Maps of Music

Chris Isaak (1986)

Where the lyrics of Chris Isaak take you, and where it was really made.

The album named after Chris Isaak came after a debut that sold poorly, and it was the first to feature his full backing band.

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Chris Isaak: second album by Chris Isaak, released in 1987
Self-titled record, the singer's second studio album
Eleven tracks; ten written by Chris Isaak, 'Heart Full of Soul' by Graham Gouldman
Released by Warner Bros. Records in the US
Recorded by a band that Isaak had put together for the album

The debut album performed poorly commercially
For the follow-up, Isaak honed his style toward a sophisticated R&B sound
It was the first album to feature his entire backing band
Backing band: guitarist James Calvin Wilsey, bassist Rowland Salley, drummer Kenny Dale Johnson
Wilsey recalls that some songs, including 'Blue Hotel' and 'Lovers Game', were composed earlier but could not be recorded well at the time

Recording engineers: Dave Carlson and Tom Mallon
Mixing by Lee Herschberg; mastering by Ken Perry
Other players listed in the credits include Prairie Prince, Chris Solberg, John Robinson and Pat Craig

Front cover photography by Bruce Weber
A Spanish-language article notes the album is called the 'green album' after its cover

Christopher Joseph Isaak, born June 26, 1956, in Stockton, California.
After college he formed his first band, Silvertone, a rockabilly group; the name came from the Silvertone guitar brand popular in the 1950s.
The group remained his permanent backing band.

Original Silvertone members included James Calvin Wilsey (guitar), Jamie Ayres (bass), and John Silvers (drums).
Ayres and Silvers were later replaced by Rowland Salley (bass) and Kenney Dale Johnson (drums).

Signed with Warner Bros. Records in 1985 and released the debut album Silvertone to critical acclaim.
Known for a reverb-heavy rockabilly revivalist style and a wide vocal range; often compared to Roy Orbison, Elvis Presley, Ricky Nelson, and Duane Eddy.
His breakthrough and signature song is "Wicked Game" (1989 album Heart Shaped World), which became a national top 10 hit in 1991.
Other international hits include "Blue Hotel", "Baby Did a Bad Bad Thing", and "Somebody's Crying".
Has released 13 studio albums over four decades.
Worked closely with director David Lynch, who used his music in several films; Isaak acted in Lynch's Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me.
Starred in the sitcom The Chris Isaak Show (2001-2004) and hosted the talk show The Chris Isaak Hour (2009).

Released by Warner Bros. Records in 1987
Followed a debut album that had sold poorly
'Blue Hotel' was a hit in France
'Lie to Me' was also noted as a European hit
The album was reissued under the Warner Bros. label, and the song 'Blue Hotel' was re-released in 1991

'Blue Hotel' reached the UK Top 20 after its 1991 re-release
Two European hits on the album: 'Blue Hotel' and 'Lie to Me'
Nielsen SoundScan figures from August 2006 show 393,000 copies sold in the United States alone
Chart positions and certifications sections in the source material are empty
Release credited to Warner Bros. Records, Inc., a Warner Communications Company

Several songs from the album appeared in Episodes 6 and 7 of the Private Eye TV series (1987) starring Josh Brolin, including 'You Owe Me Some Kind of Love', 'Blue Hotel', 'Lie to Me' and 'Wild Love'
Bruce Weber is credited for front cover photography
Lee Herschberg is credited for mixing
Isaak has said he is a romantic at heart but sees all the tragedy in love
A Spanish-language article notes the album's nickname comes from its cover