Barney Bentall and the Legendary Hearts is the eponymous debut album by the Canadian band Barney Bentall and the Legendary Hearts. It became a platinum record in Canada.[1] The album was recorded at Mushroom Studios in Vancouver, British Columbia between December 1987 and March 1988, and was published by Epic Records and CBS Records in 1988.[2] The song "Something to Live For" became a number one hit in Canada, the band's first top-ten single.[1][3] Two other songs, "House of Love (is Haunted)" and "Come Back to Me", also charted in Canada, and the band became a "pop radio fixture" in Canada.[4]
Gary Fraser, a friend of Barney Bentall, wrote all the album's lyrics.[5] He began writing lyrics for Bentall in 1978, when he sent Bentall poems.[6] Bentall and Fraser prepared a demo tape, produced by Bob Rock.[7] The band hired film students to record a music video for "Something to Live For", which drew the attention of managers at MuchMusic, who broadcast the video frequently.[1] The video was described by media critic Peter Goddard of the Toronto Star as "simplicity itself".[8]
The success of the album resulted in the band receiving the 1989 Juno Award for Most Promising Group of the Year.[9][7] The band was considered a favourite to win the award against other nominees 54-40, The Jitters, The Northern Pikes, and The Pursuit of Happiness.[10] They were also nominated for Canadian Entertainer of the Year, which was ultimately awarded to Glass Tiger.[9][11]
The band signed a recording contract with CBS Records and signed a management contract with Bernie Finklestein.[7] Finklestein would include a quotation of lyrics from "Something to Live for" in his 2012 autobiography True North.[12]
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All lyrics are written by Gary Fraser; all music is composed by Barney Bentall.
No. | Title | Length |
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1. | "Something to Live for" | 4:38 |
2. | "House of Love (Is Haunted)" | 3:31 |
3. | "Jelly Roll" (composed by Barney Bentall, Barry Muir and Colin Nairne) | 4:08 |
4. | "She's My Inspiration" | 4:21 |
5. | "Black Clouds" | 7:04 |
6. | "Come Back to Me" | 3:44 |
7. | "I Want Her" | 5:04 |
8. | "Pale Blue Eyes" | 4:31 |
9. | "Carry on" | 4:25 |
10. | "Somewhere There's an Angel" | 4:02 |
11. | "Josephine" (composed by Barney Bentall, Barry Muir and Colin Nairne) | 4:49 |
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