Erasure discography
The Innocents
Studio album · 18th April 1988 (Germany), 18th April 1988 (UK), 24th May 1988 (USA)
- Label
- Mute
- Tracks
- 11
- Facts checked
- 2026-07-18
ErasureFan illustration; not official release artwork.
Listening notes
Inside The Innocents
The Innocents begins with “A Little Respect,” but its argument is larger than one indestructible song. “Ship of Fools” cools the temperature immediately. “Chains of Love” restores motion; “Hallowed Ground” darkens the room; “Weight of the World” closes without reaching for another victory lap.
Stephen Hague’s production is polished without sealing the air out of the performances. Brass, backing voices, and bright synthetic parts arrive as accents rather than clutter. Andy Bell can sound wounded, commanding, playful, or exhausted while Vince Clarke’s structures keep every change legible.
This is why the album remains ErasureFan’s general first recommendation. It contains the public proof and the deeper proof on the same side. Follow it with Wild! for greater scale, or Chorus for a cleaner electronic redesign.
Release details
The Innocents facts
Verified 2026-07-18
- First release
- 18th April 1988 (Germany), 18th April 1988 (UK), 24th May 1988 (USA)
- Release type
- Studio album
- Label
- Mute
- Catalog number
- stumm 55
Track list (11 tracks)
Reference edition: The Innocents · GB · 1988-04-18 · 12" Vinyl. Track order can differ by territory and reissue.
- A Little Respect [3:31]
- Ship Of Fools [4:01]
- Phantom Bride [3:31]
- Chains Of Love [3:36]
- Hallowed Ground [4:00]
- Sixty-Five Thousand [3:23]
- Heart Of Stone [3:19]
- Yahoo! [3:48]
- Imagination [3:27]
- Witch In The Ditch [3:43]
- Weight Of The World [3:38]
Formats, editions, charts, and credits
Formats
VINYL (UK – STUMM55 / Germany – INT 146.836 / USA – Reprise 25730-1), DIGITAL DOWNLOAD (ISTUMM55), CD (UK – CDSTUMM55 / Germany – INT 846.836 / USA – Reprise 25730-2), CASSETTE (UK – CSTUMM55 / Germany – INT 446.836 / USA – Reprise 25730-4), DOUBLE CASSETTE (UK – CSTUMM55D), MINIDISC (UK – MDSTUMM55), 3-DISC REISSUE BOXSET (LCDSTUMM55), 3-DISC REISSUE DOWNLOAD (ILCDSTUMM55)
Chart positions
1 (UK) | 10 (Germany) | 49 (USA)
Edition notes
The CD, Cassette and MiniDisc formats include two bonus tracks. Early editions of the vinyl release contained a colour poster depicting the sleeve artwork. This album was also released as Limited Edition double cassette (CSTUMM55D) with ‘The Two Ring Circus’.
The cover image features part of a stained glass window from St. James and Charlemagne in Chartres Cathedral.
‘The Innocents’ was reissued in 2009 in Standard CD and Limited Edition 3-Disc formats.
Selected credits
Written by Clarke/Bell.
Published by Musical Moments Ltd/Minotaur Music Ltd/Sony/ATV Music Publishing (UK) Ltd.
‘River Deep Mountain High’ written by Barry/Greenwich/Spector, published by: Warner Bros Music Ltd.
Produced by: Stephen Hague.
Engineered by: Bob Kraushaar.
‘Ship Of Fools’ produced by Stephen Hague and Dave Jacob, and engineered by Dave Jacob.
‘When I Needed You [Melancholic Mix]’ and ‘River Deep Mountain High [Private Dance Mix]’ produced by Erasure.
Brass on ‘Heart Of Stone’ by The Kickhorns (Roddy Lorimer, Tim Sanders, Simon Clark and Steve Sidwell).
Additional backing vocals Naomi Osborne on ‘Chains Of Love’ and ‘Yahoo!’, Caron Wheeler on ‘Chains Of Love’ and ‘Yahoo!’, and…
Sources
Corrections are welcome through the contact form.
Find a copy
Take this release home
Ready to own it? Use the direct Amazon listing to check the current edition, format, and availability.
Opens Amazon in a new tab.
Affiliate disclosure: ErasureFan.com may earn a commission from qualifying Amazon purchases, at no extra cost to you. Product availability and edition details are controlled by the retailer; check the listing before buying.
Looking for vinyl or collector editions?
Collectors may prefer vinyl pressings, expanded editions, or alternate formats when available.