Billy Ocean had enjoyed chart success with a pair of #2 hits prior to ‘Suddenly’ (‘Love Really Hurts Without You’, ‘Red Light Spells Danger’) but this record catapulted him to new heights. Its lead single ‘Caribbean Queen (No More Love On The Run)’ raced to #1 in the States and #6 in the UK, with the follow-ups ‘Loverboy’ and the title track also international smash hits. The album was similarly successful, leading to his first Top 10 album positions in both the UK and US, while ‘Caribbean Queen’ would later be rewarded with a Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Performance.
‘Suddenly’ feels just as fresh all these years later, its sublime mix of R&B and soul with a pop sensibility together with Billy’s irresistible voice and memorable songwriting still standing tall. His collaborators on the record include the late producer Keith Diamond, who Billy credits with giving him the confidence to realise his potential on this album, plus Mutt Lange, who would become one of his regular co-writers, and Barry Eastmond, who he still works with today.
Billy says, “It has been 40 years since we released the ‘Suddenly’ album.I’m getting goosebumps going down memory lane! I had the time of my life writing and recording this album. I still have fond memories of the excitement of recording at Unique Studios in New York. It was almost like being tested, I remember how terrible the weather was. But I was determined that nothing was going to stop me. I’ve been on quite a journey since, and I want to thank all of my fans for embracing these songs and allowing me the honour to still be performing them for you all these years later.”
‘Suddenly’ tracklist:
Side A
1. ‘Caribbean Queen (No More Love On The Run)’
2. ‘Mystery Lady’
3. ‘Syncopation’
4. ‘The Long And Winding Road’
Side B
1. ‘Loverboy’
2. ‘Lucky Man’
3. ‘Dancefloor’
4. ‘If I Should Lose You’
5. ‘Suddenly’
‘Suddenly’ is available to pre-order HERE. The ocean blue vinyl will feature the original Jive Recordings packaging and will feature a message from Billy printed on its inner sleeve. A limited run of 500 vinyl will also be available via his UK official store, which adds a 12×12” signed insert of the album artwork.
Billy Ocean’s success continued in the wake of ‘Suddenly’, achieving similarly great things with the subsequent albums ‘Love Zone’ and ‘Tear Down These Walls’, as well as further signature hits such as ‘When The Going Gets Tough, The Tough Gets Going’, ‘There’ll Be Sad Songs (To Make You Cry)’ and ‘Get Outta My Dreams, Get Into My Car’.
After some years out of the spotlight, his reputation flourished again in the 21st century with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the MOBOs, a return to the upper reaches of the charts with both the ‘Here You Are’ compilation and the ‘One World’ studio album, an Ivor Novello for International Achievement, and an MBE. His recent UK tours have included major London shows at the Royal Albert Hall and the Palladium, while his total global album sales have exceeded 30 million.
His upcoming UK shows include headline sets at all three Rewind Festivals, plus the Boogie By The Sea extravaganza in Hastings alongside Sister Sledge, Soul II Soul and Boney M. He will then embark upon a North American headline tour. Please see HERE for a list of all shows and ticket information.