Tracklist front / back album covers
1. "The Loveless" 4:17
2. "Pumping on Steel" 4:41
3. "Prodigal Blues" 5:41
4. "L.A. Woman" 5:29
5. "Trouble With the Sweet Stuff" 5:58
6. "Cradle of Love" 4:40
7. "Mark of Caine" 4:31
8. "Endless Sleep" 3:12
9. "Love Unchained" 4:39
10. "The Right Way" 5:03
11. "License to Thrill" 6:01
BIlly Idol Band Members / Musicians
Billy Idol – vocals, acoustic guitar (3, 7), arrangements, horn arrangements (11)
Greg Mathieson – keyboards (1)
John Philip Shenale – programming (2), additional bass (2)
Arthur Barrow – keyboards (3, 4, 6-9), programming (6, 11), additional bass (6), bass (8, 11)
Mark Younger-Smith – guitars, bass (2)
Jimmy Johnson – bass (1)
Phil Soussan – bass (3, 10), additional bass (11)
Vito – bass (4, 5, 6, 9)
Randy Jackson – bass (7)
Keith Forsey – drums (1, 2, 3, 5-9), percussion (11), arrangements
Mike Baird – drums (3, 4, 10, 11), programming (11), drum programming (11)
Alex Brown – backing vocals (3, 5)
Bunny Hull – backing vocals (3, 5)
Stephanie Spruill – backing vocals (3, 5)
The P.L.S. Singers – backing vocals (11)
Handclaps on "The Right Way"
The "Rude Dudes" (John Diaz, Keith Forsey, Billy Idol, Art Natoli and Mark Younger-Smith)
Keith Forsey – producer
Jeff Aldrich – A&R
Brigid Waters – A&R
Tommy Vicari – mixing, engineer (1, 6, 8, 9)
Dave Concors – engineer (2-5, 7, 10, 11)
Kevin Becka – assistant engineer (1)
Bryan Carlstrom – assistant engineer (2, 3, 5, 7, 10, 11)
Ken Paulakovich – second engineer (5)
Ian Minns – assistant engineer (6)
Craig Porteils – mix assistant (1, 6), assistant engineer (6)
Paul Wertheimer – mix assistant (2, 10)
Bryant Arnett – mix assistant (3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 11), assistant engineer (4, 6, 8, 9)
Bernie Grundman – mastering (1-5, 7-11)
George Marino – mastering (6)
AWest – art direction, cover design, cover illustration
Brass Ring Circus Studio – art direction
Billy Idol – cover design
Max Aguilera-Hellweg – photography
Art Natoli – personal assistant
Eric Barrett – management
Tony Dimitriades – management
Studios
Recorded at Lighthouse Studios (Los Angeles, California); Track Record Studios and Oasis Recording Studios (North Hollywood, California ); Conway Studios (Hollywood, California).
Mixed at Record Plant (Los Angeles, California) and Conway Studios
Tracks 1-5 & 7-11 mastered at Bernie Grundman Mastering (Hollywood, California).
Track 6 mastered at Sterling Sound (New York City, New York).
Charmed Life is the 4th studio album by English rock singer Billy Idol, released on 1 May 1990 by Chrysalis Records.
The lead single, "Cradle of Love", appeared on the soundtrack of The Adventures of Ford Fairlane. The song was famous for its video, which won the 1990 MTV Video Music Award for "Best video from a film". The video directed by David Fincher, involved Betsy Lynn George as a teenager who knocks at her neighbour's door and asks to play a tape, before stripping to the music. The album's second single is a cover version of "L.A. Woman" by The Doors. Its video was also directed by Fincher. The third single off the album was "Prodigal Blues".
Charmed Life was certified Platinum by the RIAA and Silver by BPI in 1990.
