On The Beach  by Chris Rea

Chris Rea released his eighth album, On The Beach, in 1986. On The Beach was a significant step in his career as the success it experienced established Chris Rea and made him known to a wider audience.

The album features a light soft rock musical style with quite a few jazzy passages, which really manages to convey a sense of carefree summer, starting from the cover art. The paradox is that a large part of On The Beach was recorded at Mountain Studios in Montreux, Switzerland, and indeed in winter (!) In the studio, Chris Rea was accompanied by drummer Dave Mattacks of Fairport Convention. The album was produced by Rea himself and producer and musician David Richards.

On The Beach reached No. 11 in Great Britain, went platinum due to its sales, and even reached No. 1 in Norway (!) It is certainly a milestone album in its creator's career.