Brief Encounters


Brief Encounters is a studio album by French singer Amanda Lear, released in 2009 by independent label Just Good Music for Your Ears.

Background

Amanda Lear met the singer and producer Enrico Petrelli in Paris in 2008, and started working on the album in the autumn of 2008, with recording sessions taking place in Rome and Paris. Together with PMG producers Carl M Cox and Nathan Thomas, she recorded a song called "Doin' Fine", previously recorded by Australian singer-producer Peter Wilson. Wilson and his songwriting partner Chris Richards have contributed four songs to the album, however, only two would make the cut, while the other two were included in Lear's next musical project. PMG continued to work with Amanda in 2009 producing two remixes of the ballad "Someone Else's Eyes".
Lear announced that new album was in the works in late 2008 on French and Italian TV. The album was then previewed at the annual Midem music conference in France on 18–20 January. Originally scheduled for April 2009 release, then the summer, it was eventually released on 16 October 2009 in Italy. A two-CD set, Brief Encounters consists of downtempo pop songs and ballads on disc 1, and uptempo dance tracks and remixes on disc 2. The album included a number of cover versions of tracks like Amy Winehouse's "Back to Black", Lenny Kravitz's "I Belong to You" and Lou Reed's "Perfect Day" alongside new songs, written mainly by Enrico Petrelli and Amanda Lear.
The official track list posted in early 2009 on the album's site originally included two songs written by Peter Wilson and Chris Richards as well as "It's Hard to Say Goodbye" and "It's a Good Day" on disc 2, which were all replaced with remixes of "For What I Am", "Someone Else's Eyes" and "This Is Not America". The acoustic version of "Cupidon" on disc 1 was replaced with the "Someone Else's Eyes" video.
"Someone Else's Eyes", the duet with Enrico "Deadstar" Petrelli, was chosen as the album's lead and only single at that time, although promo video for "Doin' Fine" was also produced, and in 2012, "Back to Black" was released as a 3-track digital single. Brief Encounters was soon followed by the release of a dance music-oriented EP Brand New Love Affair.
On 28 December 2009, acoustic versions of selected songs from the album were recorded for a new CD called Brief Encounters Acoustique and sold via the album's official website. This version included a new recording of Vladimir Cosma's "Reality". A remix album called Brief Encounters Reloaded was released in May 2010, promoted by Boy George's remixes of "Someone Else's Eyes". It also included a cover of Culture Club's "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me". A re-edition of the acoustic version, called Brief Encounters Acoustique – Golden Edition, was released at the beginning of 2011.

Track listing

Original release

CD 1 – ''For the Heart''

  1. "Someone Else's Eyes" – 4:15
  2. "Back to Black" – 4:09
  3. "Cupidon" – 3:15
  4. "I Belong to You" – 3:56
  5. "I Don't Wanna Lose You" – 3:30
  6. "Fallin' in Love Again" – 2:48
  7. "Je m'appelle Amanda" – 2:47
  8. "Let's Love" – 2:48
  9. "Perfect Day" – 3:30
  10. "Comment te dire adieu?" – 2:21
  11. "Sorrow" – 2:37
  12. "Suicide Is Painless " – 2:37
  13. "Secret Lover" – 1:56
Video: "Someone Else's Eyes" – 4:06

CD 2 – ''For the Feet''

  1. "Doin' Fine" – 3:44
  2. "Someone Else's Eyes" – 3:33
  3. "This Is Not America" – 3:47
  4. "Let the Music Play" – 5:25
  5. "Always on My Mind" – 3:38
  6. "For What I Am" – 2:50
  7. "For What I Am" – 2:57
  8. "This Is Not America" – 6:01
  9. "Always on My Mind" – 6:32
  10. "Doin' Fine" – 7:44
  11. "This Is Not America" – 4:48

    ''Acoustique''

  12. "Cupidon"
  13. "Je m'appelle Amanda"
  14. "I Belong to You"
  15. "Back to Black"
  16. "Let's Love"
  17. "Fallin' in Love Again"
  18. "Someone Else's Eyes"
  19. "I Don't Wanna Lose You"
  20. "Secret Lover"
  21. "Suicide Is Painless"
  22. "Sorrow"
  23. "Reality"
  24. "Je m'appelle Amanda"

    ''Reloaded''

  25. "Someone Else's Eyes" – 5:50
  26. "Doin' Fine" – 7:21
  27. "Back to Black" – 4:02
  28. "For What I Am" – 4:37
  29. "Someone Else's Eyes" – 3:20
  30. "Sorrow" – 3:43
  31. "This Is Not America" – 6:32
  32. "Suicide Is Painless" – 3:34
  33. "Always on My Mind" – 6:40
  34. "Someone Else's Eyes" – 4:05
  35. "Doin' Fine" – 5:30
  36. "I Don't Wanna Lose You" – 3:55
  37. "Perfect Day" – 3:40
  38. "Sorrow" – 7:24
  39. "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me" – 6:34

    ''Acoustique – The Golden Edition''

  40. "Cupidon" – 3:12
  41. "Je m'appelle Amanda" – 2:46
  42. "I Belong to You" – 3:42
  43. "Back to Black" – 4:06
  44. "Fallin' in Love Again" – 2:50
  45. "Someone Else's Eyes" – 4:26
  46. "I Don't Wanna Lose You" – 3:26
  47. "Secret Lover" – 1:59
  48. "Suicide Is Painless" – 2:40
  49. "Sorrow" – 2:28
  50. "For What I Am" – 2:25
  51. "Comment te dire adieu" – 2:04
  52. "I Don't Wanna Lose You" – 3:20
  53. "Reality" – 3:18
  54. "Je m'appelle Amanda" – 2:50
  55. "Cupidon" – 6:29

    ''Reloaded – Dance & Smooth''

CD 1 – Dance

  1. "Always on My Mind"
  2. "Doin' Fine"
  3. "Sorrow"
  4. "Someone Else's Eyes"
  5. "Perfect Day"
  6. "Back to Black"
  7. "Suicide Is Painless"
  8. "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me"
  9. "I Don't Wanna Lose You"
  10. "For What I Am"
  11. "Let the Music Play"
  12. "This Is Not America"
  13. "Comment te dire adieu"
  14. "Always on My Mind"
  15. "Doin' Fine"
  16. "Someone Else's Eyes"

    CD 2 – Smooth

  17. "Back to Black"
  18. "Cupidon"
  19. "I Belong to You"
  20. "Falling in Love Again"
  21. "Je m'appelle Amanda"
  22. "Secret Lover"
  23. "Someone Else's Eyes"
  24. "Comment te dire adieu"
  25. "I Don't Wanna Lose You"
  26. "Perfect Day"
  27. "Suicide Is Painless"
  28. "Sorrow"
  29. "Reality "

    Personnel