Are You Gonna Go My Way
Encyclopedia
Are You Gonna Go My Way is the third studio album
by American rock
musician
Lenny Kravitz
, released on March 9, 1993 by Virgin Records America. It was recorded at Waterfront Recording Studios, Hoboken
, New Jersey
. It became Kravitz's first Top 20 album on the United States
Billboard 200
, and his first number one album in both Australia
and the United Kingdom
, achieving massive worldwide success that helped to establish his popularity as a performer. The album was certified 2× Platinum
in the United States, for shipments of over 2.2 million copies, making it his third most successful album there, totalling over 4 million copies in worldwide sales.
Musically, it contained more of 70's inspired songs of artists such as Jimi Hendrix
, John Lennon
, Curtis Mayfield
, Sly and Robbie
, and Prince.
Additional guitars were contributed by Craig Ross
.
The album cover features Kravitz facing a woman whose back is turned to the viewer. This has been rumored to be Vanessa Paradis
, with whom Kravitz was involved with romantically and professionally at the time.
"
The lead single of the album, the song peaked at number one on the Australian singles chart
, and also peaked at number one on the US Mainstream Rock chart, becoming his first number one single in both countries, while it peaked at number 2 on the Hot Modern Rock Tracks. The song was also a worldwide hit, peaking at number 4 in both the United Kingdom
and France
. The song is not only considered to be one of Kravitz's greatest hits as an artist, but also as one of the biggest anthems of the 1990s.
Appears in the video games Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec
(in a GT Remix) and Guitar Hero World Tour
.
"Believe"
The second single from the album, it is a rock
ballad
that speaks of faith and freedom. The song was another major success from the album, peaking at number 60 on the Billboard Hot 100
, number 15 on the US Mainstream Rock chart, number 10 on the Hot Modern Rock Tracks, number 30 in the UK
, and number 8 in Australia
.
"Heaven Help
"
The third single from the album, an R&B
/soul
song that originally peaked at number 92 on the Billboard Hot 100
but later peaked at number 80, being charted as a double A-side
single along with "Spinning Around Over You". The double A-side format also peaked at number 92 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
, while in the United Kingdom, it became Kravitz's second Top 20 single from the album, reaching number 20.
"Is There Any Love in Your Heart?"
The song was released as the final single from the original album. It peaked at number 19 on the Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, 52 in the UK, and 32 in Australia.
"Spinning Around Over You"
The song charted as a double A-side single along with "Heaven Help
", peaking at number 80 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 37 on the Hot Mainstream Rock tracks chart. The single was originally featured on the soundtrack to the film Reality Bites
and was featured on the album as a bonus track, thus being the final single from the album.
- French horn, flugelhorn
Lenny Kravitz
- vocals, electric & acoustic guitars, Mellotron, bass, drums, chimes
Cindy Blackman
- drums
Craig Ross
- acoustic & electric guitars
Henry Hirsch - piano, Wurlitzer organ, synthesizer, bass
Liuh-Wen Ting - viola
Tony Breit - bass
Robert Lawrence - violins
and South America
. It reached #12 on the Billboard 200
and #1 on the UK Album Chart and the Australian Albums Chart. As of March 2008, Are You Gonna Go My Way has sold 2.2 million units in the U.S.
The title track has been considered one of Kravitz's signature songs and was nominated for two Grammy Awards. Also the title track was voted in at number 28 in Triple J's Hottest 100 of 1993, an Australian music poll run by the radio station Triple J.
|-
! Country
! Certification
(sales thresholds)
|-
|Germany
|Gold
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
by American rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
Lenny Kravitz
Lenny Kravitz
Leonard Albert "Lenny" Kravitz is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and arranger, whose "retro" style incorporates elements of rock, soul, R&B, funk, reggae, hard rock, psychedelic, folk and ballads...
, released on March 9, 1993 by Virgin Records America. It was recorded at Waterfront Recording Studios, Hoboken
Hoboken, New Jersey
Hoboken is a city in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population was 50,005. The city is part of the New York metropolitan area and contains Hoboken Terminal, a major transportation hub for the region...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
. It became Kravitz's first Top 20 album on the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
, and his first number one album in both Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, achieving massive worldwide success that helped to establish his popularity as a performer. The album was certified 2× Platinum
Platinum
Platinum is a chemical element with the chemical symbol Pt and an atomic number of 78. Its name is derived from the Spanish term platina del Pinto, which is literally translated into "little silver of the Pinto River." It is a dense, malleable, ductile, precious, gray-white transition metal...
in the United States, for shipments of over 2.2 million copies, making it his third most successful album there, totalling over 4 million copies in worldwide sales.
Album information
The album had a good reception by fans and music critics and it is still considered as one of Kravitz's best works.Musically, it contained more of 70's inspired songs of artists such as Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
, John Lennon
John Lennon
John Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
, Curtis Mayfield
Curtis Mayfield
Curtis Lee Mayfield was an American soul, R&B, and funk singer, songwriter, and record producer.He is best known for his anthemic music with The Impressions during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960's and for composing the soundtrack to the blaxploitation film Super Fly, Mayfield is highly...
, Sly and Robbie
Sly and Robbie
Sly and Robbie is the prolific Jamaican rhythm section and production team of drummer Sly Dunbar and bassist Robbie Shakespeare who joined in the mid 1970s after having established themselves separately in Jamaica as professional musicians...
, and Prince.
Additional guitars were contributed by Craig Ross
Craig Ross
Craig David Ross is an American guitarist best known for performing and recording with Lenny Kravitz.-Biography:Ross was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. Craig Ross picked up the guitar at age 8, following a path that he hasn't deviated from since...
.
The album cover features Kravitz facing a woman whose back is turned to the viewer. This has been rumored to be Vanessa Paradis
Vanessa Paradis
Vanessa Chantal Paradis is a French singer, model and actress. She became a child star at 14 with the worldwide success of her single "Joe le taxi"...
, with whom Kravitz was involved with romantically and professionally at the time.
Original edition
- "Are You Gonna Go My WayAre You Gonna Go My Way (song)"Are You Gonna Go My Way" is the first single to be released by Lenny Kravitz from the album of the same name. It was released in March 1993. It was written by Lenny Kravitz and Craig Ross...
" (Kravitz, Craig RossCraig RossCraig David Ross is an American guitarist best known for performing and recording with Lenny Kravitz.-Biography:Ross was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. Craig Ross picked up the guitar at age 8, following a path that he hasn't deviated from since...
) – 3:31 - "Believe" (Kravitz, Hirsch) – 4:50
- "Come On and Love Me" (Kravitz) – 3:52
- "Heaven HelpHeaven Help"Heaven Help" is a single taken from American rock musician Lenny Kravitz' 1993 album Are You Gonna Go My Way. The song made an appearance on the Billboard Hot 100 chart at #92. In the United Kingdom, it became his second Top 20 hit from Are You Gonna Go My Way, peaking at #20...
" (Gerry DeVeaux, Terry BrittenTerry BrittenTerry Britten is a prolific English singer-songwriter, who has written songs for Tina Turner and Sir Cliff Richard, Olivia Newton-John, Status Quo, Michael Jackson and many others.-Career:...
) – 3:10 - "Just Be a Woman" (Kravitz) – 3:50
- "Is There Any Love in Your Heart" (Kravitz, Ross) – 3:39
- "Black Girl" (Kravitz) – 3:42
- "My Love" (Kravitz, Ross) – 3:50
- "Sugar" (Kravitz) – 4:00
- "Sister" (Kravitz) – 7:02
- "Eleutheria" (Kravitz) – 4:48
Vinyl edition bonus CD track listing
- "Ascension" (Kravitz, Hirch) - 3:45
- "Brother" (Kravitz) - 4:16
- "Heaven Help" (acoustic) (DeVeaux, Britten) - 3:56
- "Someone Like You" (Kravitz, Ross, Hirch) - 4:14
- "All My Life" (Kravitz) - 6:24
- "Sister" (live) (Kravitz) - 7:15
- "For the First Time" (Kravitz) - 3:38
- "Believe" (acoustic) (Kravitz, Hirsch) - 4:07
Singles
"Are You Gonna Go My WayAre You Gonna Go My Way (song)
"Are You Gonna Go My Way" is the first single to be released by Lenny Kravitz from the album of the same name. It was released in March 1993. It was written by Lenny Kravitz and Craig Ross...
"
The lead single of the album, the song peaked at number one on the Australian singles chart
ARIA Charts
The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June...
, and also peaked at number one on the US Mainstream Rock chart, becoming his first number one single in both countries, while it peaked at number 2 on the Hot Modern Rock Tracks. The song was also a worldwide hit, peaking at number 4 in both the United Kingdom
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
and France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. The song is not only considered to be one of Kravitz's greatest hits as an artist, but also as one of the biggest anthems of the 1990s.
Appears in the video games Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec
Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec
Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec is considered a critical and commercial success for Sony in Japan, Europe, and North America. The game is highly praised by game reviewers and players as one of the best racing games ever made. GT3 also received a Platinum Award from Electronic Gaming Monthly...
(in a GT Remix) and Guitar Hero World Tour
Guitar Hero World Tour
Guitar Hero World Tour is a music video game developed by Neversoft and published by RedOctane and Activision. It is the fourth main entry in the Guitar Hero series...
.
"Believe"
The second single from the album, it is a rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
ballad
Ballad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of British and Irish popular poetry and song from the later medieval period until the 19th century and used extensively across Europe and later the Americas, Australia and North Africa. Many...
that speaks of faith and freedom. The song was another major success from the album, peaking at number 60 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
, number 15 on the US Mainstream Rock chart, number 10 on the Hot Modern Rock Tracks, number 30 in the UK
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
, and number 8 in Australia
ARIA Charts
The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June...
.
"Heaven Help
Heaven Help
"Heaven Help" is a single taken from American rock musician Lenny Kravitz' 1993 album Are You Gonna Go My Way. The song made an appearance on the Billboard Hot 100 chart at #92. In the United Kingdom, it became his second Top 20 hit from Are You Gonna Go My Way, peaking at #20...
"
The third single from the album, an R&B
Contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...
/soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
song that originally peaked at number 92 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
but later peaked at number 80, being charted as a double A-side
A-side and B-side
A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
single along with "Spinning Around Over You". The double A-side format also peaked at number 92 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
, while in the United Kingdom, it became Kravitz's second Top 20 single from the album, reaching number 20.
"Is There Any Love in Your Heart?"
The song was released as the final single from the original album. It peaked at number 19 on the Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, 52 in the UK, and 32 in Australia.
"Spinning Around Over You"
The song charted as a double A-side single along with "Heaven Help
Heaven Help
"Heaven Help" is a single taken from American rock musician Lenny Kravitz' 1993 album Are You Gonna Go My Way. The song made an appearance on the Billboard Hot 100 chart at #92. In the United Kingdom, it became his second Top 20 hit from Are You Gonna Go My Way, peaking at #20...
", peaking at number 80 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 37 on the Hot Mainstream Rock tracks chart. The single was originally featured on the soundtrack to the film Reality Bites
Reality Bites
Reality Bites is a 1994 American romantic comedy-drama film written by Helen Childress and featuring the directorial debut of Ben Stiller. It stars Winona Ryder, Ethan Hawke and Stiller, with major supporting roles played by Janeane Garofalo and Steve Zahn. The film was shot on location in Austin...
and was featured on the album as a bonus track, thus being the final single from the album.
Music videos
- "Are You Gonna Go My Way"
- "Believe"
- "Heaven Help"
- "Is There Any Love in Your Heart"
Covers of the title track
- At the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards2003 MTV Video Music AwardsThe 2003 MTV Video Music Awards aired live on August 28, 2003, honoring the best music videos from June 1, 2002, to June 9, 2003. The show was hosted by Chris Rock at the Radio City Music Hall in New York City...
, MetallicaMetallicaMetallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...
performed it as part of medley for the closing act of the show. - Melanie Brown aka 'Scary Spice' performed the song as her solo piece on the The Return of the Spice GirlsThe Return of the Spice GirlsThe Return of the Spice Girls was the second Europe-North America concert tour by British girl group the Spice Girls. This reunion tour visited five countries in both North America and Europe. This tour marked the group's first tour since 1999's Christmas in Spiceworld tour of the United Kingdom,...
tour which took place from December 2007 to February 2008. - Tom JonesTom Jones (singer)Sir Thomas John Woodward, OBE , known by his stage name Tom Jones, is a Welsh singer.Since the mid 1960s, Jones has sung many styles of popular music – pop, rock, R&B, show tunes, country, dance, techno, soul and gospel – and sold over 100 million records...
and Robbie WilliamsRobbie WilliamsRobert Peter "Robbie" Williams is an English singer-songwriter, vocal coach and occasional actor. He is a member of the pop group Take That. Williams rose to fame in the band's first run in the early- to mid-1990s. After many disagreements with the management and certain group members, Williams...
together have performed a cover.
Personnel
Michael HunterMichael Hunter
Michael Hunter or Mike Hunter may refer to:* Michael Hunter , professor of history at Birkbeck, University of London* Michael Hunter , composer of sounds for Grand Theft Auto...
- French horn, flugelhorn
Lenny Kravitz
Lenny Kravitz
Leonard Albert "Lenny" Kravitz is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and arranger, whose "retro" style incorporates elements of rock, soul, R&B, funk, reggae, hard rock, psychedelic, folk and ballads...
- vocals, electric & acoustic guitars, Mellotron, bass, drums, chimes
Cindy Blackman
Cindy Blackman
Cindy Blackman is an American jazz and rock drummer. Blackman is best-known for recording and touring with Lenny Kravitz...
- drums
Craig Ross
Craig Ross
Craig David Ross is an American guitarist best known for performing and recording with Lenny Kravitz.-Biography:Ross was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. Craig Ross picked up the guitar at age 8, following a path that he hasn't deviated from since...
- acoustic & electric guitars
Henry Hirsch - piano, Wurlitzer organ, synthesizer, bass
Liuh-Wen Ting - viola
Tony Breit - bass
Robert Lawrence - violins
Chart performance
The album Are You Gonna Go My Way has been a very successful album not only in the United States, but also worldwide, particularly in the major markets of EuropeEurope
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...
and South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
. It reached #12 on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
and #1 on the UK Album Chart and the Australian Albums Chart. As of March 2008, Are You Gonna Go My Way has sold 2.2 million units in the U.S.
The title track has been considered one of Kravitz's signature songs and was nominated for two Grammy Awards. Also the title track was voted in at number 28 in Triple J's Hottest 100 of 1993, an Australian music poll run by the radio station Triple J.
Charts
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Australian ARIA Australian Recording Industry Association The Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry which was established in 1983 by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers which was formed in 1956... Albums Chart |
1 |
| German Albums Chart | 7 | |
| UK Album Chart | 1 | |
| Billboard 200 | 12 |
Certifications
{| class="wikitable"|-
! Country
! Certification
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
(sales thresholds)
|-
|Germany
Bundesverband Musikindustrie
The Bundesverband Musikindustrie or simply BVMI represents the music industry in Germany. The association represents the interests of nearly 350 labels and music industry related enterprises....
|Gold
Grammy Awards of 1994
- Best Male Rock Vocal Performance ("Are You Gonna Go My Way") (Nominated)
- Best Rock Song ("Are You Gonna Go My Way") (Nominated)
MTV Video Music Awards 1993
- Best Male Video ("Are You Gonna Go My Way") (Won)
- Best Art Direction ("Are You Gonna Go My Way") (Nominated)
Album credits
- Engineered and mixed by Henry Hirsch
- Mastered by Greg Calbi at Sterling Sound Studios
- Art Direction by Len Peltier
- Design by Jean Krikorian and Len Peltier
- Cover photography by Jean-Baptiste MondinoJean-Baptiste MondinoJean-Baptiste Mondino is a French fashion photographer and music video director. He has directed music videos for Madonna, David Bowie, Sting, Björk, Neneh Cherry and Les Rita Mitsouko...