The Colour Album
The Colour Album is Fra Lippo Lippi’s fifth studio album, released on 6 November 1989. It was their first release after parting ways with Virgin Records. The album was recorded at Rainbow Studio in Oslo and mixed in Stockholm. The band aimed to move away from the American-influenced sound of their previous work and stop using synthesizers, opting instead for instruments like a string quartet to create what they called “advanced pop” for serious listening.
Three singles were released to promote the album: Count on Me, Love Is a Lonely Harbour, and Mother’s Little Soldier. By 1 February 1990, about 3,500 copies had been sold in Norway, and the album did not chart on Norway’s VG-lista, unlike their earlier albums. A tour in the Philippines did well, but the album overall did not match the success of Fra Lippo Lippi’s two previous records.
In 1990 the band left The Record Station and considered breaking up, but decided to keep making music. Critics gave mixed reactions: some said the album was more accessible than before but with weaker melodies, while others praised its variety and melodic, well-made nature. Some reviews also felt the band had returned to form, while a few critics said the album lacked a strong identity.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 20:51 (CET).