Heavy Nova (album)

Heavy Nova
Studio album by Robert Palmer
Released	22 June 1988[1]
Recorded	1987
Studio	Logic (Milan, Italy) Compass Point (Nassau, The Bahamas)
Genre	Hard rock[2] heavy metal[3] bossa nova[3]
Length	38:29
Label	EMI, Manhattan
Producer	Robert Palmer
Robert Palmer chronology
Riptide (1985) Heavy Nova (1988) Addictions: Volume 1 (1989)
Singles from Heavy Nova
"Simply Irresistible" Released: 31 May 1988[4] "She Makes My Day" Released: 3 October 1988 (UK) "Early in the Morning" Released: October 1988 (US) "Change His Ways" Released: May 1989 "Tell Me I'm Not Dreaming" Released: June 1989 "It Could Happen to You" Released: 14 August 1989

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[2]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide	[5]

Heavy Nova is the ninth studio album by English singer Robert Palmer, released in 1988. His first album for EMI Records after a 15-year association with Island Records, it followed Palmer's very successful album Riptide (1985).

Background

The name Heavy Nova derives from Palmer's love of both heavy metal and bossa nova rhythms. The album continued Palmer's popularity with the single "Simply Irresistible", which spent three weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart in the United States.

The album peaked at No. 13 in the US, No. 17 in the UK and No. 15 in The Netherlands. The album was certified Platinum by RIAA in November 1988 and Gold by BPI in November 1988. It remains Palmer's second most successful album worldwide, behind his 1985 album Riptide.

Recording

The album was recorded at Logic Studios in Milan, Italy and Compass Point Studios in The Bahamas during 1987.

Track listing

All tracks written by Robert Palmer, except where noted.

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Simply Irresistible"		4:14
2.	"More Than Ever"		3:25
3.	"Change His Ways"		2:56
4.	"Disturbing Behavior"		3:45
5.	"Early in the Morning"	Lonnie Simmons Rudy Taylor Charlie Wilson	4:42
6.	"It Could Happen to You"	Johnny Burke Jimmy Van Heusen	2:32
7.	"She Makes My Day"		4:23
8.	"Between Us"		4:49
9.	"Casting a Spell"		3:57
10.	"Tell Me I'm Not Dreaming"	Michael Omartian Bruce Sudano Jay Gruska	3:46

Personnel

• Robert Palmer – lead and backing vocals
• William Bryant – keyboards
• Misha Schneider – keyboards
• Jeff Bova – additional keyboards
• Richard Gibbs – additional keyboards
• Garth Hudson – accordion, additional keyboards
• Tom "T-Bone" Wolk – accordion
• Eddie Martinez – guitars
• Dennis Budimir – additional guitars
• John Grey – additional guitars, additional percussion
• Frank Blair – bass
• Barry "Sun John" Johnson – additional bass
• Dony Wynn – drums
• Ricky Fataar – additional drums
• Dom Um Romão – percussion, additional backing vocals
• Robyn Lobe – additional percussion
• Chuck Findley – trumpet
• Luka Belak – violin
• Clare Fischer – strings
• Rick Danko – additional backing vocals
• B.J. Nelson – additional backing vocals

Production

• David Harper – executive producer
• Robert Palmer – producer, art direction
• Tim Kramer – engineer
• Bookie Epsie – assistant engineer
• Scott Forman – assistant engineer
• Roy Sweeting – assistant engineer
• Eric Thorngren – mixing
• Richard Cobble – production coordinator
• Henry Marquez – design
• Terence Donovan – photography
• Tony Baglio – management
• Pino Pischetola – management

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (1988–89) Peak position Australian Albums (ARIA)[6] 2 Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[7] 42 German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[8] 50 New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[9] 14 Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[10] 47 UK Albums (OCC)[11] 17 US Billboard 200[12] 13

Year-end charts Chart (1988) Position Australian Albums (ARIA)[13] 23 US Billboard 200[14] 69 Chart (1989) Position Australian Albums (ARIA)[15] 24

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[16]	2× Platinum	300,000[17]
Canada (Music Canada)[18]	Platinum	100,000^^
United Kingdom (BPI)[19]	Gold	100,000^^
United States (RIAA)[20]	Platinum	1,000,000^^
^^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

See also

• List of albums released in 1988

References

1. "BPI".
2. "Heavy Nova" on AllMusic. Retrieved on 13 August 2009
3. "This Robert Palmer video is proof the British are funnier than Americans". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved 19 February 2021.
4. "Music Week" (PDF). p. 31.
5. [1] ^{[dead link‍]}
6. "Australiancharts.com – Robert Palmer – Heavy Nova". Hung Medien. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
7. "Dutchcharts.nl – Robert Palmer – Heavy Nova" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
8. "Offiziellecharts.de – Robert Palmer – Heavy Nova" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
9. "Charts.nz – Robert Palmer – Heavy Nova". Hung Medien. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
10. "Swedishcharts.com – Robert Palmer – Heavy Nova". Hung Medien. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
11. "Robert Palmer | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
12. "Robert Palmer Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
13. "ARIA Top 100 Albums for 1988". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
14. "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1988". Billboard. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
15. "ARIA Top 100 Albums for 1989". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
16. "1989 ARIA Albums Chart". ARIA.
17. "Pacing the Majors" (PDF). Billboard. 20 January 1990. p. A-10. Retrieved 10 October 2020.
18. "Canadian album certifications – Robert Palmer – Heavy Nova". Music Canada. Retrieved 10 October 2020.
19. "British album certifications – Robert Palmer – Heavy Nova". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 10 October 2020.
20. "American album certifications – Robert Palmer – Heavy Nova". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 10 October 2020.

External links