Despite Straight Lines

Despite Straight Lines is the only studio album by British singer-songwriter Marilyn, released in 1985.

Overview
Although Marilyn had scored three top 40 hits throughout the 1983–84 period, his debut album was not released until mid-1985, 18 months after his biggest hit "Calling Your Name" was a top 10 hit. Possibly due to a loss of momentum, the album only charted in Australia, and subsequent singles taken from it were also unsuccessful.

The album was reissued on CD in 2008 as Despite Straight Lines: The Very Best of Marilyn, by Cherry Pop (a division of Cherry Red Records). The reissue includes several bonus tracks, consisting of B-sides and alternative versions, though it excludes the single "Pray for That Sunshine".

Track listing

 * 1) "Calling Your Name" (Marilyn, Paul Caplin) – 4:06
 * 2) "Mountain to the Ocean" (Roger Jackson) – 3:46
 * 3) "Surrender to Your Love" (Marilyn) – 4:04
 * 4) "Pray for That Sunshine" (Marilyn) – 4:00
 * 5) "Third Eye" (Marilyn) – 3:24
 * 6) "Baby U Left Me (In the Cold)" (Marilyn) – 3:51
 * 7) "You Don't Love Me" (Marilyn) – 3:24
 * 8) "Give It Up" (Eric Robinson) – 3:58
 * 9) "Wear It Out" (Marilyn, Eric Robinson) –2:17
 * 10) "Cry and Be Free" (Marilyn) – 3:34

CD re-issue (bonus tracks)
 * 1) "Calling Your Name" (Midnight Party Mix) (Marilyn, Paul Caplin) – 4:42
 * 2) "Move Together" (Marilyn) – 3:36
 * 3) "Calling Your Name" (Extended Version) (Marilyn, Paul Caplin) – 6:54
 * 4) "Running" (Marilyn) – 3:06
 * 5) "Cry and Be Free" (Gospel) (Marilyn) – 5:43
 * 6) "Cry and Be Free" (Streisand Style) (Marilyn) – 5:19
 * 7) "Raining Again" (Dub Version) (Marilyn) – 7:08
 * 8) "Baby U Left Me (In the Cold)" (Extended Version) (Marilyn) – 7:08

Personnel

 * Producers
 * Alan Winstanley (tracks 1, 3, 6, 9, 10, 12, 14, 15)
 * Clive Langer (tracks 1, 3, 6, 9, 10, 12, 14, 15)
 * Don Was (tracks 2, 5, 17)
 * Eric Robinson (tracks 4, 7, 8)
 * Roger Jackson (tracks 11, 13, 16)
 * Julian Mendelsohn - mixing (tracks 8, 9)
 * Clare Muller - photography
 * Bobby Rae, Carol "Sugar Lips" Hall, Claudia Fontaine, Eric Robinson, Sweet Pea "Python" Atkinson - backing vocals