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One Year
Studio album by Colin Blunstone
Released	November 1971
Recorded	1970–1971
Studio	Abbey Road Studios and Sound Techniques, London
Genre	Chamber pop, rock
Length	33:17
Label	Epic
Producer	Rod Argent, Chris White
Colin Blunstone chronology
One Year (1971) Ennismore (1972)
Singles from One Year
"Mary Won't You Warm My Bed" Released: 1971 "Caroline Goodbye" Released: 1971 "Say You Don't Mind" Released: 1972

One Year is the debut solo studio album by English singer-songwriter Colin Blunstone, a member of the Zombies. It was released by Epic Records in 1971. It includes "Say You Don't Mind", which peaked at number 15 on the UK Singles Chart.

Production

After the Zombies disbanded in 1968, Blunstone left the music business only to return after the surprise success of "Time of the Season". Recorded between 1970 and 1971, One Year was co-produced by Blunstone's former Zombie colleagues Rod Argent and Chris White. Some of the songs had previously been recorded during the last days of the Zombies, although they were re-recorded for this album.

The album chronicled a year in Blunstone's life, during which he broke up with his then-girlfriend, actress Caroline Munro, to whom "Caroline, Goodbye" is obviously addressed.

Reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music
The Rolling Stone Record Guide

Reviewing the album for AllMusic, Fred Thomas wrote: "Marked by a thoughtfulness that’s always on the brink of despair, One Year is an understated masterpiece. It drifts by quickly but connects immediately, capturing the same stir of conflicting feelings as remembering a time that will never happen again, or a romance you wish hadn’t ended quite so soon." Neil Tennant said: "It's an incredibly romantic album, which is why it's been with me such a long time." Thurston Moore called it "a gorgeous example of classic British pop music." He added: "It's very personal, very sophisticated in its sentiment."

In 2007, The Guardian included it on the "1000 Albums to Hear Before You Die" list.

Track listing

Personnel

Credits adapted from liner notes.

Musicians

• Colin Blunstone – vocals, guitar
• Rod Argent – keyboards (1, 4 & 6)
• Russ Ballard – guitar (1, 4 & 6)
• Jim Rodford – bass guitar (1, 4 & 6)
• Robert Henrit – drums (1, 4 & 6)
• Alan Crosthwaite – guitar (2)

Technical personnel

• Chris White – production
• Rod Argent – arrangement (1, 4 & 6), production
• Chris Gunning – arrangement (2, 3, 5, 7, 8 & 10)
• Tony Visconti – arrangement (4 & 6)
• John Fiddy – arrangement (9)
• Jerry Boys – engineering (1 & 2)
• Peter Vince – engineering (2-10)
• Paul Ostrer – photography

References

1. "The Making of One Year - featuring Colin Blunstone". Life of the Record. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
2. "Colin Blunstone". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 22 July 2018.
3. ^ Thomas, Fred. "One Year - Colin Blunstone". AllMusic. Retrieved 10 December 2021.
4. Larkin, Colin (2007). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (4th ed.). Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0195313734.
5. The Rolling Stone Record Guide. Random House. 1979. p. 40.
6. "Music's secret weapons (part two)". The Guardian. 6 October 2006. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
7. ^ Barker, Emily (19 September 2014). "Foo Fighters, The Killers, St Vincent – 30 Huge Artists On Their Favourite 'Lost' Albums". NME. Retrieved 22 July 2018.
8. "Artists beginning with B (part 1)". The Guardian. 17 November 2007. Retrieved 9 March 2019.

External links

• One Year at Discogs (list of releases)
• One Year at MusicBrainz (list of releases)

• 1971 debut albums
• Colin Blunstone albums
• Albums arranged by Tony Visconti
• Albums produced by Rod Argent
• Albums produced by Chris White (musician)
• Epic Records albums