¡Viva El Amor!


¡Viva El Amor! is the seventh studio album by the rock band the Pretenders, released in 1999. The band's lineup for the album is the same as that credited on 1994's Last of the Independents: Chrissie Hynde, Martin Chambers, Andy Hobson and Adam Seymour. This time, however, the credited line-up actually plays on most of the album, although Hobson is replaced on bass by session musicians on a few cuts.
The album, featuring a cover photograph of Hynde taken by friend Linda McCartney, saw moderate success in the United States and the United Kingdom. Its two lead singles were "Popstar" and "Human", the latter a Divinyls cover. The Class Mix of "Human" was used as the theme music to the short-lived American TV series Cupid as well as featuring in the soundtrack to the Brenda Blethyn film Saving Grace. The album charted in the UK, US and Sweden.

Track listing

  1. "Popstar" – 3:34
  2. "Human" – 3:55
  3. "From the Heart Down" – 3:31
  4. "Nails in the Road" – 3:25
  5. "Who's Who" – 4:11
  6. "Dragway 42" – 5:19
  7. "Baby's Breath" – 3:15
  8. "One More Time" – 3:15
  9. "Legalise Me" – 3:51
  10. "Samurai" – 4:43
  11. "Rabo de Nube" – 1:26
  12. "Biker" – 4:40

    2015 deluxe special edition

The first disc contains the twelve tracks from the original album.
;Disc two
  1. "The Homecoming" – 4:16
  2. "Human" – 3:57
  3. "The Needle and the Damage Done" – 3:46
  4. "Samurai" – 5:47
  6. "Back Down" – 4:16
  7. "California" – 4:32
  8. "From the Heart Down" – 3:41
  10. "Goin' Back" – 4:06
  11. "Goodbye" – 4:34
  12. "The Homecoming" – 4:22
;DVD
  1. "Human"
  2. "Popstar"
  4. "From the Heart Down"
  5. "Human"
  6. "Talk of the Town"
  7. "Kid"
  8. "Back on the Chain Gang"

    Personnel

Adapted from the album's liner notes.

The Pretenders

  • Chrissie Hynde – vocals, guitar, harmonica
  • Adam Seymour – guitar, bass, keyboards, backing vocals
  • Andy Hobson – bass
  • Martin Chambers – drums

    Additional personnel

  • Tom Kelly – bass, guitar, backing vocals
  • Chuck Norman – keyboards, programming
  • Lindsay Edwards – keyboards
  • Stephen Hague – keyboards, accordion
  • Andy Duncan – percussion, programming
  • Preston Heyman – percussion
  • Jeff Beck – guitar solo
  • David Johansen – backing vocals, ad libs
  • Jules Shear – backing vocals
  • The Duke Quartet:
  • *Louisa Fuller – violin
  • *Richard Koster – violin
  • *Ivan McCready – cello
  • *John Metcalfe – viola, string arrangements

    Technical

  • Stephen Hague – producer, mixing
  • Stephen Street – producer
  • Julie Gardner – engineer
  • Richard Norris – engineer, mixing
  • David Boucher – engineer
  • Doug Wynne – engineer
  • Tin Tin Out – remix and additional production for Empire Management
  • Rob Dickins – executive producer
  • Bob Clearmountain – mixing
  • Ian Cooper – mastering
  • Linda McCartney – cover photo
  • Mary McCartney – inner sleeve photos
  • Michael Nash Associates – artwork

    Deluxe special edition

  • Stephen Street – producer
  • Stephen Hague – producer
  • Trevor Horn – producer
  • Tim Weidner – engineer, mixing
  • Steve Fitzmaurice – engineer
  • Tom Elmhirst – engineer

    Charts