Brief Encounters is a studio album by French singer Amanda Lear, released in 2009 by independent label Just Good Music for Your Ears.
Background
Amanda Lear met the singer and producer Enrico Petrelli in Paris in 2008. She started working on the album in the autumn of 2008, with recording sessions in Rome and Paris.[3] Together with PMG (Prolific Media Group) producers Carl M Cox and Nathan Thomas, she recorded a song called "Doin' Fine", previously recorded by Australian singer-producer Peter Wilson.[4] Wilson and his songwriting partner Chris Richards have contributed four songs to the album;[5] however, only two would make the cut, while the other two were included in Lear's next musical project. PMG continued to work with Amanda in 2009, producing two remixes of the ballad "Someone Else's Eyes".
Lear announced that new album was in the works in late 2008 on French and Italian TV. The album was then previewed at the annual Midem music conference in France on 18–20 January.[3] Originally scheduled for April 2009 release,[5] then the summer, it was eventually released on 16 October 2009 in Italy.[6] A two-CD set, Brief Encounters consists of downtempo pop songs and ballads on disc 1 ('For the Heart'), and uptempo dance tracks and remixes on disc 2 ('For the Feet'). The album included a number of cover versions of tracks like Amy Winehouse's "Back to Black", Lenny Kravitz's "I Belong to You" and Lou Reed's "Perfect Day" alongside new songs, written mainly by Enrico Petrelli and Amanda Lear.
The official track list posted in early 2009 on the album's site originally included two songs written by Peter Wilson and Chris Richards ("Brand New Love Affair", "C'est la vie") as well as "It's Hard to Say Goodbye" and "It's a Good Day" on disc 2, which were all replaced with remixes of "For What I Am", "Someone Else's Eyes" and "This Is Not America". The acoustic version of "Cupidon" on disc 1 was replaced with the "Someone Else's Eyes" video.
"Someone Else's Eyes", the duet with Enrico "Deadstar" Petrelli, was chosen as the album's lead and only single at that time, although promo video for "Doin' Fine" was also produced, and in 2012, "Back to Black" was released as a 3-track digital single. Brief Encounters was soon followed by the release of a dance music-oriented EP Brand New Love Affair.
On 28 December 2009, acoustic versions of selected songs from the album were recorded for a new CD called Brief Encounters Acoustique and sold via the album's official website. This version included a new recording of Vladimir Cosma's "Reality". A remix album called Brief Encounters Reloaded was released in May 2010, promoted by Boy George's remixes of "Someone Else's Eyes".[7] It also included a cover of Culture Club's "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me". A re-edition of the acoustic version, called Brief Encounters Acoustique – Golden Edition, was released at the beginning of 2011.
"For What I Am" (radio edit) (Enrico Petrelli) – 2:50
"For What I Am" (R'n'B version) (Enrico Petrelli) – 2:57
"This Is Not America" (long version remix) (Enrico Petrelli) – 6:01
"Always on My Mind" (T1's club anthem mix) (Johnny Christopher, Mark James, Wayne Carson) – 6:32
"Doin' Fine" (extended version) (Carl M Cox, Nathan Thomas, Baz Qureshi, Chris Rudall, Peter Wilson, Chris Richards, Frank Farian, George Reyam) – 7:44
"This Is Not America" (808 Ketamix) (Enrico Petrelli) – 4:48
"Doin' Fine" (Ford & Curnow's TNT mix) (Carl M Cox, Nathan Thomas, Baz Qureshi, Chris Rudall, Peter Wilson, Chris Richards, Frank Farian, George Reyam) – 7:21
"Doin' Fine" (Devil's Desire mix) (Carl M Cox, Nathan Thomas, Baz Qureshi, Chris Rudall, Peter Wilson, Chris Richards, Frank Farian, George Reyam) – 5:30
"I Don't Wanna Lose You" (Lost and Found mix) (Enrico Petrelli, Amanda Lear, Ely Barbosa) – 3:55
"Always on My Mind" (T1's club anthem mix) (Johnny Christopher, Mark James, Wayne Carson)
"Doin' Fine" (Ford & Curnow's TNT mix) (Carl M Cox, Nathan Thomas, Baz Qureshi, Chris Rudall, Peter Wilson, Chris Richards, Frank Farian, George Reyam)
"Someone Else's Eyes" (Boy George & Kinky Roland mix) (feat. Deadstar) (Enrico Petrelli)