Wonderland (McFly album)

Last updated

Wonderland
Wonderland Album Cover.jpg
Studio album by
McFly
Released29 August 2005
RecordedSeptember 2004–July 2005, London, England, United Kingdom
Genre
Length43:29
Label Island
Producer Hugh Padgham, Steve Power
McFly chronology
Room on the 3rd Floor
(2004)		Wonderland
(2005)		 Motion in the Ocean
(2006)
Singles from Wonderland
  1. "All About You"
    Released: 7 March 2005
  2. "I'll Be OK"
    Released: 15 August 2005
  3. "I Wanna Hold You"
    Released: 17 October 2005
  4. "Ultraviolet / The Ballad of Paul K"
    Released: 12 December 2005
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg link
Channel 4 link

Wonderland is the second studio album by English pop rock band McFly. It was released in the United Kingdom on 29 August 2005, and was a success, being certified platinum, selling over 300,000 copies in the UK peaking at number 1 in the UK Albums Chart breaking the world record for the youngest band to top the album chart twice. [1] Despite being less of a success in the UK, the album went on to match the worldwide sales of McFly's debut album Room on the 3rd Floor , selling over one million copies.

Contents

Background

The album contains production from early collaborator Hugh Padgham, who co-produced the majority of the band's debut album, as well as production from former Busted producer Steve Power. The album follows more of a story-like narrative than the band's first album, and adopts a slightly more advanced style of pop. Unlike the band's first album, there is no hidden track on the album. Four singles were released from the album: "All About You", which was released as the official Comic Relief single for 2005, "I'll Be OK", "I Wanna Hold You" and the double A-side of "Ultraviolet and The Ballad of Paul K". A deluxe version of the album was released in special gatefold packagaing, with fold-out photos of the band as well as an extended booklet. [2] The Japanese edition of the album contains two additional tracks plus two music videos.

Critical reception

Sharon Mawer of AllMusic said of the album: "The often difficult second album was made to look easy by McFly, the four lads from London who saw Busted, their main rivals for the affections of pre-teenage hearts, split up in 2005, leaving them the only guitar-based pop band in town, and McFly did not disappoint their army of fans with Wonderland. At the time of release, it already contained two number one singles, "I'll Be OK" and the Comic Relief charity hit "All About You," although the Carly Simon/James Taylor B-side, track two on the CD single, "You've Got a Friend" was not included. The same mixture of good, fun 1960s-influenced pop songs and mid-tempo ballads is here, as on the debut album Room on the 3rd Floor , the opening track, "I'll Be OK," being a good example of a boy band trying to sound as little like a boy band as possible with real instruments, mainly guitars that, if you really stretched your imagination, on the intro could be compared to the Who's "Won't Get Fooled Again," although it only lasted about fifteen seconds. The boys even felt confident enough to include a sitar on the song "Ultraviolet," which became their least successful single release to date. The turning point of the album came about halfway through - on vinyl it would have been side two - with the "All About You" track, which opened with an orchestral piece and then continued throughout the song with a strummed acoustic guitar and even had a woodwind instrumental break. And of course, there was quite a memorable song in there as well. This theme was expanded even further on the two-part track "She Falls Asleep"—part one a dreamy instrumental heavy on the orchestral string section; part two a sophisticated ballad, quite dramatic in its production—and the album concluded as it began, with more guitar-led harmony pop with the songs "Nothing" and "Memory Lane". One might sneer, but Wonderland was a good album from an obviously talented group of young lads." [3]

Track listing

Standard edition
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."I'll Be OK"
Hugh Padgham3:24
2."I've Got You"
Hugh Padgham, Graham Gouldman3:18
3."Ultraviolet"
  • Fletcher
  • Jones
Steve Power3:56
4."The Ballad of Paul K"
  • Fletcher
  • Jones
  • Poynter
Hugh Padgham3:17
5."I Wanna Hold You"
  • Fletcher
  • Jones
  • Poynter
Hugh Padgham2:59
6."Too Close for Comfort"
  • Fletcher
  • Jones
  • Poynter
Hugh Padgham4:37
7."All About You"
  • Fletcher
Hugh Padgham3:06
8."She Falls Asleep - Part 1"
  • Fletcher
Hugh Padgham1:43
9."She Falls Asleep - Part 2"
  • Fletcher
Hugh Padgham4:11
10."Don't Know Why"
  • Jones
Steve Power4:20
11."Nothing"
  • Fletcher
Steve Power3:50
12."Memory Lane"
Hugh Padgham4:40
Total length:43:29
Japanese edition bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
13."Easy Way Out"Fletcher, Jones, PoynterHugh Padgham3:15
14."I'll Be OK" (Tom and Danny's Acoustic version)Fletcher, Jones, PoynterFletcher, Jones3:37
15."Ultraviolet" (music video)  3:56
16."I'll Be OK" (music video)  3:24
B-sides and rarities
No.TitleLength
1."You've Got a Friend"4:27
2."Room on the Third Floor" (Orchestral version)3:16
3."All About You" (Orchestral version)3:05
4."No Worries"4:10
5."Nothing" (demo)3:05
6."Pinball Wizard"3:27
7."Mr. Brightside"3:14
8."I Wanna Hold You" (instrumental)2:59
9."The Ballad of Paul K" (orchestral version)3:15
10."Ultraviolet" (live version)4:24
11."I Predict a Riot" (BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge)3:30
12."My Generation" (with Roger Daltrey)3:42

Charts

Chart (2005)Peak
Position
European Albums Chart [4]
9
Irish Albums (IRMA)
11
Japanese Albums (Oricon) [5]
61
Scottish Albums (OCC) [6] 1
South Korea Albums (GAON) [7]
70
UK Albums (OCC)
1

Year-end charts

Chart (2005)Position
UK Albums (OCC) [8] 70

Certifications

Certifications for Wonderland
RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI) [9] Platinum300,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Busted (band)</span> English pop-punk band

Busted are an English pop-punk band from Southend-on-Sea, Essex, consisting of James Bourne, Matt Willis and Charlie Simpson. Formed in 2000, the band has had four UK number-one singles, won two Brit Awards, released four studio albums and sold over 5 million records worldwide. The band released the albums Busted in 2002 and A Present for Everyone in 2003 before disbanding in January 2005.

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

McFly are an English pop rock/pop band formed in London in 2003. The band took their name from the Back to the Future character Marty McFly. The band consists of Tom Fletcher, Danny Jones, Dougie Poynter and Harry Judd (drums). They were signed to Island Records from their 2004 launch until December 2007, before creating their own label, Super Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dougie Poynter</span> English musician (born 1987)

Dougie Lee Poynter is an English musician, songwriter, fashion model, aspiring clothing designer and children's author. He is the bassist of the pop rock band McFly. He won the eleventh series of the ITV reality series I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!.

<i>Room on the 3rd Floor</i> 2004 studio album by McFly

Room on the 3rd Floor is the debut studio album by English pop rock band McFly. It was released on 5 July 2004 in the United Kingdom via Island Records, and was later issued in the United States by Island Def Jam Records via the iTunes Store.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Bourne</span> English singer-songwriter

James Elliot Bourne is an English singer-songwriter and musician. He is known as the co-founder of pop-punk bands Busted and Son of Dork, and he also created his own electronic project under the alias Future Boy. From 2013 to 2015 he was a member of McBusted, which consisted of himself, Busted bandmate Matt Willis, and McFly.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Danny Jones</span> British musician (born 1986)

Daniel Alan David Jones is a British singer, songwriter and musician who is one of the lead vocalists and the lead guitarist for pop-rock band McFly. Jones's fellow band members are Tom Fletcher, Dougie Poynter, and Harry Judd (drums).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I'll Be OK</span> 2005 single by McFly

"I'll Be OK" is a song by English pop rock band McFly. It was released on 15 August 2005 as the second single from their second studio album, Wonderland (2005). The single became the group's fourth number-one single on the UK Singles Chart. Despite its initial popularity, it plunged to number eight during its second week on the chart and spent only a month inside the UK top 40.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">All About You/You've Got a Friend</span> 2005 single by McFly

"All About You" / "You've Got a Friend" is a double A-side single by English pop rock band McFly. The former song is an original McFly track while the latter is a cover of the 1971 song written by Carole King. The band's first double A-side single, it was released on 7 March 2005 as the lead single from their second studio album, Wonderland (2005). The single was the official Comic Relief charity single for 2005, with all royalties being donated to the charity. The single was also used to promote Make Poverty History.

<i>A Present for Everyone</i> 2003 studio album by Busted

A Present for Everyone is the second studio album by English pop punk band Busted. It was released on 17 November 2003 by Universal Island Records and features a sound mixing pop punk and power pop material with traditional pop rock. Five singles were released from the album, including the number-one hits "Crashed the Wedding", "Who's David" and "Thunderbirds / 3AM".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Wanna Hold You</span> Single by McFly

"I Wanna Hold You" is a song by English pop rock band McFly. It was released on 17 October 2005 as the third single from their second studio album, Wonderland (2005). It was written by band members Tom Fletcher, Danny Jones, and Dougie Poynter. The song peaked at number three in the UK Singles Chart and number 13 in Ireland.

<i>Busted</i> (2002 Busted album) 2002 studio album by Busted

Busted is the self-titled debut album by English pop rock band Busted. It was released in the UK in September 2002 and peaked at number 2 the following January after the success of second single "Year 3000", which reached number 2 on the UK Singles Chart. Five singles were released from the album: "What I Go to School For", "Year 3000", "You Said No", "Hurra, hurra, die Schule brennt" and "Sleeping with the Light On".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ultraviolet/The Ballad of Paul K</span> Single by McFly

"Ultraviolet" / "The Ballad of Paul K" is the fourth and final single from British pop rock band McFly's second studio album, Wonderland (2005). It is a double A-side single and was released on 12 December 2005. The single peaked at No. 9 on the UK Singles Chart and No. 25 on the Irish Singles Chart

<i>Busted</i> (Cheap Trick album) 1990 studio album by Cheap Trick

Busted is the eleventh studio album released by Cheap Trick, which was released in 1990 and peaked at number 44 on the US album charts. After the success of "The Flame" from the previous album Lap of Luxury, the band recorded Busted with a similar format, especially on the single "Can't Stop Fallin' into Love." The single peaked at number 12 on the US charts. The album failed to be as successful as the label had hoped, and about a year after the release of Busted, Epic Records dropped the band.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I'll Be There for You (Bon Jovi song)</span> 1989 single by Bon Jovi

"I'll Be There for You" is a song by American rock band Bon Jovi, released as the third single from their 1988 album, New Jersey. The power ballad was written by Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora. The single reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number five on the Album Rock Tracks chart.

<i>The Wonderland Tour 2005</i> 2005 video by McFly

The Wonderland Tour 2005 is a concert DVD by the pop/rock band McFly. The DVD was filmed during their first arena tour, Wonderland. The majority of concert footage was filmed at the Manchester Arena concert.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">McFly discography</span>

The discography of English pop rock band McFly consists of 26 singles, 25 music videos, seven studio albums, three compilation albums, four live albums and one soundtrack.

<i>The Greatest Bits: B-Sides & Rarities</i> 2007 compilation album by McFly

The Greatest Bits: B-Sides & Rarities is the second compilation album released by the British pop rock band McFly. The album was released on 3 December 2007, and despite being only available at Woolworths stores in the UK, it peaked at No. 83 on the UK Albums Chart. The album has a range of B-sides and covers from the group's singles, as well as a new recording of "Santa Claus is Coming to Town". Physical copies of the album have become quite sought after since the collapse of Woolworths in 2008 although it has since been released on downloads. The cover version of "Pinball Wizard" is a new live version, previously released only as a studio version and a music video.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">You Were...</span> 2009 single by Ayumi Hamasaki

"You Were..." is a song recorded by Japanese recording artist Ayumi Hamasaki, taken from her tenth studio album, Rock 'n' Roll Circus (2010). It was written by Hamasaki with production being done by long-time collaborator Max Matsuura. The song premiered on December 29, 2009 as the album's second a-side single with the album track, "Ballad". Four formats were released for the single; a CD format, a CD and DVD bundle, a limited edition box set, and a digital download. The first three artworks feature Hamasaki laying in snow, whilst the limited edition box set has a long-shot of Hamasaki in a dress.

<i>Memory Lane: The Best of McFly</i> 2012 compilation album by McFly

Memory Lane: The Best of McFly is the second greatest hits compilation released by the English pop rock band McFly. It was released on 26 November 2012 as a retrospective of the band's nine-year career to date, containing a number of the band's hit singles, but most notably not including "I Wanna Hold You", "Ultraviolet/The Ballad of Paul K", "Please, Please", "Sorry's Not Good Enough", "Baby's Coming Back", "Stay with Me" or "That's the Truth". The album was preceded by the release of a brand new single, "Love Is Easy", and includes four other new tracks, "Do Whatcha", "Down Down", "Mess Around You" and "Cherry Cola".

References

  1. ↑ Guinness World Records 2007 "Youngest double toppers". Guinness World Records Limited. 29 September 2006. p. 98. ISBN   1-904994-11-3.
  2. ↑ "McFly - Wonderland (CD, Album) at Discogs". Discogs.com. 29 August 2005. Retrieved 15 April 2014.
  3. ↑ Sharon Mawer (27 September 2005). "Wonderland - McFly | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic . Retrieved 15 April 2014.
  4. ↑ Billboard - Google Books. 17 September 2005. Retrieved 15 April 2014– via Google Books.
  5. ↑ "マクフライのCDアルバムランキング │オリコン芸能人事典-ORICON STYLE". Oricon.co.jp. Retrieved 15 April 2014.
  6. ↑ Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100 | Official Charts Company
  7. ↑ ":: 가온차트와 함께하세요 ::". Archived from the original on 6 March 2012. Retrieved 19 August 2012.
  8. ↑ "End of Year Album Chart Top 100 – 2005". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 18 November 2021.
  9. ↑ "British album certifications – McFly – Wonderland". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved 25 July 2012.
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.