Everybody's Crazy

Everybody's Crazy
Everybody's Crazy
Studio album by Michael Bolton
Released	March 15, 1985
Recorded	August–December 1984
Genre	AOR, hard rock, glam metal
Length	37:12
Label	Columbia
Producer	Neil Kernon; Randy Goodrum (track 6 only)
Michael Bolton chronology

Everybody's Crazy is the fourth studio album by American recording artist Michael Bolton. The album was released on March 15, 1985 by Columbia Records.

The lead guitarist on the album is Bruce Kulick, later of KISS fame. After Kulick left to join KISS in late 1984, Kevin Reye/Reyes (Black Sheep, Fortress, White Lie/TRIIX, Martial Law, Network, Power Squadron, Zodiac) replaced him on guitar for post album support and performed in the CBS/Columbia MTV video of the title track, produced and directed by Wayne Isham and Curt Marvis of the New Company. The title track was a minor hit on hard rock radio stations, and the MTV video of the title track was also featured in the 1986 Rodney Dangerfield movie Back to School. The album was reissued overseas in the mid-1990s with a then-current photo of Bolton on the cover. It was reissued again on CD in the UK on February 25, 2008 by Rock Candy Records with a 12-page full colour booklet with original and new artwork.

Given the contrast in musical style between this album and the majority of Bolton's later (and more successful) musical output, songs from the album rarely appear on Bolton compilations. However, the title track was included on Bolton's entry in the Playlist series of Greatest Hits compilations.^[1]

Background

Producer Neil Kernon described how he became involved with the album: "Well, I got a call from Michael's manager asking me if I'd be interested. I'd heard 'Fools Game' [from his previous album, Michael Bolton] and liked that, so we met and hit it off straight away. Michael was one of the funniest people I've ever met." Kernon also said that later on, Bolton did not want to re-release Everybody's Crazy or his self titled 1983 album on CD for fear of confusing and alienating fans of his later adult contemporary music.^[2]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	^[3]

In their retrospective review, AllMusic criticized Everybody's Crazy for muting Bolton's distinctive vocals, remarking that "much of the time he seemed to be fighting to be heard, and when he was, all he had was a mouthful of cliches to offer."^[3]

The album has an average rating of 88/100 on the hard rock/AOR database Heavy Harmonies.^[4]

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Save Our Love"	Michael Bolton, Mark Mangold	4:05
2.	"Everybody's Crazy"	Bolton	4:42
3.	"Can't Turn It Off"	Bolton, Mangold	3:58
4.	"Call My Name"	Bolton, Mark Radice	4:14
5.	"Everytime"	Bolton, Mangold	3:45
6.	"Desperate Heart"	Bolton, Randy Goodrum	3:59
7.	"Start Breaking My Heart"	Bolton, Radice	4:34
8.	"You Don't Want Me Bad Enough"	Bolton	3:49
9.	"Don't Tell Me It's Over"	Bolton, Jan Mullaney	4:00
Total length:			37:12

Personnel

Michael Bolton – lead vocals, backing vocals, additional guitar, arrangements (1, 3, 5)
Bruce Kulick – lead guitar (1-5, 7, 8, 9)
Dennis Feldman – bass, backing vocals
Lloyd Landesman – keyboards
Mark Mangold – keyboards, arrangements (1, 3, 5)
Jan Mullaney – keyboards
Mark Radice – keyboards
Allan St. John – keyboards
Chuck Burgi – drums (uncredited on the original release, but credited in the reissue)
Mark Rivera – saxophone
Larry Fast – synthesizer programming
Schuyler Deale – additional bass
Doug Katsaros – additional keyboards
Neil Kernon – additional keyboards
Terry Brock – backing vocals
Peppy Castro – backing vocals
Joe Cerisano – backing vocals
Randy Goodrum – keyboards, synthesizer programming, drum programming, backing vocals (all on 6 only)
Kevin Dukes – guitar (6)
Paul Pesco – additional guitar (6)

Production

Producers – Neil Kernon (tracks 1–5, 7, 8 & 9); Randy Goodrum (track 6)
Co-producer – Michael Bolton (tracks 1–5, 7, 8 & 9)
Executive producer – Louis Levin
Engineers – John Abbey, Bruce Buchalter, Bobby Cohen, John Davenport, Neil Kernon, Bruce Lampcov, Andrew Milano and Malcolm Pollack.
Additional engineer on track 6 – Larold Rebhun
Assistant engineers on track 6 – Michael Sommers-Abbott and Paul Ericksen.
Recorded at The Power Station, Electric Lady Studios and Delta Recording Studios (New York, NY).
Additional overdubs on track 6 engineered by Jay Graydon at Garden Rake Studios (Sherman Oaks, CA).
Tracks 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8 & 9 mixed by Neil Kernon.
Track 4 mixed by Bobby Cohen, Jan Mullaney and Michael Bolton at The Hit Factory (New York, NY).
Track 6 mixed by Elliot Scheiner at Soundcastle (Los Angeles, CA).
Mastered by Bob Ludwig at Masterdisk (New York, NY).
Studio maintenance – Bruce Friedman
Direction – Louis Levin, in association with David Krebs and Steve Leber for Contemporary Communications Corporation
Photography – Randee St. Nicholas
Stylist – Fleur Thiemeyer

Music videos

Year	Video	Director	Producer	Production Company	Label	Personnel	Featured In
1985	"Everybody's Crazy"(Michael Bolton)	Wayne Isham	Curt Marvis	The New Company	CBS/Columbia	Michael Bolton (vocals), Kevin Reyes (guitar), (bass), (drums)	MTV standard rotation 1985–1987, Rodney Dangerfield's 1986 movie Back to School, and MTV's Beavis and Butt-Head Episode 142 "Green Thumbs" October 11, 1995

Cover versions

Starship covered "Desperate Heart" for their 1985 album Knee Deep in the Hoopla.
Jennifer Rush covered "Call My Name" (with slightly altered lyrics, thus earning Rush a co-writing credit on her version) for her 1987 album Heart Over Mind.