Turn Back the Clock is the debut studio album by English band Johnny Hates Jazz, released by Virgin Records on 11 January 1988 in United Kingdom and on 29 March 1988 in the United States. The album, whose most famous single was "Shattered Dreams", peaked at number one on the UK Albums Chart and at number 56 on the US Billboard 200. Kim Wilde sings backing vocals on the title track, which reached number 12 on the UK Singles Chart and number 10 in New Zealand. The track "Foolish Heart" was originally released as a single in 1986 as "Me and My Foolish Heart". The song "Listen", written and co-produced by Phil Thornalley, was later re-recorded for his solo album Swamp, also released in 1988.

Reception

Michael Sutton of AllMusic wrote, "The music on Turn Back the Clock is generally upbeat synth pop, but the words are often sad. Although Johnny Hates Jazz offer no profound revelations about failed relationships or lost love, there is genuine emotion beneath the studio luster of "What Other Reason," "Different Seasons," "Don't Let It End This Way," and "Foolish Heart."". The viewer described the album as "a true guilty pleasure" with "no artistic risks yet it's too hummable to ignore." Spin wrote, "They commit many cardinal musical sins, like being satisfied to have reached page three of their MIDI handbook, and figuring they now know everything there is to know about their new synths. This is evident from the first note. So everything has a basic beat and it’s all in synch, and so what?"

Track listing

All songs written by Clark Datchler, except where noted.

Standard version

1988 original vinyl album and US CD release

Bonus tracks

1988 CD release 2008 UK remastered edition

Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Turn Back the Clock.

Johnny Hates Jazz

Additional musicians

Production

Artwork

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications