Measure for Measure (album)

Measure for Measure is the fifth studio album by Australian rock/synthpop band Icehouse and was the third album in the world to be recorded entirely digitally.[3] The album's title refers to the Shakespearean play of the same name.

Measure for Measure
Australian release (Regular Records)
Studio album by Icehouse
Released	21 April 1986
Recorded	August 1985
Studio	Crescent Studios, Bath and Whitehouse, Livingston and Air Studios, London
Genre	Rock, new wave
Length	51:55
Label	Regular / Chrysalis
Producer	David Lord, Rhett Davies
Icehouse chronology
Boxes (1985) Measure for Measure (1986) Man of Colours (1987)
Singles from Measure for Measure
"No Promises" Released: 28 October 1985[1] "Baby, You're So Strange" Released: 10 March 1986 "Mr. Big" Released: 16 June 1986 "Cross the Border" Released: 20 October 1986 "Paradise" Released: 1986 US / UK only release
Measure for Measure
US release (Chrysalis Records)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[2]

Recording

Davies said the album was the first time he had worked with producers he could "get on with" and also the first time they had a surplus of songs to choose from. "We've actually got more songs than we'll ever be able to use. It's very strange. It's created problems because they've all turned out really well and I'm loathe to give anything away."[4]

Release and reception

The album, which peaked at #8 on the National albums charts,[5] features the singles "No Promises", "Baby, You're So Strange", "Mr. Big", "Cross the Border" and "Paradise". "No Promises" had been released as a 7" vinyl single in October 1985, it peaked at #30 on the Australian singles charts.[5] It was used for the Boxes ballet created by Icehouse members Iva Davies and Robert Kretschmer together with Sydney Dance Company's choreographer Graeme Murphy, Davies and Kretschmer performed the score with guest percussonist Masaki Tanazawa.[6]

Both "No Promises" and "Cross the Border" were remixed and released as 12" singles, and while a major US pop hit would elude them until the following year, "No Promises" went Top 10 on both the Billboard Rock tracks and Dance / Club charts.[7] "Cross the Border" did not see as much club play in the US, but was a Top 20 rock hit there.[7] In Australia, the two further singles lifted from the album, "Baby, You're So Strange" and "Mr. Big", both reached the pop Top 20,[5] higher than the Australian chartings of the singles which achieved international success. "Paradise" was released as a late 1986 US / UK single but achieved no notable chart success in either market.

There are various versions of this album; the Australian and American releases each feature different artwork and track running order while the 2002 Australian remastered version features bonus tracks.

Track listing

All songs written by Iva Davies and Robert Kretschmer, except where noted.

Australian release

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Paradise" (Iva Davies)	4:47
2.	"No Promises"	4:40
3.	"Mr Big"	3:33
4.	"Angel Street"	4:46
5.	"The Flame" (Davies)	5:11
6.	"Regular Boys"	3:30
7.	"Cross the Border"	4:25
8.	"Spanish Gold" (Davies)	4:17
9.	"Lucky Me" aka "American Way"	4:38
10.	"Baby, You're So Strange"	3:59

1993 bonus tracks

No.	Title	Length
11.	"Too Late Now" (Davies)	3:11
12.	"Into The Wild"	4:53

2002 remaster bonus tracks

No.	Title	Length
13.	"Just a Word"	4:26
14.	"The Perfect Crime" (Davies, Kretschmer, Andy Qunta, Masaki Tanazawa)	3:38
15.	"The Flame (live)" (Davies)	5:26
16.	"No Promises (live)"	5:25
17.	"Sister (live)" (Davies, Michael Hoste)	3:48

American release

No.	Title	Length
1.	"No Promises"
2.	"Cross the Border"
3.	"Spanish Gold"
4.	"Paradise"
5.	"The Flame"
6.	"Regular Boys"
7.	"Mr. Big"
8.	"Angel Street"
9.	"Lucky Me"
10.	"Baby, You're So Strange"
11.	"Too Late Now"
12.	"Into the Wild"

Personnel

Credited to:[8][9]

Icehouse

• Iva Davies – vocals, guitar, keyboards (Fairlight CMI), drum programming, bass guitar
• Simon Lloyd – reeds, brass, trumpet, keyboard programming, Fairlight
• Robert Kretschmer – guitar
• Guy Pratt – bass guitar, fretless bass guitar
• Andy Qunta – keyboards, backing vocals
• Steve Jansen – drums, percussion (on "No Promises", "Cross The Border" and "The Flame")
• Masaki Tanazawa – drums, percussion

Additional musicians

• Brian Eno – backing vocals, piano, keyboards
• Stuart Gordon – strings
• Maurice Green – backing vocals
• Gasper Lawal – percussion
• David Lord – keyboards, string arrangement, percussion
• Shena Power – female voices
• Glen Tommey – percussion

Recording

• Engineer – Rhett Davies, David Lord, Andy Lyden, Iva Davies, Warne Livesey
  • Assistant – George Shilling, Matt Howe
• Mastering – Paul Ibbotson
• Mixing – David Hemmings, Warne Livesey, Glen Tommey
  • Assistant – Raine Shine
• Producer – Rhett Davies (2,3,4,7,10,11,12), David Lord (1,4,6,8,9)
• Digital remastering (2002) – Iva Davies, Ryan Scott

Artwork

• Brett Cabot – Cover Photography
• David McKenzie – Artwork

Weekly charts

Album

Year	Chart	Peak
1986	Australian Chart	8
1986	US Billboard Chart	55

Singles

Song	AUS Pop singles	UK Pop singles	US Billboard Hot 100 Singles	US Rock Tracks	US 12" Sales/Club play
"No Promises"	30	72	79	9	7
"Baby, You're So Strange"	14	—	—	—	—
"Mr. Big"	18	—	—	—	—
"Cross the Border"	65	—	—	19	—

"—" denotes did not chart.

References

1. "Kent Music Report No 590 – 28 October 1985 > Singles: New Releases". Kent Music Report. Retrieved 24 July 2020 – via Imgur.com.
2. Allmusic review
3. "Artist: Icehouse". Warner Music Australia. Archived from the original on 11 June 2008. Retrieved 16 June 2008.
4. David Rowley (January 1986). "What's in the Box, Iva?". Countdown Magazine. No. 30.
5. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970-1992. St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6. NOTE: Used for Australian Singles and Albums charting from 1970 until ARIA created their own charts in mid-1988.
6. McFarlane, Ian (1999). Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop (doc). Allen & Unwin. ISBN 1-86448-768-2. Retrieved 11 June 2008.
7. "Billboard Music Charts – Search Results – Icehouse". Billboard. Retrieved 3 July 2008.
8. "Measure for Measure (bonus tracks) credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 2 July 2008.
9. Holmgren, Magnus. "The Flowers / Icehouse". Australian Rock Database. Passagen.se (Magnus Holmgren). Archived from the original on 29 September 2013. Retrieved 21 March 2014.