Sanssouci (song)

Last updated

"Sanssouci"
Song by Rufus Wainwright
from the album Release the Stars
ReleasedMay 15, 2007
Genre Pop
Length5:16
Label Geffen
Songwriter(s) Rufus Wainwright
Producer(s) Rufus Wainwright
The South or Garden facade and corps de logis of Sanssouci Potsdam - Schloss Sanssouci.jpg
The South or Garden façade and corps de logis of Sanssouci

"Sanssouci" is a song written by Rufus Wainwright; appearing as a track on his fifth studio album, Release the Stars (2007). [1] The name is a reference to the Sanssouci palace built by Frederick the Great in Potsdam, Germany.

The studio recording of the song used in Release the Stars includes both Wainwright's sister, Lucy Wainwright Roche, and his long-term friend singer-songwriter Teddy Thompson, on backing vocals.

Originally a French term, the expression "sans souci" translated into English means roughly "without worry", "without cares", or "carefree".

Personnel

Related Research Articles

The Roches

The Roches were a vocal group of three songwriting Irish-American sisters from Park Ridge, New Jersey, United States. They were known for their "unusual" and "rich" harmonies, quirky lyrics, and casually comedic stage performances.

Rufus Wainwright American-Canadian singer-songwriter and composer

Rufus McGarrigle Wainwright is an American-Canadian singer, songwriter, and composer. He has recorded nine albums of original music and numerous tracks on compilations and film soundtracks. He has also written two classical operas and set Shakespeare's sonnets to music for a theater piece by Robert Wilson.

<i>Want One</i> 2003 studio album by Rufus Wainwright

Want One is the third studio album by the Canadian-American singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright, released through DreamWorks Records on September 23, 2003. The album was produced by Marius de Vries and mixed by Andy Bradfield, with Lenny Waronker as the executive in charge of production. Want One spawned two singles: "I Don't Know What It Is", which peaked at number 74 on the UK Singles Chart, and "Oh What a World". The album charted in three countries, reaching number 60 on the Billboard 200, number 130 in France, and number 77 in the Netherlands.

Loudon Wainwright III American singer-songwriter, humorist, and actor

Loudon Snowden Wainwright III is an American singer-songwriter and occasional actor. In addition to the 1970s novelty song "Dead Skunk ", he has released 24 studio albums, 4 live albums, and 6 compilations. He has played small roles in at least 18 television programs and feature films, including three episodes in the third season of the series M*A*S*H.

Teddy Thompson Musical artist

Teddy Thompson is an English folk and rock musician. He is the son of folk rock musicians Richard and Linda Thompson and brother of singer Kamila Thompson. He released his first album in 2000.

<i>Release the Stars</i> 2007 studio album by Rufus Wainwright

Release the Stars is the fifth studio album by Canadian-American singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright, released through Geffen Records on May 15, 2007. Pet Shop Boys' Neil Tennant was the executive producer; the album was mixed by Record producer Marius de Vries and Andy Bradfield. Wainwright's most commercially successful album to date, Release the Stars charted in 13 countries, reaching Top 10 positions in Denmark, Norway, and the United Kingdom, and was certified gold in Canada and the UK. The album generated three singles: "Going to a Town", which peaked at number 54 on the UK Singles Chart, "Rules and Regulations", and "Tiergarten".

Lucy Wainwright Roche American singer-songwriter (born 1981)

Lucy Wainwright Roche is an American singer-songwriter. Preceded by two EPs, 8 Songs and 8 More, Roche released her debut album, Lucy in October 2010. In 2013, she starred as Jeri in the Stuff You Should Know television show.

<i>Speak</i> (The Roches album) 1989 studio album by The Roches

Speak is the fifth studio album by the folk trio The Roches, released in 1989 on MCA Records. The album features two singles which had accompanying videos, "Big Nuthin'" and "Everyone Is Good". Another track, "Nocturne", was featured in the 1988 film Crossing Delancey.

<i>Waiting for a Want</i> 2004 EP by Rufus Wainwright

Waiting for a Want is the first EP by Canadian-American singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright, released through DreamWorks Records electronically on June 29, 2004. At the time it was released, the collection previewed Wainwright's forthcoming album, Want Two. Initially planned to be released shortly after Want One, after plans of a double album fell through, the purchase of DreamWorks by Interscope delayed the release of Want Two. The EP provided listeners with new material during this period. Admitting that he wanted to release "a couple of ditties" before the United States presidential election of 2004, Wainwright described the collection as "some of the more daunting tracks, the operatic, weird stuff, some heavy numbers that relate to my classical sensibilities".

<i>Teddy Thompson</i> (album) 2000 studio album by Teddy Thompson

Teddy Thompson is the self-titled, debut album by singer-songwriter Teddy Thompson, son of Richard and Linda Thompson. The album was released under Virgin Records on August 29, 2000. Friend and fellow singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright contributes backing vocals on "So Easy" and co-wrote "Missing Children".

<i>Upfront & Down Low</i> 2007 studio album by Teddy Thompson

Upfront & Down Low is the self-produced, third studio album by singer-songwriter Teddy Thompson, released under Verve Forecast Records on July 17, 2007. The album features covers of some of his favorite country songs, along with one original track. Six songs on the album include string arrangements by Robert Kirby, while "My Blue Tears" features a string arrangement by friend and fellow singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright.

<i>Maybe This Christmas Too?</i> 2003 compilation album by various artists

Maybe This Christmas Too? is a holiday compilation album released in October 2003 through Nettwerk Records featuring contemporary musicians performing both classic and original Christmas songs. The compilation served as a sequel to Maybe This Christmas (2002) and preceded Maybe This Christmas Tree (2004). A portion of the proceeds from the album went to Toys for Tots, a charity supported by the United States Marine Corps. Critical reception of the compilation, which failed to chart in any nation, was mixed.

Rules and Regulations (song) 2007 single by Rufus Wainwright

"Rules and Regulations" is a song written and performed by Canadian-American singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright. It was the second single from Wainwright's fifth studio album, Release the Stars, released digitally via iTunes in the UK on July 30, 2007.

Tiergarten (song) 2007 single by Rufus Wainwright

"Tiergarten" is a song written and performed by Canadian-American singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright. Released in October 2007, it was the third single from Wainwright's fifth studio album, Release the Stars. A limited edition 12" vinyl single containing "Supermayer Lost in Tiergarten" was released on October 27. A one-track EP also containing the Supermayer remix was released in the UK through iTunes and 7digital on October 29.

<i>Milwaukee at Last!!!</i> 2009 live album by Rufus Wainwright

Milwaukee at Last!!! is the seventh album by Canadian-American singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright, released in the United States on September 22, 2009. The album consists of live recordings from his August 27, 2007, performance at the Pabst Theater in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in support of his previous studio album, Release the Stars (2007). Documentary film director Albert Maysles recorded a film of the same name for DVD, also released on September 22 in the US.

<i>Out of the Game</i> 2012 studio album by Rufus Wainwright

Out of the Game is the seventh studio album by singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright, released in Australia, the United Kingdom and Canada in April 2012 and in the United States on May 1, 2012 through Decca Records/Polydor Records. The album was produced by Mark Ronson. Recording sessions began in May 2011. Guest musicians include his sister Martha Wainwright, Thomas "Doveman" Bartlett, drummer Andy Burrows, guitarist Nels Cline, members of the Dap-Kings, Sean Lennon, the alternative rock band Wilco, Miike Snow's Andrew Wyatt and Yeah Yeah Yeahs guitarist Nick Zinner.

Out of the Game Tour

The Out of the Game Tour is a concert tour by singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright. The tour supports his seventh studio album, Out of the Game. Beginning in April 2012, the tour has played over 100 shows in the Americas, Asia, Europe and Australasia.

<i>Vibrate: The Best of Rufus Wainwright</i> 2014 greatest hits album by Rufus Wainwright

Vibrate: The Best of Rufus Wainwright, sometimes referred to simply as Vibrate: The Best Of, is the greatest hits album by American-Canadian singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright, released on February 28, 2014 in Australia and Ireland by Universal Music Enterprises and in other nations subsequently. The standard issue of the album includes eighteen songs from six of Wainwright's studio releases, including his self-titled debut album (1998), Poses (2001), Want One (2003), Want Two (2004), Release the Stars (2007) and Out of the Game (2012), plus soundtrack contributions and one previously unreleased track. The deluxe version includes a bonus disc with sixteen rare and unreleased recordings, both live and studio recorded. Featured are "Chic and Pointless", previously unreleased and produced by Guy Chambers, and "WWIII", a song that was co-written by Chambers and had not been released in a physical form until Vibrate.

<i>Rufus Wainwright: Live from the Artists Den</i> 2014 live album by Rufus Wainwright

Rufus Wainwright: Live from the Artists Den is a live album by American-Canadian singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright, released by Artists Den Records and Universal Music Enterprises on March 3, 2014. The album was recorded at a concert on May 17, 2012 at the Church of the Ascension in Greenwich Village, New York City, which was originally filmed for the PBS program Live from the Artists Den.

<i>Songs in the Dark</i> (album) 2015 studio album by The Wainwright Sisters

Songs in the Dark is the debut album by the Wainwright Sisters, a singer-songwriter duo featuring the Canadian-American Martha Wainwright and her American half-sister Lucy Wainwright Roche. The album, released on November 13, 2015, includes lullabies that their mothers Kate McGarrigle and Suzzy Roche sang to them as children, plus songs by Woody Guthrie, Jimmie Rogers, and their father Loudon Wainwright III.

References

  1. "Discography – Release the Stars". RufusWainwright.com. May 1, 2007. Archived from the original on October 26, 2008. Retrieved December 6, 2008.