Tag Archives: 1997

Pavement: Brighten the Corners

Brightenthe Corners

On February 11, 1997, “Matador Records” label released “Brighten the Corners”, the fourth Pavement studio album. It was recorded in July 1996, at “Piedmont Triad Studio”, and was produced by Stephen Malkmus, Bob Nastanovich, Scott Kannberg, Steve West, Mark Ibold, Bryce Goggin and Mitch Easter.

Personnel:

  • Stephen Malkmus – vocals, guitar
  • Scott Kannberg – vocals, guitar
  • Mark Ibold – bass
  • Steve West – drums, percussion
  • Bob Nastanovich – vocals, percussion

Track listing:

All tracks by Stephen Malkmus, except where noted.

  1. Stereo
  2. Shady Lane/ J vs. S
  3. Transport Is Arranged
  4. Date with IKEA – Scott Kannberg
  5. Old to Begin
  6. Type Slowly
  7. Embassy Row
  8. Blue Hawaiian
  9. We Are Underused
  10. Passat Dream – Scott Kannberg
  11. Starlings of the Slipstream
  12. Fin (Infinite Spark)

The Divine Comedy: A Short Album about Love

ashortalbum

On February 10, 1997, “Setanta” label released “A Short Album about Love”, the fifth Divine Comedy album. It was recorded in October 1996 at the “Shepherd’s Bush Empire” in London.

Personnel:

  • Neil Hannon – vocals, guitar
  • Ivor Talbot – guitar
  • Joby Talbot – piano, orchestral arrangements
  • Stuart “Pinkie” Bates – Hammond organ
  • Bryan Mills – bass guitar
  • Miguel Barradas – drums

The Brunel Ensemble:

  • Simon Baggs – violin, orchestra leader
  • Lisa Betteridge, Kate Birchall, Krista Juanita Caspersz, Emily Davis, Benjamin Harte, Mary Martin, Timothy Myall, Benjamin Nabarro, Juliet Warden – violins
  • Yannick Dondelinger, Zoe Lake, Jong On Lau, John Murphy – violas
  • Betsy Taylor, Robbie Jacobs, Douncan Moulton – celli
  • Peter Devlin, Philip Dawson – double bass
  • Max Spiers – oboe
  • Charlotte Glasson – saxophone, flute
  • Matthew Gunner – horn
  • Simon Jones – trumpet
  • Adam Howard – trumpet, flugelhorn
  • Jane Butterfield – trombone
  • Robert Farrer – percussion
  • Christopher Austin – conductor

Track listing:

All tracks by Neil Hannon except where noted.

  1. In Pursuit of Happiness
  2. Everybody Knows (Except You)
  3. Someone
  4. If…
  5. If I Were You (I’d Be Through with Me)
  6. Timewatching
  7. I’m All You Need
  8. Motorway to Damascus
  9. Love Is Lighter Than Air – Stephin Merritt
  10. Birds of Paradise Farm
  11. Make It Easy on Yourself – Burt Bacharach, Hal David

Blur: Same

Blur_Blur

On February 10, 1997, “Food Records” label released the self titled, fifth Blur studio album. It was recorded July to November 1996, at “Stúdíó Grettisgat” in Reykjavík, “Maison Rouge Studio” in Fulham, “Studio 13 Mayfair Studios” in London, and was produced by Stephen Street, Damon Albarn, Graham Coxon, Alex James and Dave Rowntree.  In 2013, “NME” magazine ranked the album at number 137 in its list of “500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

Personnel:

  • Damon Albarn– lead vocals, piano, keyboards, Hammond organ, acoustic guitar
  • Graham Coxon– lead and backing vocals, acoustic and electric guitars, Theremin,  drums
  • Alex James– bass guitar, lead and rhythm basses
  • Dave Rowntree– drums, percussion

Track listing:

All tracks by Damon Albarn, Graham Coxon, Alex James and Dave Rowntree, except where noted.

  1. Beetlebum
  2. Song 2
  3. Country Sad Ballad Man
  4. M.O.R. – David Albarn, David Bowie, Graham Coxon, Brian Eno, Alex James, Dave Rowntree
  5. On Your Own
  6. Theme from Retro
  7. You’re So Great – Graham Coxon
  8. Death of a Party
  9. Chinese Bombs
  10. I’m Just a Killer for Your Love
  11. Look Inside America
  12. Strange News from Another Star
  13. Movin On
  14. Essex Dogs” (includes hidden track Interlude)

 

Texas: White On Blonde

White On Blonde1

On February 3, 1997, “Mercury” label released “White on Blonde”, the fourth Texas studio album.  It was recorded 1994 – 1997, at “Chateau De La Rouge” in France, “The Church” in London, “Abbey Road Studios” and “Parklane Studios” in London, and was produced by Sharleen Spiteri, Ally McErlaine, Johnny McElhore, Eddie Campbell, Richard Hynd, Mike Hedges, Dave Stewart and Rae Christian. It has been certified 6x Platinum by the “British Phonographic Industry”. In 1988, the album was voted the 86th greatest album of all time by “Q” magazine readers, and it was ranked at number 34 in “Q’s” “Best 50 Albums of Q’s Lifetime.”

Personnel:

  • Sharleen Spiteri– vocals, guitar
  • Ally McErlaine– guitar
  • Johnny McElhone– bass guitar
  • Eddie Campbell – keyboards
  • Richard Hynd – drums
  • Roger Ward – guitar
  • Paul Taylor –programming
  • Alex Silva, Terry Disley– keyboards, programming
  • Claire Miles, Anne Stephenson, Sally Herbert, Claire Orsler, Susan Dench, Gini Ball, Chris Pitsillide – strings
  • Martin Greene – strings arrangements
  • Steven Granville – backing vocals

Track lsiting:

  1. 34 (Introduction) – Johnny McElhone, Sharleen Spiteri
  2. Say What You Want – Johnny McElhone, Sharleen Spiteri
  3. Drawing Crazy Patterns – Johnny McElhone, Sharleen Spiteri
  4. Gallo – Johnny McElhone, Sharleen Spiteri
  5. Put Your Arms Around Me – Johnny McElhone, Sharleen Spiteri, Dave Stewart, Robert Hodgens
  6. Insane – Johnny McElhone, Sharleen Spiteri
  7. Black Eyed Boy – Johnny McElhone, Sharleen Spiteri, Eddie Campbell, Richard Hynd, Robert Hodgens
  8. Polo Mint City – Johnny McElhone, Sharleen Spiteri
  9. White on Blonde – Johnny McElhone, Sharleen Spiteri
  10. Postcard – Johnny McElhone, Sharleen Spiteri
  11. 28 (interlude)
  12. Ticket to Lie – Johnny McElhone, Sharleen Spiteri, Robert Hodgens
  13. Good Advice – Johnny McElhone, Sharleen Spiteri, Mark Rae, Steve Christian
  14. Breathless – Johnny McElhone, Sharleen Spiteri

 

David Bowie: Earthling

Earthling

On February 3, 1997, “Virgin” label released “Earthling” the twentieth David Bowie studio album.  It was recorded March – August 1996, at “Mountain Studios” in Montreux, and at “Looking Glass Studio” in New York. This was the first album Bowie self-produced since 1974 “Diamond Dogs”, together with Reeves Gabrels and Mark Plati.

Personnel:

  • David Bowie– vocals, guitar, alto saxophone, samples, keyboards
  • Mike Garson– keyboards, piano
  • Reeves Gabrels– vocals, synthesisers, real and sampled guitars, programming
  • Mark Plati– keyboards, programming, loops, samples
  • Gail Ann Dorsey– vocals, bass
  • Zachary Alford – drum loops, acoustic drums, electronic percussion

Track listing:

All lyrics by David Bowie, all music by David Bowie, Reeves Gabrels and Mark Plati, except Track 4, 5 and 9 by David Bowie and Reeves Gabrels, Track 6 by David Bowie, Track 8 by David Bowie and Brian Eno.

  1. Little Wonder
  2. Looking for Satellites
  3. Battle for Britain (The Letter)
  4. Seven Years in Tibet
  5. Dead Man Walking
  6. Telling Lies
  7. The Last Thing You Should Do
  8. I’m Afraid of Americans
  9. Law (Earthlings on Fire)
  10. I’m Afraid of Americans

Ian Dury: New Boots And Panties!!

New Boots and Panties

On September 30, 1977, “Stiff Records” released “New Boots and Panties!!”, the debut Ian Dury album. It was recorded in 1977, at “The Workhouse” in London, and was was produced by Peter Jenner, Laurie Latham and Rick Walton. The album was certified Platinum in the UK by the “BPI”, and was among the UK’s 30 best selling albums of both 1978 and 1979.

Personnel:

  • Ian Dury– vocals
  • Chaz Jankel– guitars, keyboards
  • Edward Speight – ballad guitar
  • Geoff Castle – Moog synthesizer
  • Norman Watt-Roy– bass
  • Charley Charles – drums
  • Davey Payne– saxophones
  • Chris Gabrin – photography
  • Barney Bubbles– brush lettering

All tracks by Ian Dury and Chaz Jankel, except where noted.

  1. Wake Up and Make Love with Me
  2. Sweet Gene Vincent
  3. I’m Partial to Your Abracadabra
  4. My Old Man – Ian Dury, Steve Nugent
  5. Billericay Dickie – Ian Dury, Steve Nugent
  6. Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll
  7. Clevor Trever
  8. If I Was With a Woman
  9. Blockheads
  10. Plaistow Patricia – Ian Dury, Steve Nugent
  11. Blackmail Man – Ian Dury, Steve Nugent

Bobby Bland

On June 23, 2013, Robert Calvin “Bobby” Bland died aged 73. He was singer, created his own recognizable sound, mixture of gospel, blues and R&B. Referred to as “lion of the blues” and “among the great storytellers of blues and soul music”, he was inducted into the “Blues Hall of Fame” in 1981, the “Rock and Roll Hall of Fame” in 1992, and received the “Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award” in 1997.

Charles Mingus

On January 5, 1977, Charles Mingus Jr. Died aged 57. He was musician (bass), composer and bandleader, regarded as one of the most creative and influential Jazz artists of all times.

For his work and contribution to the modern music, Mingus has received many awards including:

  • “Guggenheim Fellowship” (1971).
  • Inducted in the “Down Beat Jazz Hall of Fame” (1971).
  • “National Endowment for the Arts” provided grants for a Mingus nonprofit called “Let My Children Hear Music” which cataloged all of Mingus’s works (1988)
  • “The Library of Congress” acquired Mingus’s collected papers in what they described as “the most important acquisition of a manuscript collection relating to jazz in the Library’s history.(1993)]
  • “The United States Postal Service” issued a stamp in his honor (1995).
  • Posthumously awarded the “Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award” (1997)
  • Album “Mingus Dynasty”(1959) inducted in the “Grammy Hall of Fame” (1999)
  • Inducted in the “Jazz at Lincoln Center”, Nesuhi Ertegun “Jazz Hall of Fame” (2005)

Mingus has recorded and performed with some of the most important musicians of the modern music, including: Illinois Jacquet, Dinah Washington, Wilbert Baranco, Ivie Anderson, Lionel Hampton, Red Norvo, Billy Taylor, Oscar Pettiford, Max Roach,  Bud Powell, Paul Bley, Teo Macero, Oscar Pettiford,  Ada Moore,  Charlie Parker, J.J. Johnson, Hazel Scott, John Mehegan,  Thad Jones, John Dennis, Ralph Sharon, Miles Davis, Teddy Charles, The Metronome All-Stars, Jimmy Knepper, Langston Hughes, Duke Ellington, Max Roach and Eric Dolphy.