Strawberry Switchblade is the only studio album released by the Scottish new wave duo Strawberry Switchblade.

Release The album did not live up to the high chart expectations created by the #5 (UK) single "Since Yesterday". It entered and peaked at #25 on the UK Album Chart in April 1985, but dropped out of the top 40 after two weeks and spent just two further weeks at the lower reaches of the chart.

The album was promoted by two additional singles: the first, "Let Her Go", peaked at #59 on the UK Singles Chart in April during a five week chart run and the final single, "Who Knows What Love Is?", reached #84 in May.

"Since Yesterday" also charted in Ireland and the Netherlands where it reached #6 and #24 respectively.

"Let Her Go" was considered a "sure hit" by the pan-European magazine Eurotipsheet and gained enough airplay to reach number 45 on the European Airplay Top 50 chart. Despite this, it did not became a major hit and did not chart on sales charts outside the United Kingdom.

The original Strawberry Switchblade LP has not been re-released in the UK (or in Europe) since 1985, though all of its tracks (apart from the short instrumental reprise of "Who Knows What Love Is?") appeared on the group's Platinum Collection compilation. In Japan, where the group were extremely popular, it was issued on CD for the first time in 1989, and released again there on CD in 1997 in a 20-track expanded version, including B-sides, remixes and non-album singles.

Critical reception The album received mixed reviews. Smash Hits reviewer Chris Heath found that "Every song here has an irresistibly catchy tune", especially pointing out "the sad 'Who Knows What Love Is?'" as "quite lovely".

No. 1 magazine was similarly positive, saying "there's talent beneath the Alice's Tea Party costumes. Singer Rose McDowall and guitarist Jill Bryson have put faith in their ability to write engaging, sometimes haunting pop songs."

In contrast, Betty Page wrote in Record Mirror "this is desperately lightweight and quite relentlessly tedious"

Melody Maker's Ted Mico was also dismissive: "Though their combined efforts are as frail and pasty as puff pastry, the Strawberries accentuate their vulnerability by juxtaposing flouncy, celestial harmonies swaythed in strumming semi-acoustics with the merciless sten-gun drum attack".

Danny Kelly of New Musical Express was similarly disparaging, describing the band as "the Cocteaus' trance dance stance in a less imposing frame. A confection of candyfloss and icing sugar. But great pop music? Even good pop music? I’m afraid not."

Track listing All songs written by Jill Bryson and Rose McDowall, except where noted.

Original release

Expanded edition bonus tracks

B-sides TitleSingle"Beautiful End""Let Her Go""Black Taxi""Jolene""By the Sea""Since Yesterday""Ecstasy (Apple of My Eye)""Ecstasy (Apple of My Eye)" (1985 Japan standalone single)"I Can Feel""I Can Feel" (1986 Japan standalone single)"Jolene""Jolene" (1985 standalone single)"Michael Who Walks by Night""Let Her Go" (12" single)"Poor Hearts""Who Knows What Love Is?""Sunday Morning""Since Yesterday" (12" single)"Trees and Flowers""Trees and Flowers" (1983 standalone U.K. single)

Personnel Strawberry Switchblade Jill Bryson – vocals, harmonies, lead guitar Rose McDowall – lead vocals, harmonies, guitars with: Gary Hutchins – sequences, keyboards Alan Park – keyboards Bruce Nockles – trumpet Dave Morris – percussion David Motion – keyboards, drum machine Phil Thornalley – keyboards Boris Williams – "tippy tappy" drums David Bedford – string and woodwind arrangements Andrew Poppy – horn arrangements on "10 James Orr Street" Technical David Motion – production, arrangements, engineering Phil Thornalley – production, engineering on "Let Her Go" and "Who Knows What Love Is?" Trig – engineering Peter McArthur – photography Chris Branfield – design "Thanks to David Balfe and Bill Drummond"

Charts + Chart performance for Strawberry Switchblade Chart (1985) Peakposition European Top 100 Albums (Music & Media) 82

Release history Country Date Label Format CatalogNotesRef. United Kingdom April 1985 Korova / WEA Vinyl KODE 11 / 240525-1 Korova / WEA Cassette 240525-4 Japan25 April 1985KorovaVinylP-13120KorovaCassettePKG-3115 10 July 1989 Korova / WEA CD 18P2-2856 25 May 1997 Korova / WEA Japan CD WPCR-1093 Expanded edition22 November 2006Korova / WEACDWPCR-75254Expanded edition; Repress24 July 2013KorovaCDWPCR-78061Expanded edition; RepressUnited Kingdom20 June 2017Domino MusicDigital DownloadREWIG124DExpanded edition

The 12" Album

The 12" Album was a remix album released in Japan in November 1985. The album contains 5 extended mixes, one standalone single and one B-side.

Despite the name of the album, only two of the remixes had previously appeared on 12" singles, these being the mixes of "Let Her Go" (from the 12" release of "Who Knows What Love Is?") and "Jolene" (from that single's 12" release). The other three mixes were specially done for this remix album and were not released in the United Kingdom.

The extended mix of "Since Yesterday" later appeared as the B-side of the Strawberry Switchblade's final single "I Can Feel" in 1986.

Release history Country Date Label Format CatalogJapan 28 November 1985 Korova / WEA LP P-6219 Cassette PKF1034Canada2000Communique RecordsCDCDCOMM-5

References