| I'm a Writer, Not a Fighter | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | September 1973 | |||
| Recorded | Early 1973 | |||
| Studio | Audio International Studios, London | |||
| Genre | Pop, rock | |||
| Length | 32:18 | |||
| Label | MAM | |||
| Producer | Gordon Mills | |||
| Gilbert O'Sullivan chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from I'm a Writer, Not a Fighter | ||||
I'm a Writer, Not a Fighter is the third studio album by Irish singer-songwriter Gilbert O'Sullivan, originally released by MAM Records in September 1973. After becoming one of the most successful performers worldwide in 1972, O'Sullivan pursued new directions with the album, taking influence from rock music and funk and incorporating an array of then-new electric keyboards, as well as emphasizing a new rhythmical focus. The album was recorded "on and off" with producer Gordon Mills at the latter's studio, and although several overdubs were recorded in the United States, O'Sullivan referred to the album as an ultimately "very ad hoc home-based" project.
Released months ahead of the album, "Get Down" was a number one single in the United Kingdom and also reached the top ten in the United States. In the ensuing months, O'Sullivan toured internationally for the first time. The release of the album in September coincided with a new rock-influenced image for the singer. The funk-influenced single "Ooh Baby" failed to make the UK top 10 and marked the start of the singer's decline in popularity, while the album itself reached number 2 on the UK Albums Chart, and although it spent 25 weeks on the chart, this was less than its predecessors. Critics are divided on the album's merits, but the response has been generally favourable over time. The Salvo record label released a remastered version of it in April 2012 as part of the Gilbert O'Sullivan – A Singer & His Songs collection.