Heavy Nova continued Palmer's popularity with the single "Simply Irresistible", which spent three weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart in the United States. The name Heavy Nova derives from Palmer's love of both heavy metal and bossa nova rhythms.
The album was recorded at Logic Studios in Milan, Italy and Compass Point Studios in The Bahamas.
Heavy Nova is a mix of pop/rock and r&b done in a slightly quirky style thanks to some unique vocal arrangements and unusual rhythms.
Why were so many people looking forward to hearing HEAVY NOVA? Partly because it was the first album he’d released in three years, but mostly because it was the follow-up to his hugely successful 1985 album RIPTIDE.
In other words, expectations for HEAVY NOVA were running pretty darned high, and Palmer knew it, so he did exactly what someone who wants to maintain as much of their new audience as they possibly can: he gave them a new album that wasn’t so terribly far removed from the previous album. Granted, that’s exactly the sort of thing that inspires rock critics to giddily begin sharpening their knives, but it’s also very much the sort of thing that tends to make an artist’s new fans happy, which is precisely what HEAVY NOVA did.
While it didn’t in any way find Palmer stepping outside his musical comfort zone, HEAVY NOVA nonetheless spawned three Hot 100 hits: “Tell Me I’m Not Dreaming” (#60), “Early in the Morning” (#19), and “Simply Irresistible,” which climbed all the way to #2, a feat which was aided immeasurably by the song’s video, the visuals of which borrowed heavily from “Addicted to Love.”
Track listing
1. "Simply Irresistible" - 4:14
2. "More Than Ever" - 3:25
3. "Change His Ways" - 2:56
4. "Disturbing Behaviour" - 3:45
5. "Early in the Morning" (Lonnie Simmons, Rudy Taylor, Charlie Wilson) - 4:42
6. "It Could Happen to You" (Johnny Burke, Jimmy Van Heusen) - 2:32
7. "She Makes My Day" - 4:23
8. "Between Us" - 4:49
9. "Casting a Spell" - 3:57
10. "Tell Me I'm Not Dreaming" (Michael Omartian, Bruce Sudano, Jay Gruska) - 3:46
All tracks written by Robert Palmer, except where noted.
Personnel
- Robert Palmer – lead and backing vocals
- William Bryant – keyboards
- Misha Schneider – keyboards
- Jeff Bova – additional keyboards
- Richard Gibbs – additional keyboards
- Garth Hudson – accordion, additional keyboards
- Tom "T-Bone" Wolk – accordion
- Eddie Martinez – guitar
- Dennis Budimir – additional guitar
- John Grey – additional guitar, additional percussion
- Frank Blair – bass
- Barry "Sun John" Johnson – additional bass
- Dony Wynn – drums
- Ricky Fataar – additional drums
- Dom Um Romão – percussion, additional backing vocals
- Robyn Lobe – additional percussion
- Chuck Findley – trumpet
- Luka Belak – violin
- Clare Fischer – strings
- Rick Danko – additional backing vocals
- B.J. Nelson – additional backing vocals
Production
- Robert Palmer – producer, art direction
- David Harper – executive producer
- Richard Cobble – production coordinator
- Tim Kramer – engineer
- Bookie Epsie – assistant engineer
- Scott Forman – assistant engineer
- Roy Sweeting – assistant engineer
- Eric Thorngren – mixing
- Henry Marquez – design
- Terence Donovan – photography
- Tony Baglio – management
- Pino Pischetola – management
Notes
Released: 22 June 1988
Recorded: 1987 Studio Logic Studios (Milan, Italy); Compass Point Studios (Nassau, The Bahamas)
Genre: Pop, Rock
Length: 38:29
Label - EMI, Manhattan
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