Chris Rea - Wired to the Moon

This months marks the thirtieth anniversary of Wired to the Moon, the sixth studio album from British singer Chris Rea. The 1984 release went to number 35 in the UK, number 25 in the Netherlands, number 17 in Germany and number 13 in Sweden.


Rea produced the album along with doing the vocals and playing guitar, bass, keyboards, piano, synthesizer accordion and marimba. Joining him were Robert Ahwai (guitar), Jerry Stevenson (guitar), Kevin Powell (bass), Kevin Leach (keyboards), Max Middleton (keyboards), Dave Richards (synthesizer), and Dave Mattacks (drums).

Side one begins with “Bombollini”, which was released as the second single. It went to number 21 in Ireland. The six minute plus track has an exotic, faraway sound to it that is very intriguing.

A remix of “Touché d’amour” was the albums third single, with an instrumental version for the B-side. It reached number 86 in the UK and number 46 in Germany. The song has a strong reggae influence to it.

The tempo slows a bit for “Shine Shine Shine”, a song about the enduring qualities of love.

The fifth single was the title track “Wired to the Moon”. This mid-tempo track is a rock lullaby of sorts, from a father to his daughter.

Side two starts with “Reasons”, a song about self-exploration and assessment. As with all the songs, Rea’s guitar work paints a rich, vibrant picture for the listener.

“I Don’t Know What It is But I Love It” was released as the first single; it charted at number 65 in the UK and number 23 in Ireland. I like the up-beat and bouncy rhythm of this. It is a very positive song.

A remix of “Ace of Hearts” was released as the fourth single; it hit number 79 in the UK and number 26 in Ireland. Rea gives an emotional performance of someone who is so caught up in love.

The mid-tempo “Holding Out” is a song of hope.

“The rocker Winning”, which was actually recorded live, closes out the original vinyl release.

I had never heard Wired to the Moon before and had to do a little hunting to listen to the tracks (thanks again to the YouTube community). As with the other albums of his I have listened to over recent years, I definitely enjoyed this offering from Chris Rea as well. His music might not have spoke to me much three decades ago, but with age and experience it does speak to me now.

For 1982’s Chris Rea, click here.

For 1983’s Water Sign, click here.