Half the Perfect World
Encyclopedia
Half the Perfect World is the fourth studio album by American jazz singer Madeleine Peyroux
. It was released on September 12, 2006. It peaked at #33 on the Billboard 200 albums chart and had sold 218,000 copies in the United States by December 2008.
The album featured a total of four original songs, all of them co-written by Peyroux: "I'm Alright", "All I Need is a Little Bit", "Once in a While" and "California Rain". This marked a change in Peyroux's style, who would, in March 2009, release her first album without any covers.
Peyroux did a cover of Summer Wind, a song by Johnny Mercer, whom she always credits as major influence on her music.She also recorded three covers (only two on the standard edition, but there was a bonus track, "Crazy To Love You", on the Japanese one) from Leonard Cohen's
and Anjani Thomas album Blue Alert
.
", "All I Need is a Little Bit
" and "Once in a While
" were all released as singles.
The song, "Blue Alert", can be heard on the 2007 Old Navy Denim Jeans commercial.
David Dye of World Cafe
listed the album at number 10 on World Cafe's list of the Top 10 CDs of 2006.
plus
Madeleine Peyroux
Madeleine Peyroux is an American jazz singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Peyroux is noted for her vocal style, which has been compared to that of Billie Holiday....
. It was released on September 12, 2006. It peaked at #33 on the Billboard 200 albums chart and had sold 218,000 copies in the United States by December 2008.
The album featured a total of four original songs, all of them co-written by Peyroux: "I'm Alright", "All I Need is a Little Bit", "Once in a While" and "California Rain". This marked a change in Peyroux's style, who would, in March 2009, release her first album without any covers.
Peyroux did a cover of Summer Wind, a song by Johnny Mercer, whom she always credits as major influence on her music.She also recorded three covers (only two on the standard edition, but there was a bonus track, "Crazy To Love You", on the Japanese one) from Leonard Cohen's
Leonard Cohen
Leonard Norman Cohen, is a Canadian singer-songwriter, musician, poet and novelist. Cohen published his first book of poetry in Montreal in 1956 and his first novel in 1963. His work often explores religion, isolation, sexuality and interpersonal relationships...
and Anjani Thomas album Blue Alert
Blue Alert (album)
Blue Alert is a jazz album recorded by Anjani, girlfriend and longtime backing singer of iconic Canadian singer-songwriter and poet Leonard Cohen, who also produced the album and wrote the lyrics...
.
Track listing
- "I'm All RightI'm All RightI'm All Right is the opening track of Half the Perfect World, Madeleine Peyroux's third solo album. The song was composed by Walter Becker, Larry Klein and Madeleine Peyroux.It was released as a single and Peyroux sang it in her "Live from Abbey Road" episode.When she was awarded with BBC Best...
" (Walter BeckerWalter BeckerWalter Carl Becker is an American musician, songwriter and record producer. He is best known as the co-founder, guitarist, bassist and a co-writer of Steely Dan.-Career:...
, Madeleine PeyrouxMadeleine PeyrouxMadeleine Peyroux is an American jazz singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Peyroux is noted for her vocal style, which has been compared to that of Billie Holiday....
, Larry KleinLarry KleinLarry Klein is a music producer, songwriter and bass guitar player, commonly known for being the frequent musical collaborator, and ex-husband, of Joni Mitchell....
) – 3:27 - "The Summer WindSummer Wind"Summer Wind" is a 1965 song, with music by Heinz Meier and lyrics by Johnny Mercer, Original german lyrics by Hans Bradtke. The song is a nostalgic tale of a fleeting romance, first recorded by Wayne Newton who had the first national chart hit with the song in 1965, peaking at number 78."Summer...
" (Hans Bradtke, Henry Mayer, Johnny MercerJohnny MercerJohn Herndon "Johnny" Mercer was an American lyricist, songwriter and singer. He is best known as a lyricist, but he also composed music. He was also a popular singer who recorded his own songs as well as those written by others...
) – 3:55 - "Blue Alert" (Leonard CohenLeonard CohenLeonard Norman Cohen, is a Canadian singer-songwriter, musician, poet and novelist. Cohen published his first book of poetry in Montreal in 1956 and his first novel in 1963. His work often explores religion, isolation, sexuality and interpersonal relationships...
, Anjani Thomas) – 4:10 - "Everybody's Talkin'Everybody's Talkin'"Everybody's Talkin" is a folk rock song released by Fred Neil in 1966 that became a global success for Harry Nilsson in 1969, reaching #2 and #6 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart and Pop Singles chart respectively and winning a Grammy after it was featured on the soundtrack for the film...
" (Fred NeilFred NeilFred Neil was an American folk singer-songwriter in the 1960s and early 1970s. He did not achieve commercial success as a performer, and is mainly known through other people's recordings of his material – particularly "Everybody's Talkin'", which became a hit for Harry Nilsson after being...
) – 5:10 - "River" featuring k.d. langK.D. LangKathryn Dawn Lang, OC , known by her stage name k.d. lang, is a Canadian pop and country singer-songwriter and occasional actress...
(Joni MitchellJoni MitchellJoni Mitchell, CC is a Canadian musician, singer songwriter, and painter. Mitchell began singing in small nightclubs in her native Saskatchewan and Western Canada and then busking in the streets and dives of Toronto...
) – 5:19 - "All I Need is a Little BitAll I Need is a Little Bit"A Little Bit" or "All I Need is a Little Bit" , is a song featured on Madeleine Peyroux's third solo album, Half the Perfect World and it is a self-penned composition with the help of Jesse Harris and the producer Larry Klein...
" – 4:02 - "Once in a While" – 4:00
- "(Looking for) The Heart of Saturday Night" (Tom WaitsTom WaitsThomas Alan "Tom" Waits is an American singer-songwriter, composer, and actor. Waits has a distinctive voice, described by critic Daniel Durchholz as sounding "like it was soaked in a vat of bourbon, left hanging in the smokehouse for a few months, and then taken outside and run over with a car."...
) – 3:27 - "Half the Perfect World" (Leonard CohenLeonard CohenLeonard Norman Cohen, is a Canadian singer-songwriter, musician, poet and novelist. Cohen published his first book of poetry in Montreal in 1956 and his first novel in 1963. His work often explores religion, isolation, sexuality and interpersonal relationships...
, Anjani Thomas) – 4:21 - "La Javanaise" (Serge GainsbourgSerge GainsbourgSerge Gainsbourg, born Lucien Ginsburg was a French singer-songwriter, actor and director. Gainsbourg's extremely varied musical style and individuality make him difficult to categorize...
) – 4:11 - "California Rain" – 2:57
- "Smile" (Charlie ChaplinCharlie ChaplinSir Charles Spencer "Charlie" Chaplin, KBE was an English comic actor, film director and composer best known for his work during the silent film era. He became the most famous film star in the world before the end of World War I...
, Geoffrey ParsonsGeoffrey Claremont ParsonsGeoffrey Parsons was an English lyricist.He worked at the Peter Maurice Music Company run by James Phillips, who wrote under the pseudonym John Turner. The company specialized in adapting songs originally in foreign languages into the English language...
, John TurnerJohn Turner (lyricist)John Turner was the pseudonym used by the English lyricist James John Turner Phillips.He ran the Peter Maurice Music Company whose most important lyricist was Geoffrey Parsons. The company specialized in adapting songs originally in foreign languages into the English language. He would usually...
) – 3:57
Singles, Promotion and Publicity
"I'm All RightI'm All Right
I'm All Right is the opening track of Half the Perfect World, Madeleine Peyroux's third solo album. The song was composed by Walter Becker, Larry Klein and Madeleine Peyroux.It was released as a single and Peyroux sang it in her "Live from Abbey Road" episode.When she was awarded with BBC Best...
", "All I Need is a Little Bit
All I Need is a Little Bit
"A Little Bit" or "All I Need is a Little Bit" , is a song featured on Madeleine Peyroux's third solo album, Half the Perfect World and it is a self-penned composition with the help of Jesse Harris and the producer Larry Klein...
" and "Once in a While
Once in a While (Madeleine Peyroux song)
Once in a While was one of the four original songs Madeleine Peyroux released on her third solo album "Half the Perfect World. It was the third and last single from that album....
" were all released as singles.
The song, "Blue Alert", can be heard on the 2007 Old Navy Denim Jeans commercial.
Chart performance
Half The Perfect World was the highest peak (#33) on Madeleine Peyroux's career. It finished #9 on the Jazz Albums year-end.David Dye of World Cafe
World Cafe
World Cafe is a two-hour long, nationally syndicated music radio program that originates from WXPN, a non-commercial station licensed to the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. The program began in 1991 and was originally distributed by Public Radio...
listed the album at number 10 on World Cafe's list of the Top 10 CDs of 2006.
Certifications
| Country | Certifications (sales thresholds) |
|---|---|
| Brazil Associação Brasileira dos Produtores de Discos The Associação Brasileira dos Produtores de Discos is an official representative body of the record labels in the Brazilian phonographic market.- About :... |
Gold |
| New Zealand Recording Industry Association of New Zealand The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand... |
1× Gold |
| United Kingdom British Phonographic Industry The British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade association.-Structure:Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies... |
Gold |
Personnel
- Madeleine PeyrouxMadeleine PeyrouxMadeleine Peyroux is an American jazz singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Peyroux is noted for her vocal style, which has been compared to that of Billie Holiday....
— vocals, acoustic guitar - Dean ParksDean ParksDean Parks is an American session guitarist and record producer from Ft. Worth, TX.-Albums:Dean was member of The North Texas State One O'clock Lab Band before moving to Los Angeles to work with Sonny and Cher in 1970. Dean is best-known through his many contributions to albums by Steely Dan...
— guitars - David Piltch — bassDouble bassThe double bass, also called the string bass, upright bass, standup bass or contrabass, is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra, with strings usually tuned to E1, A1, D2 and G2...
- Jay Bellerose — drums, percussion
- Scott AmendolaScott AmendolaScott Amendola is an American jazz drummer from the San Francisco Bay Area. His styles include jazz, blues, groove, rock and new music. He is considered central to the Bay Area music scene....
— drums - Sam Yahel — keyboards
plus
- Gary FosterGary Foster (musician)Gary Foster is an American instrumentalist who plays saxophones, clarinets, and flutes ; he is considered a "crossover" artist who performs in jazz, pop, and classical genres. As a jazz artist he has recorded under his own name for Concord Records and several other labels...
— saxophone - Greg LeiszGreg LeiszGreg Leisz is an American multi-instrumentalist, playing lap and pedal steel guitars, guitar, mandolin, and bass.- Biography :Leisz was influenced early on by the Byrds and Flying Burrito Brothers, especially pedal steel player "Sneaky" Pete Kleinow...
— pedal steel - Till BronnerTill BrönnerTill Brönner is a German jazz musician, trumpet player, singer, composer, arranger and producer. He has a unique jazz approach influenced by bebop and fusion jazz, but also modern pop music, movie soundtracks , country music and even German pop songs...
— trumpet - Larry GoldingsLarry Goldings-Life and career:Goldings was born in Boston, Massachusetts. His father was a classical music enthusiast, and Larry studied classical piano until the age of twelve. While in high school at Concord Academy, he attended a program at the Eastman School of Music. During this period Erroll Garner,...
— celesteCelestaThe celesta or celeste is a struck idiophone operated by a keyboard. Its appearance is similar to that of an upright piano or of a large wooden music box . The keys are connected to hammers which strike a graduated set of metal plates suspended over wooden resonators...