Solo: Songs and Collaborations 1982–2015 | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Compilation album by Tracey Thorn | ||||
Released | 23 October 2015 | |||
Label | Caroline International [1] | |||
Tracey Thorn chronology | ||||
|
Solo: Songs and Collaborations 1982–2015 is a compilation album by Tracey Thorn, released in the UK on 23 October 2015. [1] It features 34 tracks spanning her career as a solo artist and includes collaborations with other artists, including The Unbending Trees ("Overture"), Massive Attack ("Protection") and The Style Council ("The Paris Match"). Further collaborations include tracks with Robert Wyatt and Hot Chip. [2] The tracks are arranged over two discs. It is also available as a digital album, and as a shortened single-disc compilation.
A compilation album comprises tracks, which may be previously released or unreleased, usually from several separate recordings by either one or several performers. If by one artist, then generally the tracks were not originally intended for release together as a single work, but may be collected together as a greatest hits album or box set. If from several performers, there may be a theme, topic, time period, or genre which links the tracks, or they may have been intended for release as a single work—such as a tribute album. When the tracks are by the same recording artist, the album may be referred to as a retrospective album or an anthology.
Tracey Anne Thorn is an English singer, songwriter and writer. She is best known as being one half of the duo Everything but the Girl.
Hailing from Budapest in Hungary, The Unbending Trees are a musical project, and specialize in sparse chamber ballads and slo-core pop.
Solo: Songs and Collaborations 1982 - 2015 includes tracks from Thorn's four solo albums: A Distant Shore (1982), Out of the Woods (2007), Love and Its Opposite (2010) and Tinsel and Lights (2012). In addition there are also songs that featured on the 2015 film soundtrack "The Falling".
A Distant Shore is the first studio album by Tracey Thorn, released via Cherry Red Records in 1982. It includes a cover version of The Velvet Underground's "Femme Fatale".
Thorn announced details of her new album at the beginning of October 2015, saying "These tracks represent, on one hand, the moments when I was working as a solo artist outside the constraints and democracy of a band, either recording tracks entirely by myself, or at least being in the driving seat, the one making all the artistic decisions. And on the other hand, those times when I guested with other bands or producers, performing as a featured solo singer, moonlighting from my regular job." [3]
Tracey Thorn enjoyed her greatest commercial success as one half of the duo Everything But The Girl, which she formed with her partner (now husband), Ben Watt. In 1994 their single "Missing" sold 870,000 copies in the UK and is credited as the highest selling single in the UK not to reach the top 2 (it peaked at number 3 in 1994). [4] Prior to Everything But The Girl, Thorn was a member of The Marine Girls, yet she has deliberately not included any tracks from her time with these bands on Solo: Songs and Collaborations 1982 - 2015 saying "‘This album deliberately isn’t called ‘The Best of Tracey Thorn,’ says Tracey of the collection. ‘Many might think my best work was with Everything But The Girl, or the Marine Girls, or that I should at least include some of those tracks. But with any interesting compilation you have to have a story to tell, a unifying theme, and here the idea is contained in the single word of the title, Solo." [5]
Everything but the Girl were an English musical duo, formed in Hull in 1982, consisting of lead singer and occasional guitarist Tracey Thorn and guitarist, keyboardist, producer and singer Ben Watt. Everything but the Girl have received eight gold and two platinum album BPI Certifications in the UK, and one gold album RIAA Certification in the US. They had four top ten singles and twelve top forty singles in the UK. Their biggest hit song "Missing" charted high in several countries and reached number two on the US Billboard Hot 100 in 1995 and spent over seven months on the UK Singles Chart thanks to an extremely popular remix by Todd Terry which later led to a Brit Award nomination for Best British Single.
Benjamin Brian Thomas Watt is a British musician, singer, songwriter, author, DJ and radio presenter, best known as one half of the duo Everything but the Girl.
Tracey Thorn did various interviews in the weeks leading up to the release, including an interview with HMV in which she said "that the advent of online connection with people who like your music is quite empowering. I have more direct access to the people out there who are interested in my music than I used to have". [6] The album was also reviewed in The Irish Times. [7]
Solo: Songs and Collaborations 1982–2015 entered the Official UK Albums Chart at number 53 on 30 October. [8]
Disc 1 | |||
---|---|---|---|
No. | Title | Originally from | Length |
1. | "Oh, the Divorces!" | Love and Its Opposite | 4:15 |
2. | "Under the Ivy" | Single release only | 2:12 |
3. | "Small Town Girl" | A Distant Shore | 3:55 |
4. | "Plain Sailing" | A Distant Shore | 2:06 |
5. | "Hands Up to the Ceiling" | Out of the Woods | 2:57 |
6. | "Follow Me Down" | Songs from The Falling | 3:00 |
7. | "Goodbye Joe" | B-side of "Plain Sailing" | 2:29 |
8. | "Hormones" | Love and Its Opposite | 3:08 |
9. | "Taxi Cab" | B-side of "Oh, the Divorces!" | 3:57 |
10. | "Sister Winter" | "Christmas Stocking" free digital download | 4:27 |
11. | "Overture" (Tracey Thorn & The Unbending Trees) | Chemically Happy (Is the New Sad) | 4:07 |
12. | "Kentish Town" | Love and Its Opposite | 3:30 |
13. | "By Piccadilly Station I Sat Down and Wept" | Out of the Woods | 2:23 |
14. | "The Paris Match" (The Style Council featuring Tracey Thorn) | Café Bleu | 4:26 |
15. | "Venceremos - We Will Win" (7" Bossa Version; Working Week featuring Robert Wyatt, Tracey Thorn and Claudia Figueroa) | Single release only | 4:40 |
16. | "How Wild the Wind Blows" | Molly Drake Songs | 1:56 |
17. | "Singles Bar" | Love and Its Opposite | 3:29 |
18. | "The Book of Love" | B-side of "Raise the Roof" | 2:48 |
19. | "Late in the Afternoon" | Love and Its Opposite | 3:21 |
20. | "Joy" | Tinsel and Lights | 3:59 |
Disc 2: | |||
---|---|---|---|
No. | Title | Originally from | Length |
1. | "Protection" (7"; Massive Attack featuring Tracey Thorn) | Protection | 4:55 |
2. | "Easy" | Out of the Woods | 3:57 |
3. | "Better Things" (Massive Attack featuring Tracey Thorn) | Protection | 4:16 |
4. | "Night Time" | Night Time EP | 3:44 |
5. | "Raise the Roof" (Beyond the Wizard's Sleeve Re-Animation) | "Raise the Roof" single | 6:42 |
6. | "You Are a Lover" (Clock Opera Remix) | "You Are a Lover" single | 5:24 |
7. | "It's All True" (Escort Extended Remix) | "It's All True" single | 5:16 |
8. | "Grand Canyon" (Ada Remix) | "Grand Canyon" single | 8:56 |
9. | "Why Does the Wind?" (Morgan Geist Remix) | "Why Does the Wind?" single | 5:56 |
10. | "Damage" (Tiefschwarz featuring Tracey Thorn) | Eat Books | 4:27 |
11. | "Without Me" (Tevo Howard Radio Edit; Tevo Howard featuring Tracey Thorn) | Single release only | 4:02 |
12. | "King's Cross" (Hot Chip Remix) | Single release only | 6:45 |
13. | "Swimming" (Visionquest Remix) | Opposites EP | 9:08 |
14. | "The Tree Knows Everything" (Adam F featuring Tracey Thorn) | Colours | 4:19 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Oh, the Divorces!" | 4:15 |
2. | "Under the Ivy" | 2:12 |
3. | "Small Town Girl" | 3:55 |
4. | "Plain Sailing" | 2:06 |
5. | "Hands Up to the Ceiling" | 2:57 |
6. | "Follow Me Down" | 3:00 |
7. | "Hormones" | 3:08 |
8. | "Sister Winter" | 4:27 |
9. | "Overture" (Tracey Thorn & The Unbending Trees) | 4:07 |
10. | "By Piccadilly Station I Sat Down and Wept" | 2:23 |
11. | "The Paris Match" (The Style Council featuring Tracey Thorn) | 4:26 |
12. | "Venceremos - We Will Win" (7" Bossa Version; Working Week featuring Robert Wyatt, Tracey Thorn and Claudia Figueroa) | 4:40 |
13. | "Protection" (7"; Massive Attack featuring Tracey Thorn) | 4:55 |
14. | "Easy" | 3:57 |
15. | "Better Things" (Massive Attack featuring Tracey Thorn) | 4:16 |
16. | "Raise the Roof" (Beyond the Wizard's Sleeve Re-Animation) | 6:42 |
17. | "It's All True" (Escort Extended Remix) | 5:16 |
18. | "Grand Canyon" (Ada Remix) | 8:56 |
Melanie Jayne Chisholm, professionally known as Melanie C, Or Mel C, is an English singer, songwriter, entrepreneur, actress and television personality. She is one of the five members of the Spice Girls, in which she was nicknamed Sporty Spice. Since 1996, Chisholm has sold more than 105 million records, of which 85 million copies with the group, and 20 million solo albums, singles and collaborations, and has earned over 325 worldwide certifications, of which 40 silver, gold and platinum certifications as a solo artist.
Shane Steven Filan is an Irish singer and songwriter. He is one of the two lead singers and frontman of boy band Westlife, which was formed in 1998, disbanded in 2012, and regrouped in 2018. Filan has released three solo albums: You and Me (2013), Right Here (2015) and Love Always (2017). He appeared sixteen times in the UK Singles Chart number-ones making him the most appeared Irish music artist in the British music number-one singles history.
Nadine Elizabeth Louise Coyle is an Irish singer, songwriter, actress, and model. Coyle rose to fame in the early 2000s as a member of the girl group Girls Aloud. The group amassed a joint fortune of £30 million by May 2010. With Girls Aloud, Coyle has been successful in achieving a string of 20 consecutive UK top ten singles, two UK number one albums, and received nominations for five BRIT Awards, winning Best Single in 2009 for "The Promise".
Billie Ray Martin is a German singer-songwriter, known for her single "Your Loving Arms", which reached the Top 10 of both the UK Singles Chart (#6) and the Irish Singles Chart (#8) in 1995, and reached number one on the US Dance Club Chart. She was also one of the vocalists on the S'Express UK Top 10 hit single "Hey Music Lover" (1989), and had UK Top 40 hits as lead vocalist of Electribe 101 with "Tell Me When the Fever Ended" (1989) and "Talking with Myself" (1990), and as a solo singer with "Running Around Town" (1995) and "Imitation of Life" (1996).
Absolute are a British music production team responsible for a number of hits in the 1990s and the 2000s.
"Missing" is a song by British popular music duo Everything but the Girl, taken from their eighth studio album Amplified Heart (1994). It was written by the two band members, Tracey Thorn and Ben Watt, and was produced by Watt. It was taken as the second single off the album on 8 August 1994 by Atlantic Records and Blanco Y Negro Records. It initially did not achieve much success. It was remixed by Todd Terry and re-released in 1995, resulting in a worldwide hit, peaking near the top of the charts in many countries.
"I Don't Want to Talk About It" is a song written by Danny Whitten. It was first recorded by Crazy Horse and issued as the final track on side one of their 1971 eponymous album. It was Whitten's signature tune, but gained more fame via its numerous cover versions, especially that by Rod Stewart.
Marine Girls were a post-punk group from Hatfield, Hertfordshire. The group was formed in 1980, by two sixth form school friends: Tracey Thorn and Gina Hartman. Originally, Thorn just played guitar and Hartman was the lead vocalist and percussionist. Thorn overcame her shyness and started singing too by the time they started making records. They were later joined by Jane Fox on bass and her younger sister, Alice, on joint vocals and percussion.
Home Movies is a compilation album by Everything but the Girl featuring songs from their first eight studio albums as well as two newly recorded songs, a cover of Simon & Garfunkel's "The Only Living Boy in New York" and "I Didn't Know I Was Looking for Love". The album was released in 1993 and reached number 5 on the UK Albums Chart.
Adam Richard Wiles, known professionally as Calvin Harris, is a Scottish DJ, record producer, singer and songwriter. His debut studio album I Created Disco was released in June 2007; it spawned two UK top 10 singles, "Acceptable in the 80s" and "The Girls". In 2009, Harris released his second studio album, Ready for the Weekend, which debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart and was later certified gold by the BPI. Its lead single, "I'm Not Alone", became his first song to top the UK Singles Chart.
Like the Deserts Miss the Rain is a compilation album by the British band Everything but the Girl, released in 2002. Some copies include a bonus disc featuring four additional songs. An accompanying DVD with the same title was also released the same year. The album's title derives from a lyric from their song "Missing," off 1994's Amplified Heart.
Ingrid Ellen Michaelson is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Her first album, Slow the Rain, was released in 2005, and she has since released six more albums, Girls and Boys,Be OK,Everybody,Human Again,Lights Out, and her most recent, It Doesn't Have to Make Sense. Her two highest-charting singles are "The Way I Am" and "Girls Chase Boys," at No. 37 and No. 52 on the Billboard Hot 100, respectively.
"Protection" is a collaboration between Massive Attack and Everything But the Girl singer Tracey Thorn, that appeared on Massive Attack's second album Protection on CD and 12" in 1994 as a second single. It reached number 14 on the UK Singles Chart, staying there for four weeks, and also peaked at number 27 in New Zealand. The song was also included on Everything But the Girl's compilations The Best of and Like the Deserts Miss the Rain.
"Wrong" is a song written and recorded by British group Everything but the Girl. It was released in June 1996 as the second single from their album, Walking Wounded. A club remix of the song provided by Todd Terry went to number-one on the Hot Dance Club Play chart. The remix also reached number 8 in Canada and the United Kingdom.
Tinsel and Lights is a Christmas album by British singer Tracey Thorn. It was released on 29 October 2012 on Buzzin' Fly Records. It is her fourth solo studio album.
Record is the fifth solo studio album by English singer and songwriter Tracey Thorn. It was recorded by Thorn with producer Ewan Pearson and a number of backing musicians, including singers Shura and Corinne Bailey Rae, drummer Stella Mozgawa, bassist Jenny Lee Lindberg, and guitarist Jono Ma. The album released by Merge Records on 2 March 2018 to mostly positive reviews from critics.
Lazy Ways is the second album of the British Indie pop group, Marine Girls. The album was released by Cherry Red Records in 1983. The song "Lazy Ways" appears on the Cherry Red showcase compilation Pillows & Prayers, while "A Place in the Sun" appears on Pillows and Prayers 2. The albums Lazy Ways and Beach Party were reissued together on one CD with bonus tracks by Cherry Red Records in 1988.