Measure for Measure (album)

Measure for Measure
Australian cover
Studio album by
Icehouse
ReleasedApril 1986
RecordedAugust 1985
Studios
Genres
Length51:55
LabelRegular Chrysalis
Producers
Icehouse chronology
Boxes
(1985)		 Measure for Measure
(1986)		 Man of Colours
(1987)
Singles from Measure for Measure
  1. "No Promises"
    Released: 28 October 1985[1]
  2. "Baby, You're So Strange"
    Released: 10 March 1986
  3. "Mr. Big"
    Released: 16 June 1986
  4. "Cross the Border"
    Released: 20 October 1986
  5. "Paradise"
    Released: 1986 (US and UK only)
Alternative cover
US cover
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusicStarStarHalf star[2]

Measure for Measure is the fourth studio album by the Australian rock band Icehouse, released in April 1986 in Australia by Regular Records and in the United States by Chrysalis Records. It was one of the first three albums to be recorded entirely digitally.[3]

Recording

Lead vocalist Iva 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 loath to give anything away."[4]

"No Promises" and "Regular Boys" are re-recorded tracks that were originally from the soundtrack album Boxes (1985).[5]The recording of "Cross The Border" included Guy Pratt (later Pink Floyd) on bass, Steve Jansen on drums (formerly of the band Japan) and Brian Eno (of Roxy Music) on backing vocals and piano/keyboards.[6][7]

The female vocals on the album's bonus track "Into The Wild" are co-credited to P.P. Arnold who in Australia is best known for the Small Faces song "Tin Soldier".[8] An alternate techno-style version titled "Wild" appears on the 1994 Icehouse album Full Circle. Remixed and produced by Cameron Allan (who co-produced the debut Icehouse album in 1980) "Wild" is also listed in the end credits of the 1996 film Space Jam.[9]

Release and critical reception

The album, which peaked at number eight in Australia,[10] 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-inch vinyl single in October 1985, it peaked at number 30 on the Australian singles chart.[10] 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 percussionist Masaki Tanazawa.[11]

Both "No Promises" and "Cross the Border" were remixed and released as 12-inch 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.[12] "Cross the Border" did not see as much club play in the US, but was a Top 20 rock hit there.[12] In Australia, the two further singles lifted from the album, "Baby, You're So Strange" and "Mr. Big", both reached the top 20,[10] 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 (Regular Records) and international (Chrysalis Records) releases each feature different artwork and track running order while the 2002 Australian remastered version features bonus tracks. The front cover artwork for the international version was by Norman Moore.[13]

Track listing

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

Australian release
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Paradise"Iva Davies4:47
2."No Promises" 4:40
3."Mr Big" 3:33
4."Angel Street" 4:46
5."The Flame"Davies5:11
6."Regular Boys" 3:30
7."Cross the Border" 4:25
8."Spanish Gold"Davies4:17
9."Lucky Me" aka "American Way" 4:38
10."Baby, You're So Strange" 3:59
1993 reissue bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
11."Too Late Now"Davies3:11
12."Into the Wild" 4:53
2002 & 2012 remastered reissue bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
13."Just a Word" 4:26
14."The Perfect Crime"
3:38
15."The Flame" (live)Davies5:26
16."No Promises" 5:25
17."Sister" (live)
  • Davies
  • Michael Hoste
3:48
American release
No.TitleLength
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:[6][7]

Icehouse

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
  • Norman Moore - Artwork (international album cover)[13]

Charts

Certifications

Certifications for Measure for Measure
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
New Zealand (RMNZ)[20] Gold 7,500^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ↑ "Singles: New Releases". Kent Music Report. No. 590. 28 October 1985 – via Imgur.
  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. ↑ Murphy, Graeme (10 July 2026). "BOXES « Heritage Collection". Graeme Murphy: The Heritage Collection. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
  6. 1 2 "Measure for Measure (bonus tracks) credits". Discogs. AllMusic. 11 July 2026. Retrieved 11 July 2026.
  7. 1 2 Holmgren, Magnus. "The Flowers / Icehouse". Australian Rock Database. Passagen.se (Magnus Holmgren). Archived from the original on 29 September 2013. Retrieved 21 March 2014.
  8. ↑ Icehouse - Measure For Measure, 17 May 2026, retrieved 10 July 2026
  9. ↑ www.imdb.com https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0117705/soundtrack/. Retrieved 10 July 2026. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  10. 1 2 3 4 Kent 1993, p. 147.
  11. ↑ McFarlane, Ian (1999). Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop (doc). Allen & Unwin. ISBN 1-86448-768-2. Retrieved 11 June 2008.
  12. 1 2 "Billboard Music Charts – Search Results – Icehouse". Billboard. Retrieved 3 July 2008.
  13. 1 2 "A LOT OF RECORD COVERS DESIGNED BY NORMAN MOORE". www.designartla.com. Retrieved 25 August 2026.
  14. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Icehouse – Measure for Measure" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 5 February 2022.
  15. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Icehouse – Measure for Measure" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 5 February 2022.
  16. ↑ "Charts.nz – Icehouse – Measure for Measure". Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 December 2021.
  17. ↑ "Icehouse Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 5 February 2022.
  18. ↑ Kent 1993, p. 438.
  19. ↑ "Top Selling Albums of 1986". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 5 February 2022.
  20. ↑ "New Zealand album certifications – Icehouse – Measure for Measure". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 20 November 2024.

Bibliography

  • Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
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