Agent Provocateur (album)

Agent Provocateur

Studio album by Foreigner

Released

December 7, 1984

Recorded

1984

Genre

Rock

Length

41:42

Label

Atlantic

Producer

Mick Jones, Alex Sadkin

Foreigner chronology

Records
(1982)

Agent Provocateur
(1984)

Inside Information
(1987)

Singles from Agent Provocateur

"I Want to Know What Love Is"
Released: November 13, 1984
"That Was Yesterday"
Released: February 1985
"Reaction to Action"
Released: April 1985
"Growing Up the Hard Way"
Released: May 1985
"Down on Love"
Released: September 1985

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	^[1]

Agent Provocateur is the fifth studio album by British/American rock band Foreigner, released on December 7, 1984. The album was the band's first and only number one album in the United Kingdom, and it reached the top 5 in the United States. Although album sales were lower than their previous work in the U.S., it contains the band's biggest hit single, "I Want to Know What Love Is", which is their only #1 single in the UK and the U.S., staying at the top spot for three and two weeks respectively. The follow-up single, "That Was Yesterday", also proved to be a sizeable hit, peaking at #12 in the U.S. The album was certified Platinum in the UK by the BPI, and triple Platinum in the U.S. by the RIAA.^[2]

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Tooth and Nail"	Lou Gramm, Mick Jones	3:54
2.	"That Was Yesterday"	Jones, Gramm	3:46
3.	"I Want to Know What Love Is"	Jones	5:00
4.	"Growing Up the Hard Way"	Jones, Gramm	4:18
5.	"Reaction to Action"	Jones, Gramm	3:57
6.	"Stranger in My Own House"	Jones	4:54
7.	"A Love in Vain"	Jones, Gramm	4:12
8.	"Down on Love"	Jones, Gramm	4:08
9.	"Two Different Worlds"	Gramm	4:28
10.	"She's Too Tough"	Jones, Gramm	3:07

Personnel

Lou Gramm - lead vocals, percussion
Mick Jones - guitar, backing vocals, keyboards, synthesizers
Rick Wills - bass, backing vocals
Dennis Elliott - drums

Additional personnel

Wally Badarou - analog and digital synthesizers
Tom Bailey - vocals
Brian Eddolls - synthesizer
Larry Fast - synthesizer
Don Harper - backing vocals
Jennifer Holliday - backing vocals
Dave Lebolt - synthesizer
Ian Lloyd - backing vocals
Bob Mayo - synthesizer, piano, backing vocals
New Jersey Mass Choir of the GMWA - backing vocals
Mark Rivera - saxophone, backing vocals
Jack Waldman - synthesizer
Thompson Twins - backing vocals

Production

Producers: Mick Jones, Alex Sadkin
Engineers: Josh Abbey, Larry Alexander, Joe Ferla, Frank Filipetti, Howie Lindeman
Assistant engineers: Bobby Cohen, Tim Crich, Scott Mabuchi
Original mastering, digital remastering: Ted Jensen at Sterling Sound, NYC
Art direction: Bob Defrin
Design: Bob Defrin

Charts and certifications

Charts

Album

Chart (1985)	Peak position
Austrian Top 75 Albums^[3]	10
Canadian Top 100 Albums^[4]	3
French Top Albums^[5]	15
German Albums Chart^[6]	1
Netherlands Top 100 Albums^[7]	12
New Zealand Top 40 Albums^[8]	4
Norwegian Top 40 Albums^[9]	1
Swedish Top 60 Albums^[10]	1
Swiss Top 100 Albums^[11]	1
UK Albums Chart^[12]	1
US Billboard 200^[13]	4
US R&B/Hip-Hop Albums^[13]	49

Singles

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1984	"I Want To Know What Love Is"	Billboard Hot 100	1
		Mainstream Rock Chart	1
		Adult Contemporary	3
		Hot R&B/Hip Hop	85
1985	"That Was Yesterday"	Billboard Hot 100	12
		Mainstream Rock Chart	4
		Adult Contemporary	24
	"Reaction to Action"	Billboard Hot 100	54
	"Reaction to Action"	Modern Rock Chart	44
	"Down On Love"	Billboard Hot 100	54

Certifications

Album


Region	Certification	Certified units/Sales
France (SNEP)^[14]	Gold	100,000^*
Germany (BVMI)^[15]	Platinum	500,000^{^}
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)^[16]	Platinum	50,000^{^}
United Kingdom (BPI)^[17]	Platinum	300,000^{^}
United States (RIAA)^[18]	3× Platinum	3,000,000^{^}
^*sales figures based on certification alone ^{^}shipments figures based on certification alone

References

↑ [Agent Provocateur at AllMusic
↑ RIAA database Archived May 19, 2007, at the Wayback Machine.
↑ "Foreigner – Agent Provocateur (Album)" (ASP). Austrian Charts (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved July 26, 2011.
↑ "100 Albums" (PHP/PDF). RPM. 42 (3): 5. March 30, 1985. ISSN 0315-5994. Retrieved July 26, 2011.
↑ "Les "Charts Runs" de chaque Album Classé". InfoDisc (in French). Archived from the original (PHP) on 2008-08-20. Find "FOREIGNER" under the drop-down menu to see statistics.
↑ "Album – Foreigner, Agent Provocateur" (ASP). Media Control Charts (in German). Retrieved July 26, 2011.
↑ "Foreigner – Agent Provocateur (Album)" (ASP). Dutch Charts (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved July 26, 2011.
↑ "Foreigner – Agent Provocateur (Album)" (ASP). New Zealand Charts. Hung Medien. Retrieved July 26, 2011.
↑ "Foreigner – Agent Provocateur (Album)" (ASP). Norwegian Charts. Hung Medien. Retrieved July 26, 2011.
↑ "Foreigner – Agent Provocateur (Album)" (ASP). Swedish Charts. Hung Medien. Retrieved July 26, 2011.
↑ "Foreigner – Agent Provocateur (Album)" (ASP). Swiss Charts. Hung Medien. Retrieved July 26, 2011.
↑ "All the Number One Albums: 1985". The Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 26, 2011.
1 2 "Agent Provocateur – Foreigner". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Archived from the original on 26 July 2011. Retrieved July 26, 2011.
↑ "French album certifications – Foreigner – Agent Provocateur" (in French). InfoDisc. Select FOREIGNER and click OK
↑ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Foreigner; 'Agent Provocateur')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie.
↑ "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards (Foreigner; 'Agent Provocateur')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien.
↑ "British album certifications – Foreigner – Agent Provocateur". British Phonographic Industry. Enter Agent Provocateur in the field Keywords. Select Title in the field Search by. Select album in the field By Format. Select Platinum in the field By Award. Click Search
↑ "American album certifications – Foreigner – Agent Provocateur". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH

Preceded by Alf by Alison Moyet	UK number one album January 26, 1985 – February 15, 1985	Succeeded by Born in the U.S.A. by Bruce Springsteen

Foreigner

Mick Jones Thom Gimbel Jeff Pilson Kelly Hansen Michael Bluestein Chris Frazier Dennis Elliott Lou Gramm Al Greenwood Ian McDonald Ed Gagliardi Rick Wills Jack Allen Smith Johnny Edwards Jeff Jacobs Mark Schulman Bruce Turgon Ron Wikso Brian Tichy Denny Carmassi Jason Bonham Chaz West Paul Mirkovich Jason Sutter

Studio albums	Foreigner Double Vision Head Games 4 Agent Provocateur Inside Information Unusual Heat Mr. Moonlight Can't Slow Down

Compilations	Records The Very Best ... and Beyond Jukebox Heroes: The Foreigner Anthology Complete Greatest Hits Hot Blooded and Other Hits The Essentials The Definitive Collection No End in Sight: The Very Best of Foreigner

Live albums	Classic Hits Live/Best of Live Extended Versions Can't Slow Down...When It's Live!

Singles	"Feels Like the First Time" "Starrider" "Cold as Ice" "Long, Long Way from Home" "Hot Blooded" "Double Vision" "Blue Morning, Blue Day" "Love Has Taken Its Toll" "Dirty White Boy" "Head Games" "Love on the Telephone" "Women" "I'll Get Even with You" "Urgent" "Juke Box Hero" "Waiting for a Girl Like You" "Night Life" "Break It Up" "Luanne" "I Want to Know What Love Is" "That Was Yesterday" "Tooth and Nail" "Reaction to Action" "Growing Up the Hard Way" "Down on Love" "Say You Will" "I Don't Want to Live Without You" "Heart Turns to Stone" "Can't Wait" "Lowdown and Dirty" "I'll Fight for You" "With Heaven on Our Side" "Soul Doctor" "White Lie" "Until the End of Time" "Rain" "Under the Gun" "Too Late" "When It Comes to Love" "Can't Slow Down" "In Pieces"

Related articles	Discography Shadow King Black Sheep "Revenge of the Mooninites"

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