A Biography is John Mellencamp's third album, and the final album credited to his then-stage name "Johnny Cougar". Recorded in London, it was released in the U.K. and Australia by Riva Records on March 6, 1978.

Due to poor sales of Mellencamp's previous effort, A Biography did not receive a US release upon its 1978 debut. Two of its tracks, "Taxi Dancer" and the single "I Need a Lover", were on his 1979 album John Cougar which was released in the US.

In Australia, however, "I Need a Lover" became a huge hit, with the result that Mellencamp's career got its first start Allmusic reviewer Stephen Thomas Erlewine has described "I Need a Lover" as Mellencamp's "first good song."^[1]

Track listing

Personnel

• Johnny Cougar  lead vocals, acoustic guitar, background vocals
• Brian BecVar  keyboards, background vocals
• Larry Crane guitars, background vocals
• Robert "Ferd" Frank  bass, background vocals
• Tom Knowles  drums, background vocals
• Andy Mackay  saxophones
• Ann O'Dell  string arrangement on "Taxi Dancer"

References