Revolutions (Jean-Michel Jarre album)


Revolutions is the ninth studio album by electronic musician and composer Jean-Michel Jarre, first released in August 1988. The album spans several genres, including symphonic industrial, Arabian inspired, light guitar pop and ethnic electro jazz. The album reached number #2 in the UK charts, Jarre's best chart position since Oxygène. The Destination Docklands concert in London coincided with the release of the album.

Composition and recording

There are two versions of the album, each containing a different version of the track "Revolutions". On the original release, the introduction to the tune is played on a Turkish flute, whereas the later reissue of the album uses an Arabian string orchestra for the introduction. This version also has a different vocal accompaniment, as sung by an Arabian vocalist. "Revolutions" contains reworked samples of an unpublished composition by Turk Kudsi Erguner, which Jarre had acquired from ethnologist Xavier Bellenger. Erguner took his case to court and won a modest indemnity. Jarre removed the flute part—the Ney—from new releases of the record and from live performances.
The song "London Kid" was a collaboration with Hank Marvin. Hank was living in Perth, Australia at the time and he and Jean-Michel composed the song with each other over the phone.
As stated in the liner notes, the track "September" is named after and dedicated to South African ANC activist Dulcie September, who was assassinated in Paris on 29 March 1988.
The majority of the album was played with a Roland D-50 synthesizer, with the majority of sound programming gathered from custom sound banks, compiled into a single bank and later released for French Keyboards magazine.

Track listing

1988 Original Release

1988 Another Release

1991 Release (remaster)

Personnel