BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1986
“No One Is to Blame” is a song by British musician Howard Jones. The song, in its original version, can be found on his second studio album, Dream into Action, which was released in 1985. Following the success of the previous singles taken from the album, the original track for “No One Is to Blame” was re-recorded to give the song a more radio-friendly sound. Phil Collins and Hugh Padgham produced the re-recording, with Collins adding his own backing vocals and drum work. This new version of the song was included on the 1986 US EP Action Replay as well as the CD version of Jones’s 1986 studio album, One to One.
“No One Is to Blame” was released as a single in March 1986 and became Jones’s biggest hit in the United States, peaking at #4 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song also became the first of his two #1 songs on the U.S. adult contemporary chart (“Everlasting Love” would top this chart in 1989). The song was also a top 10 hit in Australia and a #16 hit in the U.K..
The song is about unfulfilled attractions, saying that they’re normal and commonplace (“We want everyone – no one ever is to blame”). It uses a number of metaphors, such as “You can look at the menu, but you just can’t eat” and “It’s the last piece of the puzzle, but you just can’t make it fit,” to describe the frustration of experiencing attraction but being unable to act on it, for whatever reason. On a deeper level it describes the frustration and pain of unfulfilled desires and dreams inherent in the human condition.
“The Long Mix” is significantly shorter than the single; it is actually not a remix, but an entirely different piano and vocal-only version of the song recorded in session for the BBC Radio 1 Janice Long show.
SIDE A:
No One Is To Blame (Extended Mix) 5:14
Backing Vocals – Afrodiziak
Bass – Mo Foster
Drums, Vocals – Phil Collins
Engineer – Hugh Padgham
Engineer [Assistant] – Paul Gomershal*, Steve Chase*
Guitar – Phil Palmer
Keyboards, Vocals – Howard Jones
Mixed By – Steve Nye
Music By, Lyrics By – Howard Jones
Producer – Hugh Padgham, Phil Collins
SIDE B:
The Chase 2:54
Mixed By – Mike Roarty
Music By – Howard Jones
Producer – Howard Jones
No One Is To Blame (The Long Mix) 3:09
Music By, Lyrics By – Howard Jones
Producer – Barry Andrews
VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint
U.S. CHART HISTORY:
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | No One Is To Blame | U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | #1 |
| 1986 | No One Is To Blame | U.S. Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks | #20 |
| 1986 | No One Is To Blame | U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary | #4 |
RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: WEA Records Ltd. – HOW 9T
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM, Single
Country: UK
Released: 15 Mar 1986
Genre: Electronic, Rock
Style: Pop Rock, Synth-pop
CREDITS:
Artwork [Hand Colouring] – Tansy Spinks
Design [Sleeve] – Stylo Rouge*
Photography By – Trevor Rogers (2)
NOTES:
Track A: Recorded at The Farm, Surrey, England.
Track B2 produced for Radio 1 Janice Long Show. Released by arrangement with BBC Enterprises Ltd ℗ BBC Enterprises Ltd.
Find the 12″ on DISCOGS
EQUIPMENT USED:
Turntable: Pro-Ject Debut Carbon (DC)
Cartridge: Ortofon 2M
Stylus: Ortofon 2M Bronze
Isolation: Auralex Acoustics ISO-Tone Turntable Isolation Platform
Platter: Pro-Ject Acryl-It platter
Stabilizer: Pro-Ject Record Puck
Phono Pre-amp: Bellari VP130 Tube Phono Preamp
Tube: Tung-Sol 12AX7ECC803-S Gold Electron Tube
Soundcard: ESI Juli@
Record Cleaning: VPI HW 16.5 Record Cleaning Machine
Artwork Scans: Brother MFC-6490CW Professional Series Scanner
SOFTWARE USED:
Recording/Editing: Adobe Audition 3.0 (Recording)
Down Sampling: iZotope RX Advanced 2
Artwork Editor: Adobe Photoshop CS5
Click Removal: Manual
FLAC/MP3 Conversion: dBpoweramp
M3U Playlist: Playlist Creator
RESTORATION NOTES:
All vinyl rips are recorded @ 32bit/float
FLAC (Level Eight)
MP3 (320kbps)
Artwork scanned at 600dpi
