One Year is the debut solo studio album by English singer-songwriter Colin Blunstone, a member of the Zombies. It was released by Epic Records in 1971. It includes "Say You Don't Mind", which peaked at number 15 on the UK Singles Chart.[2]
| One Year | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | November 1971 | |||
| Recorded | 1970–1971 | |||
| Studio | Abbey Road Studios and Sound Techniques, London[1] | |||
| Genre | Pop, rock | |||
| Length | 33:17 | |||
| Label | Epic | |||
| Producer | Rod Argent, Chris White | |||
| Colin Blunstone chronology | ||||
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| Singles from One Year | ||||
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Production edit
After the Zombies disbanded in 1968, Blunstone left the music business only to return after the surprise success of "Time of the Season".[3] Recorded between 1970 and 1971, One Year was co-produced by Blunstone's former Zombie colleagues Rod Argent and Chris White.[3] Some of the songs had previously been recorded during the last days of the Zombies, although they were re-recorded for this album.
The album chronicled a year in Blunstone's life, during which he broke up with his then-girlfriend, actress Caroline Munro, to whom "Caroline, Goodbye" is obviously addressed.
Critical reception edit
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |  [3] |
| Encyclopedia of Popular Music |  [4] |
Reviewing the album for AllMusic, Fred Thomas gave it 5 stars out of 5, writing: "Marked by a thoughtfulness that’s always on the brink of despair, One Year is an understated masterpiece. It drifts by quickly but connects immediately, capturing the same stir of conflicting feelings as remembering a time that will never happen again, or a romance you wish hadn’t ended quite so soon."[3] Neil Tennant said: "It's an incredibly romantic album, which is why it's been with me such a long time."[5] Thurston Moore called it "a gorgeous example of classic British pop music."[6] He added: "It's very personal, very sophisticated in its sentiment."[6]
In 2007, The Guardian included it on the "1000 Albums to Hear Before You Die" list.[7]
Track listing edit
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "She Loves the Way They Love Her" | Rod Argent, Chris White | 2:49 |
| 2. | "Misty Roses" | Tim Hardin | 5:04 |
| 3. | "Smokey Day" | Rod Argent, Chris White | 3:13 |
| 4. | "Caroline Goodbye" | Colin Blunstone | 2:54 |
| 5. | "Though You Are Far Away" | Colin Blunstone | 3:24 |
| 6. | "Mary Won't You Warm My Bed" | Mike d'Abo | 3:11 |
| 7. | "Her Song" | Rod Argent, Chris White | 3:31 |
| 8. | "I Can't Live Without You" | Colin Blunstone | 3:27 |
| 9. | "Let Me Come Closer to You" | Colin Blunstone | 2:24 |
| 10. | "Say You Don't Mind" | Denny Laine | 3:20 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11. | "I Hope I Didn't Say Too Much Last Night" (mono single version) | Colin Blunstone | 3:30 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11. | "I Hope I Didn't Say Too Much Last Night" (mono single version) | Colin Blunstone | 3:30 |
| 12. | "Mary Won't You Warm My Bed" (mono single version) | Mike d'Abo | 3:06 |
Personnel edit
Credits adapted from liner notes.
Musicians
- Colin Blunstone – vocals, guitar
- Rod Argent – keyboards (1, 4 & 6)
- Russ Ballard – guitar (1, 4 & 6)
- Jim Rodford – bass guitar (1, 4 & 6)
- Robert Henrit – drums (1, 4 & 6)
- Alan Crosthwaite – guitar (2)
Technical personnel
- Chris White – production
- Rod Argent – arrangement (1, 4 & 6), production
- Chris Gunning – arrangement (2, 3, 5, 7, 8 & 10)
- Tony Visconti – arrangement (4 & 6)
- John Fiddy – arrangement (9)
- Jerry Boys – engineering (1 & 2)
- Peter Vince – engineering (2-10)
- Paul Ostrer – photography
References edit
- ^ "The Making of One Year - featuring Colin Blunstone". Life of the Record. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
- ^ "Colin Blunstone". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 22 July 2018.
- ^ a b c d Thomas, Fred. "One Year - Colin Blunstone". AllMusic. Retrieved 10 December 2021.
- ^ Larkin, Colin (2007). Encyclopedia of Popular Music (4th ed.). Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0195313734.
- ^ "Music's secret weapons (part two)". The Guardian. 6 October 2006. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
- ^ a b Barker, Emily (19 September 2014). "Foo Fighters, The Killers, St Vincent – 30 Huge Artists On Their Favourite 'Lost' Albums". NME. Retrieved 22 July 2018.
- ^ "Artists beginning with B (part 1)". The Guardian. 17 November 2007. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
External links edit
- One Year at Discogs (list of releases)
- One Year at MusicBrainz (list of releases)