Call Off the Search
| Call Off the Search | ||||
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| Studio album by Katie Melua | ||||
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Publication |
November 3, 2003 (UK) |
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| Label (s) | Dramatico | |||
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Format (s) |
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Title (number) |
12 |
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running time |
41:14 minutes |
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Studio (s) |
Dramatico Studio (UK) |
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Call Off the Search is the debut album by Georgian - British singer Katie Melua .
Musically, the album, produced by Mike Batt , is somewhere between light “bar jazz ” and blues mixed with folk influences. The classic elements that Batt achieved through the use of the Irish Film Orchestra are particularly striking . Melua reached number 1 in the British charts with her debut album and shortly afterwards her breakthrough on the largest music markets in the rest of Europe , especially in Germany and France . In the United States it received critical acclaim, but there was no great commercial success there. In the UK alone, however, the album sold more than 1.8 million times. At the 2005 Echo Awards in Germany, Melua received one of the most important international young talent awards as best newcomer .
history
Melua's debut album was released in the UK on November 3, 2003, shortly after graduating from the Brit School for Performing Arts with Honors. It was produced by Mike Batt, who discovered Melua while auditioning for a jazz band for his Dramatico label . She sang her own composition Faraway Voice .
In the summer of 2003, Melua released the single The Closest Thing to Crazy , which rose to number 10 in the UK charts. Melua and Batt pursued a successful strategy with Eva Cassidy's interpretation of the evergreen Over the Rainbow . BBC radio presenter Terry Wogan - impressed by Melua's voice - agreed to include the title in his program over the summer. Other moderators then followed his example.
The album Call Off the Search , which followed in the fall, entered the British charts shortly after its release and reached number 1 for the first time after a re-entry in January 2004, and the album went platinum six times . In April 2004 it was also released in Germany and reached number 8 in the charts there, in Switzerland it came to number 29. When the follow-up album Piece by Piece , which was no less successful outside of Great Britain , was released in late 2005, the album was sold in some countries (e.g. Germany ) still in the charts.
From the point of view of some critics, the album has benefited - intentionally or unintentionally - from the prevailing popularity at the time of its release by artists such as Jamie Cullum and Norah Jones , the latter having released their debut album Come Away with Me in February 2002 . Melua explained her success with the fact that people wanted something different from the music that was current at the time, "something with melodies and interesting lyrics by artists who are musicians." In an interview with the music magazine Rolling Stone , she commented on the allegation that the publication her album is just one episode of Jones' success, as follows:
"When we started the record, Norah Jones wasn't an issue, it wasn't until the end of production, when all major labels had been canceled and we had decided on a small independent label, that the doors began to open."
Furthermore, the suspicion arose that Melua's success was only thanks to its producer and manager; so her colleague Amy Winehouse claimed in an interview:
"I'm a songwriter , but she [Melua] lets her write her songs [...] She must think it's her goddamn lucky day [...] It's not that she sings old songs like Jamie [Cullum], she sings shit new songs that her manager [Batt] writes for her. "
De facto, the two songs Belfast (Penguins and Cats) and Faraway Voice come from Melua itself, while four tracks are cover versions of songs from the 1950s and 60s.
In the reviews of Call Off the Search , Melua was often compared to Norah Jones, if only because of their physical and musical similarities. Both artists use a similar girlish innocent cliché within a style dominated by jazz and blues. They therefore appeal to a similar - predominantly male - group of buyers over the age of 30, who prefer the adult contemporary format rather than popular pop music .
music
Most of the album titles are slow ballads heavily influenced by jazz and blues .
instrumentation
The songs are mainly, at least in the beginning, orchestrated with acoustic instruments ( piano , double bass and guitar ) . In the further course of the songs, a "sound carpet" made up of strings and woodwind instruments is often placed over them. In the chorus of The Closest Thing to Crazy , a whole string group joins the initial line-up with acoustic guitar, piano and bass in the chorus. This is even more pronounced in the James-Alan-Shelton title Lilac Wine, which is almost " classically " orchestrated with strings, horns and woodwinds .
Audio sample: download , information ) Melody and harmonies of the chorus of Closest Thing to Crazy
jazz
Titles such as Learnin 'the Blues, by Delores J. Silver and recorded by world stars such as Frank Sinatra , Ella Fitzgerald and Cab Calloway , or Call Off the Search use discreet piano accompaniment and calm drumming using a broom , as is usual for “bar music”.
With Learnin 'the Blues ( audio sample: download , information ) not only the style of the accompaniment but also the harmony (Am 9 - D 7 - G maj7 - F dim - Am 7 - D 7 - G - Eb) makes the preference From major seventh chords , ninth chords , the diminished chord and the shift from G major to E flat major (with an B as the sustained melody tone) the jazz reference is clear.
Improvised solos are limited to the jazz style of the 1940s and 50s and are no longer than 20 seconds.
blues
On the slightly faster track Crawling up a Hill by the British blues musician John Mayall , the rhythm section has the following swinging base - reminiscent of Ray Charles' titles - with a 32nd figure on the second eighth note :
Audio sample: download , information ) Snare drum and cabasa (without bass drum and tom toms ) from Crawling up a Hill
Titles like My Aphrodisiac Is You or Mocking Bird make their role models from the blues clearly audible. My Aphrodisiac Is You uses the following piano phrases often used in the blues context as an introduction.
Sample: Download , information ) Widespread Blue accompanied on the piano from Katie Melua Title My Aphrodisiac Is You
The introduction to the title Mocking Bird, based on the traditional American lullaby Hush Little Baby ( audio sample: download , information ) is reminiscent of recordings by John Lee Hooker or Blind Willie Walker ( audio sample in Ogg Vorbis format: download , information ). Melua's soprano voice, which covers a large range of highs, sounds relatively “clean” even in a jazz and blues context and appears more classic in terms of intonation in titles such as Lilac Wine or Faraway Voice . The blues influence becomes even clearer when the song was recorded live in the film On Stage & Backstage , not least because of the significantly more distorted guitar playing by Jim Cregan and the harder drumming by Henry Spinetti.
Rock music
The title I Think It's Going to Rain Today , written by Randy Newman and previously recorded by Nina Simone , Joe Cocker , UB40 and Bette Midler , is stylistically in the range of rock ballads by Billy Joel or Elton John . The following example with its full-fingered chords in the piano accompaniment clearly shows this.
Audio sample: download , information , full sheet music sample ) Piano and vocal part from I Think It's Going to Rain Today
Folk music
The song Belfast does not get its charm from an "over-produced" arrangement, but from a simple guitar- picking pattern and Melua's voice that can be played by any beginner . The folk influence becomes much clearer in the documentary On Stage & Backstage , in which Melua only performs the title accompanied by herself on guitar in Bob Dylan's nasal vocal style . Faraway Voice is stylistically constructed in a similar way, but with a more virtuoso vocal design ( audio sample: download , information ).
occupation
When casting Call Off the Search , producer Batt largely relied on older, very experienced musicians. In addition to Batt (* 1950) on the piano, the guitarists Jim Cregan (* 1946) and Chris Spedding (* 1944), drummer Henry Spinetti (* 1951) and bassist Tim Harris should be mentioned. In addition to their work as studio musicians for various rock and pop greats, all of them have also released their own albums - sometimes as members of well-known bands. Spedding was a member of Family Dogg and has worked for Elton John , Tom Waits and Roxy Music , among others . Cregan was a member of Family and Cockney Rebel and played as backing musician for Rod Stewart and Cat Stevens . Spinetti played in the band The Herd alongside Andy Bown (now a member of Status Quo ) and was a member of the studio line-up for Eric Clapton , Roger Daltrey and Procol Harum .
In an interview in On Stage & Backstage , Melua expresses itself several times with respect for these musicians. The bond with them is also shown in the fact that they were also engaged for the production of the second album Piece by Piece . Apart from Spedding, they were also members of the live band on the tour for Call Off the Search , Batt also likes to refer to this trio as the " three old farts ".
The band was supported on some tracks by the musicians of the Irish Film Orchestra under the direction of Alan Smale. Wood and brass players should be mentioned in particular, as they give some titles a big band sound. In addition, the melancholy mood of some ballads is reinforced by the background music with string instruments.
Texts
In terms of content and lyrical design, the texts move within the simple framework that is usual for popular music. Here are disseminated rhyme forms as the pair rhyme ( "word - mockingbird - sing - ring" in the title Mockingbird in, "delight night - - light" Lilac Wine , the) cross rhyme ( "wait - moon - fault - soon" on the song Blame It on the Moon ), the embracing rhyme ("Hong Kong - hubble-bubble - double - long" in My Aphrodisiac Is You ) applied alongside free forms (Belfast) .
love songs
Most of the songs are about the euphoria , "trials and tribulations" and disappointments of love, as in The Closest Thing to Crazy :
“It's the craziest feeling I've ever had. I feel like twenty-two, but I act like seventeen. I've never been so close to maddening. "
In Lilac Wine , love is compared to the temptation and intoxicating effects of wine:
“Lilac wine is sweet and tasty like my love. Lilac wine, I feel insecure like my love. "
The title Call Off the Search celebrates love and two-way relationships as redemption and a new view of life, while Blame It on the Moon notes a loss of strength and well-being as a result of being in love:
“I would never have got to know the world all alone that I can see now. And I feel clearly; it won't fade either. "
“I say the moon is to blame. I didn't really want to fall in love that easily. I felt good, felt strong. "
In sexually clearer language, paired with a good bit of irony, this is for example the song Mockingbird Song ...
“When the man and I are married, I'll keep him nice and warm in bed. And when the man is no longer hot, I'll bring him a vodka. And when the spirits have made him fit again, I'll stay with him all night. "
... as well as themed on My Aphrodisiac Is You . The title, with its clearly erotic, sexually oriented text, contradicts Melua's rather innocent demeanor:
“Well, I could sniff rhino powder or go to bed in rubber underwear. But I don't need any stimulation, potions, ointments or liniments. "
The blues
Stereotypes of the blues are conjured up in I Think It's Going to Rain Today :
"Broken windows and empty corridors, a pale, dead moon in a sky in gray."
Learnin 'the Blues defines loneliness and the experience of loss in an adequate musical guise as the basis of the blues:
“The cigarettes you light - one at a time - will not help you forget him - if you lose your lover. You're just burning a torch that you can't lose. - But you are on the right track - to learn the blues. "
The cliché of the hard-working person who risks their job security for the music is used by Crawling up a Hill :
"One day I'll just quit trying to figure out how I can safely quit my job to sing the blues I know so well."
Personal
Belfast (Penguins and Cats) and Faraway Voice , both folk-influenced tracks, turn to other themes. The titles, written by Melua herself, are strongly related to her childhood and adolescence. Belfast (Penguins and Cats) refers to Melua's childhood in Northern Ireland's capital Belfast , which she found pleasant. The addition refers to the struggle in Northern Ireland for independence from the United Kingdom, in the struggle between Catholics ( Cats of English. Catholics , literally means but also translates cats ) and, because of their clothes Protestants the Penguins (Engl. Penguins ) remember , reflects:
“The drawings on the Wall of Independence are colorful, but none by Matisse . And I'm torn between penguins and cats . But these are not the animals you think of. It's about not being able to fly. It's about being able to die nine times. "
Faraway Voice is Melua's great role model, dedicated to her colleague Eva Cassidy , who died in 1996 , whose music was only successful five years after her death.
"Distant voice; we can hear your voice. What is it like to be heard? But no answer from you. Are you beyond these hills? "
Special Bonus Edition
The Special Bonus Edition of the album, which was released on October 25, 2004 and was distributed until Christmas 2004, contains the CD identical to the original release and an approximately 70-minute DVD . In addition to the videos for The Closest Thing to Crazy , Call Off the Search (with the corresponding making-of film) and Crawling up a Hill, there is also the film On Stage & Backstage . It shows Melua during the final concert of their UK tour at the Fairfield Halls in Croydon . These recordings can also be seen on the 2005 live DVD On the Road Again, among others. There are also recordings of Melua during her off-stage tour and while recording her music videos, as well as interviews with her accompanying musicians Jim Cregan, Henry Spinetti and others.
On the Road Again
In addition to the Special Bonus Edition , Melua released the Box On the Road Again for Call Off the Search with two DVDs showing Melua at various concerts. The first DVD includes the entire concert in the Fairfield Halls , excerpts of which were already shown in On Stage & Backstage . As an encore, Melua played the one composed by Screamin 'Jay Hawkins in 1956 and z. B. Nina Simone and Creedence Clearwater Revival interpreted the title I Put a Spell on You and the song Anniversary Song . While this concert was recorded with professional equipment, the concert in the Royal Albert Hall was recorded on the second DVD by students with 100 camcorders .
In addition to these recordings, the second DVD also contains excerpts from Melua's appearance at the 46664 concert on March 19, 2005 in George , South Africa , at which Nelson Mandela , the initiator of this series of concerts for the benefit of his AIDS foundation, was also present. There Melua sang the song Too Much Love Will Kill You - accompanied by Brian May and Roger Taylor from the group Queen .
List of titles
The following are the title directories of the original Call Off the Search and the Special Bonus Edition DVD .
| CD | Bonus DVD |
|---|---|
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[a] ↑ The names of the respective composers are given in non- italic brackets.
The CD for the Special Bonus Edition contains the short film Starting Out 2003 in addition to the titles indicated . A version of Call Off the Search has also been released in Japan , which includes another track entitled Deep Purple ( Mitchell Parish , Peter DeRose ). In the vinyl version, tracks 1 to 6 are on the A side, tracks 7 to 12 on the B side.
Chart placements
| country | Entry date | Best placement | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | 13 | ||
| Germany | April 19, 2004 | 8th | 111 |
| Finland | not in the charts | ||
| France | April 25, 2004 | 41 | 53 |
| New Zealand | June 21, 2004 | 4th | 17th |
| Norway | December 2003 | 2 | 68 |
| Austria | not in the charts | ||
| Poland | 19th | ||
| Sweden | April 2, 2004 | 22nd | 15th |
| Switzerland | April 25, 2004 | 29 | 40 |
| United Kingdom | November 2003 | 1 | |
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United States Billboard Top Contemporary Jazz Billboard 200 Billboard Top Heatseekers |
3 161 7 |
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Awards
- Awards: Echo 2005 as the best newcomer internationally
Single releases
- not in the charts |
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Awards for music sales
| Country / Region | Award | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Awards for music sales (country / region, Award, Sales) |
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 Australia (ARIA)
|
 platinum
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70,000 |
 Denmark (IFPI)
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3 × platinum
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120,000 |
 Germany (BVMI)
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2 × platinum
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400,000 |
 Europe (IFPI)
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2 × platinum
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(2,000,000) |
 New Zealand (RMNZ)
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platinum
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15,000 |
 Netherlands (NVPI)
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platinum
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80,000 |
 Norway (IFPI)
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platinum
|
40,000 |
 Sweden (IFPI)
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 gold
|
20,000 |
 Switzerland (IFPI)
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platinum
|
30,000 |
 United Kingdom (BPI)
|
6 × platinum
|
1,800,000 |
| All in all |
1 × gold 18 × platinum |
2,575,000 |
swell
Individual evidence
- ↑ http://www.katiemeluausa.com/press.html ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ a b c katiemelua.de: biography of Katie Melua
- ↑ a b Call Off the Search (album) in the German charts (Official German Charts / GfK)
- ↑ http://www.plattentests.de/rezi.php?show=2120 >>
-
↑ musicOMH.com: Interview with Katie Melua
I think people wanted something different, something with melody and interesting lyrics by artists who are musicians.
- ↑ Jörn Schlüter: No piano, no piano , Rolling Stone, June 2004
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↑ musicOMH.com: Interview with Amy Winehouse
I'm a songwriter but she [Katie Melua] has her songs written for her… She must think it's her fucking lucky day… It's not like she's singing old songs like Jamie [Cullum], she's singing shit new songs that her manager [Mike Batt] writes for her.
- ↑ a b c d e f g h For excerpts from the original recordings, see katiemelua.de
-
↑ musicaldiscoveries.com: Interview with Katie Melua
The brilliant musicians who helped me with the album were: Jimi Creagan, Chris Spedding on guitars, Henry Spinetti on drums, Tim Harris on bass and Mike Batt on piano.
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k For original texts see katiemelua.de or the booklet on the CD
- ↑ finnishcharts.com (as of September 21, 2006)
- ↑ lescharts.com (as of September 21, 2006)
- ↑ charts.org.nz (as of September 21, 2006)
- ↑ norwegiancharts.com (as of September 21, 2006)
- ↑ austriancharts.at (as of September 3, 2006)
- ↑ swedishcharts.com (as of September 10, 2006)
- ↑ hitparade.ch (as of September 3, 2006)
- ↑ Everyhit.com (as of September 3, 2006)
- ↑ Award in Australia
- ^ Award in Denmark
- ↑ Award in Germany
- ↑ Award in Europe
- ↑ Award in New Zealand
- ↑ Award in the Netherlands
- ↑ Award in Norway
- ↑ Award in Sweden
- ↑ Award in Switzerland
- ↑ Award in the United Kingdom
General sources
- 1. CD Call Off the Search and booklet included
- 2. Documentation On Stage & Backstage on the bonus DVD for the album
- 3. DVDs and cover art from On the Road Again
- 4. Information about the cover versions of allmusic.com
See also
literature
- Katie Melua: Call Off The Search PVG. Songbook for piano, vocal and guitar (sheet music). Wise Publications, March 2004, ISBN 0-7119-2717-0
Web links
- tunefinder.com: audio samples
- chordie.com: Guitar chords and tabs
- musicroom.com: Piano transcriptions ( Sibelius Scorch - plug-in required)
- laut.de: CD review
- CDSTARTS.de: CD review
- allmusic.com: CD review (English)
