Other Voices, Other Rooms (Nanci Griffith album)

Last updated

Other Voices, Other Rooms
Nanci Griffith - Other Voices, Other Rooms.png
Studio album by
ReleasedMarch 2, 1993
RecordedAugust–December 1992
Genre Country folk
Length1:02:08
Label Elektra
Producer Jim Rooney
Nanci Griffith chronology
Late Night Grande Hotel
(1991)
Other Voices, Other Rooms
(1993)
Flyer
(1994)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [1]
NME (7/10) [2]
Robert Christgau Rating-Christgau-dud.svg [3]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [4]

Other Voices, Other Rooms (stylized as Other Voices | Other Rooms) is the tenth studio album by American singer Nanci Griffith. It was released on March 2, 1993, by Elektra Records. Her first since leaving MCA Records, it consisted entirely of cover songs, in tribute to songwriters who influenced her own songwriting. [5] Guest artists who appear in their own compositions included Frank Christian playing guitar on "Three Flights Up", Bob Dylan playing harmonica on "Boots of Spanish Leather", and John Prine lending harmony vocals on "Speed of the Sound of Loneliness". The album was titled after the Truman Capote novel of the same name.

Contents

The album rose to the No.54 position on the Billboard Pop Albums chart in 1993, although it had no charting singles. The album concept was inspired by the 1990 album True Voices, which was also made up of cover songs including one that Griffith recorded on Other Voices, Other Rooms – "Across The Great Divide", written by Kate Wolf. Other Voices, Other Rooms was certified gold by the RIAA on January 30, 2005, [6] signifying shipments of 500,000 units in the United States.

In 1998, Griffith released a sequel album titled Other Voices, Too (A Trip Back to Bountiful) .

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Across the Great Divide" (with Emmylou Harris) Kate Wolf 3:57
2."Woman of the Phoenix" (with James Hooker) Vince Bell 2:41
3."Tecumseh Valley" (with Arlo Guthrie) Townes Van Zandt 4:29
4."Three Flights Up" Frank Christian 3:31
5."Boots of Spanish Leather" Bob Dylan 5:17
6."Speed of the Sound of Loneliness" (with John Prine) John Prine 4:20
7."From Clare to Here" (with Pete Cummins) Ralph McTell 5:11
8."Can't Help But Wonder Where I'm Bound" (with Carolyn Hester) Tom Paxton 3:16
9."Do-Re-Mi" (with Guy Clark) Woody Guthrie 2:52
10."This Old Town" Janis Ian, Jon Vezner 3:00
11."Comin' Down in the Rain" (with Lee Satterfield) Buddy Mondlock 3:45
12."Ten Degrees and Getting Colder" (with Iris DeMent) Gordon Lightfoot 2:40
13."Morning Song for Sally" Jerry Jeff Walker 4:55
14."Night Rider's Lament" (with Don Edwards)Michael Burton3:57
15."Are You Tired of Me Darling?" (with Iris DeMent and Emmylou Harris) G.P. Cook, Ralph Rolan 3:11
16."Turn Around" Malvina Reynolds, Harry Belafonte, Alan Greene3:19
17."Wimoweh" (with Odetta, Indigo Girls, Kennedy Rose, John Prine, James Hooker, Holly & Barry Tashian, John Gorka, Dave Mallett, Marlin Griffith (Nanci's father), Jim Rooney) Solomon Linda (miscredited in liner notes as "Traditional South African")1:47

Awards and recognition

Griffith won the 1994 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album, and producer Jim Rooney won a Grammy Award for production. [7]

Personnel

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nanci Griffith</span> American singer-songwriter (1953–2021)

Nanci Caroline Griffith was an American singer, guitarist, and songwriter. She appeared many times on the PBS music program Austin City Limits starting in 1985. In 1994 she won a Grammy Award for the album Other Voices, Other Rooms.

<i>Summer Side of Life</i> 1971 studio album by Gordon Lightfoot

Summer Side of Life is Canadian singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot's sixth studio album. It was released in 1971 on the Reprise Records Label. The album marked a departure from the sound Lightfoot had established on Sit Down Young Stranger in its use of drums and electric instrumentation, to which he would later return in the second half of the decade. “Redwood Hill” contains elements of bluegrass music.

<i>Transcendental Blues</i> 2000 studio album by Steve Earle

Transcendental Blues is the ninth studio album by Steve Earle, released in 2000. It features Sharon Shannon on the track "The Galway Girl". The album was nominated for a Grammy in the Best Contemporary Folk Album category.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Kennedys (band)</span>

The Kennedys are an American folk-rock band, consisting of husband and wife Pete and Maura Kennedy. They are recognized for their harmonies and instrumental prowess, blending elements of country music, bluegrass, Western swing and janglepop.

<i>The Ballad of Sally Rose</i> 1985 studio album by Emmylou Harris

The Ballad of Sally Rose is a studio album by American singer Emmylou Harris released in February 1985. It marked a significant departure for Harris for two reasons. First, all the songs were written by her and her then-husband Paul Kennerley, while her previous albums had consisted mostly of others' material. Secondly, it is a concept album, loosely based on Harris' relationship with Gram Parsons. The album tells the story of a character named Sally Rose, a singer whose lover and mentor, a hard-living, hard-drinking musician, is killed while on the road. Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt and Gail Davies sing harmony on several of the songs. Many of the songs flow into one another to create a continuous momentum.

<i>Aint Gonna Worry</i> 1990 studio album by Crystal Gayle

Ain't Gonna Worry is an album by the American country music singer Crystal Gayle. Released on July 2, 1990, it marked the end of her run of Billboard album chart appearances. The album was Gayle's first and only album for the Capitol Records label.

<i>The Legend</i> (Johnny Cash box set) 2005 box set by Johnny Cash

The Legend is a box set by country singer Johnny Cash, released in 2005 on Columbia Records and Legacy Recordings. It is one of the few multi-disc sets that contain songs recorded throughout Cash's entire career, from 1955 to 2003. Over four CDs, most of Cash's biggest hits are covered, in addition to numerous traditional compositions Cash recorded versions of, and several collaborations with other known artists, including Rosanne Cash, U2 and Bob Dylan. In keeping with Cash's persona as the Man in Black, the data surface of the discs is black. In 2006, the set won the Grammy Award for Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package. It was certified Gold on January 11, 2006, by the RIAA.

<i>Once in a Very Blue Moon</i> 1984 studio album by Nanci Griffith

Once in a Very Blue Moon was singer-songwriter Nanci Griffith's third studio album. The album had more of a country sound than her previous albums. Her first two albums were backed sparsely with instrumentation, but starting with this album, the whole complement of country-styled instrumentalists can be heard. Noted country musicians performing on the album include banjo player, Béla Fleck, champion fiddle player, Mark O'Connor, and pedal steel master, Lloyd Green. The title song was covered by Dolly Parton, who included her version on her Real Love album in 1985.

<i>The Last of the True Believers</i> 1986 studio album by Nanci Griffith

The Last of the True Believers is the fourth studio album by American singer-songwriter Nanci Griffith, released in 1986 by Philo Records. The acclaim accorded her from her previous album, Once in a Very Blue Moon, and this album earned her a contract with a major recording company. Here, Griffith continued her turn toward a more country-oriented work than her first two albums, which were primarily folk-sounding. It also includes two songs which were later hits for Kathy Mattea, "Love at the Five and Dime" from Walk the Way the Wind Blows (1986) and "Goin' Gone", her first number one, from Untasted Honey (1987).

<i>Lone Star State of Mind</i> 1987 studio album by Nanci Griffith

Lone Star State of Mind is the fifth studio album released by Nanci Griffith, and her first album for MCA Records. With the album, Griffith's music took a turn from her original folk music base into more commercially viable country music. For this album, she enlisted the talents of veteran country producer Tony Brown. The album garnered her first appearance on the Billboard Country charts, rising to #23 on the Country Albums chart, and was her highest charting album on the chart. It was also a massive success in the United Kingdom, where it topped the country albums chart and spent over a year in the top 20. The title track, "Lone Star State of Mind," became the first of only three Griffith singles to enter the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart. It peaked at #36, while two other singles from the album, "Cold Hearts/Closed Minds" and "Trouble in the Fields", reached #64 and #57 respectively. The song "From a Distance" would go on to become a major pop hit when covered by Bette Midler in 1990.

<i>Other Voices, Too (A Trip Back to Bountiful)</i> 1998 studio album by Nanci Griffith

Other Voices, Too was a 1998 album by Nanci Griffith. It was her thirteenth studio album. Following on from the Grammy Award winning album Other Voices, Other Rooms, Other Voices, Too is a second album of cover songs written by a wide variety of singer/songwriters.

<i>Winter Marquee</i> 2002 live album by Nanci Griffith

Winter Marquee is a live album by folk singer Nanci Griffith. It was her first album for Rounder Records after leaving Elektra Records. Recorded live during the Clock Without Hands tour in spring 2002, this album grew from the original wish to capture just one live song into a 14-track live CD album, Griffith's first live recording since One Fair Summer Evening (1988). On May 29, 2002, at the historic Tennessee Theatre in Knoxville, a live performance was filmed, and released on DVD under the same name. During the recording of both the album and the DVD, Griffith was joined on stage by Emmylou Harris, Tom Russell and Andrew Hardin.

<i>Flyer</i> (album) 1994 studio album by Nanci Griffith

Flyer was the eleventh studio album released by singer-songwriter Nanci Griffith. Released in 1994, it contained 15 tracks, mostly of original material. It was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album at the 37th Annual Grammy Awards. The album had contributions from Peter Buck, Mark Knopfler, Emmylou Harris, Larry Mullen Jr., Adam Clayton, Adam Duritz, The Chieftains and the Indigo Girls.

<i>Lost Dogs and Mixed Blessings</i> 1995 studio album by John Prine

Lost Dogs and Mixed Blessings is the 12th studio album by American folk singer John Prine, released in 1995. The cover artwork is by John Callahan.

The Sessions Band is an American musical group that has periodically recorded and toured with American rock singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen in various formations since 1997.

<i>Great Days: The John Prine Anthology</i> 1993 compilation album by John Prine

Great Days: The John Prine Anthology is a compilation album by American folk singer John Prine, released in 1993.

<i>Friends of Mine</i> (Ramblin Jack Elliott album) 1998 studio album by Ramblin Jack Elliott

Friends of Mine is an album by American folk musician Ramblin' Jack Elliott, released in 1998.

Redemption Road is the sixty-first album by American folk singer-songwriter Tom Paxton, released in March 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dom Flemons</span> Musical artist

Dominique Flemons is an American old-time music, Piedmont blues, and neotraditional country multi-instrumentalist, singer, and songwriter. He is a proficient player of the banjo, fife, guitar, harmonica, percussion, quills, and rhythm bones. He is known as "The American Songster" as his repertoire of music spans nearly a century of American folklore, ballads, and tunes. He has performed with Mike Seeger, Joe Thompson, Martin Simpson, Boo Hanks, Taj Mahal, Old Crow Medicine Show, Guy Davis, and The Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band.

Philip Donnelly was a guitarist, songwriter and producer born in Clontarf, Dublin. Known as the Clontarf Cowboy, he gained international recognition touring and recording with artists such as the Everly Brothers, Johnny Cash, Nanci Griffith, Townes Van Zandt, John Prine and Donovan.

References

  1. Johnny Loftus. "Other Voices, Other Rooms - Nanci Griffith | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic . Retrieved June 20, 2016.
  2. "Nanci Griffith - Other Voices, Other Rooms CD Album". Cduniverse.com. March 2, 1993. Retrieved June 20, 2016.
  3. "CG: nanci griffith". Robert Christgau. Retrieved June 20, 2016.
  4. "Nanci Griffith: Other Voices, Other Rooms : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone". April 15, 1993. Archived from the original on October 1, 2007. Retrieved June 20, 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  5. "Littleton Interview".
  6. "Gold & Platinum - RIAA". Riaa.com. Retrieved November 11, 2017.
  7. Nanci Griffith, grammy.com