Friends and Lovers | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 25 October 1999 | |||
Recorded | November 1998 – February 1999 | |||
Studio | RAK and Konk, London; Chipping Norton Recording, Chipping Norton | |||
Genre | Pop rock | |||
Length | 50:13 | |||
Label | Creation | |||
Producer | Bernard Butler | |||
Bernard Butler chronology | ||||
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Singles from Friends and Lovers | ||||
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Friends and Lovers is the second studio album by English singer-songwriter Bernard Butler, released on 25 October 1999 through Creation Records. He released his debut studio album, People Move On , in early 1998; within a few months, Butler had accumulated enough material for his next release. Recorded between November 1998 and February 1999, Butler produced the sessions at RAK Studios in London, before moving to Chipping Norton Recording Studios in Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire, and finishing at Konk Studios in London. Described as a pop rock release, Friends and Lovers had been compared to the works of Mott the Hoople, Small Faces and Spooky Tooth.
Friends and Lovers received generally favourable reviews from critics, several of whom considered it an improvement on People Move On. It peaked at number 43 in the United Kingdom, while only one of its singles charted, namely "You Must Go On" at number 44. "Friends & Lovers" was released as the lead single from the album on 13 August 1999, which was followed by some club shows. "You Must Go On" was released as the second single on 11 October 1999; that same month, Butler supported Texas on their UK tour. He had planned to embark on a headlining UK tour in early 2000, but had cancelled it when Alan McGee left Creation, and followed by the shutdown of the label. "I'd Do It Again If I Could" was released as the album's third single, exclusively in the United States.
After stints with Suede and McAlmont & Butler in the early-to-mid 1990s, guitarist Bernard Butler spent a few years collaborating with other acts, such as Aimee Mann, Tim Booth of James, and Hopper. [1] [2] [3] Following a week with the Verve, Butler decided to start a solo career. [2] He signed to Creation Records, with whom he would release his debut studio album, People Move On , in April 1998. [4] It peaked at number 11 in the United Kingdom, with all three of its singles charting, with first single "Stay" reaching the highest at number 12. [5] Two months prior to the album's release, Butler said he had seven songs finished for its follow-up, with another 15 being works-in-progress. [6] By September 1998, he had enough material ready for a new album; he had debuted some of the tracks the previous month while in the United States. [7] [8] In October 1998, Butler embarked on his first headlining tour of the UK. [9]
Sessions for his next album took place between November 1998 and February 1999 with Butler acting as producer with engineer George Shilling. [10] [11] Recording initially began at RAK in London, though this was aborted, and then restarted at Chipping Norton Recording Studios in Chipping Norton at the suggestion of Shilling. Additional recording was done at Konk Studios, another London facility. [12] Valerie Lambour, Albert Pinheiro, Ryan Tully, Boris Aldridge, and Chris Danby served as recording assistants across the various studios. Andy Wallace mixed the recordings at Soundtracks in New York City with assistant Steve Sisco, before the album was mastered by Howie Weinberg at Masterdisk, also in New York City. [11]
Musically, the sound of Friends and Lovers moved away from the folky parts of People Move On, and leaned into the glam-influenced pop rock of Suede. [13] It was compared to the works of Mott the Hoople, Small Faces and Spooky Tooth. [14] Butler said the title deals with the "terms and changes in meaning in relationship boxes". [15] He had the album's tracks written beforehand, which contrasted his debut, where most of the material for that was written in the studio. [7] Butler said Friends and Lovers was more straight forward with its emotions, telling a "similar story in half as many ways" as People Move On. [16] His backing band consisted of Chris Bowers of Hopper on bass, Makoto Sakamoto on drums, and Terry Miles of Denim on keyboards. A group of vocalists on the moniker the Terence Miles Trio provided background and harmony vocals across the recordings. In addition to this, Neil Halstead sung background vocals on "Has Your Mind Got Away?", Billy McGhee played upright bass on "Smile" and "Everyone I Know Is Falling Apart", Gonzo Lagonda contributed cello to "Cocoon" and "Smile", and Noel Thompson offered applause. [11] David Simutis of Phoenix New Times said that the record is an upbeat affair. He wrote that "the main emotion captured on Friends & Lovers is happiness. From the up-tempo power chords, organ and handclaps of 'I'd Do It Again If I Could,' to the bouncing beat and guitar textures of 'What Happened to Me,' it's a powerful record of hope." [17]
The album's opening track, "Friends & Lovers", is a funk-indebted song with Mellotron touches. [18] It was demoed around the time Butler was writing material for his debut at Château de la Motte in Domfront, Normandy, France in 1996. [19] "I'd Do It Again If I Could" is a keyboard-centred song, which is followed by the mid-tempo song "Cocoon". "Smile", as well as "Everyone I Know Is Falling Apart", has Butler displaying his ability as a vocalist. [20] "You Must Go On", alongside "I'd Do It Again If I Could", is a guitar-focused track that come across as a British version of Phil Spector's sound. [18] It sees Butler tackling grief, "dealing with things that happen in life. People die, you can't cry about it for the rest of your life". [21] Two ballads followed, "No Easy Way Out" and "Everyone I Know Is Falling Apart"; the former was reminiscent of Goats Head Soup (1973)-era the Rolling Stones, while the latter evoked the darker songs on Third/Sister Lovers (1978). [18] [22] Wilson Neate of Consumable Online referred to "What Happened to Me" as a "bubblegum pop-rock thumper with more catchy harmonies". [20] "Let's Go Away" deals with trying to protect a loved one from outside issues, which is followed by the ballad "Precious". [17] [18] The eight-minute psychedelic track "Has Your Mind Got Away?" was influenced by the work of Pink Floyd, and is followed by the album's closing ballad, "You'll Feel It When You're Mine". [18] [23]
In June 1999, Butler played at the Fuji Rock Festival in Japan, with a band consisting of Bowers, Sakamoto, and Miles. [24] On 13 August 1999, Friends and Lovers was announced for release in two months' time. "Friends & Lovers" was released as the first single from it three days later, exclusively as a 10-inch vinyl single through his website. [25] The following month, Butler played at Liss Ard 99 festival in Ireland, and then embarked on a brief UK club tour, leading up to a tribute show for Nick Drake. [26] [27] "You Must Go On" was released as the album's second single on 11 October 1999, with "Souvenir" and "Bare with Me" as the B-sides. [28] [29] Four days later, Butler performed the song on TFI Friday . [30] Starting on 25 October 1999, the day Friends and Lovers was released, Butler did six consecutive signing events at Virgin Megastores across the UK over six days, followed-up by a live set at the company’s flagship store at Oxford Street in London on 2 November. [28]
Also in October 1999, Butler supported Texas on their tour of the UK, which continued into the next month. [28] [31] Founder Alan McGee left Creation Records in December 1999, which caused Butler to cancel his January 2000 tour of the UK. [32] Friends and Lovers had a delayed release on Columbia Records in the United States on 1 February 2000, after its initial scheduled date of 18 January 2000. [33] [23] The only US single release from the album, "I'd Do It Again If I Could", was released to modern rock radio in March 2000. [34] That same month, Butler was left without a recording contract. When asked if he would sign with another label, he responded: "the idea of going in to a record company with tapes and stuff like that and saying ‘What do you think?’, and have some c— say it is shit doesn’t really appeal to me." [35]
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [13] |
The Guardian | [36] |
NME | 6/10 [37] |
The Phoenix | [38] |
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette | [39] |
PopMatters | [40] |
Q | [41] |
Sunday Herald | [42] |
The Times | [43] |
Wall of Sound | 77/100 [18] |
Friends and Lovers was met with generally favourable reviews from music critics. PopMatters editor Sarah Zupko called it "more anthemic and self-assured" than Butler's debut, as if he had "been steadily gaining confidence in himself as a frontman." [40] Wall of Sound's Russell Hall concurred, stating that "[b]oth compositionally and in terms of execution, the new CD outshines its predecessor." [18] CMJ New Music Report writer Chris Helm shared a similar sentiment, as the album "expounds upon the strengths of its predecessor by wisely cranking up the glammy crunch" of Butler's guitar. [44] In a review for AllMusic, Stephen Thomas Erlewine felt that Butler has greater focus on this record, however felt that the music needed "a larger-than-life personality, a vocalist on the level of Brett Anderson." [13] Ed Masley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette remarked: "With Anderson on vocals, this could be the strongest Suede release since Dog Man Star ," and stated that: "Throughout, the hooks are irresistible." [39]
Hot Press writer George Byrne complimented Butler on being "far more confident in his vocal abilities and more assured about his musical direction". [45] Nude as the News co-founder Troy Carpenter echoed a similar statement, as Butler's "confident voice rings clear as it propels his melodies", accompanied by "lush instrumentation". [46] Tim Murrah of Houston Press , on the other hand, noted that while Butler's "trademark wiggly playing is still intact," he showcased himself as a "weak writer and singer. At best, all of his songs are lukewarm". [47] Chicago Tribune 's Jay Hedblade had a similar mixed sentiment, saying Buter "demonstrates he's adept at building gorgeous mile-high melodies that hit all the right buttons, yet as agreeable as it is, there's still a nagging feeling that something's missing." He felt that Butler "spends too much time waxing poetic without the verbal dexterity to hold up the grand nature of the tunes." [48] Michael Gallucci of Cleveland Scene said the album's "one consistent flaw" was Butler's "push to deliver it to its predestined place in the CD bins". [49]
Friends and Lovers charted at number 43 on the UK Albums Chart. [50] "You Must Go On" charted at number 44 on the UK Singles Chart. [5]
All songs written and produced by Bernard Butler. [11]
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Friends & Lovers" | 4:13 |
2. | "I'd Do It Again If I Could" | 3:26 |
3. | "Cocoon" | 4:17 |
4. | "Smile" | 4:02 |
5. | "You Must Go On" | 3:25 |
6. | "No Easy Way Out" | 4:26 |
7. | "Everyone I Know Is Falling Apart" | 4:18 |
8. | "What Happened to Me" | 3:18 |
9. | "Let's Go Away" | 4:03 |
10. | "Precious" | 3:54 |
11. | "Has Your Mind Got Away?" | 8:12 |
12. | "You'll Feel It When You're Mine" | 2:31 |
Personnel per booklet. [11]
Musicians
| Production and design
|
Chart (1999) | Peak position |
---|---|
UK Albums (OCC) [50] | 43 |
Suede are an English rock band formed in London in 1989 by singer Brett Anderson, guitarist Justine Frischmann, and bass player Mat Osman. Drawing inspiration from glam rock and post-punk, Suede were dubbed "The Best New Band in Britain" by Melody Maker in 1992, and attracted much attention from the British music press. The following year their debut album Suede went to the top of the UK Albums Chart, becoming the fastest-selling debut album in almost ten years. It won the Mercury Music Prize and helped foster 'Britpop' as a musical movement, though the band distanced themselves from the term.
Bernard Joseph Butler is an English musician, songwriter and record producer. He has been hailed by some critics as the greatest guitarist of his generation; BBC journalist Mark Savage called him "one of Britain's most original and influential guitarists". He was voted the 24th greatest guitarist of the last 30 years in a national 2010 BBC poll and is often seen performing with a 1961 cherry red Gibson ES-355 TD SV with a Bigsby vibrato tailpiece.
The Libertines are an English rock band, formed in London in 1997 by frontmen Carl Barât (vocals/guitar) and Pete Doherty (vocals/guitar). The band, centred on the songwriting partnership of Barât and Doherty, has also included John Hassall (bass), and Gary Powell (drums) for most of its recording career. The band was part of the garage rock revival and spearheaded the movement in the UK.
The Tears were an English rock supergroup formed in 2004 by ex-Suede bandmates Brett Anderson and Bernard Butler, along with the former Delicatessen and Lodger members Will Foster (keyboardist), bassist Nathan Fisher, and Bernard Butler session drummer Makoto Sakamoto. The duo Anderson and Butler were a much anticipated reunion and music critics praised their first concerts and only album, Here Come the Tears. However, the project was short-lived as they disbanded in 2006, which allowed Anderson to focus on his solo career and the latter Suede's reformation in 2010, Butler became a full-time producer, and Foster worked as additional musician for the Fratellis since 2008.
Brett Lewis Anderson is an English singer best known as the lead singer and primary lyricist of the band Suede. After Suede disbanded in 2003, he fronted the Tears with former Suede guitarist Bernard Butler in 2004–2006, and released four solo albums on which he also played guitar and keyboards. Suede re-formed in 2010; they continue to record and tour.
McAlmont & Butler are an English rock/soul music duo, comprising singer David McAlmont and guitarist Bernard Butler.
Suede is the debut album by English alternative rock band Suede, released in March 1993 on Nude Records. It was recorded in London at Master Rock studios in late 1992 and early 1993 and was produced by Ed Buller. At the time the fastest-selling debut album in British history in almost a decade, Suede debuted at the top of the UK Albums Chart, won the 1993 Mercury Music Prize, and is often cited as one of the first Britpop records. Displaying a sound of Britishness and glam rock, its music and lyrical content has been compared to the Smiths and early David Bowie.
Coming Up is the third album by English alternative rock band Suede, released on 2 September 1996 through Nude Records. It was the band's first album since the departure of guitarist Bernard Butler, who was replaced by Richard Oakes. Also added to the band was keyboardist Neil Codling. The album was nominated for the 1997 Mercury Prize. A commercial and critical success, Coming Up was the second by the band to reach no. 1 on the UK Albums Chart, producing five top ten singles and receiving a favourable reception at home and in the US. Coming Up was the album that introduced Suede to a worldwide audience, in places such as Europe, Canada and Asia.
Dog Man Star is the second album by English alternative rock band Suede, released in October 1994 on Nude Records. The album was recorded in London at Master Rock studios in early 1994, and was produced by Ed Buller. It was the last Suede album to feature guitarist Bernard Butler; growing tensions between him and singer Brett Anderson ended with Butler leaving the band before recording was complete. As a result, some tracks on the album had to be finished with the assistance of session musicians.
A New Morning is the fifth studio album by English alternative rock band Suede, released in September 2002. By the time the album was released, public interest in the band had waned, as shown by the poor charting of both the album and singles. Despite this, however, the album received moderate praise from critics. It is the only Suede album not to be released in the US. It was the last studio album released by the band before their seven-year hiatus and reunion in 2010. Before recording took place, keyboardist and guitarist Neil Codling left the band due to his health concern, and later was replaced by former Strangelove guitarist, Alex Lee. As Codling returned to the band for their 2010 reunion, this is their only studio album to have featured Lee.
Head Music is the fourth album by English alternative rock band Suede, released by Nude Records in May 1999. Produced and mixed by Steve Osborne, Head Music features a more electronic sound, which was a new approach for the band. The recording of Head Music was plagued with difficulties such as singer Brett Anderson's addiction to crack, and keyboardist Neil Codling's struggle with chronic fatigue syndrome. The album still went to number 1 on the UK Albums Chart, however, making it the band's third and final chart-topping album. Overall, the album received generally favourable reviews from critics.
Here Come the Tears is the only studio album by English rock band the Tears. It was released on 6 June 2005 on Independiente. Frontman Brett Anderson and guitarist Bernard Butler had found success together earlier in Suede, with Butler leaving that band after just two albums. Suede's career was on pause when the two reunited for this project. In January 2004, the pair had begun recording music together in secrecy; they decided to form the Tears with bassist Nathan Fisher, drummer Makoto Sakamoto and keyboardist Will Foster. The band had accumulated 18 demos by June 2004, after which, they started recording the album. Sessions were held across various studios with Butler as the producer and finished by October 2004. Here Come the Tears is a pop album that evokes the work of David Bowie, and was compared to Suede's second studio album Dog Man Star (1994).
Sci-Fi Lullabies is a two-disc compilation album by English alternative rock band Suede released by Nude Records on 6 October 1997, consisting of B-sides from the singles that were released from the group's first three albums. It reached no. 9 on the UK Albums Chart, and received universal acclaim on release. In subsequent years, the record has been hailed as one of the finest B-side compilations in popular music.
"Animal Nitrate" is the third single by English rock band Suede, released through Nude Records on 22 February 1993 and later included on the band's debut album, Suede (1993). It charted at No. 7 on the UK Singles Chart, making it the highest-charting single from the album. The song is the band's highest-charting single in Ireland and New Zealand, peaking at No. 11 in both countries. It also debuted and peaked at No. 21 in Sweden but stayed on the chart for only two weeks.
"Stay Together" is a non-album single by English band Suede, released on 14 February 1994 through Nude Records. It is the last single released while guitarist Bernard Butler was in the band, though subsequent singles from Dog Man Star feature his music. It is tied with "Trash" as the highest-charting single the band has released, reaching No. 3 on the UK Singles Chart. The song also charted in Ireland, peaking at No. 18.
"The Wild Ones" is the second single from the album Dog Man Star by English rock band Suede, released on 7 November 1994 through Nude Records. The song peaked at number 18 on the UK Singles Chart and number six in Iceland.
"Trash" is the first single from English rock band Suede's third studio album, Coming Up (1996). Released on 29 July 1996 via Nude Records, "Trash" was the first single on which all the songs were written without guitarist Bernard Butler, since Richard Oakes had taken his place. The single is tied with "Stay Together" as the band's highest-charting single on the UK Singles Chart, peaking at number three; however, it outsold the earlier single, thus making it their biggest-selling single. Outside the UK, the song topped the Finnish Singles Chart and reached the top five in Denmark, Iceland, and Sweden. Melody Maker ranked "Trash" number four in their list of "Singles of the Year" in 1996.
"Yes" is the debut single of English music duo McAlmont & Butler, released on 15 May 1995 and later included on their debut album, The Sound Of... McAlmont & Butler. The soul ballad was their first UK hit, peaking at number eight on the UK Singles Chart, and remains their most successful single, selling over 200,000 copies in the United Kingdom to earn a silver sales certification. The song also charted in Ireland, reaching number 24, and in New Zealand, peaking at number 40. British magazine NME ranked the song at number 174 on its list of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time" in 2014.
People Move On is the debut studio album of English singer-songwriter Bernard Butler that was released on 6 April 1998 through Creation Records. After a dispute with David McAlmont over the McAlmont & Butler project, Butler collaborated with various artists before starting his solo career. Following a brief period with Sony LRD in early 1996, by the end of that year, Butler had signed to Creation and switched managers from Geoff Travis to Gail Colson. Butler produced the sessions for People Move On at RAK and Air Studios, both in London, between February and July 1997. The album, which is described as a pop, rock, and folk release, has been compared to the work of Jeff Buckley, Neil Young, and Wilco.
The discography of the English alternative rock band Suede consists of nine studio albums, four compilation albums, five video albums and over twenty singles. Suede were formed in 1989 by singer Brett Anderson, bassist Mat Osman and guitarist Justine Frischmann. Guitarist Bernard Butler later joined after the group responded to an ad in the Melody Maker. The group played as a four-piece with a drum machine until drummer Simon Gilbert joined. Frischmann left before the group released any material.
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