Now ... Us!
Encyclopedia
Now ... Us! is the second studio album
by German
pop
group No Angels
, released by Polydor
subsidiary Cheyenne Records on June 24, 2002 (see 2002 in music
) in German speaking Europe. It was primarily produced by Thorsten Brötzmann
, with additional production from Peter Ries
, Pontus Söderqvist
, Fahrenheit & Kelvin, Leslie Mandoki
, Mousse T.
, and band member Lucy Diakovska among others.
The album received a mixed reception from professional music critics, but was generally praised for the inclusion of more personal content that appeared in form of five self-penned solo songs on Now ... Us!. Upon its release, the album opened on top of the German Media Control albums chart
, and at number 2 and 4 on the Austrian and Swiss albums chart
respectively. It ranked twelfth on the year-end charts in Germany.
Now ... Us! spawned three singles, including the band's third non-consecutive number-one "Something About Us
", summer-lite "Still in Love with You" and funk-unfluenced "Let's Go to Bed
." A fourth single, the Alison Moyet
cover "All Cried Out
," was included on a Special Winter Edition of the album, released on November 18, 2002.
and Hamburg
. Asked to contribute own ideas and skills to guarantee a more personal album after fast-recorded debut Elle'ments
(2001), each member of the group focused on writing lyrics and melodies on her own - assisted by a wide range of different musicians and songwriters, including Thorsten Brötzmann, Alexander Geringas
, Nik Hafemann, Thomas Anders
and Christian Geller. In the end five self-written songs made it to the final tracklist, four of them lead sung by a different member, and Vanessa Petruo
-penned "Something about Us
" emerging as the album's lead single. While another eleven songs were included on the album, primarily produced by Peter Ries
, Mousse T, and Leslie Mandoki
, Now ... Us! was eventually named as a reference to the band's own musical input into the album.
The album cut "2 Get Over U" was originally recorded as a duet with UK popstars Hear'Say
, and was scheduled to be released as a special Christmas single in December 2001. However, due to Hear'Say's limited fame in Germany (their debut single "Pure and Simple
" peaked at number 83 only) Polydor and Cheyenne Records decided to exclude the band's vocals from the song and moved it back to a spring 2002 launch. Although the No Angels premiered the song on the The Dome
21 in Stuttgart
on March 1, 2003 and a release date was set on March 18, 2002, "2 Get Over You" was eventually shelved as the lead single from Now ... Us! - in favour of self-written "Something about Us
" and its b-side "Like Ice in the Sunshine."
and soul
," laut.de declared the album as "teen-pop" on "average level." Matthias Eisen from CDStarts cited the album "dissembling ... cheesy and cliched", sharply criticizing the cover songs on Now ... Us!. However, the No Angels' second album became a major success: It debuted on top of the German albums chart, and at number 2 and 4 on the Austrian and Swiss albums chart respectively. Now ... Us! ranked twelfth on the German Media Control year-end charts.
Although "2 Get Over U" was still considered to be released as a single at times, Now ... Us! spawned three singles only: The album's lead single, "Something about Us"/"Like Ice in the Sunshine", became the band's third non-consecutive number-one hit on the German
and Austrian Singles Chart
within a period of sixteen month, but failed to enter the Siwss top ten with a peak position of 11. The second single, "Still in Love with You", reached the top 5 in Germany and Austria, and became the band's first top ten hit since 2001's "When the Angels Sing
/Atlantis
". By contrast, the single edit of "Let's Go to Bed
" ended the run of the No Angels' consecutive top 10 songs in Germany, and charted outside the Swiss 100. A previously unreleased fourth single, "All Cried Out
" was included on a November 2002 released Special Winter Edition of the album.
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 German
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...
pop
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...
group No Angels
No Angels
The No Angels are an all-female pop trio from Germany, consisting of band members Lucy Diakovska, Sandy Mölling, and Jessica Wahls. Critically acclaimed, the band has won dozen of awards and prizes since their establishment in the early 2000s, including three ECHOs, a World Music Awards, a NRJ...
, released by Polydor
Polydor Records
Polydor is a record label owned by Universal Music Group, headquartered in the United Kingdom.-Beginnings:Polydor was originally an independent branch of the Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft. Its name was first used as an export label in 1924, the British and German branches of the Gramophone...
subsidiary Cheyenne Records on June 24, 2002 (see 2002 in music
2002 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 2002.-Events:*February 3 – U2 perform during the halftime show for Super Bowl XXXVI...
) in German speaking Europe. It was primarily produced by Thorsten Brötzmann
Thorsten Brötzmann
Thorsten Brötzmann is a German record producer, composer, and arranger. He is perhaps best known for his collaboration with the No Angels, Bro'Sis, Christina Stürmer, Monrose, Jeanette, Alexander Klaws, and Modern Talking.-Number-one singles:...
, with additional production from Peter Ries
Peter Ries
Peter Ries is a German record producer, composer, arranger, and remixer. Ries started his career as a singer in 1980 under nickname Gilbert...
, Pontus Söderqvist
Pontus Söderqvist
Pontus Söderqvist is a Swedish music producer and songwriter. He often works with Nick Nice though their production centre, LaCarr Studios. One of their notable productions was Joana Zimmer's single "I Believe". The duo produced a couple of songs on the No Angels's album Now ... Us! with the single...
, Fahrenheit & Kelvin, Leslie Mandoki
Leslie Mándoki
Hungarian-born Leslie Mándoki is a musician who performed for music group Dschinghis Khan and has since then gone on to a solo performer....
, Mousse T.
Mousse T.
Mousse T. is a German DJ and record producer of Turkish descent. He is best known for his collaboration with Tom Jones, "Sex Bomb", released on the album Reload.-Biography:...
, and band member Lucy Diakovska among others.
The album received a mixed reception from professional music critics, but was generally praised for the inclusion of more personal content that appeared in form of five self-penned solo songs on Now ... Us!. Upon its release, the album opened on top of the German Media Control 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...
, and at number 2 and 4 on the Austrian and Swiss albums chart
Swiss Music Charts
The Swiss Music Charts are Switzerland's main music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland.The Swiss Charts include:* Singles Top 75...
respectively. It ranked twelfth on the year-end charts in Germany.
Now ... Us! spawned three singles, including the band's third non-consecutive number-one "Something About Us
Something about Us
"Something About Us" is a song by all-female German pop band No Angels. It was written by Thorsten Brötzmann, Alexander Geringas and band member Vanessa Petruo for the group's second studio album Now.....
", summer-lite "Still in Love with You" and funk-unfluenced "Let's Go to Bed
Let's Go to Bed (No Angels song)
"Let's Go to Bed" is a dance-pop song written and produced by Mustafa "Mousse T." Gündogdu and Errol Rennalls for the No Angels' second studio album, Now ... Us!...
." A fourth single, the Alison Moyet
Alison Moyet
Alison Moyet , is an English singer, songwriter and performer noted for her bluesy voice.Her UK album sales have reached a certified 2.3 million, with 800,000 singles sold, all in the UK, where all seven of her studio albums and three compilation albums have charted in the Top 40 UK Album Chart,...
cover "All Cried Out
All Cried Out
"All Cried Out" is a song by English singer-songwriter Alison Moyet. It was written by Moyet and producers Jolley & Swain for her debut studio album Alf...
," was included on a Special Winter Edition of the album, released on November 18, 2002.
Writing and recording process
After a short break from public at the turn of the year 2001 the No Angels members reunited in February 2002 to begin working on their second album in MunichMunich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
and Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
. Asked to contribute own ideas and skills to guarantee a more personal album after fast-recorded debut Elle'ments
Elle'ments
Special Winter Edition-Credits and personnel:* Laszlo Bencker - various* Thorsten Brötzmann - keyboards* Nico Fintzen - keyboards* Stefan Hansen - keyboards* Tony Laketos - sax* Ralf Lübke - guitar* Lesli Mandoki - various* Ossi Schaller - guitar...
(2001), each member of the group focused on writing lyrics and melodies on her own - assisted by a wide range of different musicians and songwriters, including Thorsten Brötzmann, Alexander Geringas
Sesamstraße
Sesamstraße is the German-language version of Sesame Street, a children's television program. It airs primarily in Germany and the surrounding German-speaking countries. The show premièred on 8th January 1973, Sesamstraße has been running on Norddeutscher Rundfunk since 1973; it's now in its...
, Nik Hafemann, Thomas Anders
Thomas Anders
Thomas Anders is a German singer, composer and record producer. Anders was the lead singer of Germany's popular pop-duo Modern Talking in 1984–1987 and in 1998–2003.-Early years:...
and Christian Geller. In the end five self-written songs made it to the final tracklist, four of them lead sung by a different member, and Vanessa Petruo
Vanessa Petruo
Vanessa Anneliese Petruo , also known as Vany, is a German singer–songwriter and actress. She came to international prominence as a member of the all–female pop band No Angels that was created during the talents show Popstars...
-penned "Something about Us
Something about Us
"Something About Us" is a song by all-female German pop band No Angels. It was written by Thorsten Brötzmann, Alexander Geringas and band member Vanessa Petruo for the group's second studio album Now.....
" emerging as the album's lead single. While another eleven songs were included on the album, primarily produced by Peter Ries
Peter Ries
Peter Ries is a German record producer, composer, arranger, and remixer. Ries started his career as a singer in 1980 under nickname Gilbert...
, Mousse T, and Leslie Mandoki
Leslie Mándoki
Hungarian-born Leslie Mándoki is a musician who performed for music group Dschinghis Khan and has since then gone on to a solo performer....
, Now ... Us! was eventually named as a reference to the band's own musical input into the album.
The album cut "2 Get Over U" was originally recorded as a duet with UK popstars Hear'Say
Hear'Say
Hear'Say were a British manufactured pop group created in February 2001 from the winners of Popstars, an ITV reality TV show based on a New Zealand show of the same name. They enjoyed huge success with their debut single "Pure and Simple", helped by the publicity surrounding Popstars, the first of...
, and was scheduled to be released as a special Christmas single in December 2001. However, due to Hear'Say's limited fame in Germany (their debut single "Pure and Simple
Pure and Simple
"Pure and Simple" is a popular song, released as the debut single by Hear'Say, the original winners of the UK version of Popstars. It was released as a double A-side with "Bridge Over Troubled Water", which was a fan favourite at the live shows....
" peaked at number 83 only) Polydor and Cheyenne Records decided to exclude the band's vocals from the song and moved it back to a spring 2002 launch. Although the No Angels premiered the song on the The Dome
The Dome (television program)
The Dome is a German television program and music event, produced and broadcast by RTL 2. Roughly every three months, a new show is recorded in an event hall in different cities in Germany and Austria. In each episode, several national, but also international bands and musicians perform their...
21 in Stuttgart
Stuttgart
Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
on March 1, 2003 and a release date was set on March 18, 2002, "2 Get Over You" was eventually shelved as the lead single from Now ... Us! - in favour of self-written "Something about Us
Something about Us
"Something About Us" is a song by all-female German pop band No Angels. It was written by Thorsten Brötzmann, Alexander Geringas and band member Vanessa Petruo for the group's second studio album Now.....
" and its b-side "Like Ice in the Sunshine."
Release and reception
Media reception for Now ... Us! was generally mixed. Although most professional reviewers praised the band for the include of self-written material and a "less conventional" and more mature pop sound with "major influences of contemporary R&BContemporary 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...
and 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...
," laut.de declared the album as "teen-pop" on "average level." Matthias Eisen from CDStarts cited the album "dissembling ... cheesy and cliched", sharply criticizing the cover songs on Now ... Us!. However, the No Angels' second album became a major success: It debuted on top of the German albums chart, and at number 2 and 4 on the Austrian and Swiss albums chart respectively. Now ... Us! ranked twelfth on the German Media Control year-end charts.
Although "2 Get Over U" was still considered to be released as a single at times, Now ... Us! spawned three singles only: The album's lead single, "Something about Us"/"Like Ice in the Sunshine", became the band's third non-consecutive number-one hit on the German
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...
and Austrian Singles 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...
within a period of sixteen month, but failed to enter the Siwss top ten with a peak position of 11. The second single, "Still in Love with You", reached the top 5 in Germany and Austria, and became the band's first top ten hit since 2001's "When the Angels Sing
When the Angels Sing
"When the Angels Sing" is a pop song recorded by German pop group No Angels. It was co-written by Peter Ries and Chiere Thomas-Schmidtmer and produced by Ries for the band's debut studio album, Elle'ments ....
/Atlantis
Atlantis
Atlantis is a legendary island first mentioned in Plato's dialogues Timaeus and Critias, written about 360 BC....
". By contrast, the single edit of "Let's Go to Bed
Let's Go to Bed (No Angels song)
"Let's Go to Bed" is a dance-pop song written and produced by Mustafa "Mousse T." Gündogdu and Errol Rennalls for the No Angels' second studio album, Now ... Us!...
" ended the run of the No Angels' consecutive top 10 songs in Germany, and charted outside the Swiss 100. A previously unreleased fourth single, "All Cried Out
All Cried Out
"All Cried Out" is a song by English singer-songwriter Alison Moyet. It was written by Moyet and producers Jolley & Swain for her debut studio album Alf...
" was included on a November 2002 released Special Winter Edition of the album.
Track listing
Special Winter EditionCredits and personnel
- Curly Ausmer - 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...
- Thorsten Brötzmann - 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...
, guitar - Laszlo Benker - various
- Sven Bünger - acoustic guitarAcoustic guitarAn acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound...
- Julian Feifel - various
- Thorsten Fuchs - guitar
- Stravos Iannou - acoustic guitar
- B. La - percussion
- Fan Fan La Tulip - guitar
- Sami Khatib - various
- Michael Knauer - keyboards
- George Kopecsni - various
- Peter Koobs - guitar
- Johan Lindman - guitar
- S.L.O. Warschau - stringsString instrumentA string instrument is a musical instrument that produces sound by means of vibrating strings. In the Hornbostel-Sachs scheme of musical instrument classification, used in organology, they are called chordophones...
- Ossi Schalle - various
- Ingo Schröder - rhythm guitarRhythm guitarRhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together...
- Berni Schwarz - various
- Daniel Throa - keyboard, percussion, guitar
- Peter Weihe - guitar
- Peter Wölpl - various
- Stephan Zeh - various
Production
- Vocal assistance: James Caldwell, Linda Freeland, Inez Haynes, Franca Morgano, Daniel Troha
- EngineerEngineerAn engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...
s: Felix Knöchel, Spok, Mike Streefkerk, Stephan Zeh - 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...
: Peter Boström, Jeo, Pit Floss, Nike Nice, Mike Streefkerk, Stephan Zeh - Artwork: Ronald Rensberg, Berlin
- 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...
: Benjamin Wolf, Sven Jacobsen
Leftover tracks
- "Three Words" (written by Peter Ries) (appears as a b-side on the "Still in Love with You" single)
- "Since I Found You" (written by Vanessa PetruoVanessa PetruoVanessa Anneliese Petruo , also known as Vany, is a German singer–songwriter and actress. She came to international prominence as a member of the all–female pop band No Angels that was created during the talents show Popstars...
, Thorsten Brötzmann, Alexander Geringas) (appeared on the Four Seasons Tour setlist)
Charts
| Chart (2002) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Austrian Top 50 | 2 |
| European Top 100 Albums | 7 |
| 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 |
| Hungary Top 40 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.... |
65 |
| Swiss Albums Chart | 4 |
Certifications
External links
- NoAngels-Music.de — official site