Kissing to Be Clever

Kissing to Be Clever

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Against the cynical, post-punk backdrop of the early Thatcher and Reagan era, Culture Club's debut release Kissing to Be Clever was as refreshing as a scoop of gelato in a heatwave. These were the innocent days when Boy George could still declare he'd rather "have a cup of tea than sex," well before he hurtled to the brink of near self-destruction. Several of the cuts are still amazingly fresh and easily convey the winning charisma that transformed Boy George and his band into a pop icon. Songs like "I'll Tumble 4 Ya" and "Boy-Boy-I'm the Boy" seem tailor-made for the frontman's smooth-sliding tenor, while Mikey Craig's bass grooves pump with dance-'til-you-drop hi NRG. Although relatively brief (the original LP had one more cut than the CD release), the album stylistically hops like a Mexican jumping bean from disco funk to rhumba to reggae and contains obvious filler material. But the gender-bender flair perfected by Boy George announced a unique style that helped define the decade. --Thomas May

Tracks:

White Boy (Dance Mix)
You Know I'm Not Crazy
I'll Tumble For Ya
Take Control
Love Twist
Boy Boy (I'm The Boy)
I'm Afraid Of Me (Remix)
White Boys Can't Control It
Do You Really Want To Hurt Me
Love Is Cold
Murder Rap Trap
Time (Clock Of The Heart)
Romance Beyond The Alaphabet

Amazon.com

Against the cynical, post-punk backdrop of the early Thatcher and Reagan era, Culture Club's debut release Kissing to Be Clever was as refreshing as a scoop of gelato in a heatwave. These were the innocent days when Boy George could still declare he'd rather "have a cup of tea than sex," well before he hurtled to the brink of near self-destruction. Several of the cuts are still amazingly fresh and easily convey the winning charisma that transformed Boy George and his band into a pop icon. Songs like "I'll tumble 4 ya" and "Boy-Boy-I'm the Boy" seem tailor-made for the frontman's smooth-sliding tenor, while Mikey Craig's bass grooves pump with dance-til-you-drop Hi NRG. Although relatively brief (the original LP had one more cut than the CD release), the album stylistically hops like a Mexican jumping bean from disco funk to rhumba to reggae and contains obvious filler material. But the gender-bender flair perfected by Boy George announced a unique style that helped define the decade. --Thomas May

Album Description

2003 remastered reissue of 1982 album features 13 tracks including four bonus tracks, 'Love Is Cold', 'Murder Rat Trap' (Feat. Captain Crucial), 'Time (Clock Of The Heart)', & 'Romance Beyond The Alphabet', as well as the hit single 'Do You Really Want To Hurt Me'. Virgin.

Album Details

Digitally Remastered Edition of the Glam 4's Debut Album that Introduced the World to the First Cross Dressing Postpunk that Made Gender Bending an Art. Includes the Hits "do You Really Want to Hurt Me", "i'll Tumble Four Ya" and "Time (Clock of the Heart). The Bonus Tracks Are B-sides from the Singles Issued in Conjunction with the Album.

Customer Reviews:

Some songs are really great .......2005-12-21

This album is one of my favourites.I think that Kissing To Be Clever is the best album by Culture Club.I got it from my grandma to my name day and I was surprised.
Do You Really Want To Hurt Me is my favourite song at this album.I think that this song is very good.It is melodical and peaceful.Murder Rap Trap feat.Captain Crucial is my second favourite song.The song sounds funny with voice of Captain Crucial.
Love Is Cold and Love Twist are also my favourite songs,because they are melodical and quite fast.The other songs are good too.You must own this album,if you're an old Culture Club fan.

A nearly perfect debut, sexy blue-eyed soul circa 1982!.......2005-07-16

Don't bother with the other reviewers who dismissed CC's brilliant debut album - along with COLOUR BY NUMBERS, it's their strongest, sexiest, and just plain addictive album ever! The writing, the production, the vocals, the groove, the design - they all really take me back to my early teen years circa 1982, a simpler, happier time when CC were charting a bold new world in pop music & beyond - once you hear WHITE BOY, I'M AFRAID OF ME, DO YOU REALLY?, TIME, and many more, you won't be able to get them out of you head...and trust me, they really get a party started right! BOY himself sounds naive, in love, and confident all at once - and who can forget the delicious shock of seeing him dominate early MTV with a string of cool videos that launched them around the globe? BONUS tracks here are a nice addition - hard to believe the first CD issue of this LP never even included TIME?! *I think it was recorded later as a stop/gap single, which explains its late inclusion. No matter, KISSING TO BE CLEVER is a bargain with stunning REMASTERED sound and BONUS cuts you won't find anywhere else - a must-have addition to any true CC fan's collection!

a spotty debut.......2005-05-21

As a Culture Club fan from the very begining, it pains me to admit this album has not aged well at all. The singles are great, of course. "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me" is one of the greatest singles of all time, an undeniable classic, as is "Time ( Clock of the Heart)". There might be one or two more songs here that hold up to repeated listening, but that's about it. The remainder are either underdeveloped or just plain bad. So: You've got your three hit singles ( the third being "I'll Tumble 4 Ya", which is only SLIGHTLY less annoying than "Karma Chameleon")all available on any greatest hits collection. You've got "White Boys Can't Control It" which is kinda cool, with its Spaghetti Western guitar riffs, horns and harmonica. And you've got your lurid purple album cover. That just about sums up Kissing to Be Clever.

Culture Club's '82 debut,remastered with bonus tracks.......2005-04-14

Here,on Culture Club's 1982 debut originally released on the Epic label,is a remastering with a few bonus tracks which did not appear on the original ten-track line-up(at least in America). George Alan O'Dowd aka Boy George delivers his great vocals on the hits DO YOU REALLY WANT TO HURT ME?,I'LL TUMBLE 4 YA(probably inspired by Prince who uses homonym numbers and single letters in place of words) and TIME(CLOCK OF THE HEART). Years later,Virgin bought the rights to Culture Club's Epic releases. The band's follow-up,COLOUR BY NUMBERS,released in the fall of 1983,was a megahit compared to this album.

"Give Me Time to Realize My Crime.".......2005-01-29

Employing a diverse mix of musical influences, Culture Club had a unique vision and style that probably wouldn't have been welcomed, or even appreciated, today. In late 1982, the quartet released their debut "Kissing to be Clever," which was originally released on Epic in the United States, and it spawned their first three top ten singles. The band's music was a distinguished blend of old school reggae, 70's soul, and new wave pop set to the gusty voice of singer Boy George, who sounds like a trans-Atlantic Smokey Robinson. A somewhat underrated singer, George's voice often bled with bruised emotion, particularly on the kickoff single "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me?" But other noteworthy tracks include the disco-flavored "Take Control," the calypso bite of "You Know I'm Not Crazy" and the reggae lilt of "Love Control." Credit also must be given to the skilled players (drummer Jon Moss--George's boyfriend at the time, bass player Mikey Craig, and guitarist Roy Hay) whose instrumentation helps make this album such a welcome feast to the ears. "Kissing to Be Clever" has been re-released and digitally remastered, with 4 additional tracks which include the single "Time (Clock of the Heart)," which was not included in the prior Virgin edition. Without the distraction of George's gender bending attire, the music of Culture Club is strong enough to hold up on its own, and this fine debut of an album proves that.

Average customer rating:

Rip-off alert !
Skip this version, & get the REMASTERED version!
Good News for "original cassette owners" of this album!!!
Time (Clock of the Heart) is only found on...
Where's the TIME?!

Kissing to Be Clever
Culture Club
Manufacturer: Virgin Records Us
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Colour by Numbers

ASIN: B000007NZ7
Release Date: 1992-06-29

Tracks:

White Boy (Dance Mix)
You Know I'm Not Crazy
I'll Tumble 4 Ya
Take Control
Love Twist
Boy-Boy-I'm The Boy
I'm Afraid Of Me (Remix)
White Boys Can't Control It
Do You Really Want To Hurt Me

Amazon.com

Against the cynical, post-punk backdrop of the early Thatcher and Reagan era, Culture Club's debut release Kissing to Be Clever was as refreshing as a scoop of gelato in a heatwave. These were the innocent days when Boy George could still declare he'd rather "have a cup of tea than sex," well before he hurtled to the brink of near self-destruction. Several of the cuts are still amazingly fresh and easily convey the winning charisma that transformed Boy George and his band into a pop icon. Songs like "I'll Tumble 4 Ya" and "Boy-Boy-I'm the Boy" seem tailor-made for the frontman's smooth-sliding tenor, while Mikey Craig's bass grooves pump with dance-'til-you-drop hi NRG. Although relatively brief (the original LP had one more cut than the CD release), the album stylistically hops like a Mexican jumping bean from disco funk to rhumba to reggae and contains obvious filler material. But the gender-bender flair perfected by Boy George announced a unique style that helped define the decade. --Thomas May

Customer Reviews:

Rip-off alert !.......2004-08-25

I won't even bother making a detailed review of this release, for the very simple reason that this is a RIP-OFF. As a matter of fact, this edition of Culture Club's debut shamelessly misses the band's best song ever, "Time (Clock of the heart)". The song was a top ten single in many countries and is one of the band's signature songs, and it WAS on "Kissing to be clever" when it was released in the early 80's. For this reason alone (and also because of the puzzling colour reworking of the cover), you should avoid this release AT ALL COSTS and select the remastered edition. This isn't the real deal.

Skip this version, & get the REMASTERED version!.......2004-01-29

Just FYI- I would recomend skipping this version of the CD, and instead getting the REMASTERED version that was released in 2003 and includes bonus tracks!

Good News for "original cassette owners" of this album!!!.......2003-08-08

Notice anything odd about the track listing above for this album? Right!! It's missing at least a third of the tracks from the original cassette track listing!!! Well worry no more people. I've just found out that all of these tracks are available on a 2 cd collection called Culture Club; Original Gold. The first disc is Kissing to be Clever, with the above track listing. The second disc titled 12" mixes plus, has Do You Really Want To Hurt Me (Dub version feat. Pappa Weasel), and Time (Clock of the Heart) Instrumental. HOWEVER, once again missing in action is the vocal version of Time. Why? I don't know. But nearly everything is here, plus a handful of remixes and b-sides, circa Colour By Numbers era. Well I hope this has put a smile on someones face, as it has mine. Enjoy.

Time (Clock of the Heart) is only found on..........2003-07-18

Time (Clock of the Heart) is only found on the disc with the PURPLE cover not this one (Black & White cover). Happy Hunting.

Where's the TIME?!.......2003-05-06

I agree with 'wdallan's comments about the CD missing TIME! What was the record company thinking?! Wasn't TIME a hit or am I just losing it...

Average customer rating:

Kissing to Be Clever
Culture Club
Manufacturer: Atlantic / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00008EQ6W
Release Date: 1990-07-17

Tracks:

White Boy [Dance Mix]
You Know I'm Not Crazy
I'll Tumble 4 Ya
Take Control
Love Twist
Boy Boy (I'm the Boy)
I'm Afraid of Me [Remix]
White Boys Can't Control It
Do You Really Want to Hurt Me

Average customer rating:

Rip-off alert !
Skip this version, & get the REMASTERED version!
Good News for "original cassette owners" of this album!!!
Time (Clock of the Heart) is only found on...
Where's the TIME?!

Kissing to Be Clever
Culture Club
Manufacturer: Indent Series
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

New Wave | New Wave & Post-Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Pop | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

Blue-Eyed Soul | Soul | R&B | Styles | Music

General | Soul | R&B | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

General | Dance Pop | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music
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Colour by Numbers

ASIN: B000006MKR
Release Date: 1996-07-23

Tracks:

White Boy [Dance Mix]
You Know I'm Not Crazy
I'll Tumble 4 Ya
Take Control
Love Twist
Boy Boy (I'm the Boy)
I'm Afraid of Me [Remix]
White Boys Can't Control It
Do You Really Want to Hurt Me

Amazon.com

Against the cynical, post-punk backdrop of the early Thatcher and Reagan era, Culture Club's debut release Kissing to Be Clever was as refreshing as a scoop of gelato in a heatwave. These were the innocent days when Boy George could still declare he'd rather "have a cup of tea than sex," well before he hurtled to the brink of near self-destruction. Several of the cuts are still amazingly fresh and easily convey the winning charisma that transformed Boy George and his band into a pop icon. Songs like "I'll Tumble 4 Ya" and "Boy-Boy-I'm the Boy" seem tailor-made for the frontman's smooth-sliding tenor, while Mikey Craig's bass grooves pump with dance-'til-you-drop hi NRG. Although relatively brief (the original LP had one more cut than the CD release), the album stylistically hops like a Mexican jumping bean from disco funk to rhumba to reggae and contains obvious filler material. But the gender-bender flair perfected by Boy George announced a unique style that helped define the decade. --Thomas May

Customer Reviews:

Rip-off alert !.......2004-08-25

Skip this version, & get the REMASTERED version!.......2004-01-29

Just FYI- I would recomend skipping this version of the CD, and instead getting the REMASTERED version that was released in 2003 and includes bonus tracks!

Good News for "original cassette owners" of this album!!!.......2003-08-08

Time (Clock of the Heart) is only found on..........2003-07-18

Time (Clock of the Heart) is only found on the disc with the PURPLE cover not this one (Black & White cover). Happy Hunting.

Where's the TIME?!.......2003-05-06

I agree with 'wdallan's comments about the CD missing TIME! What was the record company thinking?! Wasn't TIME a hit or am I just losing it...

Average customer rating:

Kissing to Be Clever
Culture Club
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

New Wave | New Wave & Post-Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Dance Pop | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B0000562TB

Average customer rating:

Kissing to Be Clever
Culture Club
Manufacturer: Cbs/Epic/Wtg Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD
ASIN: B00000DRZK
Release Date: 1990-02-08

Average customer rating:

Kissing to Be Clever
Culture Club
Manufacturer: Musicrama/Koch
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD
ASIN: B0000DEMLX
Release Date: 1999-10-25

Average customer rating:

First kiss

Kissing to Be Clever

ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0009OAV2Y
Release Date: 2005-08-09

Album Description

Japanese pressing. EMI. 2005.

Customer Reviews:

First kiss.......2006-06-08

I actually have the Canadian LP, but the tracks on different CDs. "Time" was done after the original release, but added where it was yet to be released. "White Boy" and "I'm Afraid of Me" were early but not big-selling singles, proving there's no such thing as overnight success. Most editions have the colour photo of Boy. Released by Virgin, in the U.S. until 1987 by Epic/CBS and Canada by PolyGram.

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