Morning" — 5:03
- "Fireman" — 5:00
- "Jungle City" — 3:45
- "Action Man" — 3:05
- "Big Mac" — 2:26
- "Diet" — 3:19
- "Food Fight" — 2:34