Hold Me in Your Arms cover art

  Studio Album · No. 2

Hold Me in Your Arms Songwriting Credits by Rick Astley

1988 RCA Records 10 tracks 38 min

Produced by Stock Aitken Waterman, Rick Astley

RCA Records PopDance-popBlue-eyed Soul
50%
Authorship
Collaborator

Holds writing credit on 5 of 10 tracks

Authorship Breakdown 5 / 10 documented

Who wrote the songs?

Scored across the 10 tracks with documented writers, by whether Rick Astley carries a lyricist or composer credit.

50%
5 trackswritten by Rick Astley 5 tracksoutside writers
Rick Astley's roles on this album

Share of the 10 tracks where a band member is credited, by role.

Lyricist50%
Composer50%
Producer60%
Performer100%

By the Numbers

10
Tracks
6
Lyricists
2
Producers
1988
Released
Data Insight

The second album is where Astley's pen starts to take over. The default writing credit on the record is his own, with Stock Aitken Waterman supplying a handful of songs including the lead single 'She Wants to Dance with Me' and 'Take Me to Your Heart.' The Temptations cover 'Ain't Too Proud to Beg,' written by Eddie Holland and Norman Whitfield, is the only outside song he did not write. It is the hinge between his SAW-driven debut and the self-written albums that followed.

Hold Me in Your Arms is the second studio album by Rick Astley, released in November 1988 at the height of his initial fame. It marks the first step in his shift from pure Stock Aitken Waterman product toward his own writing: he wrote or co-wrote most of the album himself, while SAW supplied several tracks including the hit 'She Wants to Dance with Me.' The record balances his dance-pop singles with ballads and a soul cover of the Temptations' 'Ain't Too Proud to Beg.' Singles included 'She Wants to Dance with Me,' 'Take Me to Your Heart,' and the title track. It reached the UK top ten and confirmed Astley as more than a manufactured pop voice.

Track Listing & Credits 10 tracks

Written by the artist Written by outside writers
#TitleLyricist(s)Composer(s)Producer(s)Performers
1
She Wants to Dance with Me #6
Mike StockMatt AitkenPete Waterman Michael StockMatthew James AitkenPeter Alan Waterman Stock Aitken Waterman Rick Astley (Lead Vocals)
2
Take Me to Your Heart #8
Mike StockMatt AitkenPete Waterman Michael StockMatthew James AitkenPeter Alan Waterman Stock Aitken Waterman Rick Astley (Lead Vocals)
3
I Don't Want to Lose Her
Mike StockMatt AitkenPete Waterman Michael StockMatthew James AitkenPeter Alan Waterman Stock Aitken Waterman Rick Astley (Lead Vocals)
4
Giving Up on Love
Rick Astley Richard Paul Astley Rick Astley Rick Astley (Lead Vocals)
5
Ain't Too Proud to Beg
Eddie HollandNorman Whitfield Eddie HollandNorman Whitfield Rick Astley Rick Astley (Lead Vocals)
6
Till Then (Time Stands Still)
Mike StockMatt AitkenPete Waterman Michael StockMatthew James AitkenPeter Alan Waterman Stock Aitken Waterman Rick Astley (Lead Vocals)
7
Dial My Number
Rick Astley Richard Paul Astley Rick Astley Rick Astley (Lead Vocals)
8
I'll Never Let You Down
Rick Astley Richard Paul Astley Rick Astley Rick Astley (Lead Vocals)
9
I Don't Want to Be Your Lover
Rick Astley Richard Paul Astley Rick Astley Rick Astley (Lead Vocals)
10
Hold Me in Your Arms #10
Rick Astley Richard Paul Astley Rick Astley Rick Astley (Lead Vocals)

Songwriter & Credit Spotlight 11 contributors

RA
Rick Astley
Writer · Producer · Vocals
On this album5 written
RP
Richard Paul Astley
Writer
On this album5 written
MA
Matt Aitken
Writer
On this album4 written
MJ
Matthew James Aitken
Writer
On this album4 written
MS
Michael Stock
Writer
On this album4 written
MS
Mike Stock
Writer
On this album4 written
PW
Pete Waterman
Writer
On this album4 written
PA
Peter Alan Waterman
Writer
On this album4 written
EH
Eddie Holland
Writer
On this album1 written
NW
Norman Whitfield
Writer
On this album1 written
SA
Stock Aitken Waterman
Producer
On this album4 produced

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50
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Frequently Asked Questions Hold Me in Your Arms

Who wrote Hold Me in Your Arms?
Rick Astley wrote or co-wrote most of the album himself. Stock Aitken Waterman wrote several tracks, including the single 'She Wants to Dance with Me,' and one song is a cover.
Is this album different from his debut?
Yes. Where the debut was mostly SAW-written, here Astley's own writing is the default credit, an early step toward his self-written later albums.
What cover is on the album?
'Ain't Too Proud to Beg,' the Temptations soul classic written by Eddie Holland and Norman Whitfield.
What were the singles?
'She Wants to Dance with Me,' 'Take Me to Your Heart,' 'Hold Me in Your Arms,' and the SAW-written 'I'll Be Fine' in some territories.
Did Stock Aitken Waterman still work on this album?
Yes, but in a reduced role. They wrote 'She Wants to Dance with Me,' 'Take Me to Your Heart,' 'I Don't Want to Lose Her,' and 'Till Then (Time Stands Still)' while Astley wrote the rest.
How did the album chart?
It reached the top ten of the UK Albums Chart.

Sources

Wikipedia: Hold Me in Your Arms (album) MusicBrainz: Hold Me in Your Arms (release group) Cover Art Archive: Hold Me in Your Arms Cover Art Archive: Hold Me in Your Arms by Rick Astley