| Holding Back the River | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 30 October 1989 | |||
| Recorded | 1988—1989 | |||
| Genre | Pop, pop rock | |||
| Length | 48:58 | |||
| Label | Mercury | |||
| Producer | Wet Wet Wet | |||
| Wet Wet Wet chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Holding Back the River | ||||
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| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic | |
| Number One | |
| Smash Hits | 8.5/10[3] |
Holding Back the River is the second studio album released by Scottish pop rock quartet Wet Wet Wet. Released on 30 October 1989, the album, intentionally written as a lyrical follow-up to the band's debut album Popped In Souled Out, spawned the singles "Sweet Surrender", "Broke Away", "Hold Back the River" and "Stay With Me Heartache" and peaked at #2 on the UK Albums Chart.
Aside from the nine tracks found on the standard album, "How the Hell Did They Get There" appears as a hidden track on the CD and digital download versions, having previously been released as a B-side to the album's lead single, "Sweet Surrender". Outside of the UK, the album saw particular success in Australia, where it was certified Gold and re-released in the form of a limited edition coloured vinyl.[4]
Track listing
All tracks are written by Clark/Cunningham/Mitchell/Pellow, except "Maggie May", by Martin Quittenton & Rod Stewart. All tracks produced by Wet Wet Wet.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Sweet Surrender" | 6:00 |
| 2. | "Stay with Me Heartache (Can't Stand the Night)" | 4:10 |
| 3. | "Blue for You" | 4:51 |
| 4. | "Broke Away" | 4:45 |
| 5. | "You've Had It" | 5:12 |
| 6. | "I Wish" | 5:04 |
| 7. | "Keys to Your Heart" | 4:23 |
| 8. | "Maggie May" | 6:02 |
| 9. | "Hold Back the River" | 4:45 |
| 10. | "How the Hell Did That Get There" (hidden track) | 3:38 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "This Time" (live version) | 4:59 |
| 2. | "Sweet Surrender" (extended version) | 6:50 |
| 3. | "You've Had It" (Louis Silas club mix) | 7:02 |
| 4. | "Sweet Surrender" (Ben Liebrand club mix) | 6:51 |
| 5. | "And Now for Something Completely Different" | 2:43 |
| 6. | "Keys to Your Heart" (original demo) | 4:15 |
| 7. | "With a Little Help from My Friends" (live, Wembley Arena, 14/12/89) | 5:11 |
| 8. | "I Can Give You Everything" (live, Wembley Arena, 14/12/89) | 5:25 |
| 9. | "Party City" | 5:05 |
| 10. | "I Feel Fine" | 5:02 |
| 11. | "Hold Back the River" (acoustic) | 4:15 |
| 12. | "Stay With Me Heartache" (Young T.C. & T mix) | 5:58 |
| 13. | "Stay With Me Heartache" (Stay Where You Are mix) | 4:35 |
| 14. | "Stoned Me" (Tonight Live with Steve Vizard) | 4:07 |
Charts
| Chart (1989–1990) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (ARIA)[5] | 12 |
| Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[6] | 28 |
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[7] | 34 |
| UK Albums (OCC)[8] | 2 |
| Chart (1990) | Position |
|---|---|
| European Albums (Music & Media)[9] | 94 |
References
- ↑ Lewis, Jonathan. "Wet Wet Wet — Holding Back the River". AllMusic.
- ↑ Panos, Andrew (1 November 1989). "Review: Wet Wet Wet — Holding Back the River (Phonogram)". Number One. No. 332. London: IPC Magazines Ltd. p. 43. ISSN 0266-5328. Retrieved 6 November 2022 – via Flickr.
- ↑ Soutar, Mike (1–14 November 1989). "Wet Wet Wet: Holding Back the River". Smash Hits. Vol. 11, no. 21. Peterborough: EMAP Metro. p. 72. ISSN 0260-3004. Retrieved 2 November 2022 – via Flickr.
- ↑ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010. Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing.
- ↑ "Australiancharts.com – Wet Wet Wet – Holding Back The River". Hung Medien. Retrieved 6 March 2022.
- ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Wet Wet Wet – Holding Back The River" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 6 March 2022.
- ↑ "Longplay-Chartverfolgung at Musicline" (in German). Musicline.de. Phononet GmbH. Retrieved 6 March 2022.
- ↑ "Wet Wet Wet | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved 6 March 2022.
- ↑ Bakker, Machgiel (22 December 1990). "1990 REVIEW: Music & Media Year - End Awards . European Top 100 Albums 1990" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 7, no. 51. pp. 29, 38. Retrieved 20 May 2021.
- Holding Back the River at AllMusic. Retrieved , 28 April 2015 (UTC).
