Billy Idol (album)

Billy Idol is the debut studio album by English rock singer Billy Idol, released on 16 July 1982 by Chrysalis Records. After the breakup of the band Generation X and the release of his first solo extended play, Don't Stop (1981), Idol began working on his debut album. Produced by Keith Forsey, Billy Idol is a rock album with strong influences of new wave music.

Billy Idol
Studio album by Billy Idol
Released	16 July 1982 (1982-07-16)
Studio	Westlake (Los Angeles)
Genre	Rock, new wave
Length	39:51 (original) 43:11 (1983 reissue)
Label	Chrysalis
Producer	Keith Forsey
Billy Idol chronology
Don't Stop (1981) Billy Idol (1982) Rebel Yell (1983)
Alternative cover
Cover for the 1983 reissue of the album.
Singles from Billy Idol
"Hot in the City" Released: July 1982[1] "White Wedding" Released: October 1982

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[2]
Robert Christgau	B[3]
Smash Hits	1/10[4]

Upon its release, the album received generally positive reviews from music critics and was a commercial success, peaking at number forty-five on the Billboard 200. Billy Idol was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

Three singles were released from the album: "Dancing with Myself" was already released in 1981 as Idol's debut single. The lead single, "Hot in the City", peaked at number twenty-three on the Billboard 100. "White Wedding" was released as the album's second single. After it peaked at number three on Mainstream Rock chart in 1983, the album was reissued with an addition of the earlier single "Dancing with Myself". The song "White Wedding (Part 1)" is so-named due to the less-heard "White Wedding (Part 2)", which is a more synthesiser-based continuation of the first part. It can be heard on the 12-inch version of the single and the compilation Vital Idol (1985).

"Hot in the City" was originally recorded for Idol's debut EP Don't Stop, but his label Chrysalis considered it too good just to release as part of the EP. They felt it could be a single and decided to keep it for the album.^[5]

Track listing

Side one

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Come On, Come On"	Billy Idol, Steve Stevens	4:00
2.	"White Wedding (Part 1)"	Idol	4:12
3.	"Hot in the City"	Idol	3:40
4.	"Dead on Arrival"	Idol	3:54
5.	"Nobody's Business"	Idol	4:06

Side two

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Love Calling"	Idol, Keith Forsey	4:48
2.	"Hole in the Wall"	Idol	4:14
3.	"Shooting Stars"	Idol, Stevens	4:30
4.	"It's So Cruel"	Idol, Philip Hawk	5:20
5.	"Congo Man" (Reprise of "Love Calling")	Idol, Forsey	1:07
Total length:			39:51

1983 reissue, with Congo Man replaced with Dancing with Myself (although some later CD editions kept the original tracklisting).

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
10.	"Dancing with Myself"	Idol, Tony James	3:20
Total length:			43:11

2023 Expanded edition bonus track^[6]

No.	Title	Length
11.	"White Wedding" (Clubland Extended Remix)	12:38

2023 Expanded edition – disc two

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Baby Talk" (Live from The Roxy, West Hollywood, August 12, 1982)	3:12
2.	"Untouchables" (Live from The Roxy, West Hollywood, August 12, 1982)	4:01
3.	"Come On, Come On" (Live from The Roxy, West Hollywood, August 12, 1982)	4:50
4.	"Hot in the City" (Live from The Roxy, West Hollywood, August 12, 1982)	4:05
5.	"Dead on Arrival" (Live from The Roxy, West Hollywood, August 12, 1982)	4:12
6.	"Heavens Inside" (Live from The Roxy, West Hollywood, August 12, 1982)	3:00
7.	"Ready Steady Go" (Live from The Roxy, West Hollywood, August 12, 1982)	3:18
8.	"Hole in the Wall" (Live from The Roxy, West Hollywood, August 12, 1982)	5:12
9.	"Shooting Stars" (Live from The Roxy, West Hollywood, August 12, 1982)	4:24
10.	"Kiss Me Deadly" (Live from The Roxy, West Hollywood, August 12, 1982)	5:10
11.	"White Wedding" (Live from The Roxy, West Hollywood, August 12, 1982)	6:48
12.	"Nobody's Business" (Live from The Roxy, West Hollywood, August 12, 1982)	4:44
13.	"Dancing with Myself" (Live from The Roxy, West Hollywood, August 12, 1982)	5:47
14.	"Mony Mony" (Live from The Roxy, West Hollywood, August 12, 1982)	4:29
15.	"Triumph" (Live from The Roxy, West Hollywood, August 12, 1982)	3:58

• "Dancing with Myself" recorded September 1980, AIR Studios, London.

Personnel

Musicians

• Billy Idol – vocals, guitar
• Steve Stevens – guitars, keyboards, synthesizer, bass (track 6)^[7]
• Phil Feit – bass (tracks 1–5, 7–10)
• Steve Missal – drums (tracks 1, 4–5, 7–10)

Additional musicians

• Stephanie Spruill – backing vocals^[8][9]
• Keith Forsey – drums (tracks 2, 3 and 6)^[10][11]
• Ashley Otten – guitar (track 3)^[8][9]
• Mick Smiley – bass (track 3)^[8][9]
• Steve New − guitar (track 11)^[12]
• Steve Jones − guitar (track 11)^[12]
• Tony James – bass (track 11)^[12]
• Terry Chimes – drums (track 11)^[12]

Technical

• Keith Forsey – producer
• Brian Reeves – engineer
• Nigel Walker – engineer (track 11)
• Steve Bates – assistant engineer
• Brian Gardner – mastering
• Jules Bates – photography
• Perri Lister – make-up
• Janet Levinson – design
• Steve Stevens – arrangements
• Billy Idol – arrangements

Charts

Weekly charts Weekly chart performance for Billy Idol Chart (1982–1983) Peak position Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)[13] 66 Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[14] 6 New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[15] 5 Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[16] 49 US Billboard 200[17] 45 US Rock Albums (Billboard)[18] 15

Year-end charts 1983 year-end chart performance for Billy Idol Chart (1983) Position Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[19] 31 New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[20] 21 1984 year-end chart performance for Billy Idol Chart (1984) Position New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[21] 23

Certifications

Certifications for Billy Idol

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[22]	Platinum	100,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[23]	Platinum	15,000^
United States (RIAA)[24]	Gold	500,000^
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

1. Strong, Martin Charles (1995). Great Rock Discography. Canongate Press. p. 404. ISBN 978-0-86241-541-9.
2. Ruhlmann, William. "Billy Idol - Billy Idol", AllMusic, All Media Network. Retrieved 2014-04-09.
3. Christgau, Robert. "Robert Christgau: CG: Billy Idol", Robert Christgau, 10 August 1993. Retrieved 2014-04-09.
4. Bostock, David. Smash Hits, p. 23, 8–21 July 1982. Retrieved 2014-04-09.
5. Idol 2014, p. 146.
6. "Billy Idol (Expanded Edition) by Billy Idol". iTunes Store.
7. Idol 2014, p. 168.
8. Idol 2014, p. 145.
9. Idol Songs: 11 of the Best (CD liner notes). Billy Idol. Chrysalis. 1988.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
10. Idol 2014, pp. 164-168.
11. Eldenius, Erik. "What Do You Know About...? Keith Forsey". moderndrummer.com. Retrieved 3 July 2019.
12. Idol 2014, p. 125.
13. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 147. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
14. "Top RPM Albums: Issue 6324a". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 5 July 2022.
15. "Charts.nz – Billy Idol – Billy Idol". Hung Medien. Retrieved 21 August 2021.
16. "Swedishcharts.com – Billy Idol – Billy Idol". Hung Medien. Retrieved 21 August 2021.
17. "Billy Idol Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 21 August 2021.
18. "Rock Albums" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 95, no. 19. 7 May 1983. p. 24. ISSN 0006-2510 – via World Radio History.
19. "The Top Albums of 1983". RPM. Vol. 39, no. 17. 24 December 1983. p. 15. ISSN 0033-7064 – via Library and Archives Canada.
20. "Top Selling Albums of 1983". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 21 August 2021.
21. "Top Selling Albums of 1984". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 21 August 2021.
22. "Canadian album certifications – Billy Idol – Billy Idol". Music Canada. Retrieved 21 November 2019.
23. "New Zealand album certifications – Billy Idol – Billy Idol". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
24. "American album certifications – Billy Idol – Billy Idol". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 21 November 2019.

Bibliography

• Idol, Billy (2014). Dancing With Myself. London, England: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 978-0-85720-559-9.

External links

• Billy Idol at AllMusic
• Billy Idol at Discogs (list of releases)