Telling Stories (album)

Last updated

Telling Stories
Tracy Chapman - Telling Stories.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedFebruary 14, 2000
Recorded1999
Genre
Length42:09
Label Elektra
Producer
Tracy Chapman chronology
New Beginning
(1995)
Telling Stories
(2000)
Collection
(2001)
Singles from Telling Stories
  1. "Telling Stories"
    Released: February 29, 2000 [1]
  2. "It's OK"
    Released: 2000
  3. "Wedding Song"
    Released: 2000
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [2]
Robert Christgau Rating-Christgau-dud.svg [3]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [4]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [5]

Telling Stories is the fifth album by American singer-songwriter Tracy Chapman, released on February 14, 2000, by Elektra Records.

Contents

A two-disc special edition was released in Europe in 2000. [6] The album is composed of contemporary rock songs in the first half, and folk songs in the second half.

The record marked a return to shorter songs for Tracy; on New Beginning they had been somewhat longer.

Background and Writing

In 1999, Chapman began working on her first new record in four years, her longest ever hiatus at the time. For the record, she reunited with producer David Kershenbaum, the producer of her first album, Tracy Chapman (1988), and co-producer of her second album, Crossroads (1989). The song "Unsung Psalm" was originally written for her previous album, New Beginning (1995), but it didn't make it onto the album.

Track listing

All songs written by Tracy Chapman.

No.TitleLength
1."Telling Stories"3:57
2."Less Than Strangers"3:19
3."Speak the Word"4:12
4."It's OK"4:00
5."Wedding Song"4:36
6."Unsung Psalm"4:19
7."Nothing Yet"3:21
8."Paper and Ink"4:52
9."Devotion"2:48
10."The Only One"3:08
11."First Try"3:31
Tour Edition Bonus CD
No.TitleLength
1."Three Little Birds" (Live)3:27
2."House of the Rising Sun" (Live)2:02
3."Mountains O' Things" (Live)5:06
4."Behind the Wall" (Live)2:09
5."Baby Can I Hold You"3:13

Cover versions

Trivia

Personnel

Musicians

Technical personnel

  • Duane Baron engineering, mixing
  • Tim Hailand – artwork
  • Jeri Heiden – design
  • John Heiden – design
  • Renata Kanclerz – production coordination
  • David Kershenbaum – mixing, production
  • Martie Kolbl – production coordination
  • Curt Kroeger – assistant engineering
  • Iki Levy – drum programming
  • Bob Ludwig  mastering
  • Herb Ritts  – portraits
  • Roger Sommers – assistant engineering

Charts

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
France (SNEP) [23] 2× Gold200,000*
Germany (BVMI) [24] Gold150,000^
Italy (FIMI) [25] Gold50,000*
New Zealand (RMNZ) [26] Gold7,500^
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland) [27] Gold25,000^
United States (RIAA) [28] Gold500,000^

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

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References

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  4. Rolling Stone review Archived July 23, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  5. Rolling Stone Album Guide review
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