Strange Advance - 2wo

Tracks

Side 1

		Track Name	Length
	1	I'll be the One to Cry	03:56
	2	The Second That I Saw You	03:20
	3	We Run	03:59
	4	Prelude	02:02
	5	Home of the Brave	06:34

Side 2

		Track Name	Length
	1	The Sounds of Life	04:01
	2	Blue Fire	04:14
	3	Just Like You	05:42
	4	Running Away	04:15
	5	Nor Crystal Tears	05:06

Photos

Videos

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Information/Write-up

2WO is the second studio album by Canadian new wave band Strange Advance released in February, 1985. It featured two hit Canadian singles, "We Run" and "The Second That I Saw You". Along with their first album, this was a Canadian gold record for the band.

This recording features heavy use of keyboards and synthesizers including the Fairlight, Yamaha DX7, and Jupiter 8.

Recalling the inspiration behind the hit song "We Run", Drew Arnott said it was "one of those 'wake up sweating' dreams. I just described what I saw. The smallest things can be the most inspiring. Ed Shaw added a delay to a sound in "We Run" which made the whole track come alive for me. Major bow to Michael Kamen for the strings and Scott Litt (REM) for the mix."

One song written during the 2WO sessions but left off the record was "Lady with a Blade", which would later appear on the 1995 compilation album Worlds Away & Back.

Tomas Mureika of Allmusic calls 2WO "A seriously overlooked album".

Darryl Kromm: lead vocals, guitar
Drew Arnott: keyboards, drums, vocals, lead vocal on "We Run"

Additional musicians:
Ken "Spider" Sinnaeve: bass
Gerald O'Brien: keyboards and arrangement assistance
Howard Ayee: bass on "We Run", "The Second That I Saw You"
Dawnlee Tait: backing vocals
Andy Bown: 12 string guitar; bass on "Running Away"
Ed Shaw: guitar
Andy Newmark: drums on "Running Away"
Earl Slick: guitar on "Running Away"
David Roberts: backing vocals
Steve Sexton: keyboards on "We Run"
Keith Scott: guitars
Chitose Ishikura: Japanese voiceover on "The Second That I Saw You"
Chris Arnott: Gaelic voiceover
Kevin Markland: percussion
Laura Oldham: slapstick
Michael Kamen: oboe, keyboards, vocal effect on "I'll Be the One to Cry"
Domenic Troiano: guitar on "The Second That I Saw You"
Tony Lester: guitar
Simon Brierley: lead guitar
John Jones: piano
Ericka Goodman: harp
Bernie LaBarge: backing vocals
John Forbes, Jean Piche, Dee Long, Drew Arnott: Fairlight programming

Written by D. Arnott (tracks A1 to B1, B3); and D. Kromm (tracks B2, B4, B5)
Produced by Drew Arnott, except Michael Kamen on "Nor Crystal Tears"
Arranged by Gerald O'Brien
Drew Arnott: string arrangements on "We Run"
Mixed by Lenny DeRose at Phase One Studios, Toronto, Ontario
Remixed by Scott Litt; and Drew Arnott & Lenny DeRose on "Nor Crystal Tears" at McClear Place, Toronto, Ontario and the Power Station, New York, USA
Engineered by Andy Jackson, Dave "The Rave" Ogilvie*, Dee Long, Lenny DeRose, assisted by Kevin Markland, Lorne Feld, Tilda Fiorda, Tim Dewey
Mastered by Bob Ludwig, Masterdisk, New York, USA
Recorded at Phase One Studios, E.S.P. Studios, and Mushroom Studios, Vancouver, British Columbia; and Britannia Row Studios, London, England

Art Direction by Deborah Samuel and Heather Brown
Design concept by Heather Brown
Photography by Deborah Samuel

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