1983 studio album by Laura Branigan
Branigan 2 is the second studio album by American singer Laura Branigan, released in March 1983 by Atlantic Records. The album reached number 29 on the US "Billboard" 200 and was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on September 18, 1985, denoting shipments in excess of 500,000 copies in the United States.
Three singles were released from the album. The lead single, "Solitaire", is a cover version of a 1981 French-language song of the same name by French singer Martine Clémenceau, with English lyrics written by Diane Warren. The single was a commercial success, peaking at number seven on the US "Billboard" Hot 100. The second single, "How Am I Supposed to Live Without You", was co-written by Michael Bolton. It reached number 12 on the "Billboard" Hot 100 and topped the Adult Contemporary chart for three weeks.
"Branigan 2" also includes a cover of the Who's "Squeeze Box" (1975), as well as "Deep in the Dark", a newly written song to the music of Falco's "Der Kommissar" (1981). "Deep in the Dark" was released in the United Kingdom as the album's third and final single.
The song "Find Me" was used as the love theme of the 1983 Robert Hays film "Touched".
Reception.
In their review of the album, "Billboard" commended the album, stating that "Branigan follows the top 40 album "Branigan" with this set of riveting, pulsating rhythm ballads
in the vein of her smash hit "Gloria." The most intriguing cuts on the album is a remake of, of all things, the Who's 1975 hit "Squeeze Box." Branigan shows her vocal power on the new hit "Solitaire," and on two other songs that were first hits in Europe and later translated into English: "Deep In The Dark" (where Branigan mixes talking and singing) and "Mama." The album's title may be disengenious, but the music reflects continued growth by a promising new star."
"Cashbox" noted that "1982 saw newcomer Laura Branigan capture the #1 spot on the Cash Box Pop Singles chart with a neo-disco tune called “Gloria,” and this year she’s back with another LP boasting a hot single, “Solitaire”. The sultry chanteuse also scores points here with an insightful version of The Who’s “Squeeze Box” and still another In the “Der Kommissar” series of covers, as Branigan takes Falco’s original hit and
spices it up with sexy, paranoid lyrics about things moving “Deep In The Dark."
"Allmusic" praised the album, noting that "Laura Branigan's full, expressive voice shows serious growth on this, her second album. A much more cohesive collection than her first disc, the material on "Branigan 2" utilizes her vocals to their fullest extent; and while there were many filler songs on her debut, this album doesn't waste a single track...though this album isn't the most mature album of its time, it shows she's more comfortable with herself and her voice and shows enormous promise of what she's really capable."
Personnel.
Credits adapted from the liner notes of "Branigan 2".
Musicians.
 ;templatestyles src="Div col/styles.css"/ ;
References.
 ;templatestyles src="Reflist/styles.css" / ;