Almost Heaven
Encyclopedia
Almost Heaven is the tenth regular studio album
by European-American pop group The Kelly Family
. Based on concept by Dan Kelly, it was co-produced by Kathy and Paddy Kelly and released in 1996 (see 1996 in music
) throughout most of Europe
.
Following the major success of previous albums Over the Hump
and Christmas for All and the number-one single "I Can't Help Myself," the album debuted number-one in Austria
, Germany
and Switzerland
. It also entered the top 5 in the Netherlands and Norway
and made it to the top 20 in Belgium
. Almost Heaven eventually sold more than 3 million domestically, making it the band's second biggest-selling release to date.
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
by European-American pop group The Kelly Family
The Kelly Family
The Kelly Family is an Irish-American-European music group consisting of a multi-generational family, who play a repertoire of rock, pop and folk music. They have had chart and concert success in Europe and other parts of the world, especially in Germany, the Benelux countries, Scandinavia, Eastern...
. Based on concept by Dan Kelly, it was co-produced by Kathy and Paddy Kelly and released in 1996 (see 1996 in music
1996 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1996.-January:* January – At the trial of two American teenagers, Nicholaus McDonald and Brian Bassett, for the murder of Bassett's parents and young brother, defense lawyers attempt to lay the blame for the murders on the fact...
) throughout most of Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
.
Following the major success of previous albums Over the Hump
Over the Hump
Over the Hump is the eighth regular studio album by European-American pop group The Kelly Family. Co-produced by Hartmut Müller and Kathy Kelly, it was released in 1994 throughout most of Europe....
and Christmas for All and the number-one single "I Can't Help Myself," the album debuted number-one in Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. It also entered the top 5 in the Netherlands and Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
and made it to the top 20 in Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
. Almost Heaven eventually sold more than 3 million domestically, making it the band's second biggest-selling release to date.
Track listing
- "When the Boys Come into Town" (lead vocalsLead vocalistThe lead vocalist is the member of a band who sings the main vocal portions of a song. They may also play one or more instruments. Lead vocalists are sometimes referred to as the frontman or frontwoman, and as such, are usually considered to be the "leader" of the groups they perform in, often the...
: John, Kathy, Maite) – 3:15 - "Every Baby" (lead vocals: Maite) – 2:56
- "I Can't Help Myself" (lead vocals: Angelo, Paddy) – 3:03
- "Nanana" (lead vocals: Jimmy, Maite) – 4:03
- "You Belong to Me" (lead vocals: Patricia, Kathy, Paddy) – 3:15
- "Staying Alive" (lead vocals: Joey) – 3:35
- "Come Back to Me" (lead vocals: Kathy) – 3:11
- "Fell in Love with an Alien" (lead vocals: Paddy, Kathy) – 3:11
- "Hey Diddle DiddleHey Diddle Diddle"Hey Diddle Diddle" is an English nursery rhyme...
" (lead vocals: Paddy, Maite, Angelo, Barby) – 2:43 - "Like a Queen" (lead vocals: Barby) – 2:54
- "Stars Fall From Heaven" (lead vocals: Patricia, Maite) – 3:23
- "Thunder" (lead vocals: Jimmy) – 3:45
- "Calling Heaven" (lead vocals: Paddy) – 4:54
- "Nothing like Home" (lead vocals: Kathy, John) – 3:42
Credits and personnel
- Johan Daansen - mouth harp
- Angelo Kelly - drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, percussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
, washboardWashboardA washboard is a tool designed for hand washing clothing. With mechanized cleaning of clothing becoming more common by the end of the 20th century, the washboard has become better known for its originally subsidiary use as a musical instrument....
, timbaleTimbaleTimbale may refer to:*Timbales or timbal, a Cuban and LatinoAmerican percussion instrument*Timbale , a kind of dish of various ingredients baked in a round mold...
s, vocals - Barby Kelly - vocals
- Jimmy Kelly - acoustic guitarSteel-string acoustic guitarA steel-string acoustic guitar is a modern form of guitar descended from the classical guitar, but strung with steel strings for a brighter, louder sound...
, electric-zitherZitherThe zither is a musical string instrument, most commonly found in Slovenia, Austria, Hungary citera, northwestern Croatia, the southern regions of Germany, alpine Europe and East Asian cultures, including China...
, spoonsSpoonsSpoons, also known as Pig and Tongue, is a fast-paced game of matching and bluffing family of card games of the Crazy Eights group, closely related to Craits played with an ordinary pack of playing cards and several ordinary kitchen spoons or various other objects...
, vocals - Joey Kelly - acoustic guitars, electric guitarElectric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
s, vocals - John Kelly - acoustic guitars, electric guitar, percussions, vocals
- Kathy Kelly - accordionAccordionThe accordion is a box-shaped musical instrument of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone family, sometimes referred to as a squeezebox. A person who plays the accordion is called an accordionist....
, keyboards, hammondHammond organThe Hammond organ is an electric organ invented by Laurens Hammond in 1934 and manufactured by the Hammond Organ Company. While the Hammond organ was originally sold to churches as a lower-cost alternative to the wind-driven pipe organ, in the 1960s and 1970s it became a standard keyboard...
, organOrgan (music)The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...
, pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, violinViolinThe violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
, vocals - Maite Kelly - percussions, vocals
- Patricia Kelly - harpHarpThe harp is a multi-stringed instrument which has the plane of its strings positioned perpendicularly to the soundboard. Organologically, it is in the general category of chordophones and has its own sub category . All harps have a neck, resonator and strings...
, vocals - Paddy Kelly - banjoBanjoIn the 1830s Sweeney became the first white man to play the banjo on stage. His version of the instrument replaced the gourd with a drum-like sound box and included four full-length strings alongside a short fifth-string. There is no proof, however, that Sweeney invented either innovation. This new...
, bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, guitars, keyboards, mandolineMandolineA mandoline is a cooking utensil used for slicing and for cutting juliennes; with suitable attachments, it can make crinkle-cuts. It consists of two parallel working surfaces, one of which can be adjusted in height. A food item is slid along the adjustable surface until it reaches a blade mounted...
, tablaTablaThe tabla is a popular Indian percussion instrument used in Hindustani classical music and in popular and devotional music of the Indian subcontinent. The instrument consists of a pair of hand drums of contrasting sizes and timbres...
, percussions
Production
- Album concept: Dan Kelly
- Writing: The Kelly Family
- Recording: Jan Shurman
- Mastering: Georgi Nedelschev, Dieter Wegner
- MixingAudio mixing (recorded music)In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may...
: Günther Kasper, G. Nedelschev, Kathy Kelly, Paddy Kelly, Max Volume
- Engineers: Günther "Mr. Cool" Kasper, Max Carola, Max Volume, Jürgen Lusky
- Engineering assistance: Alessandro Benedetti
- PhotographyPhotographyPhotography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
: Thomas Stachelhaus - Styling: Uschi Ries
- Litho: RGI Dortmund Germany
Charts
| Chart (1996) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Austrian Albums Chart | 1 |
| Belgian Albums Chart | 19 |
| Dutch Albums Chart Dutch Top 40 The Dutch Top 40 is a weekly music chart, which started as the "Veronica Top 40", because the offshore radio station Radio Veronica was the first to introduce it. It remained "The Veronica Top 40" until 1974, when the station was forced to stop broadcasting... |
3 |
| German Albums Chart Media Control Charts The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie... |
1 |
| Hungarian Albums Chart Mahasz Mahasz is the Hungarian music industry association, founded in 1992. Mahasz hands out the Hungarian Music Awards and maintains the music charts for Hungary.... |
1 |
| Norwegian Albums Chart | 2 |
| Swiss Albums Chart | 1 |
External links
- KellyFamily.de — official site