MIND THE GAP
MARION McMULLEN looks at some of the longest waits between album releases
Grammy and Brit award singer Adele’s upcoming album, 30, features her first new material in six years. She has described the album, due for release next month, as her attempt at explaining her divorce to her eight-year-old son Angelo. The 33-year-old has said she is “in a strong place now, where I feel like I can put that vulnerability out”.
2 Adele has a long way to go though for the longest gap between album releases. Abba’s new album Voyage comes out next month nearly 40 years after their last album. The 10 tracks included feature entirely new material from the Swedish band and Bjorn Ulvaeus said: “To release an album after 40 years and still be the best of friends and enjoying each other’s company and still have total loyalty. Who has experienced that? Nobody.”
3 Rock ‘n’ roll legend Chuck Berry brought out his album Chuck in 2017 nearly 38 years after his last album Rockit in 1979. His rock classics include Roll Over Beethoven, Sweet Little Sixteen and Johnny B. Goode and he became one of the first artists to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986.
4 It took nearly 36 years for The Boomtown Rats to bring out another album after In The Long Grass in 1984. The Irish band, fronted by Bob Geldof, enjoyed chart success with I Don’t Like Mondays and Rat Trap in the late 70s, and brought out Citizens Of Boomtown last year. It was released in tandem with Geldof’s book, Tales of Boomtown Glory.
5 It took Bee Gees singer Sir Barry Gibb, below, 32 years to bring out the follow-up to his 1984 album Now Voyager. In The Now was released in 2016 and he performed at Glastonbury the following year.
6 Dexy’s Midnight Runners spent four weeks at the top of the UK singles charts with Come On Eileen in 1982 and they brought out album Don’t Stand Me Down in 1985. But fans had to wait 26 years before the band’s next album, One Day I’m Going To Soar, came out in 2012.
7 The Who’s Roger Daltrey also had a 26-year gap between the release of his solo albums. Rocks In The Head came out in 1992 and As Long As I Have You was released in 2018. The 77-year-old rocker is embarking on a solo tour next month and describes it as a “musical journey through my career”.
8 The Who also notched up a 24-year break between album releases with Endless Wire coming out in 2006. Their last album of new material had been It’s Hard back in 1982.
9 Slave To The Rhythm’s Grace Jones took 19 years to bring out the follow-up to her 1989 album Bulletproof Heart. Hurricane came out in 2008 and last year she curated and headlined the Meltdown festival at London’s Southbank Centre.
10 Tears For Fears are planning to bring out new album The Tipping Point in February – 17 years since the release of their last album Everybody Loves A Happy Ending in 2004. Band co-founder Roland Orzabal said: “Before everything went so right with this album, everything first had to go wrong. It took years, but something happens when we put our heads together.”