# Wild Animal

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> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wild_Animal
> Source revision: 1329031172
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{{other uses|Wild Animals (disambiguation)}}
{{Infobox album
| name       = Wild Animal
| type       = Studio
| artist     = [Vanity](/source/Vanity_(singer))
| cover      = Vanity - Wild Animal Vinyl LP cover.jpeg
| alt        =
| released   = {{Start date|1984|11|10}}
| recorded   = January–February, 1984
| studio     = Allen Zentz Recording (Hollywood, California)
| genre      = {{hlist|[R&B](/source/Contemporary_R%26B)|[pop](/source/Pop_music)|[rock](/source/Rock_music)}}
| length     = {{duration|m=32|s=49}}
| label      = [Motown](/source/Motown)
| producer   = {{hlist|Bill Wolfer<ref>https://www.allmusic.com/artist/bill-wolfer-mn0000080681/credits Wild Animal - Producers</ref>|[Vanity](/source/Vanity_(singer))}}
| prev_title = 
| prev_year  = 1982
| next_title = [Skin on Skin](/source/Skin_on_Skin_(album))
| next_year  = 1986
| misc       = {{Singles
 | name        = Wild Animal
 | type        = studio
 | single1     = [Pretty Mess](/source/Pretty_Mess_(Vanity_song))
 | single1date = September 7, 1984
 | single2     = [Mechanical Emotion](/source/Mechanical_Emotion)
 | single2date = November 26, 1984
 | single3     = Samuelle
 | single3date = February 12, 1985
}}
}}
'''''Wild Animal''''' is the 1984 debut studio album by Canadian singer [Vanity](/source/Vanity_(singer)). Released by [Motown](/source/Motown) Records in November 1984, the album yielded two hit singles on the US R&B Songs chart:  "[Pretty Mess](/source/Pretty_Mess_(Vanity_song))" and "[Mechanical Emotion](/source/Mechanical_Emotion)". The album's third single, "Samuelle", scored minor radio play yet failed to chart on either Hot 100 or R&B singles.

== Critical reception ==
{{Music ratings
| rev1 = [AllMusic](/source/AllMusic)
| rev1Score = {{Rating|3|5}}<ref name="allmusic">{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/wild-animal-mw0000845072 |title=Wild Animal - Vanity|publisher=[AllMusic](/source/AllMusic)|last=Henderson|first=Alex|accessdate=November 27, 2016}}</ref>
| rev2 = ''[The Village Voice](/source/The_Village_Voice)''
| rev2Score = C−<ref name="Village">{{cite news|last=Christgau|first=Robert|author-link=Robert Christgau|date=November 27, 1984|url=https://www.robertchristgau.com/xg/cg/cgv11-84.php|title=Christgau's Consumer Guide|newspaper=[The Village Voice](/source/The_Village_Voice)|accessdate=November 27, 2016}}</ref>
}}

In a contemporary review for ''[The Village Voice](/source/The_Village_Voice)'', [Robert Christgau](/source/Robert_Christgau) gave ''Wild Animal'' a "C−" and compared the record to ''[Vanity 6](/source/Vanity_6_(album))'': "Where formerly she talked her way through bright, crisp, rocking high-end arrangements and kept the smut simple, here she 'sings' verbose, amelodic fantasies rendered even duller by a dim, bassy mix. And anyone who dreamed that she'd liberated herself from pornographic role-playing should get a load of the electric dildos, cum-stained frocks, and psychedelic sex slavery she flaunts as she strikes out on her own."<ref name="Village"/>
[AllMusic](/source/AllMusic) editor Alex Henderson was somewhat more enthusiastic in a retrospective review, giving the album three out of five stars while writing, "''Wild Animal'' is essentially an R&B album, but Vanity laces her R&B with big doses of rock and pop. Despite her obvious limitations as a vocalist, Wild Animal is a respectable solo debut. But the public refused to take Vanity seriously as a solo artist, and this album's unimpressive sales reflected that."<ref name="allmusic"/> The fourth track, "Strap On Robbie Baby", was notable for being on the [Parents Music Resource Center](/source/Parents_Music_Resource_Center)'s list of the "Filthy Fifteen" due to its sexual overtones.

== Track listing ==
All songs published by Jobete Music Co., Inc. & Wolftoons Music (ASCAP). All lyrics and melodies composed by Vanity. All music composed, performed, and arranged by Bill Wolfer, except <sup>†</sup> lyrics composed by Robert Bruce McCan (Vanity's former boyfriend at that time).<ref>{{cite web|last=Buchalter |first=Gail |url=http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20088910,00.html |title=Her Romance with Prince Hit the Rocks, but Vanity's Singing Career Is Going Grrr-Eat |publisher=People.com |date=1984-10-15 |accessdate=2011-10-26}}</ref>

{{Track listing
| headline = Side 1
| title1      = Flippin' Out 
| note1       = featuring Ed Sanders
| length1     = 5:00
| title2      = [Pretty Mess](/source/Pretty_Mess_(Vanity_song))
| length2     = 3:44
| title3      = Samuelle
| length3     = 4:14
| title4      = Strap On "Robbie Baby
| writer4     = Robbie Bruce<sup>†</sup>
| length4     = 4:12
}}

{{Track listing
| headline = Side 2
| title5      = Wild Animal
| length5     = 4:39
| title6      = [Mechanical Emotion](/source/Mechanical_Emotion)
| note6       = featuring [Morris Day](/source/Morris_Day)
| length6     = 5:05
| title7      = Crazy Maybe
| note7       = featuring Julian Jackson
| writer7     = {{hlist|Vanity|Bill Wolfer<sup>†</sup>}}
| length7     = 5:00
}}

== Personnel ==
* Vanity – lead vocals, backing vocals, vocal arrangements
* Bill Wolfer – keyboards, drum programming, synthesizers
* [David Williams](/source/David_Williams_(guitarist)) – rhythm guitar on "Wild Animal"
* Ed Sanders – recording, mixing, additional vocals on "Flippin' Out"
* Robbie Bruce – male vocals on "Strap On 'Robbie Baby'"
* Julian Jackson – male vocals on "Crazy Maybe"
* [Morris Day](/source/Morris_Day) – male vocals on "Mechanical Emotion"
;Technical
* Allen Zentz – mastering
* Daniel Poulin – photography
* The Buck – executive producer
* Bill Wolfer – producer, arranger

== Charts ==

=== Weekly charts ===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Chart (1984)
! Peak<br />position
|-
| US [''Billboard'' 200](/source/Billboard_200)<ref>[http://www.billboard.com/artist/277736/vanity/chart?f=305 Vanity Billboard Chart history.] Retrieved January 5, 2015</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|62
|-
| US [Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums](/source/Top_R%26B%2FHip-Hop_Albums) (''[Billboard](/source/Billboard_(magazine))'')<ref>{{cite web|url={{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p21236|pure_url=yes}}|title=''Wild Animal''|author= |publisher=[Allmusic](/source/Allmusic) |accessdate=January 11, 2012}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|14
|}

* "Wild Animal" spent 25 weeks on the R&B Albums chart.<ref>{{cite web|url={{BillboardURLbyName|artist=vanity|chart=all}} |title=Vanity Music News & Info |publisher=Billboard.com |date= |accessdate=2011-10-26}}</ref>

== Singles ==
{|class="wikitable"
|-
!Year
!Title
!width="40"|<small>[US<br>Pop](/source/Billboard_Hot_100)</small><ref name="Top Pop Singles 1955-2002">{{cite book|first= Joel|last= Whitburn|year= 2003|title= Top Pop Singles 1955-2002|edition= 10th|publisher= Record Research Inc.|location= [Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin](/source/Menomonee_Falls%2C_Wisconsin)|isbn= 0-89820-155-1|page= [https://archive.org/details/joelwhitburnstop00whitbur/page/739 739]|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/joelwhitburnstop00whitbur/page/739}}</ref><ref name="Bubbling Under The Billboard Hot 100 1959-2004">{{cite book|first= Joel|last= Whitburn|year= 2005|title= Bubbling Under The Billboard Hot 100 1959-2004|edition= 2nd| publisher=Record Research Inc.|location= Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin|isbn= 0-89820-162-4|page=277}}</ref>
!width="40"|<small>[US<br>R&B](/source/Hot_R%26B%2FHip-Hop_Songs)</small>
!width="40"|<small>[US<br>Dance](/source/Hot_Dance_Club_Play)</small><ref name="allmusic1">[{{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p21236|pure_url=yes}} ((( Vanity > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles )))]. allmusic (1959-01-04). Retrieved on 2010-08-18.</ref>
|-
|1984
|"Pretty Mess"
| style="text-align:center;"|75
| style="text-align:center;"|15
| style="text-align:center;"|13
|-
|1985
|"Mechanical Emotion"
| style="text-align:center;"|107
| style="text-align:center;"|23
| style="text-align:center;"|&mdash;
|}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{Vanity (singer)}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Vanity (singer) albums
Category:1984 debut albums
Category:Motown albums
Category:Obscenity controversies in music

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Wild Animal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wild_Animal) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wild_Animal?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.