Get in Touch with Yourself
Encyclopedia
Get in Touch with Yourself is the title of the third studio album by the British
pop group Swing Out Sister
. The album was released on Fontana Records
in 1992 (see 1992 in music
) and was produced by Paul Staveley O'Duffy
.
on lead vocals and Andy Connell
on keyboards. Both collaborated with producer O'Duffy on musical arrangements for the album. This was the first Swing Out Sister studio album to which original member Martin Jackson
did not contribute, as he left the band during the recording of the Kaleidoscope World
album in 1989. Luis Jardim
provided percussion to many of the tracks on this album in Jackson's absence, and additional horn players and orchestration were incorporated into the production as well.
Get in Touch with Yourself combines elements of various genres of pop music
, such as synthpop
and sophisti-pop
, while also including touches of more vintage styles such as lounge music
. Other musical genres embraced by the group on this album include smooth jazz
, soul
and dance
. Lead singer Drewery was quoted as saying that she typically enjoyed music with more of a retro
feel: "I find it difficult to form opinions about a lot of modern music because my head's buried in the past. A lot of my favourite records seem to have been picked up in the discount rack at Woolworth's
. I'll be quite happy if our records end up in the Woollies bargain bin in 10 years time."
. In the US, the album's release was delayed until September 1992, and there it rose to #113 on the Billboard 200
album chart.
The first single
taken from Get in Touch with Yourself was a cover version
of the 1960s song "Am I the Same Girl
", which had first been recorded by the American soul
singer Barbara Acklin
, then later by British singer Dusty Springfield
. Swing Out Sister's version of the song reached #21 on the UK Singles Chart
and #45 on the US Billboard Hot 100
chart. In addition, this song became the group's second chart-topper on the US adult contemporary chart
, following "Breakout
" from 1987. The single was a hit in Japan as well, where the band had begun to achieve a great deal of acclaim for their music.
The follow-up to "Am I the Same Girl" was "Notgonnachange", which reached #49 in the UK and #22 on the US adult contemporary chart. This song was subsequently remix
ed by Frankie Knuckles
, and the dance mix of "Notgonnachange" peaked at #21 on the US Hot Dance Club Play
chart during the summer of 1992.
magazine recommended the album in its June 1992 issue, saying that "Drewery is as vibrant, perky, and comfortable in her area of expertise as ever. Swing Out Sister remain as sweet and silly as they always were." Reflex magazine reacted by saying that "Swing Out Sister rank near the top of the UK's cosmo-jazzy-pop firmament...[they're] excellent in their chosen field."
CD track listing (from the U.S. Version)
Musicians
Additional Personnel
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...
pop group Swing Out Sister
Swing Out Sister
Swing Out Sister are a British "sophisti-pop" group best known worldwide for their 1986 song "Breakout". Other hits include "Surrender", "Twilight World", "Waiting Game" and a remake of "Am I the Same Girl?" Though album sales in the U.S. and Europe have levelled off since the early 1990s, the...
. The album was released on Fontana Records
Fontana Records
Fontana Records is a record label which was started in the 1950s as a subsidiary of the Dutch Philips Records; when Philips restructured its music operations it dropped Fontana in favor of Vertigo Records. In the seventies PolyGram acquired the dormant label....
in 1992 (see 1992 in music
1992 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1992.-January–February:*January 11**Nirvana's Nevermind album goes to #1 in the US Billboard 200 chart, establishing the widespread popularity of the Grunge movement of the 1990s....
) and was produced by Paul Staveley O'Duffy
Paul Staveley O'Duffy
Paul O’Duffy is a British record producer, composer, mixer. He is best known for producing Swing Out Sister's Grammy-nominated multi-platinum debut album, for his BMI nomination as 'Producer of the Year' in 1987, and work with John Barry and other film score producing...
.
Lineup and musical style
For the recording of Get in Touch with Yourself, Swing Out Sister was composed primarily of original members Corinne DreweryCorinne Drewery
Corinne Drewery is the lead singer of the pop music band, Swing Out Sister.-Early life:Drewery grew up in Nottingham and the Lincolnshire village of Authorpe and went to South Reston Primary School, then Monks' Dyke High School and King Edward VI Grammar School in nearby Louth, then Lincoln College...
on lead vocals and Andy Connell
Andy Connell
Andrew John "Andy" Connell is an English musician and composer. Along with Corinne Drewery, he is part of the duo that makes up Swing Out Sister....
on keyboards. Both collaborated with producer O'Duffy on musical arrangements for the album. This was the first Swing Out Sister studio album to which original member Martin Jackson
Martin Jackson
Martin Jackson is a British drummer who has played with several New Wave bands from Manchester, although his most successful roles were with Magazine, in 1978 with the release of the influential Real Life album, and Swing Out Sister, in 1986, with the hit song Breakout.-Biography:His earliest work...
did not contribute, as he left the band during the recording of the Kaleidoscope World
Kaleidoscope World (Swing Out Sister album)
Kaleidoscope World is the second studio album by the British band Swing Out Sister. It was released in 1989 and features the singles "Where In The World?" , "You On My Mind" , "Forever Blue" , and "Waiting Game"...
album in 1989. Luis Jardim
Luís Jardim
Luís Alberto Figueira Gonçalves Jardim is a Portuguese percussionist, born in the Madeira Island, best known for his work with producer Trevor Horn.-Family:Jardim is a cousin of Alberto João Jardim...
provided percussion to many of the tracks on this album in Jackson's absence, and additional horn players and orchestration were incorporated into the production as well.
Get in Touch with Yourself combines elements of various genres of pop music
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
, such as synthpop
Synthpop
Synthpop is a genre of popular music that first became prominent in the 1980s, in which the synthesizer is the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s by the use of synthesizers in progressive rock, electronic art rock, disco and particularly the "Kraut rock" of...
and sophisti-pop
Sophisti-pop
Sophisti-pop was a sub-genre of pop that flourished in the UK between the mid-1980s and early 1990s, incorporating elements of soft rock, jazz, and blue-eyed soul. The genre made extensive use of electronic keyboards, synthesizers, and polished arrangements, particularly horn sections. Acts were...
, while also including touches of more vintage styles such as lounge music
Lounge music
Lounge music is a retrospective description of music popular in the 1950s and 1960s. It is a type of mood music meant to evoke in the listeners the feeling of being in a place — a jungle, an island paradise, outer space, et cetera — other than where they are listening to it...
. Other musical genres embraced by the group on this album include smooth jazz
Smooth jazz
Smooth jazz is a genre of music that grew out of jazz fusion and is influenced by R&B, funk, rock, and pop music styles ....
, 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...
and dance
Dance music
Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement...
. Lead singer Drewery was quoted as saying that she typically enjoyed music with more of a retro
Retro
Retro is a culturally outdated or aged style, trend, mode, or fashion, from the overall postmodern past, that has since that time become functionally or superficially the norm once again. The use of "retro" style iconography and imagery interjected into post-modern art, advertising, mass media, etc...
feel: "I find it difficult to form opinions about a lot of modern music because my head's buried in the past. A lot of my favourite records seem to have been picked up in the discount rack at Woolworth's
F. W. Woolworth Company
The F. W. Woolworth Company was a retail company that was one of the original American five-and-dime stores. The first successful Woolworth store was opened on July 18, 1879 by Frank Winfield Woolworth in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, as "Woolworth's Great Five Cent Store"...
. I'll be quite happy if our records end up in the Woollies bargain bin in 10 years time."
Charts
In the UK, Get in Touch with Yourself was released in June 1992, and it peaked at #27 on the UK Albums ChartUK 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...
. In the US, the album's release was delayed until September 1992, and there it rose to #113 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...
album chart.
The first single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
taken from Get in Touch with Yourself was a cover version
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of the 1960s song "Am I the Same Girl
Am I the Same Girl
"Am I the Same Girl" is a popular soul song written by Eugene Record and Sonny Sanders. First recorded in 1968 by Barbara Acklin, "Am I the Same Girl" charted most successfully in the US as a 1992 release by Swing Out Sister...
", which had first been recorded by the American 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...
singer Barbara Acklin
Barbara Acklin
Barbara Jean Acklin was an American soul singer and songwriter who was most successful in the 1960s and 1970s. Her biggest hit as a singer was "Love Makes a Woman" in 1968...
, then later by British singer Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield
Mary Isobel Catherine Bernadette O'BrienSources use both Isabel and Isobel as the spelling of her second name. OBE , known professionally as Dusty Springfield and dubbed The White Queen of Soul, was a British pop singer whose career extended from the late 1950s to the 1990s...
. Swing Out Sister's version of the song reached #21 on the UK Singles Chart
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 #45 on the US 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...
chart. In addition, this song became the group's second chart-topper on the US adult contemporary chart
Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks
The Adult Contemporary chart is a weekly chart published in Billboard magazine that lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary and "lite-pop" radio stations in the United States...
, following "Breakout
Breakout (Swing Out Sister song)
"Breakout" is a single from British pop act Swing Out Sister's debut album It's Better to Travel.The single reached the number four position in the UK in 1986, and rose to number six pop and number one adult contemporary in the U.S. in 1987...
" from 1987. The single was a hit in Japan as well, where the band had begun to achieve a great deal of acclaim for their music.
The follow-up to "Am I the Same Girl" was "Notgonnachange", which reached #49 in the UK and #22 on the US adult contemporary chart. This song was subsequently remix
Remix
A remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
ed by Frankie Knuckles
Frankie Knuckles
Frankie Knuckles is an American DJ, record producer and remix artist. He played an important role in developing house music as a Chicago DJ in the 1980s and he helped to popularize house music in the 1990s, with his work as a producer and remixer...
, and the dance mix of "Notgonnachange" peaked at #21 on the US Hot Dance Club Play
Hot Dance Club Play
The Hot Dance Club Songs chart is a weekly national survey of the songs that are most popular in U.S. dance clubs...
chart during the summer of 1992.
Reviews
SpinSpin (magazine)
Spin is a music magazine founded in 1985 by publisher Bob Guccione Jr.-History:In its early years, the magazine was noted for its broad music coverage with an emphasis on college-oriented rock music and on the ongoing emergence of hip-hop. The magazine was eclectic and bold, if sometimes haphazard...
magazine recommended the album in its June 1992 issue, saying that "Drewery is as vibrant, perky, and comfortable in her area of expertise as ever. Swing Out Sister remain as sweet and silly as they always were." Reflex magazine reacted by saying that "Swing Out Sister rank near the top of the UK's cosmo-jazzy-pop firmament...[they're] excellent in their chosen field."
Track listing
CD & Cassette Version- "Get in Touch with Yourself" (5:08) (Andy ConnellAndy ConnellAndrew John "Andy" Connell is an English musician and composer. Along with Corinne Drewery, he is part of the duo that makes up Swing Out Sister....
/Corinne DreweryCorinne DreweryCorinne Drewery is the lead singer of the pop music band, Swing Out Sister.-Early life:Drewery grew up in Nottingham and the Lincolnshire village of Authorpe and went to South Reston Primary School, then Monks' Dyke High School and King Edward VI Grammar School in nearby Louth, then Lincoln College...
/Paul Staveley O'DuffyPaul Staveley O'DuffyPaul O’Duffy is a British record producer, composer, mixer. He is best known for producing Swing Out Sister's Grammy-nominated multi-platinum debut album, for his BMI nomination as 'Producer of the Year' in 1987, and work with John Barry and other film score producing...
) - "Am I the Same GirlAm I the Same Girl"Am I the Same Girl" is a popular soul song written by Eugene Record and Sonny Sanders. First recorded in 1968 by Barbara Acklin, "Am I the Same Girl" charted most successfully in the US as a 1992 release by Swing Out Sister...
?" (4:07) (Eugene RecordEugene RecordEugene Record was the American lead vocalist of the Chicago, Illinois based band, The Chi-Lites, during the 1960s and 1970s.He was born Eugene Booker Record in Chicago...
/Sonny Sanders) - "Incomplete Without You" (4:42) (A. Connell/C Drewery)
- "Everyday Crime" (5:03) (A. Connell/C Drewery/P. S. O'Duffy)
- "Circulate" (4:58) (A. Connell/C Drewery/P. S. O'Duffy)
- "Who Let the Love Out?" (4:40) (A. Connell/C Drewery)
- "Understand" (5:16) (A. Connell/C Drewery)
- "NotgonnachangeNotgonnachange"Notgonnachange" is a 1992 song by Swing Out Sister. It was released as the follow-up single to "Am I the Same Girl". It reached #49 in the UK Singles Chart and #22 on the U.S. Billboard adult contemporary chart. This song was subsequently remixed by Frankie Knuckles, and the dance mix of...
" (4:56) (A. Connell/C Drewery) - "Don't Say a Word" (4:06) (A. Connell/C Drewery)
- "Love Child" (4:57) (A. Connell/C Drewery)
- "I Can Hear You but I Can't See You" (4:04) (A. Connell/C Drewery)
- "Everyday Crime" (Instrumental) (5:02) (A. Connell/C Drewery/P. S. O'Duffy)
CD track listing (from the U.S. Version)
- "Get in Touch with Yourself" (5:08) (Andy ConnellAndy ConnellAndrew John "Andy" Connell is an English musician and composer. Along with Corinne Drewery, he is part of the duo that makes up Swing Out Sister....
/Corinne DreweryCorinne DreweryCorinne Drewery is the lead singer of the pop music band, Swing Out Sister.-Early life:Drewery grew up in Nottingham and the Lincolnshire village of Authorpe and went to South Reston Primary School, then Monks' Dyke High School and King Edward VI Grammar School in nearby Louth, then Lincoln College...
/Paul Staveley O'DuffyPaul Staveley O'DuffyPaul O’Duffy is a British record producer, composer, mixer. He is best known for producing Swing Out Sister's Grammy-nominated multi-platinum debut album, for his BMI nomination as 'Producer of the Year' in 1987, and work with John Barry and other film score producing...
) - "NotgonnachangeNotgonnachange"Notgonnachange" is a 1992 song by Swing Out Sister. It was released as the follow-up single to "Am I the Same Girl". It reached #49 in the UK Singles Chart and #22 on the U.S. Billboard adult contemporary chart. This song was subsequently remixed by Frankie Knuckles, and the dance mix of...
" (4:56) (A. Connell/C Drewery) - "Am I the Same Girl?" (4:07) (Eugene RecordEugene RecordEugene Record was the American lead vocalist of the Chicago, Illinois based band, The Chi-Lites, during the 1960s and 1970s.He was born Eugene Booker Record in Chicago...
/Sonny Sanders) - "Everyday Crime" (5:03) (A. Connell/C Drewery/P. S. O'Duffy)
- "Who Let the Love Out?" (4:40) (A. Connell/C Drewery)
- "I Can Hear You but I Can't See You" (Instrumental) (4:04) (A. Connell/C Drewery)
- "Understand" (5:16) (A. Connell/C Drewery)
- "Circulate" (4:58) (A. Connell/C Drewery/P. S. O'Duffy)
- "Love Child" (4:57) (A. Connell/C Drewery)
- "Incomplete Without You" (4:42) (A. Connell/C Drewery)
- "Don't Say a Word" (4:06) (A. Connell/C Drewery)
- "Everyday Crime" (Instrumental) (5:02) (A. Connell/C Drewery/P. S. O'Duffy)
Personnel
Swing Out Sister- Corinne DreweryCorinne DreweryCorinne Drewery is the lead singer of the pop music band, Swing Out Sister.-Early life:Drewery grew up in Nottingham and the Lincolnshire village of Authorpe and went to South Reston Primary School, then Monks' Dyke High School and King Edward VI Grammar School in nearby Louth, then Lincoln College...
- Lead vocals, Musical Arrangements - Andy ConnellAndy ConnellAndrew John "Andy" Connell is an English musician and composer. Along with Corinne Drewery, he is part of the duo that makes up Swing Out Sister....
- Keyboards, Musical Arrangements, Backing Vocals on "Understand"
Musicians
- Paul Staveley O'DuffyPaul Staveley O'DuffyPaul O’Duffy is a British record producer, composer, mixer. He is best known for producing Swing Out Sister's Grammy-nominated multi-platinum debut album, for his BMI nomination as 'Producer of the Year' in 1987, and work with John Barry and other film score producing...
- Production, Mixing, Musical Arrangements - Tim Cansfield - Guitars
- Luis JardimLuís JardimLuís Alberto Figueira Gonçalves Jardim is a Portuguese percussionist, born in the Madeira Island, best known for his work with producer Trevor Horn.-Family:Jardim is a cousin of Alberto João Jardim...
- Percussion - Beverly Skeete - Backing Vocals
- Erica Harrold - Backing Vocals
- Derrick Johnson - Bass Guitar
- Snake DavisSnake DavisSnake Davis is a session musician who has played with some of the worlds biggest artists. In the 1980s he fronted York band Zoot and the Roots....
- Saxophone, Flute - Gary BarnacleGary BarnacleGary Barnacle is a saxophonist/flautist, brass instrument arranger, composer and producer, primarily noted for session work, live work Gary Barnacle (born 1959, Dover, England) is a saxophonist/flautist, brass instrument arranger, composer and producer, primarily noted for session work, live work...
- Saxophone, Flute - John ThirkellJohn ThirkellJohn Thirkell is a British trumpet and flugelhorn player, who has appeared on hundreds of pop, rock, and jazz recordings. Through the 1980s and early 1990s he was on at least one album in the UK Charts continuously, without a break, for over 13 years...
- Trumpet, Flugelhorn - Noel Langley - Trumpet, Flugelhorn
- Vince Sullivan - Trombone
- Nigel HitchcockNigel HitchcockNigel Hitchcock is an English jazz saxophonist.-Biography:Hichcock began to play alto sax at age 8. In 1982 he and his elder brother Clive joined the National Youth Jazz Orchestra. After one year Nigel took the lead alto chair for the next 5 years...
- Saxophone Solo on "Get in Touch with Yourself" - Will Malone (Conductor) and Gavyn WrightGavyn WrightGavyn Wright is a British violinist and orchestra leader with the London Session Orchestra and Penguin Cafe Orchestra, best known for his orchestral arrangements on pop productions as well as numerous TV and movie soundtracks Gavyn Wright is a British violinist and orchestra leader with the London...
(Leader) - Orchestration on "Everyday Crime" and "Circulate"
Additional Personnel
- Enrique Badulescu - Photography