Cher
Studio album by
Cher
ReleasedNovember 10, 1987
Recorded1986-1987
Studio
Genre
Length39:48
LabelGeffen
Producer
Cher chronology
I Paralyze
(1982) 		Cher
(1987) 		Heart of Stone
(1989)
Singles from Cher
  1. "I Found Someone"
    Released: November 19, 1987
  2. "We All Sleep Alone"
    Released: January 28, 1988
  3. "Skin Deep"
    Released: July 1988 [1]
  4. "Main Man"
    Released: October 1988[2]
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[3]
New Musical Express2/10[4]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[5]

Cher is the eighteenth studio album by American singer-actress Cher, released on November 10, 1987 by Geffen Records.[6] The album has been certified Platinum in the US by the RIAA and Gold in Australia by ARIA and the UK by BPI.[7][8]

Background

Five years after the release of Cher's last album, I Paralyze, and her decision to focus on a film career, Cher signed with Geffen Records (which would later absorb one of her former labels, MCA Records) and was rushed to the studio to record what would become her comeback album. The album, Cher, was released in the fall of 1987 and was produced by Michael Bolton, Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora and Desmond Child. Among the notable guest artists, Bonnie Tyler and Darlene Love were backing vocalists on "Perfection".

After a series of pop and disco records, Cher moved to a radio-friendly rock sound, which helped her get back onto the charts. The album includes a new version of her 1966 hit "Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)", Michael Bolton's "I Found Someone"—which Bolton and Mark Mangold had originally written for Laura Branigan, released on her 1985 album Hold Me—several songs written by Desmond Child, and two by Diane Warren, who would go on to write many more songs for the singer.[9]

This was also her third album to be named Cher or Chér, as Gypsys, Tramps and Thieves was initially released under the name Chér before it was retitled following the success of the single of the same name,[10] while a studio album in 1966 was also titled Chér.

Reception

The album reached No. 26 in the UK and peaked at No. 32 on the US Billboard albums chart.[11] The first single released from the album and its only UK top 10 hit was "I Found Someone", which reached No. 5 in the UK and No. 10 in the US.[12] The second single, "We All Sleep Alone", peaked at No. 14 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart and just missed breaking the Adult Contemporary top 10 in the US, reaching No. 11.[12] It was less successful in the UK, however, peaking at No. 47. The album's third single was "Skin Deep". The fourth and final single was "Main Man", released in the US and Australia in October 1988.

"Bang Bang", was released as a promotional single in Europe.

Promotion

On November 13, 1987, Cher appeared on Late Night with David Letterman, where she performed "I Found Someone" and "I Got You Babe", the latter with ex-husband Sonny Bono.[13] Later released on VHS, the Late Night performance would be her last with Bono before his death. On November 21, Cher appeared as the musical guest on Saturday Night Live, performing "I Found Someone" and "We All Sleep Alone".[14] The album was also promoted on UK television.

Track listing

Cher track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."I Found Someone"
Bolton3:42
2."We All Sleep Alone"
  • Child
  • Bon Jovi
  • Sambora
3:53
3."Bang-Bang" (1987 version)Sonny Bono
  • Child
  • Bon Jovi
  • Sambora
3:51
4."Main Man"ChildChild3:48
5."Give Our Love a Fightin' Chance"
Child4:06
6."Perfection" (featuring Bonnie Tyler and Darlene Love)
  • Child
  • Warren
Child4:28
7."Dangerous Times"
  • Roger Bruno
  • Susan Pomerantz
  • Ellen Schwartz
Peter Asher3:01
8."Skin Deep"
Lind4:16
9."Working Girl"
  • Bolton
  • Child
Child3:57
10."Hard Enough Getting Over You"
  • Bolton
  • Doug James
Bolton3:48

Personnel

Adapted from AllMusic.[15]

Production

Technical

Charts

Certifications and sales

Certifications and sales for Cher
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[23] Gold 35,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[24] Gold 100,000^
United States (RIAA)[25] Platinum 1,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ^ "Cher singles".
  2. ^ "Cher singles".
  3. ^ Jose F. Promis. "Cher: Cher". Allmusic.
  4. ^ Kirsch, Michele (14 November 1987). "Split Personality". New Musical Express. p. 36.
  5. ^ Brackett, Nathan; Christian Hoard (2004). The Rolling Stone Album Guide. New York City, New York: Simon and Schuster. p. 158. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8. rolling stone cher album guide.
  6. ^ Cher: Cher. Geffen Records. November 10, 1987.
  7. ^ "Cher: Cher". riaa.com.
  8. ^ "Cher: Cher". bpi.co.uk.
  9. ^ "Cher Review". CherScholar.com. Retrieved 2009-02-04.
  10. ^ "Allmusic: Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves". AllMusic. Retrieved 2013-01-28.
  11. ^ "Artist Chart History- Cher". Retrieved 2009-06-09.
  12. ^ a b "Artist Chart History- Cher (Singles)". Retrieved 2009-06-09.
  13. ^ "Sonny and Cher Reunite on 'The Late Show with David Letterman'".
  14. ^ "Watch Saturday Night Live Episodes at". Nbc.com. Retrieved 2022-09-01.
  15. ^ "Cher [1987] – Cher | Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 7 December 2016.
  16. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 61. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  17. ^ "RPM 100 Albums". RPM. Retrieved November 6, 2015.
  18. ^ "Hits of the World" (PDF). Billboard. Retrieved November 6, 2015.
  19. ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Cher – Cher %5B1987%5D". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 6, 2015.
  20. ^ "Cher | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved November 6, 2015.
  21. ^ "Cher Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved November 6, 2015.
  22. ^ "Top Pop Albums" (PDF). Billboard. Retrieved November 6, 2015.
  23. ^ ARIA Cher data
  24. ^ "British album certifications – Cher – Cher". British Phonographic Industry.
  25. ^ "American album certifications – Cher – Cher". Recording Industry Association of America.

External links

Cher
Authority control databases
Categories