''Signs of Life'' is the fourth studio album by American musician

Billy Squier William Haislip Squier (, born May 12, 1950) is an American musician, singer, and songwriter who had a string of arena rock and crossover hits in the early 1980s. His best-known songs include " The Stroke", " Lonely Is the Night", " My Kinda Love ...

. It was co-produced by

Meat Loaf Michael Lee Aday (born Marvin Lee Aday; September 27, 1947 – January 20, 2022), known professionally by his stage name Meat Loaf, was an American singer and actor. He was known for his powerful, wide-ranging voice and theatrical live shows. ...

's songwriter

Jim Steinman James Richard Steinman (November 1, 1947 – April 19, 2021) was an American composer, lyricist and record producer. He also worked as an arranger, pianist, and singer. His work included songs in the adult contemporary, rock, dance, pop, mus ...

, replacing

Reinhold Mack Reinhold Mack (also known as Mack, born 25 August 1949) is a German record producer and engineer. He is best known for his collaborations with Billy Squier, AC/DC, Queen, the Electric Light Orchestra, Sparks, and Chinaski. Biography Early ...

, who had produced Squier's previous two records, ''Don't Say No'' (1981) and ''

Emotions in Motion ''Emotions in Motion'' is the third studio album by American rock music, rock musician Billy Squier. It was released on July 23, 1982, and was Squier's second consecutive Top Five disc on the ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' album chart. It ...

'' (1982).

Commercial and critical reception

''Signs of Life'' became Squier's third-in-a-row

platinum Platinum is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Pt and atomic number 78. It is a density, dense, malleable, ductility, ductile, highly unreactive, precious metal, precious, silverish-white transition metal. Its name origina ...

selling record. It was his highest new entry, at #61, on the ''Billboard'' album chart (also the peak of his next offering). The disc spent nearly a year in the charts, reaching #11. It made the Top 10 in

Cash Box ''Cashbox'', also known as ''Cash Box'', is an American music industry trade magazine, originally published weekly from July 1942 to November 1996. Ten years after its dissolution, it was revived and continues as ''Cashbox Magazine'', an online ...

. The album's best known song, "

Rock Me Tonite "Rock Me Tonite" is a hit song written and recorded by American rock artist Billy Squier. It was released in June 1984 as the lead single from his platinum-plus album '' Signs of Life''. The song is Squier's highest charting U.S. single (as well ...

", was his best charting Pop hit and second #1 single in the Mainstream Rock charts. The perceived challenge to Squier's image as a guitar-playing rocker is often regarded as one of the main reasons for Squier's subsequent popularity decline as well as one of the worst music videos in the history of MTV; in the book ''I Want My MTV'' there is a whole chapter dedicated to it. Apart from its lead single's music video, the album's elaborated production with heavy usage of synthesizers, as well as poppier songwriting, divided Squier's audience. Critics of the time relegated a portion of his rock audience to pop fans. In a two-star review,

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

's Mike DeGagne felt the album lacking the "over-the-top approach Squier usually adds to his music". Nowadays, the album is viewed as one of Squier's finest artistic achievements, despite its notoriety. ''

'' described the second single from the album, "All Night Long," as a "superb combination of tight tracks, strong vocals and high energy." ''Cash Box'' said of the single "Eye on You" that it "is more typically melodic and moving than...'All Night Long'" and added that "with a strong chorus, hook and a mid-tempo backing, Squier’s vocals have a chance to breathe and he makes full use of a throaty growl."

Track listing

Personnel

– lead vocals, guitars, keyboards, synthesizers, production *

Jeff Golub Jeff Golub (April 15, 1955 – January 1, 2015) was an American jazz guitarist who had a solo career and who led the band Avenue Blue. He worked as a sideman for a number of rock and pop musicians. He was arguably best known for his work with Rod ...

– guitars,

slide guitar Slide guitar is a technique for playing the guitar that is often used in blues music. It involves playing a guitar while holding a hard object (a slide) against the strings, creating the opportunity for glissando effects and deep vibratos that ...

*Alan St. Jon – keyboards, synthesizers *

Doug Lubahn Douglas Lubahn (December 20, 1947 – November 20, 2019) was an American psychedelic rock and jazz rock bassist who played with internationally famous bands. His work is featured on three albums recorded by The Doors. Brief history In 1965, ...

– bass guitar, backing vocals *Bobby Chouinard – drums

Featured musicians

Larry Fast Lawrence Roger Fast (born December 10, 1951) is an American synthesizer player and composer. He is best known for his 1975–1987 series of synthesizer music albums (''Synergy'') and for his contributions to a number of popular music acts, inclu ...

– synthesizers *

Jimmy Maelen Jimmy Maelen (born March 26, 1940 – January 14, 1988) was an American percussionist from the 1960s to 1980s, who worked with many artists including Roxy Music, Bryan Ferry, Peter Gabriel, James Taylor, Dire Straits, Barry Manilow, Alice Cooper ...

– percussion *

Eric Troyer Eric Lee Troyer (born 10 April 1949) is an American keyboardist, singer, songwriter, and occasional guitarist. Troyer was a founding member of ELO Part II, having been recruited by band leader Bev Bevan in 1988. He wrote a substantial quantity ...

and

Rory Dodd Rory Dodd (born Port Dover, Ontario, Canada) is a Canadian rock vocalist who has performed many songs written by Jim Steinman. He is probably best known for singing as the duet voice (the "Turn around, bright eyes" lyrics) on Bonnie Tyler's versi ...

– additional vocals on "Fall for Love" and "Reach for the Sky" *

Brian May Sir Brian Harold May (born 19 July 1947) is an English musician, songwriter, record producer, animal welfare activist and astrophysics, astrophysicist. He achieved global fame as the lead guitarist and backing vocalist of the rock band Queen ...

– guitar solo on "(Another) 1984" *Alfa Anderson – additional vocals on "(Another) 1984"

Production

*Billy Squier – producer *

– producer *John Jansen – production assistant *

Tony Platt Tony Platt is an English sound engineer and record producer, best known for his work with a diverse mix of artists, including, AC/DC, Cheap Trick, Bob Marley, Shy, Buddy Guy, Foreigner, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Sparks, Jazz Jamaica All ...

– engineer *Gary Rindfuss – assistant engineer *J.B. Moore – mixing *Anjali Dutt – tape operator *

George Marino George Marino (April 15, 1947June 4, 2012) was an American mastering engineer known for working on albums by rock bands starting in the late 1960s. Biography Marino was born on April 15, 1947, in the New York City borough The Bronx. He attended ...

– mastering *Bill Smith – cover art design and illustration *

John Van Hamersveld John Van Hamersveld (born September 1, 1941, Baltimore, Maryland, United States) is an Americans, American graphic artist and illustrator who designed record jackets for pop and psychedelic bands from the 1960s onward. Among the 300 albums are the ...

– rear cover collage and inner sleeve designLP liner notes

Charts

Certifications

References

{{Authority control 1984 albums Billy Squier albums Albums produced by Jim Steinman Capitol Records albums