A Flock of Seagulls (album)

A Flock of Seagulls is the debut studio album by the new wave band A Flock of Seagulls. It was released in 1982 on Jive and featured the international hit single "I Ran (So Far Away)", which reached the Top 10 in the US and New Zealand, as well as No. 1 in Australia. The song "Space Age Love Song" also managed to score radio play. On the success of the singles, the album reached No. 10 in the US.

A Flock of Seagulls
Studio album by A Flock of Seagulls
Released	30 April 1982
Recorded	Summer–Late Autumn 1981
Studio	Battery Studios
Genre	New wave synth-pop dark wave
Length	39:45
Label	Jive
Producer	Mike Howlett Bill Nelson
A Flock of Seagulls chronology
A Flock of Seagulls (1982) Listen (1983)
Singles from A Flock of Seagulls
"Telecommunication" Released: 16 September 1981 "Modern Love Is Automatic" Released: November 1981 "I Ran (So Far Away)" Released: April 1982 "Space Age Love Song" Released: 28 May 1982

Reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide	[2]
Spin Alternative Record Guide	8/10[3]
The Village Voice	A−[4]
Smash Hits	5/10[5]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music	[6]

The album received good reviews upon its release and significant radio airplay.[7][2] In his retrospective review for AllMusic, Tom Demalon gave the album 4.5 stars, calling it "great fun and a wonderful collection of new wave ear candy."

Prominent critic Robert Christgau was also happy with it, giving it an A- and saying that it is "so transparently, guilelessly expedient that it actually provides the hook-chocked fun most current pop bands only advertise."[4] Other reviews pointed out the bands "pioneering sounds, compelling hooks and undeniably addictive gimmicks."[2]

The band, and particularly this album, were influential during the 1980s, for their image[8] and also for their production techniques, which at one point garnered the respect of record producer Phil Spector, who in the 1980s called the album "phenomenal."[9]

The album track "D.N.A." won a Grammy Award in 1983 for Best Rock Instrumental Performance.

Track listing

All tracks are written by Mike Score, Ali Score, Frank Maudsley and Paul Reynolds.

Original UK LP

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Modern Love Is Automatic"	3:50
2.	"Messages"	2:52
3.	"I Ran (So Far Away)"	5:09
4.	"Space Age Love Song"	3:48
5.	"You Can Run"	4:26
6.	"Telecommunication"	2:32
7.	"Standing in the Doorway"	4:40
8.	"Don't Ask Me"	2:46
9.	"D.N.A."	2:31
10.	"Tokyo"	2:54
11.	"Man Made"	5:40

2011 remaster CD bonus tracks

No.	Title	Length
12.	"Pick Me Up"	3:07
13.	"Windows"	3:30
14.	"Tanglimara"	4:30
15.	"Intro"	3:24

US track listing

No.	Title	Length
1.	"I Ran (So Far Away)"	5:09
2.	"Space Age Love Song"	3:45
3.	"You Can Run"	4:28
4.	"Don't Ask Me"	2:46
5.	"Messages"	2:51
6.	"Telecommunication"	2:31
7.	"Modern Love Is Automatic"	3:49
8.	"Standing in the Doorway"	4:41
9.	"D.N.A."	2:30
10.	"Man Made"	5:38

Personnel

A Flock of Seagulls Mike Score – lead vocals, keyboards, additional rhythm guitar Paul Reynolds – lead & rhythm guitar, backing vocals Frank Maudsley – bass guitar, backing vocals Ali Score – drums, percussion

Production Mike Howlett – producer (all tracks except "Telecommunication", "Tanglimara" and "Intro") Bill Nelson – producer ("Telecommunication") Steve Lovell and A Flock of Seagulls – producer ("Tanglimara" and "Intro") Mark Dearnley – engineer Mike Shipley – engineer "BillBo" – mastering

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1982) Peak position Australia (Kent Music Report)[10] 19 Canada Albums Chart[11] 5 German Albums Chart[12] 26 Swedish Albums Chart[13] 32 UK Albums Chart[14] 32 US Billboard 200[15] 10 New Zealand Chart[16] 6

Year End Chart (1982) Peak position U.S. Billboard 200 63 Canada Albums Chart 35

Charting singles

Single	Chart	Position
"Telecommunication"	U.S. Billboard Dance Club Songs	19
"I Ran (So Far Away)"	Australian (ARIA Chart)	1
	Canada (RPM)	26
	French Chart (SNICOP)	31
	Germany (Media Control)	31
	Netherlands Singles Top 100	46
	Official New Zealand Music Chart	7
	UK Singles Chart	43
	U.S. Billboard Hot 100	9
	U.S. Billboard Dance Club Songs	8
	U.S. Billboard Mainstream Rock Chart	3
"Space Age Love Song"	Australian (ARIA Chart)	68
	Official New Zealand Music Chart	31
	UK Singles Chart	34
	U.S. Billboard Hot 100	30
	U.S. Billboard Mainstream Rock Chart	59
"Wishing (If I Had A Photograph Of You)"	Australian (ARIA Chart)	46
	Official New Zealand Music Chart	33
	UK Singles Chart	10
	U.S. Billboard Hot 100	26
	U.S. Billboard Mainstream Rock Chart	3

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[17]	Platinum	100,000^^
United Kingdom (BPI)[18]	Silver	60,000^^
United States (RIAA)[19]	Gold	500,000^^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[20]	Gold	7,500^^
^^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

1. Demalon, Tom. "A Flock of Seagulls – A Flock of Seagulls". AllMusic. Retrieved 14 April 2011.
2. Considine, J. D.; Randall, Mac (2004). "A Flock of Seagulls". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. pp. 304–05. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
3. Weisbard, Eric; Marks, Craig, eds. (1995). Spin Alternative Record Guide. Vintage Books. ISBN 0-679-75574-8.
4. Christgau, Robert (30 November 1982). "Christgau's Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. Retrieved 14 April 2011.
5. Schlosberg, Karen. "Smash Hits, April 15, 1982 – p.33". Smash Hits. Retrieved 11 April 2019.
6. The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Omnibus Press. 27 May 2011. ISBN 9780857125958.
7. US college radio, the New British Invasion and media alterity N Rubin – Radio Journal: International Studies in Broadcast
8. "Never mind the hair bands, here's a Flock of Seagulls!". Archived from the original on 14 September 2012. Retrieved 14 April 2011.
9. Wall of pain: the biography of Phil Spector. D Thompson – 2003 – Sanctuary Pub Ltd
10. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
11. "Canadian Collections". Archived from the original on 14 April 2011. Retrieved 14 April 2011.
12. "German charts". Archived from the original on 3 March 2011. Retrieved 14 April 2011.
13. "A Flock of Seagulls Swedish Charts". Swedishcharts.com. Retrieved 14 April 2011.
14. "A Flock of Seagulls The Official Charts Company (UK)". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 14 April 2011.
15. "A Flock of Seagulls Billboard charts". AllMusic. Retrieved 14 April 2011.
16. "A Flock of Seagulls". New Zealand Charts. Retrieved 24 May 2019.
17. "Canadian album certifications – A Flock of Seagulls – A Flock of Seagulls". Music Canada. Retrieved 24 May 2019.
18. "British album certifications – A Flock of Seagulls – A Flock of Seagulls". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 24 May 2019. Select albums in the Format field. Select Silver in the Certification field. Type A Flock of Seagulls in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
19. "American album certifications – A Flock of Seagulls – A Flock of Seagulls". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 24 May 2019. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH. 
20. "New Zealand album certifications – A Flock of Seagulls – A Flock of Seagulls". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 24 May 2019.