Party (Iggy Pop album)

Party is the fifth solo studio album by American rock singer Iggy Pop. It was released in June 1981 by record label Arista. For this record, Pop collaborated with Ivan Kral, who is best known as the guitar and bass player for Patti Smith in the 1970s.

Recording
When Arista heard the album, they brought in former Monkees producer Tommy Boyce to remix "Bang Bang". According to Iggy Pop's autobiography I Need More, he wrote "Bang Bang" because Arista Records wanted a single and he promised them a commercial album. He originally wanted Phil Spector or Mike Chapman to produce the song. Iggy claimed he got the idea for the song from reading The Right Stuff at a local bookstore. "Eggs On Plate" was originally known as "Don't Put the Brakes On Tonight" and was originally written for Mick Ronson.

Release
Party was released in June 1981. The album peaked at number 166 in the Billboard Top 200. "Bang Bang was released as a single the same month, charting at number 35 on the Billboard Club Play Singles Chart.

Party is the last of Pop's three albums with Arista Records, following New Values and Soldier. Buddha reissued the album in 2000 with two bonus tracks: "Speak to Me" and a cool jazz rendition of the standard "One for My Baby (and One More for the Road)".

Critical reception
Party has been poorly received by critics.

Charlotte Robinson of PopMatters called it "a bizarre train wreck of an album". Mark Deming of AllMusic wrote: "Part of Iggy Pop's unique sort of integrity is that the man doesn't seem to know how to sell out, even when he tries, and Party, one of the strangest albums of his career, is living proof."

Tour
The Party tour was documented on the Live in San Fran 1981 CD (released in 1983)   and DVD (released in 2005). This performance was filmed on November 25, 1981 at the Warfield Theatre on Market Street in San Francisco.

Tour personnel
 * Iggy Pop – vocals
 * Carlos Alomar – guitar
 * Gary Valentine – guitar
 * Rob Duprey – guitar
 * Michael Page – bass guitar
 * Clem Burke – drums

Absent from the tour was the album's guitarist and song co-writer Ivan Král.

Personnel

 * Iggy Pop – vocals
 * Ivan Kral – guitar, keyboards
 * Rob Duprey – guitar
 * Michael Page – bass guitar
 * Dougie Bowne – drums
 * Jimmy Whizner – arrangements on "Sea of Love", "Bang Bang" and "Time Won't Let Me"
 * Uptown Horns – brass on "Pleasure", "Sincerity", "Houston Is Hot Tonight" and "Happy Man"

Use in media

 * The song "Pumpin' for Jill" was featured in the second-season episode Chuck Versus the Ex of Chuck.