Despite Straight Lines

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title: "Despite Straight Lines" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1985-debut-albums", "albums-produced-by-alan-winstanley", "albums-produced-by-clive-langer", "albums-produced-by-don-was", "mercury-records-albums", "marilyn-(singer)-albums", "new-wave-albums-by-english-artists"] topic_path: "arts/music" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Despite_Straight_Lines" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::data[format=table title="Infobox album"]

Field	Value
name	Despite Straight Lines
type	studio
artist	Marilyn
cover	Marilyn-Despite-Straight-151307.jpg
caption	Japanese release
released	21 June 1985
recorded	1983–1985
length	36:24
label	Mercury/Phonogram
misc	{{Singles
name	Despite Straight Lines
type	studio
single1	Calling Your Name
single1date	October 1983
single2	Cry and Be Free
single2date	January 1984
single3	You Don't Love Me
single3date	April 1984
single4	Baby You Left me
single4date	April 1985
single5	Pray for That Sunshine
single5date	June 1985
::

| name = Despite Straight Lines | type = studio | artist = Marilyn | cover = Marilyn-Despite-Straight-151307.jpg | alt = | caption = Japanese release | released = 21 June 1985 | recorded = 1983–1985 | studio = | genre =

• New wave
• pop | length = 36:24 | label = Mercury/Phonogram | producer =
• Alan Winstanley
• Clive Langer
• Don Was
• Eric Robinson
• Roger Jackson | prev_title = | prev_year = | next_title = | next_year = | misc = {{Singles | name = Despite Straight Lines | type = studio | single1 = Calling Your Name | single1date = October 1983 | single2 = Cry and Be Free | single2date = January 1984 | single3 = You Don't Love Me | single3date = April 1984 | single4 = Baby You Left me | single4date = April 1985 | single5 = Pray for That Sunshine | single5date = June 1985 | rev1 = Smash Hits | rev1score =

Despite Straight Lines is the only studio album by British singer-songwriter Marilyn, released in 1985.

Overview

Although Marilyn had scored three top 40 hits throughout the 1983–84 period, his debut album was not released until mid-1985, 18 months after his biggest hit "Calling Your Name" was a top 10 hit. Possibly due to a loss of momentum, the album only charted in Australia, and subsequent singles taken from it were also unsuccessful.

The album was reissued on CD in 2008 as Despite Straight Lines: The Very Best of Marilyn, by Cherry Pop (a division of Cherry Red Records). The reissue includes several bonus tracks, consisting of B-sides and alternative versions, though it excludes the single "Pray for That Sunshine".

Track listing

1. "Calling Your Name" (Marilyn, Paul Caplin) – 4:06
2. "Mountain to the Ocean" (Roger Jackson) – 3:46
3. "Surrender to Your Love" (Marilyn) – 4:04
4. "Pray for That Sunshine" (Marilyn) – 4:00
5. "Third Eye" (Marilyn) – 3:24
6. "Baby U Left Me (In the Cold)" (Marilyn) – 3:51
7. "You Don't Love Me" (Marilyn) – 3:24
8. "Give It Up" (Eric Robinson) – 3:58
9. "Wear It Out" (Marilyn, Eric Robinson) –2:17
10. "Cry and Be Free" (Marilyn) – 3:34

CD re-issue (bonus tracks)

1. "Calling Your Name" (Midnight Party Mix) (Marilyn, Paul Caplin) – 4:42
2. "Move Together" (Marilyn) – 3:36
3. "Calling Your Name" (Extended Version) (Marilyn, Paul Caplin) – 6:54
4. "Running" (Marilyn) – 3:06
5. "Cry and Be Free" (Gospel) (Marilyn) – 5:43
6. "Cry and Be Free" (Streisand Style) (Marilyn) – 5:19
7. "Raining Again" (Dub Version) (Marilyn) – 7:08
8. "Baby U Left Me (In the Cold)" (Extended Version) (Marilyn) – 7:08

Personnel

;Producers

• Alan Winstanley (tracks 1, 3, 6, 9, 10, 12, 14, 15)
• Clive Langer (tracks 1, 3, 6, 9, 10, 12, 14, 15)
• Don Was (tracks 2, 5, 17)
• Eric Robinson (tracks 4, 7, 8)
• Roger Jackson (tracks 11, 13, 16)
• Julian Mendelsohn - mixing (tracks 8, 9)
• Clare Muller - photography
• Bobby Rae, Carol "Sugar Lips" Hall, Claudia Fontaine, Eric Robinson, Sweet Pea "Python" Atkinson - backing vocals

Charts

::data[format=table title="Chart performance for ''Despite Straight Lines''"] | Chart (1985) | Peak position | Australian Albums (Kent Music Report) | |---|---|---| | 73 | | | ::

References

References

1. Tennant, Neil. (19 June 1985). "Album Reviews)". EMAP Metro.
2. Kent, David. (1993). "Australian Chart Book 1970–1992". Australian Chart Book.

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