Sketches for My Sweetheart the Drunk

Last updated

Sketches for My Sweetheart the Drunk
Jeff Buckley - Sketches for My Sweetheart the Drunk.jpg
Compilation album by
Jeff Buckley
ReleasedMay 11, 1998
Recorded1996–1997
StudioNew York; Memphis
Genre Alternative rock
Length91:44
Label Columbia
Producer
Jeff Buckley chronology
Live from the Bataclan
(1995)		Sketches for My Sweetheart the Drunk
(1998)		 Live in Chicago
(2000)
Singles from Sketches for My Sweetheart the Drunk
  1. "Everybody Here Wants You"
    Released: May 18, 1998

Sketches for My Sweetheart the Drunk is a compilation album by the American singer-songwriter Jeff Buckley, released by Columbia Records on May 11, 1998, [1] a year after his death. It comprises recordings that supposed to be as Buckley's second studio album, which he made with the producer Tom Verlaine in 1996 and 1997 remixed by the producer Andy Wallace, along with some of Verlaine's original mixes and demos. It was released after negotiation with Buckley's mother, the owner of his estate, who feared that Sony was trying to exploit his legacy. It received positive reviews.

Contents

Recording and release

Buckley released his debut album, Grace , in 1994. He began recording his second album with the working title My Sweetheart the Drunk in late 1996 with the producer Tom Verlaine. Unsatisfied with the results, Buckley discarded the recordings and went to Memphis with his band to start anew. [2] On the evening of May 29, 1997, Buckley went swimming in the Mississippi River and drowned. [3]

As Buckley left no will, his estate transferred to his mother, Mary Guibert. Soon after Buckley's memorial ceremonies, Guibert learned that Sony was in the process of mixing and mastering the Verlaine recordings for release. This angered Guibert and Buckley's band, as Buckley had not wanted to release them. Through her lawyer, Guibert sent a cease-and-desist letter to Sony. [2]

Sony had not made back its investment on its record deal with Buckley and was eager to release a new album. However, Guibert would allow them to release only material that was "worth using". They compromised on a double album, with the Verlaine recordings on one disc and Buckley's later demos on the other. Guibert did not allow Sony to alter the demos, saying: "If this was his body here and we were preparing it for his funeral, we would not put him in a suit. We would put him in a flower shirt and some black jeans and his Doc Martens and leave his hair all mussed up." [2]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [4]
Entertainment Weekly A− [5]
The Guardian Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [6]
Los Angeles Times Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [7]
NME 8/10 [8]
Pitchfork 8.0/10 [9]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [10]
Slant Magazine Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [11]
Spin 4/10 [12]
USA Today Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [13]

My Sweetheart the Drunk received positive reviews. Biographers and critics wrote that Buckley had been "reaching fruitfully in multiple directions". [7] The biographers Dave Lory and Jim Irvin identified influences from Siouxsie and the Banshees on "Nightmares by the Sea" and "Witches Rave". [14] The Los Angeles Times cited John Lennon and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan as references. The reviewer Steve Hochman likened the track "Everybody Here Wants You" to a "70s-ish soul experiment worthy of Marvin Gaye or Al Green", and linked "New Year's Prayer" to Led Zeppelin's "Kashmir". [7]

During a 2011 interview, Tony Banks of Genesis commented of Buckley's rendition of Genesis's "Back in N.Y.C.", "I was very surprised that he did the whole thing including the funny bits. If I'd been him I would have just stuck to the main thing. But it was fun and quite sweet really, it was kind of 'why not?'." [15]

Track listing

All tracks composed by Jeff Buckley, except where noted.

Disc one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."The Sky Is a Landfill" Jeff Buckley, Michael Tighe5:09
2."Everybody Here Wants You" 4:46
3."Opened Once" 3:30
4."Nightmares by the Sea" 3:53
5."Yard of Blonde Girls"Audrey Clark, Lori Kramer, Inger Lorre 4:07
6."Witches' Rave" 4:40
7."New Year's Prayer" 4:40
8."Morning Theft" 3:39
9."Vancouver"Jeff Buckley, Mick Grøndahl, Michael Tighe3:12
10."You & I" 5:37
Total length:43:13
Disc two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Nightmares by the Sea" (original mix) 3:50
2."New Year's Prayer" (original mix) 4:10
3."Haven't You Heard" 4:07
4."I Know We Could Be So Happy Baby (If We Wanted to Be)" 4:27
5."Murder Suicide Meteor Slave" 5:55
6."Back in N.Y.C." Tony Banks, Phil Collins, Peter Gabriel, Steve Hackett, Mike Rutherford 7:36
7."Demon John"Jeff Buckley, Michael Tighe5:13
8."Your Flesh Is So Nice" 3:37
9."Jewel Box" 3:37
10."Satisfied Mind" (recorded 1992.10.11 WFMU) Red Hayes, Jack Rhodes 5:59
Total length:48:31

International (non-US) editions of disc two include the track "Gunshot Glitter" (Jeff Buckley) as track 7, moving tracks 7–10 of the US edition down a place for a total of 21 tracks. [16]

Personnel

Technical

Charts

Certifications

Certifications for Sketches for My Sweetheart the Drunk
RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA) [29] 2× Platinum140,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Siouxsie and the Banshees</span> British rock band

Siouxsie and the Banshees were a British rock band formed in London in 1976 by vocalist Siouxsie Sioux and bass guitarist Steven Severin. They have been widely influential, both over their contemporaries and with later acts. The Times called the group "one of the most audacious and uncompromising musical adventurers of the post-punk era".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeff Buckley</span> American musician (1966–1997)

Jeffrey Scott Buckley was an American musician. After a decade as a session guitarist in Los Angeles, Buckley amassed a moderate following in the early 1990s performing at venues in East Village, Manhattan such as Sin-é. After rebuffing interest from record labels and Herb Cohen—the manager of his father, singer Tim Buckley—he signed with Columbia, recruited a band, and released his only studio album, Grace, in 1994.

<i>Nocturne</i> (Siouxsie and the Banshees album) 1983 live album by Siouxsie and the Banshees

Nocturne is a live double album and video by English rock band Siouxsie and the Banshees, released on 25 November 1983 by Polydor Records. Co-produced by Mike Hedges, Nocturne features performances recorded at two shows at the Royal Albert Hall in London, on 30 September and 1 October 1983, featuring Robert Smith on guitar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Creatures</span> English band

The Creatures were an English band formed in 1981 by vocalist Siouxsie Sioux and drummer Budgie of the group Siouxsie and the Banshees. The Creatures released their first EP Wild Things in 1981. They recorded four studio albums: Feast in 1983, Boomerang in 1989, Anima Animus in 1999 and Hái! in 2003.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Siouxsie Sioux</span> English singer

Susan Janet Ballion, known professionally as Siouxsie Sioux, is an English singer, songwriter, musician and record producer. She came to prominence as the leader and main lyricist of the rock band Siouxsie and the Banshees, who were active from 1976 to 1996. They released 11 studio albums, and had several UK Top 20 singles including "Hong Kong Garden", "Happy House" and "Peek-a-Boo", plus a US Top 25 single in the Billboard Hot 100, with "Kiss Them for Me".

<i>Grace</i> (Jeff Buckley album) 1994 album

Grace is the only studio album by the American singer-songwriter Jeff Buckley, released on August 15, 1994 in Europe and on August 23, 1994 in the United States by Columbia Records.

<i>The Head on the Door</i> 1985 studio album by the Cure

The Head on the Door is the sixth studio album by English rock band the Cure. It was released on 30 August 1985 by Fiction Records. Preceded by the single "In Between Days" which had reached No. 15 on the UK Singles Chart, The Head on the Door was described by Melody Maker as "a collection of pop songs". With its variety of styles, it allowed the group to reach a wider audience in both Europe and North America. In the United Kingdom it became their most successful album to date, entering the albums chart at No. 7 on 7 September.

<i>Kaleidoscope</i> (Siouxsie and the Banshees album) 1980 studio album by Siouxsie and the Banshees

Kaleidoscope is the third studio album by British rock band Siouxsie and the Banshees, released on 1 August 1980 by Polydor Records. With the departure of John McKay and Kenny Morris and their replacement by two new musicians, Budgie on drums and John McGeoch on guitars, the band changed their musical direction and offered an album containing a wide variety of colors. "It was almost a different band", said Siouxsie.

<i>Juju</i> (Siouxsie and the Banshees album) 1981 studio album by Siouxsie and the Banshees

Juju is the fourth studio album by British rock band Siouxsie and the Banshees. It was recorded at Surrey Sound studio with Nigel Gray as co-producer, and was released on 19 June 1981 by Polydor Records. Two singles were released from Juju: "Spellbound" and "Arabian Knights".

<i>A Kiss in the Dreamhouse</i> 1982 studio album by Siouxsie and the Banshees

A Kiss in the Dreamhouse is the fifth studio album by British rock band Siouxsie and the Banshees, released on 5 November 1982 by Polydor Records. The record marked a change of musical direction, as the group used strings for the first time and experimented in the studio. Guitarist John McGeoch played more instruments, including recorder and piano. For Julian Marszalek of The Quietus, the release proved the Banshees to be "one of the great British psychedelic bands."

<i>Hyæna</i> 1984 studio album by Siouxsie and the Banshees

Hyæna is the sixth studio album by English rock band Siouxsie and the Banshees, released on 8 June 1984 by Polydor Records. The opening track, "Dazzle", featured strings played by musicians of the London Symphonic Orchestra (LSO), a 27-piece orchestra called the "Chandos Players"; it was scored from a tune that Siouxsie Sioux had composed on piano. Hyæna is the only studio album that guitarist Robert Smith of the Cure composed and recorded with Siouxsie and the Banshees.

<i>Tinderbox</i> (Siouxsie and the Banshees album) 1986 studio album by Siouxsie and the Banshees

Tinderbox is the seventh studio album by English rock band Siouxsie and the Banshees. It was released on 21 April 1986 by Wonderland and Polydor Records in the United Kingdom and by Geffen Records in the United States. It was the band's first full-length effort recorded with then-new guitarist John Valentine Carruthers; Carruthers had previously only added a few parts on the 1984 EP The Thorn. The first recording sessions for the album took place at Hansa by the Wall in Berlin in May 1985.

<i>Through the Looking Glass</i> (Siouxsie and the Banshees album) 1987 studio album by Siouxsie and the Banshees

Through the Looking Glass is the eighth studio album by English rock band Siouxsie and the Banshees. The album is a collection of cover versions. It was co-produced with Mike Hedges and released in March 1987 on Polydor. Through the Looking Glass included two singles; "This Wheel's on Fire" and "The Passenger". It was the second and final album recorded with guitarist John Valentine Carruthers. Some of their cover songs were praised by the original artists themselves.

<i>Gone Again</i> 1996 studio album by Patti Smith

Gone Again is the sixth studio album by Patti Smith, released June 18, 1996, on Arista Records. The production of the record was preceded by the deaths of many of Smith's close friends and peers, including her husband Fred "Sonic" Smith, her brother Todd, Robert Mapplethorpe, Richard Sohl and Kurt Cobain, with whom Smith had sympathized. In addition to this, Gone Again also features the last studio performance of Jeff Buckley, released before his death less than a year later.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Everybody Here Wants You</span> 1998 single by Jeff Buckley

"Everybody Here Wants You" is a song by American musician Jeff Buckley, released as the lead single from the posthumous album Sketches for My Sweetheart the Drunk. It was written as a love song for Joan Wasser, his girlfriend at the time. In October 2011, NME placed it at number 88 on its list "150 Best Tracks of the Past 15 Years". Kylie Auldist recorded a cover version with The Bamboos for the album Just Say (TRUCD159), as did the French band MIG on their 2004 album, Dhikrayat and Lewis Taylor on his 2000 album, Lewis II. The single was nominated for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance at 41st Annual Grammy Awards in 1999.

<i>So Real: Songs from Jeff Buckley</i> 2007 compilation album by Jeff Buckley

So Real: Songs from Jeff Buckley is a 'best of' compilation album of Jeff Buckley material, released on May 25, 2007.

Michael J. Clouse, an American record producer and songwriter was born in Boston, Massachusetts.

This is a discography for the American singer-songwriter and guitarist Jeff Buckley.

"A Satisfied Mind" is a song written by Joe "Red" Hayes and Jack Rhodes. Hayes explained the origin of the song in an interview: "The song came from my mother. Everything in the song are things I heard her say over the years. I put a lot of thought into the song before I came up with the title. One day my father-in-law asked me who I thought the richest man in the world was, and I mentioned some names. He said, 'You're wrong; it is the man with a satisfied mind.'"

<i>You and I</i> (Jeff Buckley album) 2016 compilation album by Jeff Buckley

You and I is a compilation album by Jeff Buckley, released on March 11, 2016, on Legacy Recordings. The songs were recorded in 1993 and represent some of his earliest recordings for Columbia.

References

  1. ↑ "BPI".
  2. 1 2 3 Forde, Eamonn (August 31, 2021). "'These are his true remains': the fight over Jeff Buckley's final recordings". The Guardian . Retrieved November 7, 2021.
  3. ↑ Schruers, Fred (August 7, 1997). "Jeff Buckley: Remembering the late 'Grace' singer-songwriter". Rolling Stone. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
  4. ↑ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Sketches for My Sweetheart the Drunk – Jeff Buckley". AllMusic . Retrieved November 17, 2015.
  5. ↑ Browne, David (May 25, 1998). "Sketches of My Sweetheart the Drunk". Entertainment Weekly . Archived from the original on January 14, 2018. Retrieved January 13, 2018.
  6. ↑ Sullivan, Caroline (May 15, 1998). "Jeff Buckley: Sketches (For My Sweetheart the Drunk)". The Guardian .
  7. 1 2 3 Hochman, Steve (May 25, 1998). "Buckley's Restless Spirit, Rich Music Preserved". Los Angeles Times . Archived from the original on May 10, 2018. Retrieved January 13, 2018.
  8. ↑ Williams, Simon (May 9, 1998). "Jeff Buckley – Sketches (For My Sweetheart The Drunk)". NME . Archived from the original on June 17, 2000. Retrieved January 13, 2018.
  9. ↑ Dombal, Ryan (December 11, 2016). "Jeff Buckley: Sketches for My Sweetheart the Drunk". Pitchfork . Retrieved January 13, 2018.
  10. ↑ Fricke, David (May 7, 1998). "Jeff Buckley: Sketches For My Sweetheart The Drunk". Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on March 6, 2007. Retrieved November 17, 2015.
  11. ↑ Cinquemani, Sal (November 1, 2002). "Jeff Buckley: Sketches: For My Sweetheart the Drunk". Slant Magazine . Archived from the original on November 6, 2002. Retrieved November 17, 2015.
  12. ↑ Milner, Greg (July 1998). "Jeff Buckley: Sketches (For My Sweetheart, the Drunk)". Spin . 14 (7): 126. Retrieved April 1, 2020.
  13. ↑ Gundersen, Edna (June 2, 1998). "Jeff Buckley, Sketches for My Sweetheart, the Drunk". USA Today .
  14. ↑ Dave Lory, Jim Irvin (2018). Jeff Buckley: From Hallelujah to the Last Goodbye. Post Hill Press. ISBN   978-1682615744.
    Jeff loved British music. [...] the wired consciousness of The Clash, the way Siouxsie and the Banshees went from gun-metal moodiness to skies of fireworks. He adored the Cocteau Twins, of course. He loved how the Smiths called to outsiders and nerds.
    His Siouxsie and the Banshees influence is most obvious on songs like "Nightmares by the Sea" and "Witches Rave" from the Sketches for My Sweetheart the Drunk album.
    He adored Siouxsie Sioux; her metallic tone and punky energy are somewhere in Jeff. Then there was Elizabeth Fraser, her "unique, impossible voice", as he described it.
  15. ↑ Giammetti, Mario (2020). Genesis 1967 to 1975 - The Peter Gabriel Years. Kingmaker. p. 225. ISBN   978-1-913218-62-1.
  16. ↑ Sketches for My Sweetheart the Drunk (liner notes). Columbia Records. 1998. 488661-2.
  17. ↑ "Australiancharts.com – Jeff Buckley – Sketches for My Sweetheart the Drunk". Hung Medien. Retrieved May 16, 2020.
  18. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Jeff Buckley – Sketches for My Sweetheart the Drunk" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved May 16, 2020.
  19. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Jeff Buckley – Sketches for My Sweetheart the Drunk" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved May 16, 2020.
  20. ↑ "Lescharts.com – Jeff Buckley – Sketches for My Sweetheart the Drunk". Hung Medien. Retrieved May 16, 2020.
  21. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Jeff Buckley – Sketches for My Sweetheart the Drunk" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved May 16, 2020.
  22. ↑ "Charts.nz – Jeff Buckley – Sketches for My Sweetheart the Drunk". Hung Medien. Retrieved May 16, 2020.
  23. ↑ "Norwegiancharts.com – Jeff Buckley – Sketches for My Sweetheart the Drunk". Hung Medien. Retrieved May 16, 2020.
  24. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Jeff Buckley – Sketches for My Sweetheart the Drunk". Hung Medien. Retrieved May 16, 2020.
  25. ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 16, 2020.
  26. ↑ "Jeff Buckley Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved May 16, 2020.
  27. ↑ "ARIA Top 100 Albums for 1998". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved October 5, 2021.
  28. ↑ "Jaaroverzichten 1998". Ultratop. Retrieved October 5, 2021.
  29. ↑ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2016 Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association . Retrieved December 28, 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.