I Believe | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 8 September 2003 | |||
Recorded | Late 2002 | |||
Studio | Franklin Castle, Los Angeles, California | |||
Genre | Pop soul | |||
Length | 36:37 | |||
Label |
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Producer | Linus of Hollywood | |||
Tim Burgess chronology | ||||
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Singles from I Believe | ||||
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I Believe is the debut solo album by British rock musician Tim Burgess of the Charlatans, released on 8 September 2003 through the labels PIAS Recordings and Straight Trippin. Following promotion of the Charlatans' seventh studio album Wonderland (2001), Burgess started working with Linus of Hollywood. They recorded at the latter's place in Los Angeles, dubbed Franklin Castle, in late 2002. Burgess had co-written the majority of the songs with Linus. I Believe is a pop soul album that takes inspiration from the work of the Beach Boys, Curtis Mayfield and Joe Strummer.
I Believe received generally favourable reviews from music critics, many of whom praised the songwriting. It charted at number 28 in Scotland and number 38 in the United Kingdom, while "I Believe in the Spirit" reached number 44 and 54 in the UK, respectively. Before the album's release, Burgess went on a UK tour and performed at V Festival. At the end of this, "I Believe in the Spirit" was released as the album's lead single; "Only a Boy" followed in November 2003, which was promoted with another UK tour. I Believe was released in the United States through Koch Records; this was delayed due to the Charlatans promoting their eighth studio album Up at the Lake (2004).
The Charlatans released their seventh studio album Wonderland in September 2001 through Universal Records. [1] Promotion started with a tour of the United Kingdom in October 2001, [2] and ended with a supporting slot for Stereophonics and three headlining club shows in August 2002. [3] Frontman Tim Burgess wanted to continue writing, but the rest of the band members wanted a break. Around this time, he taught himself how to play guitar, though felt embarrassed to play it with others present. He expressed a desire to experiment with brass and string insturmentation. [4] In October 2002, Dotmusic reported that Burgess was recording on his solo debut studio album, linking up with Linus of Hollywood. The pair shared a management team; Linus was known for his work with Lil' Kim, Puff Daddy and the Smashing Pumpkins. [5] Burgess met Linus at The Cat & Fiddle pub, [6] located on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles. [7]
Days after this, the band denied potential rumours of them breaking up, explaining that the members are working on other projects, such as Burgess on his album. [8] I Believe was recorded at the Franklin Castle, [9] which was the name for Linus' apartment between Franklin Avenue and La Brea Avenue. As Burgess lived on the hills not far from Franklin, he would work there each day. [6] The project evolved from an acoustic EP of simply Burgess and a guitar, until strings were added. He then had the urge to include a brass a section; a trumpeter was brought in initially to play on one song, but it eventually featured on four of them. [10] After basic tracks were done, they showed the songs to other musicians they wished to have contribute to the recordings. [11] When others heard it, they said he should include a single-sounding track, prompting him to compose "Only a Boy", "Oh My Corazon" and "Say Yes". [10] In November 2002, Burgess took a break to go on a DJ tour of the UK; [12] as recording continued, Burgess had planned to have it completed by the Christmas period. [13] Linus served as the producer while Michael Patterson did additional production and mixed the album at Patty's House with assistance from Gary Dean. [9]
Musically, the sound of I Believe has been described as pop soul, [14] taking influences from the work of the Beach Boys, Curtis Mayfield and Joe Strummer. [15] Burgess said Los Angeles, where he was living, served as inspiration for the album as it had for Wonderland and its predecessor Us and Us Only (1999) previously. [16] He wrote the majority of the tracks on the ground floor of his house in the city; [17] most of them were co-written with Linus. [9] AllMusic reviewer Stephen Thomas Erlewine said it was "recognizably the work of the Charlatans' leader -- there is a similar fondness for laid-back, easy-rolling classic rock, sunny hooks, a vague infatuation with lite dance rhythms". [18] When asked about the album title, Burgess said he "believe[s] in myself. I believe I've done a good job". [17] For Mark Vischer's saxophone parts, Burgess asked him to watch Lost Highway (1997), which he said had a "pretty intense solo sax scene". [19]
The opening track, "I Believe in the Spirit", has a 1970s West Coast atmosphere, with Burgess reprising his falsetto from the Wonderland track "Love Is the Key". It is a love song to Los Angeles, [20] where he relocated to a few years prior. [18] Discussing the song, Burgess said he "fell in love with the demeanour of almost everyone who works, serves and makes the place [Los Angeles] tick". [16] Burgess described "Held in Straps" as "quite an angry song about starting something and leaving a trail behind". [21] "Only a Boy" sees Burgess have nostalgia for being innocent in his youth and finding love, accompanied by what Jack Smith of BBC Music described as a "jangly pop backdrop, which is almost Caribbean in flavour". [22] musicOMH writer David Welsh considered it to Badly Drawn Boy, circa The Hour of Bewilderbeast (2000), because of the "jangly guitar layered over some lively brass sections". [23] Burgess said it was influenced by seeing homeless kids around Los Angeles. [24] With "We All Need Love", Burgess wanted to write something with a wide appeal, akin to boy band lyrics [25] Burgess wrote the lyrics to "Oh My Corazon" outside The Cat & Fiddle; he said he first heard the Spanish word Corazon in "Spanish Bombs" (1979) by the Clash. [7]
"Be My Baby" is driven by cello and harmonica instrumentation, [15] and features Burgess singing in falsetto again, [26] in the vein of the Beach Boys and Kate Bush. [27] He made a demo of it at a studio next door to The Cat & Fiddle while his friend Randy Billings was in attendance, [28] who would receive co-writing credit. [9] "Years Ago" is a country rock song [18] that emulates the style of Bob Dylan. [14] It was written at when Charlatans guitarist Mark Collins came to visit Burgess in Los Angeles, the pair had not seen one another for some time. [29] "Say Yes" is a string-enhanced soul song [18] that RTÉ.ie writer Anne-Louise Foley called "part disco and part Motown, it's 'Going Loco in Acapulco' with a mirror ball". [15] The tack piano and horn section in "Love to Spend the Night" earned it a comparison to the work of the Band and Van Dyke Parks. [30] It was the first track written for the album, and the sole one credited to only Burgess. [31] The initial demo of it lasted over eight minutes and was done with an engineer in a studio on Sunset Sunset Boulevard. [32] "Po' Boy Soul" deals with being driven; [33] it deals with the consequences of him living in Los Angeles as the Charlatans were based in the United Kingdom. [34] Burgess felt that the closing track, "All I Ever Do", recalled the work of Josh Schwartz, from Painted Hills [35] while the ending evoked the sound of Crazy Horse. [36]
In August 2003, Burgess embarked on a short tour of the UK, [37] leading up to a performance at V Festival; [38] his backing band was dubbed the Califrnian Angels. [17] "I Believe in the Spirit" was released as the lead single from his forthcoming album on 25 August 2003. [37] I Believe was released on 8 September 2003 [14] through the labels PIAS Recordings and Straight Trippin. [9] The Japanese edition included a cover of Bob Marley's "Who the Cap Fit" (1976) and a radio session version of "Years Ago" as bonus tracks, alongside the music video for "Only a Boy". [39] "Only a Boy" was released as a single on 3 November 2003. [40] That same month, Burgess went on another tour of the UK. [41]
The US edition, released by Koch Records on 26 April 2005, [42] featured "Who the Cap Fit", "Rough Time" and "I Believe in the West Coast" as bonus tracks. [43] By the time it came out, the Charlatans had released their next album, Up at the Lake (2004), a year prior; [18] two songs on it, namely "Cry Yourself to Sleep" and "I'll Sing a Hymn (You Came to Me)", continued the sound of I Believe. [44] Burgess explained that he was unable to find a label for the US market when it was originally released, and while Koch had shown interest, he was busy with making Up at the Lake. When touring in support of that album ceased, Burgess focused on the US release of I Believe. [42] He celebrated it with a one-off show in Los Angeles with members of Starsailor, who were recording in the city, as his backing band. [45]
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
BBC Manchester | 8/10 [46] |
Drowned in Sound | 7/10 [14] |
The Guardian | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
No Ripcord | 5/10 [20] |
PopMatters | 5/10 [47] |
RTÉ.ie | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Erlewine felt that after the last few Charlatans releases, I Believe was a "nice relief, and the entire record has an appealing, relaxed vibe that makes it a good soundtrack for a sunny afternoon". Though he mentioned that none of the individual tracks were particular memorable, "but as a whole, it's a nice, friendly record that proves that it was a good idea for Burgess to go it alone this time around". [18] Foley was equally impressed with the album, despite not liking Burgess' work with the Charlatans; [15] Neil McKay of the Belfast Telegraph said that it shared nothing with the Charlatans, "which is a good start". [48] Exclaim! 's Michael Edwards, meanwhile, said the "best songs are those that don't sound too different from the Charlatans, probably because that is when he sounds most comfortable". [49]
Drowned in Sound writer Gareth Dobson worried that it would be a "hackneyed old Dylan/country affair", and was relieved that it was "actually a very good collection of white boy pop soul". He considered the album's best moments to be when it "goes all out with massive arrangements and joyful tunes", singling out "Only a Boy" and "We All Need Love". [14] Aidin Vaziri of SFGATE was surprised that Burgess created a record that successfully honoured all of his influences "without simply falling breathlessly at their Cuban boot heels". [50] The staff at BBC Manchester wrote that it was a "decent album. There are moments when Burgess maybe should have reined himself in a little, but they are few and far between". [46]
Welsh said Burgess comes across as a "man indulging himself, eventually free of his band" and the lyrics were "competent, but nothing more really" [23] The Guardian 's David Peschek highlighted a lyric from "I Believe in the Spirit" and followed it by saying that if that "doesn't make you wince, then the uncomfortable falsetto of Be My Baby, the lame white 1980s funk of Say Yes and the shocking banality of the chorus to Oh My Corazon probably will". [26] Peter Mattinson of No Ripcord said that the opening song was "unfortunately the best thing to be found here by some way" as the "songwriting talent that kept the Charlatans afloat during their darker days has seemingly deserted Burgess". [20]
I Believe charted at number 28 in Scotland [51] and number 38 in the UK. [52] In 2007, he estimated that it sold around 50,000 copies in the UK. [10] "I Believe in the Spirit" reached number 44 in the UK, while "Only a Boy" peaked at number 54. [53]
Writing credits per booklet. [9]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "I Believe in the Spirit" |
| 4:05 |
2. | "Held in Straps" |
| 2:51 |
3. | "Only a Boy" |
| 3:16 |
4. | "We All Need Love" |
| 3:56 |
5. | "Oh My Corazon" |
| 3:24 |
6. | "Be My Baby" |
| 4:02 |
7. | "Years Ago" |
| 2:10 |
8. | "Say Yes" |
| 3:04 |
9. | "Love to Spend the Night" | T. Burgess | 4:13 |
10. | "Po' Boy Soul" |
| 1:56 |
11. | "All I Ever Do" |
| 3:45 |
Personnel per booklet. [9]
Musicians
| Production and design
|
Chart (2003) | Peak position |
---|---|
Scottish Albums (OCC) [51] | 28 |
UK Albums (OCC) [52] | 38 |
The Charlatans are an English rock band formed in the West Midlands, England in 1988. As of 2000, their line-up consists of lead vocalist Tim Burgess, guitarist Mark Collins, bassist Martin Blunt and keyboardist Tony Rogers.
Up at the Lake is the eighth album by the British alternative rock band The Charlatans, released on 17 May 2004 through Universal and Island Records Group. As promotion wrapped up for their seventh album Wonderland (2001), Universal wanted them to follow it up with another one quickly. However, frontman Tim Burgess began working on his debut solo album in late 2002. At the end of the year, the band reconvened to write songs; by March 2003, they relocated to their own studio, Big Mushroom in Cheshire, Greater Manchester with them and James Spencer serving as producers. Recording halted in May 2003 to allow for Burgess to finish on his album, I Believe (2003); sessions would resume by the end of the year, and finish in February 2004. Up at the Lake is a pop rock album that pursues the country rock direction that they had first explored on their sixth album Tellin' Stories (1997).
Timothy Allan Burgess is an English musician, singer-songwriter and record label owner, best known as the lead singer of the alternative rock band the Charlatans.
Magic and Medicine is the second studio album by English rock band the Coral. It was released on 28 July 2003, through Deltasonic. Within three months of releasing their self-titled debut studio album, the band began recording material for their next album in October 2002. Sessions were produced by the Lightning Seeds frontman Ian Broudie, with co-production from the Coral; recording continued in-between tours of the United States and Europe, finishing in April 2003. Described as a pop rock and psychedelic pop release, Magic and Medicine was compared to the work of the Animals, with frontman James Skelly's vocals recalling that band's frontman Eric Burdon.
Nicholas James David Hodgson is an English drummer, backing vocalist, and songwriter, formerly of the indie rock band Kaiser Chiefs.
Us and Us Only is the sixth album by British rock band the Charlatans, released by Universal on 18 October 1999. After touring for their fifth studio album Tellin' Stories wrapped up by the end of 1997, they played minimal shows throughout 1998 and planned its follow-up. They built their own recording studio, aiming to start recording by early 1999; sessions eventually took place in March and April 1999 with the band self-producing. Us and Us Only is a country rock, folk and roots rock album that strayed from the band's British roots in lieu of American-focused music.
Some Friendly is the debut studio album of British rock band the Charlatans that was released on 8 October 1990 through Beggars Banquet Records imprint Situation Two. After forming in 1988, the band went through line-up changes before settling on vocalist Tim Burgess, guitarist John Baker, bassist Martin Blunt, keyboardist Rob Collins and drummer Jon Brookes. The band wrote material at a prolific rate and released their debut single "Indian Rope" in early 1990. Soon afterwards, they signed to Beggars Banquet and began recording their debut album. Between March and August 1990, sessions took place with producer Chris Nagle at Strawberry Studios in Stockport and The Windings in Wrexham. Some Friendly is considered an acid-pop, baggy and dance-pop album that draws influence from The Beatles' psychedelic period.
Between 10th and 11th is the second studio album by British rock band The Charlatans; it was released on 23 March 1992 through Situation Two, a subsidiary of Beggars Banquet Records. The Charlatans started writing new material shortly after the release of their debut studio album Some Friendly (1990). After some writing sessions in Birmingham and a tour of the United Kingdom, guitarist John Baker left the band and was replaced with Mark Collins of English indie band Candlestick Park. Bassist Martin Blunt went through a series of personal issues that led to his hospitalization in September 1991. The Charlatans began recording their next album at Rockfield Studios in Rockfield, Monmouthshire, Wales.
Tellin' Stories is the fifth album by the British rock band the Charlatans, released on 21 April 1997 through Beggars Banquet Records. After wrapping up touring in support of their 1995 self-titled fourth album in early 1996, vocalist Tim Burgess and guitarist Mark Collins went to a cottage near lake Windermere to write material. Shortly after this, they did a test recording session at Rockfield in Rockfield, Monmouthshire, before main sessions were underway from Easter 1996 at the nearby Monnow Valley Studio with the band, engineer Dave Charles and engineer Ric Peet acting as producers. Partway through recording, keyboardist Rob Collins was involved in a fatal car crash. The band drafted in Martin Duffy of Primal Scream to help finish it, concluding in early 1997. Tellin' Stories is a Britpop, hip hop soul and rock album that had been compared to the work of Patti Smith and Neil Young.
The Charlatans is the fourth album by the British rock band the Charlatans, released on 28 August 1995 through Beggars Banquet Records. Following a holiday, vocalist Tim Burgess and guitarist Mark Collins wrote material for their next album at Burgess' place in Chalk Farm. The band then absconded to Monnow Valley Studio in Rockfield, Monmouthshire, Wales with producer Steve Hillage. After preparing several mixes of the album, none of which they liked, Hillage was fired and engineer Dave Charles was brought in. Further recording was then done at the nearby Rockfield Studios.
Up to Our Hips is the third studio album by British rock band the Charlatans, released on 21 March 1994 through Beggars Banquet Records. They released their second studio album Between 10th and 11th in early 1992; by the year's end, they were working on material for its follow-up. Keyboardist Rob Collins was arrested for participating in an attempted armed robbery. After being bailed out, the band continued writing, splitting into pairs or working alone on songs.
Faded Seaside Glamour is the debut studio album by English rock band Delays, released on 5 April 2004 through Rough Trade Records. After the end of their previous band Corky, the members formed Delays; lead singer Greg Gilbert recruited his brother Aaron, a keyboardist, into the band after hearing him play a loop. The band signed to Rough Trade Records after its founder Geoff Travis saw them perform live. Delays recorded the album in three months with producers Duncan Lewis and Graham Sutton at Rockfield Studios in Rockfield, Monmouthshire, Dustsucker Sound in Hackney, London, and Moles Studio in Bath, Somerset. Faded Seaside Glamour is an indie pop and dream pop album that has been compared to the works of Cocteau Twins, Geneva and The La's, and Greg Gilbert's vocals have been compared to those of Stevie Nicks and Elizabeth Fraser.
Wonderland is the seventh album by British rock band the Charlatans, released on 10 September 2001 through Universal. Following promotional efforts for their sixth studio album Us and Us Only, vocalist Tim Burgess and guitarist Mark Collins wrote new material at the former's house in Los Angeles, California. Cocaine would be an impact on the writing, and later on recording; sessions were held at producer Danny Saber's house studio, Krevorkian's Lab, also in Los Angeles. The band worked with him for seven weeks from October 2000, only completing five tracks, and later went to their own studio, Big Mushroom in Cheshire, Greater Manchester, in early 2001. Wonderland is a funk-soul and electronica record, evoking the work John Mellencamp, Oasis and Primal Scream. Burgess remarked that Los Angeles itself became a member of the band; critics referred to it as a drug-enhanced party album. He employed a falsetto in the vein of Curtis Mayfield and Kurt Wagner.
Simpatico is the ninth studio album by British rock band the Charlatans, released on 17 April 2006 through Creole and Sanctuary Records. After signing to the latter label in early 2005, frontman Tim Burgess and guitarist Mark Collins went to Palm Springs, California to write new material. With Jim Lowe and the band producing, recording was held at Hook End Manor in Oxfordshire, with overdubs later being down at Townhouse Studios in London. Simpatico is a dub reggae and rock album that drew comparison to the work of the Dead 60s, Hard-Fi and UB40. Bassist Martin Blunt and Burgess attributed the sound shift to them listening to Ken Boothe, Gregory Isaacs and Studio One.
The Chavs was an English rock supergroup formed in London in 2004, by former Libertines and Dirty Pretty Things guitarist Carl Barât. Alongside Barât in the band are Tim Burgess of The Charlatans and drummer Andy Burrows from Razorlight. They made their live debut at Chatham's Tap'n'Tin, in December 2004, where the set included the Libertines songs "Death On the Stairs", "France" and "Road To Ruin", the Charlatans' "A Man Needs To Be Told" and "North Country Boy", Burgess' solo song "I Believe In The Spirit" and festive songs including a cover of "Fairytale of New York" by The Pogues.
You Cross My Path is the tenth studio album by British rock band the Charlatans, released on 3 March 2008 as a free download from radio station Xfm's website. Following promotion for the band's ninth studio album Simpatico (2006), frontman Tim Burgess and manager Alan McGee devised an idea to give away their music for no charge. Guitarist Mark Collins and keyboardist Tony Rogers visited Burgess in Los Angeles, California, where they would write new material, and followed this up with jam sessions with the whole band in early 2007. Recording sessions were split across Hollywood, California, Blessington, Ireland and Cheshire, Greater Manchester, with Rogers given a separate producer credit independent of the band. You Cross My Path is an electro and pop album that evoked the work of Kasabian, New Order and Simple Minds. Following the reggae direction of Simpatico, Rogers' organ returned to the forefront of the band's sound on You Cross My Path.
"Xmas 93" is a Christmas-themed single by English alternative dance band Saint Etienne. It was released in the United Kingdom on 6 December 1993 by Heavenly Recordings. The lead track "I Was Born on Christmas Day" features guest vocals from The Charlatans singer Tim Burgess, and peaked at number 37 on the UK Singles Chart. The song's title is a nod to band member Bob Stanley, who was born on 25 December 1964. The music video for the single was filmed in the vicinity of Kensington and Chelsea Register Office in London.
Ryan Kevin Beatty is an American singer-songwriter. He was born in Clovis, California, and now resides in Los Angeles.
Modern Nature is the 12th studio album by British rock band the Charlatans. It was released through BMG on 26 January 2015. After the release of the band's 11th studio album Who We Touch (2010), drummer Jon Brookes was diagnosed with brain cancer, and subsequently died in mid-2013. In early 2014, the band met up at their studio Big Mushroom with Jim Spencer, and began working on a new album. The sessions lasted seven months, and featured recordings from the drummers of the Verve, New Order, and Factory Floor. Described as a pop album, Modern Nature featured contributions from the High Llamas frontman Sean O'Hagan, as well as gospel vocals from Melanie Marshall and Sandra Marvin.
Telling Stories is a 2012 autobiography by Tim Burgess, about his time fronting British rock band the Charlatans. After a false start with a ghostwriter, Burgess began the book in earnest in late 2010, completing it in early 2012. Originally released as a hardcover edition, a paperback iteration with an extra chapter was printed in 2013. The book received mainly positive reviews from music publications, several of which commented on Burgess' writing style.
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