Head over Heels (Cocteau Twins album)

1983 album by the Cocteau Twins

Head over Heels

Studio album by Cocteau Twins Released

24 October 1983 (1983-10-24)

Recorded

1983

Studio

Palladium Studios, Edinburgh, Scotland

Genre

Gothic rockethereal wavepost-punk

Length

37:01

Label

4AD

Producer

Cocteau Twins

Cocteau Twins chronology

Peppermint Pig
(1983)

Head over Heels
(1983)

Sunburst and Snowblind
(1983)

Alternative cover

Alternative cover

Head over Heels is the second studio album by Scottish alternative rock band Cocteau Twins. The album was released on 24 October 1983 through the label 4AD. It featured the band\'s signature sound of \"Guthrie\'s lush guitars under Fraser\'s mostly wordless vocals\" and is considered an archetype of early ethereal wave music.

Professional ratings Review scores Source Rating

AllMusicLos Angeles TimesLouder Than War9/10MojoRecord CollectorRecord MirrorThe Rolling Stone Album GuideSmash Hits8/10Spin Alternative Record Guide6/10Uncut9/10

Head over Heels was released on 24 October 1983 by 4AD. The original United Kingdom and Canadian cassette and CD of Head over Heels, and the Brazilian CD versions, also included the Sunburst and Snowblind EP. The 2003 CD, remastered by Guthrie, did not include the EP.

The album was well-received by John Peel, who played the entire record on his radio show.

Head over Heels was ranked at No. 7 in Sounds magazine\'s End of Year List for 1983.

In 2003, the album was named one of the most eccentric British albums of all time by Mojo magazine.

In March 2018, the album was repressed on 180g vinyl using new masters created from high definition files transferred from the original analogue tapes.

In popular culture

The song \"Sugar Hiccup\" was played during the end titles of the fifth episode of series five titled \"Doughnuts\", of Scottish sitcom Two Doors Down in July 2022.

Track listing

All tracks are written by Cocteau Twins (Elizabeth Fraser and Robin Guthrie)

Side A No. Title Length 1.

\"When Mama Was Moth\"3:06

2.

\"Five Ten Fiftyfold\"4:59

3.

\"Sugar Hiccup\"3:42

4.

\"In Our Angelhood\"2:59

5.

\"Glass Candle Grenades\"2:44

Side B No. Title Length 1.

\"In the Gold Dust Rush\"3:41

2.

\"The Tinderbox (Of a Heart)\"4:57

3.

\"Multifoiled\"2:36

4.

\"My Love Paramour\"3:39

5.

\"Musette and Drums\"4:39

Personnel

Cocteau Twins

Elizabeth Fraser – vocals
Robin Guthrie – guitar, bass guitar, keyboards, drum machine

Additional personnel

Jon Turner – engineering
23 Envelope – sleeve art design
Ally Gibb – saxophone on \"Five Ten Fiftyfold\" (is thanked in credits as \"Ally\")

Charts

Chart performance for Head over Heels
Chart (1983) Peak
position UK Albums (OCC)

51

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