Stone by Stone (song)

Last updated
"Stone by Stone"
Single by Catatonia
from the album Paper Scissors Stone
Released23 July 2001 (2001-07-23) [1]
Label Blanco y Negro
Songwriter(s) Mark Roberts, Catatonia
Producer(s) TommyD, Catatonia
Catatonia singles chronology
"Storm the Palace"
(1999)
"Stone by Stone"
(2001)

"Stone by Stone" is a song recorded by the Welsh band Catatonia, taken from their fourth studio album, Paper Scissors Stone . It was written by Mark Roberts and the band, and produced by TommyD. It was released as their only single from that album in 2001.

Contents

Recording and release

"Stone by Stone" was released on the Blanco y Negro label on 23 July 2001. [2] It reached 19th position in the UK charts. [3] There were rumours that the band was about to break up, fueled by singer Cerys Matthews entering drug rehabilitation for drinking and smoking. The rumours were denied a month after the release of "Stone by Stone", but confirmed on 21 September, making this the final single release for the band. [4]

Reception

Timothy Mark at NME gave the song a score of one out of ten, describing it "lumpen, the voice grating". He added that the band were "fading from the public consciousness quicker, comparing them to Shane Ritchie" and describing them as "awkwardly out of date". [5] Cyd James of Dotmusic was more favourable, writing: "Highly infectious with a huge, soaraway string-swathed chorus, 'Stone By Stone' is a surefire hit." [6]

Charts

Chart (2001)Peak
position
UK Singles Chart [3] 19

Related Research Articles

Catatonia (band) Welsh band

Catatonia were an alternative rock band from Wales who gained popularity in the mid-to-late 1990s. The band formed in 1992 after Mark Roberts met Cerys Matthews. The first major lineup featured Dafydd Ieuan on drums, Paul Jones on bass, and Clancy Pegg on keyboards. With this line-up the band recorded two EPs, For Tinkerbell and Hooked.

<i>Paper Scissors Stone</i> (album) 2001 studio album by Catatonia

Paper Scissors Stone was the fourth and final album by Welsh band Catatonia. It was released on 6 August 2001 in the UK, and reached #6 on the UK album chart.

The Jesus and Mary Chain Scottish alternative rock band

The Jesus and Mary Chain are a Scottish alternative rock band formed in East Kilbride in 1983. The band revolves around the songwriting partnership of brothers Jim and William Reid. After signing to independent label Creation Records, they released their first single "Upside Down" in 1984. Their debut album Psychocandy was released to critical acclaim in 1985 on major label WEA. The band went on to release five more studio albums before disbanding in 1999. They reunited in 2007.

Cerys Matthews Welsh singer-songwriter

Cerys Matthews is a Welsh singer, songwriter, author, and broadcaster. She was a founding member of Welsh rock band Catatonia and a leading figure in the "Cool Cymru" movement of the late 1990s.

<i>Celebrity</i> (album) 2001 studio album by NSYNC

Celebrity is the fourth and final studio album by American boy band NSYNC. It was released by Jive Records on July 24, 2001. Due to constant criticism that they were not a "credible group", NSYNC began experimenting with genres such as hip hop and two-step. As with their previous studio album, No Strings Attached (2000), numerous producers, including BT, Rodney Jerkins, Brian McKnight, PAJAM, and the Neptunes, worked on the album. Justin Timberlake and JC Chasez also contributed to production, while they co-wrote 10 of 13 tracks in an attempt to develop a unique sound, which includes pop, R&B, teen pop, and urban genres.

<i>Love Is Here</i> 2001 studio album by Starsailor

Love Is Here is the debut studio album by rock band Starsailor, released on 8 October 2001 by Chrysalis Records. After finalizing their line-up, a positive review from NME started a bidding war between record labels that eventually saw the band sign to EMI. Following the making of some demos, "Fever" and "Good Souls" were released as singles on 4 February 2001 and 23 April 2001, respectively. The band recorded their debut album at Rockfield Studios with producer Steve Osborne over the course of six weeks. Love Is Here features acoustic guitars accompanied by gentle piano chords, earning it comparisons to the albums Parachutes (2000) by Coldplay, and The Invisible Band (2001) by Travis.

<i>Psychocandy</i> 1985 studio album by the Jesus and Mary Chain

Psychocandy is the debut studio album by Scottish rock band the Jesus and Mary Chain. It was released in November 1985 on Blanco y Negro Records. The album is considered a landmark recording: its combination of guitar feedback and noise with traditional pop melody and structure proved influential on the forthcoming shoegazing genre and alternative rock in general. The band moved from its abrasive sound with the release of their second album, 1987's Darklands.

<i>Anthology</i> (Alien Ant Farm album) 2001 studio album by Alien Ant Farm

Anthology is the second studio album by American rock band Alien Ant Farm. It was released on March 6, 2001, through New Noize and DreamWorks Records. Following the self-release of the band's debut studio album, Greatest Hits (1999), they played several showcases in Los Angeles, California. At the end of 2000, Alien Ant Farm started recording their next album with producer Jay Baumgardner at NRG Recording Studios in North Hollywood, California. An alternative metal and nu metal release, critics compared the album to the works of Incubus and A Perfect Circle.

<i>The Coral</i> (album) 2002 studio album by the Coral

The Coral is the eponymous debut studio album by British rock band the Coral. It was released on 29 July 2002, through the Deltasonic record label. After finalising their line-up, the band had a residency at The Cavern Club, where they were spotted and signed by Alan Willis of Deltasonic. Following the release of a single and an EP, and two UK tours, the band began recording their debut album. Sessions were held at Linford Manor Studios, Milton Keynes in early 2002, and were produced by the Lightning Seeds frontman Ian Broudie and the Coral. Described as a psychedelia and folk rock album, frontman James Skelly's voice was compared to Eric Burdon of the Animals and Jim Morrison of the Doors.

<i>International Velvet</i> (album) 1998 studio album by Catatonia

International Velvet is the second album by Welsh band Catatonia. It was the band's breakthrough, reaching number 1 in the UK Albums Chart, spawning two Top 10 singles, "Mulder and Scully" and "Road Rage", three other Top 40 singles, "I Am the Mob", "Game On" and "Strange Glue", and catapulted the band and lead singer Cerys Matthews into the spotlight. Album sales reached 900,000, as it became one of the biggest selling albums of 1998 in the United Kingdom. The album was also nominated for the Mercury Music Prize.

Mulder and Scully (song) 1998 single by Catatonia

"Mulder and Scully" is a song by Welsh alternative rock band Catatonia, released as a single from their 1998 album, International Velvet. The song makes direct reference to fictional FBI special agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully, the two main characters of the popular sci-fi TV series The X-Files who work on cases linked to the paranormal, called X-Files. In an interview Cerys Matthews, co-writer of the song, explained that while she was not a serious fan of the show, the basic premise of the series matched the concept of what she was trying to express.

<i>Equally Cursed and Blessed</i> 1999 studio album by Catatonia

Equally Cursed and Blessed is the third studio album by Welsh band Catatonia, released in April 1999 via Blanco y Negro Records. It reached number one in the UK Album Chart, and three singles were released from it: "Dead from the Waist Down", "Londinium" and "Karaoke Queen".

<i>Free All Angels</i> 2001 studio album by Ash

Free All Angels is the third studio album to be recorded by Northern Irish rock band Ash. It was released on 23 April 2001 through Infectious Records. Due to the mixed reaction to the band's second studio album Nu-Clear Sounds (1998), frontman Tim Wheeler suffered from depression. He went to his parents' house in Northern Ireland to write material for the band's next album. Free All Angels was co-produced by the band and Owen Morris, and recording sessions were held at El Cortijo in Puerto Banús, Spain, then moved to The Wool Hall in Beckington and RAK Studios in London. The album was described as pop punk, power pop and punk rock, and drew comparisons to the works of China Drum, Compulsion, Hüsker Dü, and the Replacements.

<i>Strip-mine</i> (album) 1988 studio album by James

Strip-mine is the second studio album by English rock band James. It was released on 26 September 1988, through Sire and Blanco y Negro Records. After minimal touring and lack of success for their debut studio album Stutter (1986), the label was apprehensive about letting them record another album. Sessions for it were held in early 1987 at Rockfield Studios with Hugh Jones producing the majority of the album, except for "Are You Ready", which produced by Steve Power and Steve Lovell. After the recording, the release was delayed a number of times, until it was eventually remixed early the following year at London's Battery Studios. Described as a folk-pop album, the songs on Strip-mine tackled the topics of misinformation, addiction, and human mortality.

<i>Pleased to Meet You</i> (James album) 2001 studio album by James

Pleased to Meet You is the ninth studio album by English rock band James. Less than a year after the release of Millionaires (1999), the band were playing new material live. Recording was split between Ridge Farm, Whitfield St., House in the Woods studios; producer credit was split between Brian Eno, guitarist/violinist Saul Davies, KK and the band. "Getting Away with It " was released as a single in late June, followed a week later by Pleased to Meet You on 2 July through Mercury Records.

"Strange Glue" is a song by Welsh rock group Catatonia. Written by guitarist Owen Powell, it was the band's fourth single to be released from International Velvet and charted at No. 11 on the UK Singles Chart. The controversial B-side, "That's All Folks", was originally intended for the International Velvet album and had appeared on promo copies around the time of "I am the Mob". The song was a scathing attack on their American label, Warners, written in 1997 when the band feared that they were to be dropped by the label or were to split up.

Road Rage (song) 1998 single by Catatonia

"Road Rage" is a song recorded by Welsh band Catatonia, taken from their second studio album, International Velvet (1998). It was written by band member Mark Roberts, with the production credit given generally to the band. "Road Rage" was released as the third single from the album on 20 April 1998, following their breakthrough success with the song "Mulder and Scully". The title "Road Rage" was based on the murder of Lee Harvey by his girlfriend Tracie Andrews in December 1996, something for which singer Cerys Matthews later apologised to Harvey's mother.

The Wagon 1991 single by Dinosaur Jr.

"The Wagon" is a song by alternative rock band Dinosaur Jr., released on their 1990 album Green Mind. Featuring lyrics inspired by the band's use of station wagons for transportation in its early days, the song was written by J Mascis and was one of the three songs on Green Mind to include drummer Murph.

Game On (song) 1998 single by Catatonia

"Game On" is a song by Welsh alternative rock band Catatonia, taken from their second studio album, International Velvet (1998). It was written by band members Cerys Matthews and Mark Roberts, and produced by TommyD and the band generally. Commercially, the song only charted in the UK Singles Chart, peaking at number 33.

"Dead from the Waist Down" is a song by Welsh rock band Catatonia, taken from their third studio album, Equally Cursed and Blessed. It was written by Mark Roberts and the band, and produced by TommyD. Released on 29 March 1999, the song reached number seven on the UK Singles Chart and was the band's only song to chart in New Zealand, where it peaked at number 44.

References

  1. "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music Week . 14 July 2001. p. 11. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  2. Shepherd, Fiona (6 July 2001). "Interview: Baby, I'm back". The Scotsman. Archived from the original on 29 May 2016. Retrieved 16 April 2016 via HighBeam Research.
  3. 1 2 "Catatonia". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2 April 2016.
  4. "Troubled Catatonia split up". BBC News. 21 September 2001. Retrieved 2 April 2016.
  5. Mark, Timothy (12 September 2005). "Catatonia: Stone by Stone" . Retrieved 2 April 2016.
  6. James, Cyd. "CATATONIA - STONE BY STONE (BLANCO Y NEGRO)". Dotmusic. Archived from the original on 2002-06-02.