Precious Time
Studio album by
Pat Benatar
ReleasedJuly 6, 1981
StudioSound City Studios and Goodnight LA Studios, Los Angeles, California
GenreHard rock
Length35:30
LabelChrysalis
ProducerKeith Olsen, Neil Giraldo
Pat Benatar chronology
Crimes of Passion
(1980) 		Precious Time
(1981) 		Get Nervous
(1982)
Singles from Precious Time
  1. "Fire and Ice"
    Released: July 6, 1981
  2. "Promises in the Dark"
    Released: September 25, 1981
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Rolling Stone[2]
Smash Hits4/10[3]

Precious Time is the third studio album by American singer Pat Benatar, released on July 6, 1981, through the Chrysalis label. The album peaked at number one on the United States' Billboard 200,[4] her only album to do so in any country, and was certified as Double Platinum in sales in the US.

Its lead single was the mid-tempo "Fire and Ice", which was a Top 20 hit on the Billboard Hot 100[5] and a number 2 hit on the Mainstream Rock chart.[6] It became her largest hit to that point in Canada peaking at number 4 on the RPM Singles Chart but only made the Top 30 in Australia and New Zealand. The song won Benatar the Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance in 1982.[7] Precious Time's second single, the rapid guitar-driven "Promises in the Dark", one of the few Benatar singles written by her and husband Neil Giraldo, was most successful in France, where it reached number 16, while reaching number 38 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 16 on the US Mainstream Rock chart.[5][6] It also made the Top 30 in Canada but did not chart in any other countries.

Peaking at number 2, Precious Time was Benatar's third straight Top 3 album in Canada, although its Double Platinum sales certification in that country was less than her first two albums. It was another major hit for Benatar in France, rising to number 3, and was the first of two number 2 albums she would attain in New Zealand. It was her first Top 10 album in Australia and Sweden (her only one there) and was her first album to reach the Top 30 in both the United Kingdom[8] and Norway. The album was remastered and reissued on Capitol Records in 2006.

Record World called the title track a "volatile rocker" and said that "the opening drama explodes with guitar fire."[9]

Track listing

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Promises in the Dark"Neil Giraldo, Pat Benatar4:48
2."Fire and Ice"Tom Kelly, Scott St. Clair Sheets, Benatar3:19
3."Just Like Me" (Paul Revere & the Raiders cover)Rick Dey, Roger Hart, Terry Melcher3:30
4."Precious Time"Billy Steinberg6:03
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
5."It's a Tuff Life"Giraldo3:17
6."Take It Any Way You Want It"Martin Briley, Giraldo2:49
7."Evil Genius"Giraldo, Benatar4:34
8."Hard to Believe"Giraldo, Myron Grombacher3:26
9."Helter Skelter" (The Beatles cover)John Lennon, Paul McCartney3:50

Personnel

Production

Charts

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[25] 2× Platinum 200,000^
France (SNEP)[26] Gold 100,000*
New Zealand (RMNZ)[27] Gold 7,500^
United States (RIAA)[28] 2× Platinum 2,000,000^

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ^ Theakston, Rob. "Pat Benatar – Precious Time review". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved July 19, 2014.
  2. ^ Fissinger, Laura (October 29, 2001). "Album Reviews: Pat Benatar – Precious Time". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on October 2, 2007. Retrieved July 19, 2014.
  3. ^ Katz, Robin (August 6–19, 1981). "Pat Benatar: Precious Time" (PDF). Smash Hits. Vol. 3, no. 15. Peterborough: EMAP National Publications, Ltd. p. 27. ISSN 0260-3004. Archived (PDF) from the original on November 11, 2022. Retrieved November 11, 2022 – via World Radio History.
  4. ^ "Pat Benatar Chart History: Billboard 200". Billboard.com. Billboard. Retrieved March 21, 2018.
  5. ^ a b "Pat Benatar Chart History: Hot 100". Billboard.com. Billboard. Retrieved March 21, 2018.
  6. ^ a b "Pat Benatar Chart History: Mainstream Rock". Billboard.com. Billboard. Retrieved March 22, 2018.
  7. ^ "Lennon, Jones lead Grammy nominees". The Milwaukee Journal. Journal Communications. January 14, 1982. Retrieved May 27, 2010.
  8. ^ "Pat Benatar Official Charts". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 19, 2014.
  9. ^ "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. October 3, 1981. p. 1. Retrieved March 1, 2023.
  10. ^ Kent 1993, pp. 32–33
  11. ^ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 0382". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved August 20, 2021.
  12. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Pat Benatar – Precious Time" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved July 20, 2014.
  13. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Pat Benatar – Precious Time" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved March 23, 2018.
  14. ^ "Charts.nz – Pat Benatar – Precious Time". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 30, 2019.
  15. ^ AA.VV. (April 25, 2006). Album Chart-Book Complete Edition 1970~2005. Tokyo: Oricon. ISBN 978-487-1-31077-2.
  16. ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Pat Benatar – Precious Time". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 20, 2014.
  17. ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Pat Benatar – Precious Time". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 20, 2014.
  18. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 20, 2021.
  19. ^ "Pat Benatar Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved August 21, 2021.
  20. ^ "Rock Albums". Billboard. Vol. 93, no. 30. August 1, 1981. p. 28. ISSN 0006-2510 – via Google Books.
  21. ^ Kent 1993, p. 437
  22. ^ "Top 100 Albums of 1981". RPM. Vol. 35, no. 22. December 26, 1981. ISSN 0315-5994 – via Library and Archives Canada.
  23. ^ "Top Selling Albums of 1981". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved August 21, 2021.
  24. ^ "Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1981". Billboard. Retrieved August 21, 2021.
  25. ^ "Canadian album certifications – Pat Benatar – Precious Time". Music Canada. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
  26. ^ "French album certifications – Pat Benatar – Precious Time" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved November 22, 2021.
  27. ^ "New Zealand album certifications – Pat Benatar – Precious Time". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
  28. ^ "American album certifications – Pat Benatar – Precious Time". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved November 19, 2019.

Bibliography

External links

Pat Benatar
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