The Dollar Album
Encyclopedia
The Dollar Album is the third and final studio album released by the pop group Dollar
. It was released in October 1982 and featured five top 40 hit singles, including their biggest "Mirror Mirror".
in 1981, the group had enjoyed their biggest success with four hit singles; "Hand Held in Black and White", "Mirror Mirror (Mon Amour)", "Give Me Back My Heart" and "Videotheque" - all of which reached the UK top 20. Members David Van Day
and Thereza Bazar
began work on a new album and wrote and produced the remainder of the tracks themselves. Although all their own songs were credited as joint compositions, a number of them were written by only one of them, such as "Dangerous Blondes", "Guessing Games" and "Anyone Who's Anyone" by Bazar and "You Made Me Love You" and "I Got Your Number Wrong" by Van Day. The production was also largely handled by Bazar herself after she had spent much time working closely with Horn in the studio. A fifth single, "Give Me Some Kinda Magic", was released to coincide with the album. Although it became another top 40 hit, it failed to chart as highly as the previous four singles. Despite containing five Top 40 singles and a television advertising campaign, the album itself did not fare as well as expected, though it still became their biggest seller, peaking at no.18 (their highest charting album) and was certified Silver by the BPI
. Thereza Bazar has since said of the album that she is proud of their own songs (particularly "Pink and Blue") but regrets that Trevor Horn couldn't have worked on more of it. She says that the four songs he did with them were very expensive due to the vast amount of time spent in the studio on them, but they were "worth every penny".
In early 1983, Dollar were on a promotional tour of Japan
with their new single "Two Hearts". The formerly dating couple were by this time finding it difficult to continue working together and decided to split. The single was never released in the UK. Dollar reformed in 1986 and despite four single releases, including a top 10 hit, the group never released another album.
Many of the tracks on this album were released on compact disc
on a 2006 compilation, The Platinum Collection. The whole album was released on compact disc in February 2010 by Cherry Red Records, and included six bonus tracks.
Side Two
Bonus tracks (2010 re-issue)
Production:
Design:
Dollar (band)
Dollar are a pop vocal duo from the UK, consisting of David Van Day and Thereza Bazar. The duo were successful in the late 1970s and 1980s.-Career:...
. It was released in October 1982 and featured five top 40 hit singles, including their biggest "Mirror Mirror".
Background
By its release in 1982, Dollar had seen a revival in fortunes following their previous, unsuccessful album. After teaming up with producer Trevor HornTrevor Horn
Trevor Charles Horn CBE is an English pop music record producer, songwriter, musician and singer. He was born in Houghton-le-Spring in north-east England....
in 1981, the group had enjoyed their biggest success with four hit singles; "Hand Held in Black and White", "Mirror Mirror (Mon Amour)", "Give Me Back My Heart" and "Videotheque" - all of which reached the UK top 20. Members David Van Day
David Van Day
David Van Day is an English singer and media personality, formerly a member of the pop duo Dollar. He was also a member of the 1970s vocal group Guys 'n' Dolls , and a latter-day version of Bucks Fizz....
and Thereza Bazar
Thereza Bazar
Thereza Bazar is a British-Canadian singer, best known as one half of the pop duo, Dollar.- Career :Bazar first found fame in her teens as a member of 1970s group Guys 'n' Dolls, who scored a 1975 hit with There's A Whole Lot Of Lovin and went on to have a short hit career, which also included...
began work on a new album and wrote and produced the remainder of the tracks themselves. Although all their own songs were credited as joint compositions, a number of them were written by only one of them, such as "Dangerous Blondes", "Guessing Games" and "Anyone Who's Anyone" by Bazar and "You Made Me Love You" and "I Got Your Number Wrong" by Van Day. The production was also largely handled by Bazar herself after she had spent much time working closely with Horn in the studio. A fifth single, "Give Me Some Kinda Magic", was released to coincide with the album. Although it became another top 40 hit, it failed to chart as highly as the previous four singles. Despite containing five Top 40 singles and a television advertising campaign, the album itself did not fare as well as expected, though it still became their biggest seller, peaking at no.18 (their highest charting album) and was certified Silver by the BPI
British Phonographic Industry
The British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade association.-Structure:Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies...
. Thereza Bazar has since said of the album that she is proud of their own songs (particularly "Pink and Blue") but regrets that Trevor Horn couldn't have worked on more of it. She says that the four songs he did with them were very expensive due to the vast amount of time spent in the studio on them, but they were "worth every penny".
In early 1983, Dollar were on a promotional tour of Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
with their new single "Two Hearts". The formerly dating couple were by this time finding it difficult to continue working together and decided to split. The single was never released in the UK. Dollar reformed in 1986 and despite four single releases, including a top 10 hit, the group never released another album.
Many of the tracks on this album were released on compact disc
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 ,...
on a 2006 compilation, The Platinum Collection. The whole album was released on compact disc in February 2010 by Cherry Red Records, and included six bonus tracks.
Track listing
Side One- "Mirror Mirror (Mon Amour)" (Trevor HornTrevor HornTrevor Charles Horn CBE is an English pop music record producer, songwriter, musician and singer. He was born in Houghton-le-Spring in north-east England....
/ Bruce WoolleyBruce WoolleyBruce Woolley is an English writer, performer, record producer and composer.- Early years :Bruce Woolley was born in Loughborough, England on 11 November 1953 and was educated at Loughborough Grammar School where he learned electric guitar, began to write songs and where he met his future wife,...
) 3.30 - "Give Me Back My Heart" (Horn / Simon Darlow) 5.01
- "Hand Held in Black and White" (Horn / Woolley) 3.20
- "Pink and Blue" (David Van DayDavid Van DayDavid Van Day is an English singer and media personality, formerly a member of the pop duo Dollar. He was also a member of the 1970s vocal group Guys 'n' Dolls , and a latter-day version of Bucks Fizz....
/ Thereza BazarThereza BazarThereza Bazar is a British-Canadian singer, best known as one half of the pop duo, Dollar.- Career :Bazar first found fame in her teens as a member of 1970s group Guys 'n' Dolls, who scored a 1975 hit with There's A Whole Lot Of Lovin and went on to have a short hit career, which also included...
) 4.13 - "I Got Your Number Wrong" (Van Day / Bazar) 3.49
- "Guessing Games" (Van Day / Bazar) 3.42
Side Two
- "Give Me Some Kinda Magic" (Van Day / Bazar) 3.43
- "Videotheque" (Horn / Darlow) 3.34
- "Dangerous Blondes" (Van Day / Bazar) 4.13
- "You Made Me Love You" (Van Day / Bazar) 4.09
- "Anyone Who's Anyone" (Van Day / Bazar) 3.18
- "The Second Time Around" (Van Day / Bazar) 5.01
Bonus tracks (2010 re-issue)
- "Hand Held in Black and White" (Alternative Trevor Horn 1981 Mix) 3.21
- "Mirror Mirror" (Alternative Trevor Horn 1981 Mix) 3.52
- "Give Me Back My Heart" (Alternative Trevor Horn 1982 Mix) 5.13
- "Videotheque" (Alternative Trevor Horn 1982 Mix) 3.33
- "I Got Your Number Wrong" (Alternative Mix) 4.24
- "Guessing Games" (Alternative Mix) 3.51
Personnel
Musicians:- David Van DayDavid Van DayDavid Van Day is an English singer and media personality, formerly a member of the pop duo Dollar. He was also a member of the 1970s vocal group Guys 'n' Dolls , and a latter-day version of Bucks Fizz....
- vocals - Thereza BazarThereza BazarThereza Bazar is a British-Canadian singer, best known as one half of the pop duo, Dollar.- Career :Bazar first found fame in her teens as a member of 1970s group Guys 'n' Dolls, who scored a 1975 hit with There's A Whole Lot Of Lovin and went on to have a short hit career, which also included...
- vocals - Graham BroadGraham BroadGraham Broad is an English drummer who has been playing professionally since the age of fifteen, after attending the Royal College of Music in 1970....
- Linn Drum, Symons Kit, Percussion - John Reid - Bass Guitar
- William C Lyall - Piano, Keyboards, Synthesizers
- Richard Cottle - Prophet Synthesizer
- Danny McIntosh Jr - Guitar
- Trevor HornTrevor HornTrevor Charles Horn CBE is an English pop music record producer, songwriter, musician and singer. He was born in Houghton-le-Spring in north-east England....
- Bass Guitar - Bruce WoolleyBruce WoolleyBruce Woolley is an English writer, performer, record producer and composer.- Early years :Bruce Woolley was born in Loughborough, England on 11 November 1953 and was educated at Loughborough Grammar School where he learned electric guitar, began to write songs and where he met his future wife,...
- Keyboards, Synthesizers - Simon Darlow - Keyboards, Synthesizers
- Anne DudleyAnne DudleyAnne Dudley is an English composer and pop musician, and was the first BBC Concert Orchestra's Composer in Association in 2001. She has worked in both the classical and pop genres. She is perhaps best known, however, as one of the core members of the synthpop band Art of Noise and also as a film...
- Keyboards, Synthesizers - George McFarlane - Bass
Production:
- Thereza Bazar and David Van Day - Production on tracks 4,5,6,7,9,10,11,12
- Trevor Horn - Production on tracks 1,2,3,8
- Thereza Bazar, David Van Day, William C. Lyall - Arrangements
- Gerry Kitchingham - Engineer
- Gary LanganGary LanganGary Langan is an audio engineer and record producer.-Biography:In 1983, Langan co-founded the ZTT Records label with Trevor Horn, Paul Morley and Jill Sinclair...
- Engineer - Recorded at R.G.Jones Studios, Wimbledon; The Band Stand, Holland; Sarm Studios, London; Damiens Studios, Paris
Design:
- Stefano Massimo - Photography
- Nicky ClarkeNicky ClarkeNicky Clarke OBE is an English hair stylist and media personality, who owns well known hair salons. He initially became famous for styling the hair of various celebrities on several television shows, before earning fame in his own right....
- Hair - Glauca Rossi - Make Up
- Bill Smith - Design
Chart performance
| Release date | Single title | UK Chart position |
|---|---|---|
| August 1981 | "Hand Held in Black and White" | 19 |
| November 1981 | "Mirror Mirror (Mon Amor)" | 4 |
| March 1982 | "Give Me Back My Heart" | 4 |
| June 1982 | "Videotheque" | 17 |
| September 1982 | "Give Me Some Kinda Magic" | 34 |
| Release date | Album title | UK Chart position |
|---|---|---|
| October 1982 | The Dollar Album | 18 |