Almost Naked (album)

Last updated
Almost Naked
Ruby Blue Almost Naked 1993 album cover.jpg
Studio album by
Ruby Blue
Released15 March 1993
Length38:51
Label Red Flame
Producer
  • Ali Staton
  • John Green
Ruby Blue chronology
Down from Above
(1990)		Almost Naked
(1993)

Almost Naked is the third and final studio album from the Scottish folk pop band Ruby Blue, released by Red Flame on 15 March 1993.

Contents

Background

Almost Naked marked major personnel changes in Ruby Blue as lead vocalist and songwriter Rebecca Pidgeon and multi-instrumentalist Anthony Coote left the band at the end of 1990, following the band's second album Down from Above . The remaining two members, guitarist Roger Fife and backing vocalist Erika Woods (formerly Erika Spotswood), decided to continue as Ruby Blue, with Woods taking Pidgeon's place as the lead vocalist. [1]

Returning to their original independent label Red Flame, the duo began writing and recording demos in 1991. [2] Ruby Blue had briefly become a quartet by mid-1991, with Chris Tait on bass and Pascal Consoli on drums. [3] Working with producer Tony Phillips, who previously produced Down from Above with the band, Ruby Blue released the single "I Feel Good Now" on 17 June 1991. [3] For live dates in the summer of 1991, the band were joined by Paul Harvey on guitar and Phonene Davies on keyboards. [4]

A limited cassette release, Paradise, containing "I Feel Good Now" and eight demo recordings, was made available by Red Flame via mail order in 1991. The record label described the release as being "a bit like a polaroid snap of the new band" and a "taste of a new album in the making". [2] Almost Naked was released by Red Flame on 15 March 1993. [5] A single, "Done My Thinking", was released from the album. [6] The album was not a commercial success and Ruby Blue disbanded shortly after. [1] The band were unable to embark on a tour to promote the album due to financial costs. [5]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [7]

Upon its release, Music & Media noted the album "varies from sexy soulful pop with contemporary percussion ('Recreate Your Kiss') to music 'of all time', like the piano ballad 'You'll Find Out'." They also praised Woods' "fragile vocals" which they felt "get[s] the right sparse backing". [8] The Daily Mirror picked it as their "album of the week", praising it as an "outstanding set of folk-rock-pop tinged tracks". [9] Kim Morgan of the Kensington News called it "a must for folk music fans". [10]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Roger Fife and Erika Woods except "I Still Love You" by Ali Staton, John Green, Fife and Woods.

No.TitleLength
1."Recreate Your Kiss"4:09
2."New Way"3:45
3."High for a While"5:12
4."Goddess"3:56
5."You'll Find Out"2:51
6."I Still Love You"3:54
7."Done My Thinking"3:59
8."Strength of Mind"3:34
9."Magnificent Truth"3:45
10."Almost Naked"3:40

Personnel

Ruby Blue

Additional musicians

Production

Other

References

  1. 1 2 "Ruby Blue - Biography". AllMusic . Retrieved 23 January 2026.
  2. 1 2 Paradise (UK limited edition cassette). Red Flame. 1991.
  3. 1 2 I Feel Good Now (UK CD single). Red Flame. 1991. RFSCD 63.
  4. ↑ Rowan, Louise (26 July 1991). "New folk, but same sound for Ruby Blue" . Lichfield Mercury . p. 20. Retrieved 23 January 2026– via Newspapers.com.
  5. 1 2 "Ruby Blue - Newsletter" (Press release). Red Flame. March 1993. Retrieved 23 January 2026– via Discogs.
  6. ↑ Done My Thinking (UK CD single). Red Flame. 1993. RFCD 64.
  7. ↑ Larkin, Colin (1998). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Muze UK Ltd. p. 4680. ISBN   0-333-74134-X.
  8. ↑ "New Releases: New Talent". Music & Media . Vol. 10, no. 12. 20 March 1993. p. 12. OCLC   29800226.
  9. ↑ "Album of the Week" . Daily Mirror . 22 April 1993. p. 6. Retrieved 23 January 2026– via Newspapers.com.
  10. ↑ Morgan, Kim (21 April 1993). "Coming to Town..." . Kensington News. p. 16. Retrieved 23 January 2026– via Newspapers.com.
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