Rabbit Don’t Come Easy
Rabbit Don't Come Easy is Helloween's tenth studio album, released on 12 May 2003 on Nuclear Blast. It followed the controversial The Dark Ride, and the band were keen to show they had moved on. "Just a Little Sign" was chosen to point the way, with bassist Markus Grosskopf describing the record as a return to the "happy happy Helloween" side of the group rather than a sequel.
It was a record made through upheaval. Sascha Gerstner joined on guitar in place of Roland Grapow, and drummer Mark Cross had to leave through illness after completing only "Don't Stop Being Crazy" and "Listen to the Flies". Motörhead's Mikkey Dee played the remaining songs as a session drummer. The title nods to pulling a rabbit out of a hat, a wry comment on how hard the line-up changes made it to deliver. Charlie Bauerfeind produced, and the Japanese edition adds a cover of Accept's "Fast as a Shark".
Rabbit Don’t Come Easy: tracklist, credits and charts
13 tracks · 1:04:39Tracklist
- 1Just a Little SignAndi Deris4:26
- 2Open Your LifeAndi Deris and Sascha Gerstner4:30
- 3The TuneMichael Weikath5:37
- 4Never Be a StarAndi Deris4:12
- 5LiarDeris, Gerstner, Grosskopf4:57
- 6Sun 4 the WorldSascha Gerstner and Andi Deris3:57
- 7Don't Stop Being CrazyAndi Deris4:22
- 8Do You Feel GoodMichael Weikath4:24
- 9Hell Was Made in HeavenMarkus Grosskopf and Andi Deris5:34
- 10Back Against the WallAndi Deris and Michael Weikath5:45
- 11Listen to the FliesAndi Deris and Sascha Gerstner4:54
- 12Nothing to SayMichael Weikath8:30
- 13Sheer Heart AttackRoger Taylor3:31
- Produced by
- Charlie Bauerfeind
- Recorded at
- Mi Sueno Recording Studios (Tenerife, Spain)
- Recorded
- 2002 – 2003
- Mixed by
- Charlie Bauerfeind
- Label
- Nuclear Blast
- Length
- 1:04:39
Line-up
- Mikkey Dee · drums (drum set)
- Sascha Gerstner · guitar
- Markus Grosskopf · bass guitar
- Michael Weikath · guitar
- Andi Deris · lead vocals
- Mark Cross · drums (drum set) · guest
Singles
- “Just a Little Sign” · 7 April 2003
Peak chart positions
| Chart | Peak |
|---|---|
| Japanese Albums (Oricon) · 2003 | 11 |
| Swedish Albums · 2003 | 12 |
| Finnish Albums · 2003 | 23 |
| German Albums · 2003 | 26 |
| Hungarian Albums · 2003 | 31 |
| Italian Albums · 2003 | 73 |
| Swiss Albums · 2003 | 93 |
| French Albums · 2003 | 119 |
From MusicBrainz, Wikipedia and Wikidata. Only what the sources record is shown.
Released the same week
Also released on 12 May
Every year →More from Helloween
Full discography →The best of 2003
All of 2003 →More on Nuclear Blast
The label →Releases and pressings
How we know the release date wikipedia + musicbrainz
| Source | Date | Note |
|---|---|---|
| MusicBrainz | 12 May 2003 | |
| Wikipedia infobox | 12 May 2003 | |
| Wikidata | 2003 | |
| US release | 19 May 2003 | earliest US date |
8 editions
| Date | Country | Label | Barcode | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | BR | Nuclear Blast | 7897015504325 | other |
| 12 May 2003 | DE | Nuclear Blast | 727361104320 | original |
| 17 May 2003 | JP | Victor | 4988002447442 | other |
| 19 May 2003 | US | Nuclear Blast | 727361104320 | other |
| 19 May 2003 | DE | Nuclear Blast | 727361104306 | other |
| 2005 | MX | Witch of the West | 727361155858 | other |
| 9 December 2013 | DE | Nuclear Blast | 727361327903 | deluxe |
| — | — | — | other |
Cover art sources
deezer · upscaled: major: best source 1200x1200, upscaled to 1500 (x1.25)
| Source | Size | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| deezer ✓ | 1200×1200 | upscaled: major: best source 1200x1200, upscaled to 1500 (x1.25) |
| fanarttv | 1000×1000 | upscaled |
| coverartarchive | 500×495 | upscaled |