Wonderland (Erasure album)


Wonderland is the debut studio album by Erasure, recorded in 1985 soon after the duo's formation. It was released on 1 May 1986 by Sire Records in the USA and 2 June 1986 by Mute Records in the UK and Germany. Not an immediate success, the three singles released from it failed to crack the Top 40 in the UK, nor did any of them enter the Billboard Hot 100. "Who Needs Love Like That" would eventually make the British Top 10 in 1992, and "Oh L'amour" became a UK Top 20 in 2003, both in remixed form promoting their Pop! The First 20 Hits and Hits! compilations respectively. However, the album fared better in both Germany and Sweden, where it was a Top 20 success.
Erasure's initial exposure in the US came via dance clubs, as two singles did hit the top ten on Billboard's Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart.
At the time of its release, Wonderland was considered a failure, especially when comparing it to Clarke's prior successes with Depeche Mode and Yazoo. Early reviews of the album dubbed Andy Bell as 'an Alison Moyet imitator'.
Wonderland is widely revered as a classic example of mid-80s synthpop, by most critics, and is appreciated now as the beginning stages of one of electronic music's most enduring acts.

Track listing

All songs were written by Andy Bell and Vince Clarke, except where noted.

USA release (Sire)

Side one

  1. "Who Needs Love Like That" - 3:19
  2. "Reunion" - 3:25
  3. "Cry So Easy" - 3:35
  4. "Senseless" - 5:20
  5. "Heavenly Action" - 3:30

    Side two

  7. "Say What" - 3:56
  8. "Love is a Loser" - 3:02
  9. "March on Down the Line" - 3:26
  10. "My Heart... So Blue" - 4:31
  11. "Oh L'amour" - 3:04

    CD bonus tracks

  13. "Who Needs Love Like That " - 6:11
  14. "Oh L'amour " - 7:17

    UK and Germany releases (Mute)

Side one

  1. "Who Needs Love Like That"
  2. "Reunion"
  3. "Cry So Easy"
  4. "Push Me Shove Me"
  5. "Heavenly Action"

    Side two

  7. "Say What"
  8. "Love is a Loser"
  9. "Senseless"
  10. "My Heart... So Blue"
  11. "Oh L'amour"
  12. "Pistol"

    CD bonus tracks

  14. "Say What"
  15. "March on Down the Line"
  16. "Senseless"
The US version drops the tracks "Push Me Shove Me" and "Pistol" and adds "March on Down the Line" which was originally the B-side to "Oh L'amour" in the UK. The CD versions of both the UK and US versions of the album have different remixes as bonus tracks.
The UK and US album versions of "Oh L'amour" were slightly different.
The Brazilian edition of the album contains the live version of "Oh L'amour" as track 6.

Chart performance

Original release

1988 re-issue

1989 re-issue

Release history

2011 remaster and repackage

On 4 July 2011, EMI re-released Erasure's first two albums in 2CD/DVD format. Both feature the original album remastered, plus another disc of tracks associated with the album, and a DVD containing promo videos and a live concert.

Track listing

2016 "Erasure 30" 30th Anniversary BMG Reissue LP

Subsequent to their acquisition of Erasure's back catalog, and in anticipation of the band's 30th anniversary, BMG commissioned reissues of all previously released UK editions of Erasure albums up to and including 2007's Light at the End of the World. All titles were pressed and distributed by Play It Again Sam on 180-gram vinyl and shrinkwrapped with a custom anniversary sticker.

2016 "30th Anniversary Edition" USA Audiophile Remaster LP

In December 2016, American boutique record label Intervention Records released an audiophile-quality analogue remaster of the US release sourced from Sire's masters still held by Warner Brothers in the USA. The release was pressed on 180-gram vinyl and in a 60s-style Tip-On jacket.
Intervention also planned and begun work on a similar release of Erasure's second album, The Circus, for the first quarter of 2017, but it was withdrawn in February of that year.