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Martika (album)

From Wikipedia - Reading time: 9 min

Martika
Studio album by
Martika
ReleasedOctober 18, 1988 (1988-10-18)
RecordedApril–May 1988
StudioTrax Recording (Hollywood, California)
Genre
Length41:59
LabelColumbia
ProducerMichael Jay
Martika chronology
Martika
(1988) 		Martika's Kitchen
(1991)
Alternative cover
European edition
Singles from Martika
  1. "More Than You Know"
    Released: November 1988
  2. "Toy Soldiers"
    Released: January 21, 1989
  3. "I Feel the Earth Move"
    Released: July 1989
  4. "Water"
    Released: 1990
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]

Martika is the debut studio album by singer-songwriter Martika, released on October 18, 1988, through CBS Records. Following her appearance in the children's television programme Kids Incorporated between 1984 and 1986, she signed her first recording contract with CBS, and released her debut single "More Than You Know" in November 1988, one month following the release of the album. The follow up single, "Toy Soldiers" achieved international commercial success, reaching number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks in mid-1989. Further singles from the album "I Feel the Earth Move" and "Water" achieved some commercial success in the United Kingdom and Australia.[3][4]

The album was certified Gold in the United States, and Platinum in both the United Kingdom and Canada, whilst in Australia it was awarded a double platinum certification by the Australian Recording Industry Association. Worldwide, Martika is estimated to have sold over three million copies since its release.[5]

Background

[edit]

The album marked the solo debut for Martika, and spawned the American No. 1 single "Toy Soldiers". The song is about drug addiction, but can sound like a break-up ballad. The song was later sampled by rapper Eminem for his 2004 song "Like Toy Soldiers" featuring Martika as the chorus singer. Songs that charted internationally included "More Than You Know", "Water", and "I Feel the Earth Move", a Carole King cover that cracked the American Top 25. Stylistically the music was strictly pop, despite exploring some adult topics lyrically. "Water" is partially sung in Spanish, a homage to Martika's Cuban ancestry. Other songs were re-recorded fully in Spanish for international release.

Although this was the album Martika attempted to break away from her Kids Incorporated image, she did have four of her former castmates sing the "children's chorus" of "Toy Soldiers".

The album was successful in the U.S.; it peaked at No. 15 on the Billboard 200 and was certified Gold by the RIAA, making it her best-selling album to date. The album peaked at No. 11 in the United Kingdom, containing three top 20 singles there.[6] In the UK, the song "Cross My Heart" had already been a top 20 hit for the band Eighth Wonder a year previously,[7] whilst Big Fun pulled their planned single release of "I Feel the Earth Move" shortly before Martika's release.[8]

Track listing

[edit]
Side A
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."If You're Tarzan, I'm Jane"
4:20
2."Cross My Heart"Jay3:52
3."More Than You Know"
  • Martika
  • Jay
  • Marvin Morrow
4:10
4."Toy Soldiers"
  • Martika
  • Jay
4:51
5."You Got Me Into This"Jay4:11
Side B
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."I Feel the Earth Move"Carole King4:12
2."Water"
  • Martika
  • Sue Sheridan
  • Larry Treadwell
4:39
3."It's Not What You're Doing"
  • Robert Etoll
  • Jay
4:13
4."See If I Care"
  • Martika
  • Jay
  • Morrow
3:41
5."Alibis"
3:50

Personnel

[edit]
  • Martika – lead vocals, backing vocals (2, 5, 8, 9, 10), shaker (10), arrangements (10), vocal arrangements
  • Greg Smith – keyboards (1, 4, 6), arrangements (1)
  • Claude Gaudette – additional keyboards (1, 6), keyboards (2, 7), drum programming (2, 5, 7), arrangements (2, 5, 7)
  • Brad Cole – additional keyboards (2), keyboards (3, 8), synth horns (5), arrangements (8)
  • Marvin Morrow – keyboards (3, 9), drum programming (3), arrangements (9)
  • Mitchell Kaplan – keyboards (10)
  • Mark Leggett – guitars (1–5, 7, 8, 9)
  • Don Kirkpatrick – guitars (6)
  • David Macias – guitars (10)
  • Marc Jones – bass (10)
  • Michael Jay – drum programming (1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9), backing vocals (1), vocal arrangements (1–9), arrangements (1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10)
  • Christopher Ainsworth – drum programming (7)
  • Omar Martinez – drums (10)
  • Paulinho da Costa – percussion (5, 7, 9)
  • Michael Mattioli – saxophone (10)
  • Michael Cruz – backing vocals (1)
  • Davey Faragher – backing vocals (1)
  • Clif Magness – backing vocals (1)
  • Rick Jude Palombi – backing vocals (1, 3, 6, 7)
  • Donna De Lory – backing vocals (3, 6)
  • Niki Haris – backing vocals (3)
  • Stacy Ferguson – backing vocals (4)
  • Marlen Landin – backing vocals (4)
  • Kimberly McCullough – backing vocals (4)
  • Jennifer Love Hewitt – backing vocals (4)
  • Rahsaan Patterson – backing vocals (4, 7, 10)
  • Devyn Puett – backing vocals (4)
  • Renee Sands – backing vocals (4)
  • Alitzah Wiener – backing vocals (4)
  • Mona Lisa Young – backing vocals (6)
  • Laura Creamer – backing vocals (7)
  • Mendy Lee – backing vocals (7)
  • Sue Sheridan – backing vocals (7)

Production

[edit]
  • Michael Jay – producer
  • Michael McDonald – engineer, mixing (1–4, 6, 9, 10)
  • Peter Arata – assistant engineer
  • Ric Butz – assistant engineer
  • John Hegedes – assistant engineer
  • Greg Loskorn – assistant engineer
  • Karen Siegel – assistant engineer
  • Russ Iadevaia – lead vocal recording (2)
  • Keith "KC" Cohen – mixing (5, 8)
  • Brian Malouf – mixing (7)
  • Garden Rake Studios (Sherman Oaks, California) – mixing location
  • Larrabee Sound Studios (North Hollywood, California) – mixing location
  • Stephen Marcussen – mastering at Precision Lacquer (Hollywood, California)
  • Nancy Donald – art direction
  • Tony Lane – art direction
  • Arnold Levine – art direction
  • David Coleman – design
  • Alberto Tolot – photography

Chart performance

[edit]

Weekly charts

[edit]
Chart (1988) Peak
position
Australian Albums Chart[9] 2
Austrian Albums Chart[10] 18
Canadian Albums Chart[11] 17
New Zealand Albums Chart[12] 11
Norwegian Albums Chart[13] 17
Swedish Albums Chart[14] 26
Swiss Albums Chart[15] 11
UK Albums Chart[16] 11
US Billboard 200[17] 15
Finnish Albums (The Official Finnish Charts)[18] 20
European Albums (Eurotipsheet)[19] 36

Year-end charts

[edit]
Chart (1989) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[20] 89

Sales and certifications

[edit]
Certifications for Martika
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[21] 2× Platinum 140,000^
Canada (Music Canada)[22] Platinum 100,000^
Japan (RIAJ)[23] Gold 100,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[24] Gold 7,500^
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[25] Gold 50,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[26] Platinum 300,000^
United States (RIAA)[27] Gold 500,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Breihan, Tom (August 2, 2021). "The Number Ones: Martika's "Toy Soldiers"". Stereogum. Retrieved November 26, 2023. Martika is mostly a breezy, clubby lightweight teen-pop album...
  2. ^ AllMusic review
  3. ^ "Martika". australian-charts.com. Retrieved February 19, 2025.
  4. ^ "UK Charts". official charts. Retrieved February 19, 2025.
  5. ^ "BIOGRAPHY". martikamartika.com. Retrieved February 19, 2025.
  6. ^ "MARTIKA | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". OfficialCharts.com.
  7. ^ "EIGHTH WONDER | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". OfficialCharts.com.
  8. ^ "Big Fun - Biography". Freenet-homepage.de. Retrieved November 5, 2011.
  9. ^ Steffen Hung. "Australian charts portal". australian-charts.com. Archived from the original on May 27, 2008. Retrieved November 5, 2011.
  10. ^ Steffen Hung. "Austria Top 40 - Hitparade Österreich". austriancharts.at. Archived from the original on December 1, 2008. Retrieved November 5, 2011.
  11. ^ "Home". collectionscanada.gc.ca.
  12. ^ Steffen Hung (October 31, 2011). "New Zealand charts portal". charts.nz. Retrieved November 5, 2011.
  13. ^ Steffen Hung (June 15, 2006). "Norwegian charts portal". norwegiancharts.com. Retrieved November 5, 2011.
  14. ^ Steffen Hung (October 28, 2011). "Swedish Charts Portal". swedishcharts.com. Archived from the original on July 21, 2011. Retrieved November 5, 2011.
  15. ^ Steffen Hung. "Die Offizielle Schweizer Hitparade und Music Community". swisscharts.com. Retrieved November 5, 2011.
  16. ^ "MARTIKA | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". OfficialCharts.com.
  17. ^ "AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved November 5, 2011.
  18. ^ "Sisältää hitin" [Includes a hit] (PDF) (in Finnish). Archived from the original (PDF) on August 26, 2021.
  19. ^ "European Hot 100 Albums" (PDF). Eurotipsheet. Vol. 7, no. 6. February 10, 1990. p. 22. OCLC 29800226 – via World Radio History.
  20. ^ "The ARIA Australian Top 100 Albums Chart – 1989 (61–100) (from The ARIA Report Issue No. 1)". Imgur.com (original document published by ARIA). Retrieved December 15, 2016.
  21. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 1991 Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved July 22, 2022.
  22. ^ "Canadian album certifications – Martika – Martika". Music Canada. Retrieved July 22, 2022.
  23. ^ "Japanese album certifications – Martika – Martika" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. Retrieved May 25, 2025. Select 1990年1月 on the drop-down menu
  24. ^ "New Zealand album certifications – Martika – Martika". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved November 20, 2024.
  25. ^ Salaverrie, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (PDF) (in Spanish) (1st ed.). Madrid: Fundación Autor/SGAE. p. 927. ISBN 84-8048-639-2. Retrieved July 22, 2022.
  26. ^ "British album certifications – Martika – Martika". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved July 22, 2022.
  27. ^ "American album certifications – Martika – Martika". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved July 22, 2022.
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