Black Country (album)
Encyclopedia
Black Country is the debut release by the English
-American
rock
supergroup Black Country Communion
. The album was released in Europe on 20 September 2010, and in the US one day later.
in November 2009. Joe Bonamassa
, who was performing, was asked by Guitar Center to invite several friends along, one of which was former Trapeze
and Deep Purple
singer/bassist Glenn Hughes. Hughes joined Bonamassa for several songs on stage, which was noticed by producer Kevin Shirley
, who had worked with Bonamassa before, on several of his solo albums. Shirley approached Hughes and Bonamassa with the concept of making a studio album under a band moniker. Not long afterwards, drummer Jason Bonham
was recruited into the band by Shirley. The concept of a power trio
didn't satisfy Bonamassa however, so Derek Sherinian
, formerly of Dream Theater
and Billy Idol
's backing band was asked to join. The band was dubbed "Black Country" by Hughes, but were forced to change their name after another band with the same name threatened legal action.
Bonham claims that the band were recording for the album as early as January 2010, stating "I just literally went into the studio last week for two days with one person I'd done an album with before, very quickly, and then the other was a friend of my father's I got to meet later on, Joe Bonamassa and Glenn Hughes, and we're working on a new project with a working title of Black Country." Recording of the album was finished in early April, with the official track listing of the album being released on 10 June 2010 and the album's cover artwork being publicly released on 8 July 2010. The album contains a cover of "Medusa
", which was originally recorded by Hughes' band Trapeze
in 1970; Hughes also lent Bonamassa the guitar used by the recently deceased Mel Galley
on the original track. On 10 August 2010, the band released the single "One Last Soul" for free digital download from their official website.
Hughes has described the album as "a traditional classic rock
record with a modern twist".
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
-American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
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...
supergroup Black Country Communion
Black Country Communion
Black Country Communion is an English-American rock supergroup featuring Glenn Hughes, Jason Bonham, Derek Sherinian, and Joe Bonamassa.-Formation and Black Country :...
. The album was released in Europe on 20 September 2010, and in the US one day later.
Overview
The band was originally conceived during a concert being held for Guitar CenterGuitar Center
Guitar Center is the largest chain of musical instrument retailers in the world with 223 locations throughout the United States. Its headquarters is in Westlake Village, California....
in November 2009. Joe Bonamassa
Joe Bonamassa
Joe Bonamassa is an American blues rock guitarist and singer.-Early life:Bonamassa was born and raised in New Hartford, United States. His parents owned and ran a guitar shop. He is a fourth-generation musician...
, who was performing, was asked by Guitar Center to invite several friends along, one of which was former Trapeze
Trapeze (band)
Trapeze were an English rock band formed in March 1969, by vocalist John Jones and guitarist/keyboardist Terry Rowley , with guitarist Mel Galley, singer/bassist Glenn Hughes, and drummer Dave Holland...
and Deep Purple
Deep Purple
Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in Hertford in 1968. Along with Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, they are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal and modern hard rock, although some band members believe that their music cannot be categorised as belonging to any one genre...
singer/bassist Glenn Hughes. Hughes joined Bonamassa for several songs on stage, which was noticed by producer Kevin Shirley
Kevin Shirley
Kevin Shirley is a music producer and mixer for many artists, such as the bands Journey, Iron Maiden, Rush, Led Zeppelin, Joe Bonamassa, Marya Roxx, Dream Theater, Tyler Bryant, Mr. Big, and Europe.-Biography:...
, who had worked with Bonamassa before, on several of his solo albums. Shirley approached Hughes and Bonamassa with the concept of making a studio album under a band moniker. Not long afterwards, drummer Jason Bonham
Jason Bonham
Jason John Bonham is an English drummer. Jason's parents are Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham and his wife Pat Phillips. After his father's death in 1980, he has played with Led Zeppelin on different occasions, including the Ahmet Ertegün Tribute Concert at The O2 Arena in London in...
was recruited into the band by Shirley. The concept of a power trio
Power trio
A power trio is a rock and roll band format where the traditional power trio has a lineup of guitar, bass and drums, leaving out the rhythm guitar or keyboard that are used in other rock music to fill out the sound with chords...
didn't satisfy Bonamassa however, so Derek Sherinian
Derek Sherinian
Derek Sherinian is a rock keyboardist who has toured and recorded for Alice Cooper, Billy Idol, Yngwie Malmsteen, Kiss, and Alice In Chains. He was also a member of Dream Theater and is the founder of the instrumental metal-fusion band Planet X...
, formerly of Dream Theater
Dream Theater
Dream Theater is an American progressive metal band formed in 1985 under the name Majesty by John Petrucci, John Myung, and Mike Portnoy while they attended Berklee College of Music in Massachusetts. They subsequently dropped out of their studies to further concentrate on the band that would...
and Billy Idol
Billy Idol
William Michael Albert Broad , better known by his stage name Billy Idol, is an English rock musician. A member of the Bromley Contingent of Sex Pistols fans, Idol first achieved fame in the punk rock era as a member of the band Generation X...
's backing band was asked to join. The band was dubbed "Black Country" by Hughes, but were forced to change their name after another band with the same name threatened legal action.
Bonham claims that the band were recording for the album as early as January 2010, stating "I just literally went into the studio last week for two days with one person I'd done an album with before, very quickly, and then the other was a friend of my father's I got to meet later on, Joe Bonamassa and Glenn Hughes, and we're working on a new project with a working title of Black Country." Recording of the album was finished in early April, with the official track listing of the album being released on 10 June 2010 and the album's cover artwork being publicly released on 8 July 2010. The album contains a cover of "Medusa
Medusa (Trapeze album)
Medusa is a 1970 album by the rock band Trapeze.-Track listing:# "Black Cloud" – 6:13# "Jury" – 8:10# "Your Love Is Alright" – 4:54# "Touch My Life" – 4:06...
", which was originally recorded by Hughes' band Trapeze
Trapeze (band)
Trapeze were an English rock band formed in March 1969, by vocalist John Jones and guitarist/keyboardist Terry Rowley , with guitarist Mel Galley, singer/bassist Glenn Hughes, and drummer Dave Holland...
in 1970; Hughes also lent Bonamassa the guitar used by the recently deceased Mel Galley
Mel Galley
Mel Galley was an English guitarist and a former member of the Hard rock bands Whitesnake, Trapeze, Finders Keepers and Phenomena. He was born in Cannock, Staffordshire, England...
on the original track. On 10 August 2010, the band released the single "One Last Soul" for free digital download from their official website.
Hughes has described the album as "a traditional classic rock
Classic rock
Classic rock is a radio format which developed from the album-oriented rock format in the early 1980s. In the United States, the classic rock format features music ranging generally from the late 1960s to the late 1980s, primarily focusing on the hard rock genre that peaked in popularity in the...
record with a modern twist".
Touring
The band are planning to tour in 2011 in support of the album.Track listing
Personnel
- Glenn Hughes - lead & backing vocals, bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
- Joe BonamassaJoe BonamassaJoe Bonamassa is an American blues rock guitarist and singer.-Early life:Bonamassa was born and raised in New Hartford, United States. His parents owned and ran a guitar shop. He is a fourth-generation musician...
- guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
s, backing vocals, lead vocals on "Song of Yesterday" and "The Revolution in Me", co-lead vocals on "Sista Jane" and "Too Late for the Sun" - Jason BonhamJason BonhamJason John Bonham is an English drummer. Jason's parents are Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham and his wife Pat Phillips. After his father's death in 1980, he has played with Led Zeppelin on different occasions, including the Ahmet Ertegün Tribute Concert at The O2 Arena in London in...
- 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... - Derek SherinianDerek SherinianDerek Sherinian is a rock keyboardist who has toured and recorded for Alice Cooper, Billy Idol, Yngwie Malmsteen, Kiss, and Alice In Chains. He was also a member of Dream Theater and is the founder of the instrumental metal-fusion band Planet X...
- keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
Additional personnel
- Kevin ShirleyKevin ShirleyKevin Shirley is a music producer and mixer for many artists, such as the bands Journey, Iron Maiden, Rush, Led Zeppelin, Joe Bonamassa, Marya Roxx, Dream Theater, Tyler Bryant, Mr. Big, and Europe.-Biography:...
- productionRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, 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... - Bob LudwigBob LudwigBob Ludwig is an American mastering engineer.He is a well known and respected figure within the music industry. His name is credited on the covers of albums released across the world, and he has won numerous awards....
- masteringAudio masteringMastering, a form of audio post-production, is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device ; the source from which all copies will be produced... - Jeff BovaJeff BovaJeff Bova is an American Grammy Award winning keyboardist, composer, arranger and record producer. He has been active in music industry since the mid-1970s, contributing to dozens of recordings by significant mainstream artists like Celine Dion, Michael Jackson, Blondie, Eric Clapton, Joe Cocker,...
- orchestrationOrchestrationOrchestration is the study or practice of writing music for an orchestra or of adapting for orchestra music composed for another medium... - Patrick D'Arcy - uilleann pipesUilleann pipesThe uilleann pipes or //; ) are the characteristic national bagpipe of Ireland, their current name, earlier known in English as "union pipes", is a part translation of the Irish-language term píobaí uilleann , from their method of inflation.The bag of the uilleann pipes is inflated by means of a...
, tin whistleTin whistleThe tin whistle, also called the penny whistle, English Flageolet, Scottish penny whistle, Tin Flageolet, Irish whistle and Clarke London Flageolet is a simple six-holed woodwind instrument. It is an end blown fipple flute, putting it in the same category as the recorder, American Indian flute, and...
Charts
| Chart (2010) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| European Top 100 Albums European Top 100 Albums The European Top 100 Albums chart is the European adaptation of the Billboard 200 albums chart. It was created in March 1984.The European Top 100 Albums, commonly referred to as Eurochart Top 100 Albums shows the sales of an act in 19 European countries based on IFPI data.The European Top 100... |
21 |
| UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
13 |
| 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... |
54 |