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Released | 25 August 2003 | |||
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Pure is the third studio album by all-female German pop group No Angels. It was released by Cheyenne Records and Polydor on 25 August 2003. Conceived after the departure of original member Jessica Wahls, the project marked No Angels's first studio release as a quartet and their final album before their temporary disbandment in fall 2003. The remaining four members reteamed with frequent collaborators Thorsten Brötzmann and Peter Ries to work on the majority of the album, with additional songwriting and production contribution from Tobias Lundgren, Perky Park, Nigel Rush, Stephan Ullman, and Twin.
Recorded at the Department-2-Studios in Frankfurt, Pure is predominately a pop album with slight elements of electronic, pop rock and Latin music, marking a departure from the contemporary R&B and teen pop-oriented sound of previous projects; its lyrics explore themes of heartbreak, love, family, and escapism. Elaborating a more grown-up theme for the album, the band requested promotional material to depict a serious, less girlish image. Pure was released to generally mixed reviews from music critics, many of whom praised the slower songs on the album but found the rest of the material too generic
Despite failing to match the commercial success of the group's two previous albums Elle'ments (2001) and Now... Us! (2002), Pure became No Angels' third consecutive chart-topper on the German Albums Chart and was eventually certified gold by the Bundesverband Musikindustrie (BVMI). It also peaked at number two and nine in Austria and Switzerland, respectively, and produced three top five singles, including the band's fourth number-one hit "No Angel (It's All in Your Mind)". A 2004 concert tour in support of the album, the Pure Acoustic Tour, was cancelled after the group's announcement of their disbandment in fall 2003. [1]
In June 2002, No Angels released their second album, Now... Us! , which received acclaim from many critics who believed the band would not last past their first album. [2] [3] Another major commercial success for the group, it debuted at number one on the German Albums Chart. [4] Following an exclusive swing concert at the Tränenpalast in Berlin in October, No Angels soon followed with a swing album, When the Angels Swing , featuring their biggest hits and selected songs from their first two albums, re-arranged by German jazz musician Till Brönner. [5] Critically acclaimed by critics, the album reached number nine of the German Albums Chart, eventually going gold. [4] In November, the girls embarked on their second national concert tour, the Four Seasons Tour , playing sell-out shows in theatres across German-speaking Europe. [6]
After Jessica Wahls' pregnancy break from the group and the end of the tour, the remaining four members of No Angels began intensifying work on their then-untitled third studio album. Encouraged to exercise more self-control on the longplayer, [7] the band took over responsibility in composing, recording and selecting songs to guarantee a more personal theme on the album — a step that challenged criticism and growing scepticism among the band's label Cheyenne Records and recording company Polydor. [7] "We selected song for us, which are best pop music, sort absolutely well with us, and represent at best what we want to talk about," band member Sandy Mölling said in an interview during the album's release. [7] Impressed by the intensity of the musical output, the group settled on the album title Pure. "The music is very, very pure, [...] there's nothing we had to dissemble for, the album shows who we really are [musically]." [7]
Recording of all vocals on Pure took place at the Department-2-Studios in Frankfurt. [7] Unlike with previous sessions, the remaining four band members did not record together. Instead, each member would record on her own in the studio, while vocal mixing was provided by engineers. [8] Vocal production was supervised by frequent collaborator Nik Hafemann, with Nadja Benaissa and Vanessa Petruo contributing to the arrangement of the vocal harmonies. [7] Petruo als penned opening track "Sister", another collaboration with songwriter Alex Geringas and producer Thorsten Brötzmann, both of whom had co-written their number-one hit "Something About Us" (2001). The strings-led mid-tempo song chronicles Petruo's fallout with her father, actor Thomas Petruo, and their subsequent reconciliation. [9] Kids voices were provided by Brötzmann's daughters Sina and Lisa-Maria. [9]
Brötzmann produced another five songs on Pure, including the uplifting Latin-flavored mid tempo song "Someday" and the melancholic Latin ballad "Angel of Mine" both of which were compared to their 2002 single "Still in Love with You". [7] He also contributed to the up tempo song "So What" and Petruo's solo song "Ten Degrees" as well as an acoustic version of Dutch musician Robbie van Leeuwen's 1969 song "Venus". [10] The band reportedly disliked their Bananarama-influenced original rendition of the song which they had recorded as testimonials for Gillette's Venus division of razors for women in early 2003. [7] Production on "Eleven Out of Ten", a cover version of the same-titled 2003 song by Swedish girl group Play, was helmed by Tobias Lundgren, while its songwriters, Swedish production duo Twin, provided production on the beat-driven "Feelgood Lies". [10]
Further six tracks were produced by Peter Ries, another longtime contributor of the band, including the electronic ballad "New Beginning" and the warm acoustic ballad "Washes Over Me". [10] His production on "You Lied" was compared to the synth sounds of British electronic musician William Orbit with whom Cheyenne Records had been in negotiations for a possible collaboration on the song, but plans fell through. [10] "Forever Yours" incorporates slight elements of Arabic music, while "Takes a Woman to Know" combines strings and keyboard arrangements with Italian folk music. [11] Ries also produced "Soft Place to Fall", Benaissa's solo song, who rejected a self-written but "dramatic and melancholic" composition in favor of his track, as well as Diakovka's solo song, the rock pop-heavy "Confession". [7] Production on another rock pop song, lead single "No Angel (It's All in Your Mind)", was overseen by Perky Park and Hafemann. [7]
Pure was preceded by lead single "No Angel (It's All in Your Mind)," released on 22 April 2003. A mid-tempo pop rock track about picture-perfect illusions in a relationship. [11] it marked No Angels' first release without Wahls' vocals on it. Another commercial success for the group, the song became their fourth number-one hit on the German Singles Chart. It also placed tenth in Austria, where it would become the band's seventh top ten entry on the Austrian Singles Chart, but was significantly less successful in Switzerland, where it peaked at number 46, a breakaway from the success of previous leading singles. Follow-up "Someday," a latin pop-flavored love song, was issued on 13 July 2003. It became the band's seventh top ten hit in Germany and while it peaked at number five, it would become the album's lowest-charting single in Germany. [12]
On 27 August 2003, the band announced that they would embark on their third concert tour, the Pure Acoustic Tour, in early 2004. [13] Inspired by Acoustic Angels , their special one-off unplugged performance at the P1 club in Munich in March 2003, [1] during which they had previewed some then unknown songs from Pure, including "No Angels (It's All in Your Mind)", "Someday" and "Washes Over Me," [14] the tour was scheduled to commence on 31 January 2024 at the Stadthalle Bielefeld and conclude on 28 February 2004 at the Grugahalle in Essen, [15] comprising 22 dates across Austria, Germany, Luxembourg, and Switzerland. [16] Ticket sales and reservations began on 3 September 2023. [13]
Only two days later, on 5 September 2023, the group revealed that they would not come together for a new project in 2004 and were instead preparing their official disbandment towards the end of the year. [17] While No Angels manager Regina Weber initially announced that all scheduled Pure Acoustic Tour dates would take place as expected, [17] the tour was eventually cancelled only days after, [18] leading to a breach of contract between Cheyenne Records and concert agency Marek Lieberberg. [16] On 22 September 2003, "Feelgood Lies," the third and final single from Pure was released. The song became the album's third consecutive top five hit on the German Singles Chart, peaking at number three, and marked Pure's only top thirty entry in Switzerland. [19] Following the physical release of "Feelgood Lies," the album's promotion officially ended in favor of The Best of No Angels (2003). [16]
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
CDStarts | 3/10 [11] |
laut.de | [10] |
Pure was released to generally mixed reviews from music critics, many of whom praised the slower songs on the album but found the rest of the material too generic. [10] MusikWoche remarked that the strength of the album was its ballads and cited songs such as "New Beginning", "Washes Over Me" as well as the band's rendition of "Venus" as the "quiet, rousing highlights" of the album. The media magazine concluded: "The third studio album of No Angels is not as 'pure' as the title might suggest. But it is a successful proof of their heavenly vocal power." [20] Marie-Louise Leinhos from magazine Aviva felt that "the album is an imaginative work with varied songs [that] is also experimental and open to new influences." She called Pure “another solid continuation” to their discography as well as a "classically crafted pop album with danceable parts." [21] Similarly, Sachar Kriwoj from Berlin magazine Brainstorms! called the album a "dedication to everyone who loves good pop." [22]
Matthias Reichel from online magazine CDStarts criticized the album for its "overbalancing status of filling material" and rated the album three stars ouf of ten. He commented: "In principle, everything on Pure is unchanged: A few 'highlights' are flanked by soulless mass products that are on b-side level at best." However, Reichel felt that single releases such as "Someday", "No Angel (It's All in Your Mind)" and "Feelgood Lies" as well as "Forever Yours" and "New Beginning" confirmed the songwriters' skills for catchy, radio-friendly tunes. [11] Similarly, laut.de editor Vicky Butscher found that Pure was less of a personal album instead of a collection of "typical boy or girl group repertoire". She rated the album two out of five stars and remarked that the album was drawing inspiration from Madonna's 1998 studio album Ray of Light , particularly on "You Lied", as well as British female groups such as All Saints and the Sugababes. Satisfied with later half of the album though, she concluded: "The best thing would be for No Angels to focus on ballads in the future. Anyone who listens to "New Beginning" or "Washes Over Me" knows why. Also, the re-arranged "Venus" is much more beautiful, than the pop jingle." [10] SWR3 called Pure a "pop album worth listening to with excursions into funk and soul." [23]
Released on 25 August 2003, Pure debuted at number one on the German Albums Chart in the week of 8 September 2003. [24] It marked the band's third consecutive studio album to reach the top position on this particular chart. [25] Due to the announcement of their disbandment two weeks after its release, promotional efforts for No Angels soon shifted to their first compilation The Best of No Angels (2003) after the release of Pure's third single "Feelgood Lies" in late September 2003. [1] Pure, however, fell out of the top ten in its sixth week of release but remained on the chart until late December 2003. [26] While not as commercially successful as its predecessors Elle'ments (2001) and Now... Us! (2002), both of which had been promoted significantly longer and spawned several reissues and special editions, it was eventually awarded a gold certification by the Bundesverband Musikindustrie (BVMI) for selling more than 100,000 copies. [26] In Germany, Pure ranked fifty-second on the national year-end chart. [27]
In Austria, Pure became No Angels's third consecutive studio album to reach the top two of the Austrian Albums Chart. [28] Upon its debut week, it was blocked from the top spot by Dead Letters (2003), the fifth album by Finnish rock band The Rasmus. [28] While Pure failed to place on the national year end chart and was left uncertified, it spent twelve weeks on the chart. [28] In Switzerland, the album became the group's third top ten album. The second highest new entry of the week after American R&B singer Mary J. Blige's album Love & Life (2003), it debuted at number nine on the Swiss Albums Chart. [29] While none of Pure's singles managed to reach the top twenty of the Swiss Singles Chart, the album would spend one week within the top ten and remain another eight weeks on the chart. [29] Pure also peaked at number ten on Billboard's European Top 100 Albums chart. [30]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
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1. | "Sister" | Brötzmann | 3:26 | |
2. | "Eleven Out of Ten" |
| Tobias Lundgren | 3:37 |
3. | "So What" |
| Brötzmann | 3:12 |
4. | "Angel of Mine" |
| Brötzmann | 3:43 |
5. | "Forever Yours" | Peter Ries | 3:25 | |
6. | "Someday" |
| Brötzmann | 3:16 |
7. | "You Lied" |
| Ries | 4:09 |
8. | "Feelgood Lies" |
| 3:22 | |
9. | "No Angel (It's All in Your Mind)" |
|
| 3:14 |
10. | "Takes a Woman to Know" |
| Ries | 3:36 |
11. | "New Beginning" |
| Ries | 4:00 |
12. | "Washes Over Me" |
| Ries | 4:13 |
13. | "Venus" (including Pure outtakes) | Robbie van Leeuwen | Brötzmann | 3:18 |
Total length: | 71:55 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Soft Place to Fall" (Nadja's song) | Allan Simpson | Peter Ries | 3:26 |
2. | "Confession" (Lucy's song) | Lucy Diakovska |
| 3:59 |
3. | "How Can We Be Friends" (Sandy's song) |
| Nigel Rush | 3:38 |
4. | "Ten Degrees" (Vanessa's song) |
| Brötzmann | 3:25 |
Total length: | 87:23 |
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Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
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Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Germany (BVMI) [31] | Gold | 100,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
Region | Date | Edition | Format | Label | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Austria | 25 August 2003 |
| [32] | ||
Germany | |||||
Switzerland |
No Angels are an all-female pop group from Germany, formed in 2000. Originally a quintet, consisting of band members Nadja Benaissa, Lucy Diakovska, Sandy Mölling, Vanessa Petruo, and Jessica Wahls, they originated on the debut season of the German adaptation of the talent series Popstars and were one of the first television-cast acts to achieve sustainable success throughout Central Europe in the early 2000s. Following a major success with record-breaking single "Daylight in Your Eyes" and debut album Elle'ments in 2001, a series of hit records established their position as one of the most successful female band vocalists to emerge in the early decade. With four number-one hits, four number-one albums and record sales of more than 5.0 million, they became one of the most successful acts in German music history, winning three ECHOs, a World Music Award, a NRJ Music Award, two Comets, a Bambi and a Goldene Kamera.
Bro'Sis was a multicultural R&B/pop group from Germany, which was formed through the TV series Popstars – Du bist mein Traum in 2001. The group comprised the singers Ross Antony, Hila Bronstein, Shaham Joyce, Faiz Mangat, Indira Weis, and Giovanni Zarrella. The sextet achieved major success with hit singles "I Believe", "Do You", "Heaven Must Be Missing an Angel", "Hot Temptation", and their first album Never Forget (2002).
Vanessa Anneliese Petruo-Zink is a German former singer, songwriter, actress and television personality. Born and raised in Berlin within a family of actors, she had minor roles in television and as a voice actress before she rose to fame as one of the members of the girl group No Angels, which were formed in 2000 on the German television talent show Popstars, becoming one of the best-selling girl groups of European origin of all time. Throughout her musical career, Petruo scored four number-one hits, including "Something About Us", which she co-wrote, and sold over five million albums and singles worldwide.
Now... Us! is the second studio album by German girl group No Angels. It was released by Polydor and Cheyenne Records on June 24, 2002, in German-speaking Europe. Recorded after the release of the band's majorly successful debut album Elle'ments (2001), the group consulted work by frequent collaborators Thorsten Brötzmann, Peter Ries, and Leslie Mándoki as well as international songwriters and producers such as Anders Bagge, Figge Boström, Dennis Dowlut, Mousse T., Pontus Söderqvist, and Quiz & Larossi, while taking a wider role in contributing own lyrics and melodies to the album.
Elle'ments is the debut studio album by German girl group No Angels. It was first released by Polydor–Zeitgeist and Cheyenne Records on 12 March 2001 in German-speaking Europe. After winning the inaugural season of the reality talent contest Popstars in late 2000, Polydor consulted a small team of German-based musicians to work with the quintet, including Thorsten Brötzmann, Peter Ries, Leslie Mándoki, and Peter Plate. Elle'ments is a pop record with an inclusion of styles such as dance, R&B, Latin and rock. Conceptually, the album centered on the idea of the classical elements, and during that time was compared to English girl group the Spice Girls' Forever (2000) era.
The Best of No Angels is a compilation album by German girl group No Angels. It was released by Polydor–Zeitgeist and Cheyenne Records on 1 December 2003 in German-speaking Europe, coinciding with the group's first disbandment. A best-of album, it features all the singles from their first three studio albums Elle'ments (2001), Now... Us! (2002) and Pure (2003), as well as three additional album cuts from each album, including production from Thorsten Brötzmann, Leslie Mándoki, Mousse T., Perky Park, Peter Plate, Peter Ries, Ulf Leo Sommer, and Twin.
"Still in Love with You" is a song performed by German group No Angels. Penned and composed by Figge Boström and Johan Lindman of Swedish songwriting collective La Carr, it was co-produced by Pontus Söderqvist and Nick Nice for the band's second studio album Now... Us! (2002). A mid-paced latin pop ballad, it showcases a more mature side from the band, with its instrumentation consisting essentially of flamenco guitars and bongo drums. Lyrically, the track finds the female protagonist thinking deeply over her relationship with her love interest from whom she parted; however, she still pines for him and feels self-conscious for doing so.
"Something About Us" is a song by German female pop band No Angels. It was chiefly written by band member Vanessa Petruo along with frequent collaborator Thorsten Brötzmann and Alexander Geringas for the group's second studio album Now... Us! (2002), and created as a response to what the band felt was intense and sometimes unfair and inaccurate media criticism at the time, predominantly resulting from the clichés and prejudices generally associated with their manufactured band image. Produced by Brötzmann and co-producer Jeo, the uptempo track incorporates elements of both the contemporary R&B and dance-pop genre as well as Latin-pop and church music during the bridge.
"Let's Go to Bed" is a song performed by German pop group No Angels. It was written by Mousse T. and frequent collaborator Errol Rennalls and recorded for the band's second studio album Now... Us! (2002), while production was handled by the former. Musically, the track is a mid-paced pop song that is set in retro style. It contains heavy elements of psychedelic soul and funk music, with its instrumentation led by a bass guitar. "Let's Go to Bed" contains lyrics that reference to a celebration of sexual lust and conquest, leading up to a desire to invite a love interest to come to bed.
Mama Lilla Would is the first album by German singer–songwriter Vanessa Petruo. It differs from her previous work, replacing her indie pop sound with a mixture of soul, funk, alternative rock and baroque pop. It was released on 25 November 2005 by Universal Island. Primarily produced by the Oja Tunes, it failed to enter the top 100 of the German Albums Chart. Its lead single, "Hot Blooded Woman", peaked at #59 on the Media Control Charts. Petruo's previous single, "Drama Queen", which peaked at #11, was not included on the album.
"No Angel (It's All in Your Mind)" is a song by German pop band No Angels. It was written by Pete Kirtley, Tim Hawes and Liz Winstanley for the group's third studio album, Pure (2003), while production was helmed by Nik Hafemann along with Arno Kammermeier, Peter Hayo, and Walter Merziger who are credited under their production moniker Perky Park. The mid-tempo pop track incorporates minor pop rock and soft rock elements; the song's instrumentation includes drums and guitars. Lyrically, it deals with picture-perfect illusions in a relationship.
"Someday" is a song performed by all-female German group No Angels. Written and composed by Swedish musicians Thomas Jansson and Niklas Hillbom, it was produced by frequent collaborator Thorsten Brötzmann for the band's third studio album Pure (2003). A latin-flavored pop song, the midtempo ballad's instrumentation includes flamenco guitars, castanets and synthesizers. Lyrically, "Someday" speaks of a woman realizing that her relationship has come to an end, though she is hopeful that she and her love interest will be able to resume their romance in another time and place.
"Feelgood Lies" is a song by all-female German pop band No Angels. It was written by Pelle Ankarberg, Charlie Dore, Niclas Molinder, Maryann Morgan and Joacim Persson for the group's third studio album Pure (2003), while production was helmed by Molinder and Persson under their production moniker Twin, with Ankarberg serving as co-producer. A dark urban dance pop song that is built upon a heavy guitar riff and uplifting strings, the subjects of "Feelgood Lies" are revenge and karma. Not wanting to feel broken-hearted, the female protagonist warns a love interest to check his alibis.
"When the Angels Sing" is a song recorded by German pop group No Angels. It was written by Peter Ries and Charlemaine Thomas-Schmidtner and produced by the former for the band's debut studio album, Elle'ments (2001). A midtempo pop ballad, "When the Angels Sing" features a cascading piano arrangement and dominant drum pattern. Lyrically, it finds the group, as the protagonists, thinking deeply over their relationship with their love interests from whom they parted, still pining for them.
"Reason" is a song by German girl band No Angels. It was written by Thorsten Brötzmann and Alexander Geringas and produced by the former for their debut studio album Elle'ments (2001). "Reason" is a piano-led pop ballad with soft string arrangements and lyrics that talk about reminiscing past memories with a loved one. One of the slower songs on the album, its original version, entitled "That's the Reason", served as the closing track on both the original version of Elle'ments as well as its Special Winter deluxe edition.
"Goodbye to Yesterday" is a song by all-female German pop group No Angels. It was written by Pelle Ankarberg, Joacim Persson, Niclas Molinder, and David Jassy and produced by Swedish production team Twin for the band's comeback record, their fourth studio album Destiny (2007). No Angels' first release after a three-year hiatus, the song also marked their first commercial release to feature the group's second lineup, which excluded original band member Vanessa Petruo. Musically, "Goodbye to Yesterday" is a piano-led pop ballad with elements of pop rock; the song's lyrics are about the breakdown of a relationship which the female protagonist refuses to start all over again.
Destiny is the fourth regular studio album by all-female German pop group No Angels, released by Polydor Records and Universal Music Domestic on 13 April 2007 in German-speaking Europe. A comeback release, it marked the return of No Angels after the group had gone into hiatus in autumn 2003, which allowed each member to launch solo careers. Primarily produced by production duo Twin, with additional contribution from Jiant, Max Martin, Adrian Newman, and Thorsten Brötzmann as well as several new producers, it was the first album to feature No Angels's third lineup, excluding original band member Vanessa Petruo.
"Drama Queen" is a song by German pop singer Vanessa Petruo. Written by Petruo, Alexander Geringas, and Thorsten Brötzmann, it was released by Polydor and Cheyenne Records on 26 April 2004 as Petruo's first solo single following the disbandment of her group No Angels in fall 2003. The pop song achieved moderate success on the charts, peaking at number eleven in Germany, number 35 in Austria and number 88 in Switzerland. "Drama Queen" marked Petruo's only release with the label and her former No Angels management.
20 is the sixth studio album by all-female German pop group No Angels. It was released by BMG Rights Management on 4 June 2021 in German-speaking Europe to coincide with the twentieth release anniversary of their debut single "Daylight in Your Eyes" (2001). The band's first full-length release since Welcome to the Dance (2009), 20 consists of twenty tracks, featuring four original songs and sixteen updated versions of songs that were selected from their first three studio albums Elle'ments (2001), Now... Us! (2002) and Pure (2003). Produced by Christian Geller, it marked the band's third full-length release to feature No Angels' third lineup, excluding original band member Vanessa Petruo.