99 Luftballons (album)
| 99 Luftballons | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | |||||||
| Compilation album by Nena | |||||||
| Released | 8 April 1984 | ||||||
| Recorded | 1983-1984 at Spliff Studio, Berlin | ||||||
| Genre | Neue Deutsche Welle | ||||||
| Length | 40:55 | ||||||
| Language | English, German | ||||||
| Label | Epic | ||||||
| Producer | Reinhold Heil, Manfred Praeker | ||||||
| Nena chronology | |||||||
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| Singles from 99 Luftballons | |||||||
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| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [1] |
99 Luftballons (German: "99 Balloons") is a compilation album by German pop band Nena, released in 1984. It was their first album released worldwide following the success of "99 Luftballons"[2][3] and also the first with English lyrics. The album had moderate success in America.[3]
Alternate versions
The most widely known cover of this album is identical to the one used for most versions of the single "99 Luftballons" or "99 Red Balloons".[4] The album was also released as Nena or International Album; this version used the same cover, but with "99 Luftballons" removed, and sometimes with additional sticker at upper left that says "International Album incl. Club-Mix ›99 Red Balloons‹".[5] The Japanese version was released as 99 Luftballons: First America. The alternate cover features the band pictured on a white background,[6] which photo in various releases is the same or similar to the one on the single "Rette mich".[7]
Songs
The album is composed of tracks released on the band's two previous albums, Nena (1983) and ? (Fragezeichen) (1984), five of which are English-translated versions. "99 Red Balloons" ("99 Luftballons"), "Just a Dream" ("Nur geträumt"), "Kino", "Leuchtturm" and "99 Luftballons" were taken from Nena (1983), while "? (Question Mark)" ("? (Fragezeichen)"), "Hangin' on You" ("Ich häng' an dir"), "Let Me Be Your Pirate" ("Lass mich dein Pirat sein"), "Das Land der Elefanten", "Rette mich" and "Unerkannt durch's Märchenland" were taken from ? (Fragezeichen) (1984).
The lead single, "99 Luftballons", is the band's or even Nena's most successful song to date. It reached number one in several countries worldwide,[2] but is considered a one-hit wonder[8] as other singles and albums performed poorly outside of Europe. "Just a Dream" reached number 70 on the UK Singles Chart. "Kino" was initially released on the album in German, but was translated into English titled as "Kino (At the Movies)". Like its predecessor, "? (Question Mark)", the single failed to chart.[2][3] The song was later included as a bonus track on a re-release of the band's second English album It's All in the Game (1985).[9]
Track listing
Side A contains tracks 1 to 5 and side B contains tracks 6 to 11.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | German title | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "99 Red Balloons" | Kevin McAlea (English), Jörn-Uwe Fahrenkrog-Petersen, Carlo Karges | "99 Luftballons" | 3:50 |
| 2. | "? (Question Mark)" | Roy Brown (English), Fahrenkrog, Nena Kerner | "? (Fragezeichen)" | 4:26 |
| 3. | "Hangin' on You" | Brown (English), Fahrenkrog, Kerner | "Ich häng' an dir" | 4:13 |
| 4. | "Just a Dream" | Julian Dawson (English), Fahrenkrog, Kerner, Rolf Brendel | "Nur geträumt" | 3:30 |
| 5. | "Let Me Be Your Pirate" | Brown (English), Kerner, Brendel | "Lass mich dein Pirat sein" | 4:51 |
| 6. | "Kino" (At the Movies) | Brendel | 2:42 | |
| 7. | "Das Land der Elefanten" (The Land of the Elephants) | Fahrenkrog, Karges | 3:42 | |
| 8. | "Leuchtturm" (Lighthouse) | Fahrenkrog, Kerner | 3:14 | |
| 9. | "Rette mich" (Rescue Me) | Karges | 3:17 | |
| 10. | "Unerkannt durch's Märchenland" (Unrecognized Through Fairyland) | Jürgen Dehmel, Kerner | 3:21 | |
| 11. | "99 Luftballons" (99 Balloons) | Fahrenkrog, Karges | 3:50 | |
Total length: |
40:55 | |||
| Japan version | ||
|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Length |
| 1. | "99 Red Balloons" (Club Mix) | 4:43 |
Notes
- Some releases erroneously printed "Das Land der Elefanten" as "Das Lang der Elefanten" and "Unerkannt durch's Märchenland" as "Unerkannt durch's Marchenland"[10]
- The spelling of "durch's" instead of "durchs" in title that should be "Unerkannt durchs Märchenland" is an obvious error, too
- The track list of the Spanish version is translated into Spanish
- The track list of the Japanese version is partially written in katakana
Personnel
Credits adapted from Allmusic[11] and Discogs.[6]
Nena
- Nena Kerner – main vocals, arrangement
- Jörn-Uwe Fahrenkrog-Petersen – main vocals (on "Das Land der Elefanten"), backup vocals (on "? (Question Mark)" and "Kino"), keyboard
- Carlo Karges – guitar, backup vocals (on "Kino")
- Jürgen Dehmel – bass
- Rolf Brendel – drums, percussion
Technical personnel
- David Sanborn – saxophone (on "? (Question Mark)")
- Manfred "Manne" Praeker – production
- Reinhold Heil – production
- After Hours Studio - cover design
- Jim Rakete - photography
Charts
| Chart (1984) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| German Albums Chart[12] | 23 |
| Norwegian Albums Chart[13] | 16 |
| Swedish Albums Chart[14] | 2 |
| UK Albums Chart[15] | 31 |
| US Billboard 200[3] | 27 |
Certifications
| Country (Provider) | Certification |
|---|---|
| Canada (MC)[16] | Gold |
Release history
| Region (Alternate release title) | Year | Label | Format | Catalog |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Japan (First America) | 1983 | Epic International | CD | 35•8P-42 |
| 1984 | Epic/Sony | LP | 25•3P-501 | |
| United States | Epic | FE 39294 | ||
| BFE 39294 | ||||
| cassette | BET 39294 | |||
| FET 39294 | ||||
| United Kingdom | EPC 402592 5 | |||
| India | LP | EPIC 10106 | ||
| Portugal | EPC25925 | |||
| Europe (Nena: International Album) | ||||
| New Zealand | ELPS 4425 | |||
| Venezuela | EPIC 270 | |||
| Canada | FE 39294 | |||
| Brazil | CBS | 144.818 | ||
| Spain (99 Red Balloons) | S 25925 | |||
| South Africa (99 Red Balloons) | ASF 2966 | |||
| United States | 1990 | Epic | CD | EK 39294 |
| Japan (First America) | 2009 | Sony Music Entertainment Japan | SICP 2279 |
References
- ↑ Hinds, Andy. "Review of 99 Luftballons by Nena". Allmusic. Retrieved July 1, 2013.
- 1 2 3 "Chart positions for "99 Luftballons" by Nena". SwissCharts.com, Hung Medien. Retrieved July 1, 2013.
- 1 2 3 4 "Awards received by Nena". Allmusic. Retrieved July 1, 2013.
- ↑ "99 Luftballons (single) by Nena". Discogs. Retrieved October 4, 2014.
- ↑ "Nena by Nena (LP, Epic EPC 25925, made in the Netherlands)". Discogs. Retrieved October 4, 2014.
- 1 2 "99 Luftballons by Nena". Discogs. Retrieved July 1, 2013.
- ↑ "Rette mich (single) by Nena". Discogs. Retrieved October 4, 2014.
- ↑ "List of one-hit wonders by VH1". Afrokayo.web.fc2.com. Retrieved July 1, 2013.
- ↑ "It's All in the Game by Nena". Amazon.com. Retrieved July 1, 2013.
- ↑ "99 Luftballons by Nena (US)". Discogs. Retrieved July 1, 2013.
- ↑ "Credits for 99 Luftballons by Nena". Allmusic. Retrieved July 1, 2013.
- ↑ "Chart positions for Nena by Nena". Media Control (in German). Charts.de / media-control.de. Retrieved June 28, 2013.
- ↑ "Chart history of Nena". NorwegianCharts.com, Hung Medien. Retrieved June 28, 2013.
- ↑ "Chart history of Nena". SwedishCharts.com, Hung Medien. Retrieved June 28, 2013.
- ↑ Select "Albums" tab:*"Nena – Official Charts Company". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 1, 2013.
- ↑ "Canadian certifications – Nena". Music Canada. Retrieved July 1, 2013.
External links
- International Album / 99 Luftballons at the official Nena website, with complete lyrics and samples for music.
- Lyrics from this album at LyricWiki