Sad Britney
Encyclopedia
Sad Britney is the third EP
from American singer-songwriter Christopher Dallman
. It was released on November 9, 2009 by Beauteous Bird Records. After hearing Dallman's cover
of Britney Spears
's "Gimme More
", producer Rachel Alina suggested releasing an EP of Spears's songs to bring attention to his music. The EP also included covers of "Radar
", "Toxic
" and "... Baby One More Time
". All the songs were recorded during the first day of the recording of his second EP, Never Was. The EP became Dallman's first record to chart on iTunes
. His music video for "Gimme More" received attention from Spears's fans who misenterpreted his message and thought he was parodying her, which he denied.
of Spears's "Gimme More
" (2007), which was her current single at the time, in many of his live performances. He had previously done many "folk
y cover[s]" of popular pop
songs. He explained that "My own songs tend to lean toward the blue, so every once in a while a cover is a nice to thing change the pace and break up the mood a bit". In 2009, Dallman's friend and web designer Sean Akers moved to Los Angeles
and started pushing him to record music again. Akers introduced him to another singer-songwriter, Philadelphia-based George Stanford
. Rachel Alina, who was the assistant engineer
on his 2004 debut album Race the Light, also moved to Los Angeles the same year. Her and Dallman reconnected, and he said that at that moment, "I knew that I had someone that would make me feel safe enough in the studio to really open up and let out the love". Dallman showed Alina his cover of "Gimme More", which she "loved". Alina, along with Akers, suggested a project of Spears's covers, which could raise his profile and bring his music to new audience as well as, Dallman explained, "[making] a really fucking cool little record". He spent the next few days in his apartment, making arrangement
s to three more Spears's songs, "...Baby One More Time
" (1998), "Toxic
" (2004) and "Radar
" (2007). Alina also introduced him to Barrie Maguire, who used to be a member of American rock band The Wallflowers
.
, Never Was. It was the first time Dallman had entered a recording studio
in five years and he felt anxious
whether he could deliver or not. During the first day, they "decided to have some fun" and "play around" with the covers. "Toxic" and "Gimme More" were the first to be recorded, with the first one "com[ing] together really quickly". Dallman was convinced "...Baby One More Time" was not going to work until George Stanford suggested adding a horn
track to the song. "Radar" was the last to be recorded, which Dallman deemed his favorite. The guitar
and vocals for the four covers were recorded during the day. The following days, they started to work on Never Was, but listened to Sad Britney as Dallman explained, "every once in a while whenever our heads got too deep". He ultimately decided to release the EP, saying, "As we added each new production element to the songs, they got better and better. We really loved it".
was designed by Sean Akers. The same day it peaked at number six on the iTunes
Singer/Songwriter chart, Dallman first record to chart. On December 8, 2009, he released a music video
for "Gimme More", consisting of pictures of him and his friends Liz and Josh going out at night. He explained that, "I have no money for promotion and must make the most of the resources that I have at my disposal. [...] While it’s clearly an evening of debauchery, the energy of the clip is positive and fun and doesn’t have any of the darkness Britney’s video has". The video attracted many viewers and Dallman commented on the situation,
On December 10, 2009 during one of his concerts, he played the four covers in the order they are in the EP. On January 29, 2010, Dallman announced he had no plans to release the EP on CD
.
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
from American singer-songwriter Christopher Dallman
Christopher Dallman
Christopher Joseph Dallman is an American singer and songwriter based in Los Angeles, California. Dallman has released a full album and four EPs .-Early life and start of professional career:Christopher was born and raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the son of Robert...
. It was released on November 9, 2009 by Beauteous Bird Records. After hearing Dallman's cover
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 Britney Spears
Britney Spears
Britney Jean Spears is an American recording artist and entertainer. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, Spears began performing as a child, landing acting roles in stage productions and television shows. She signed with Jive Records in 1997 and released her debut album...
's "Gimme More
Gimme More
"Gimme More" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears from her fifth studio album, Blackout. It was released on September 27, 2007 by Jive Records as the lead single of the album. The song was written by Jim Beanz, Marcella "Ms. Lago" Araica, Nate "Danja" Hills and Keri Hilson...
", producer Rachel Alina suggested releasing an EP of Spears's songs to bring attention to his music. The EP also included covers of "Radar
Radar (song)
"Radar" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears. It was written and produced by Bloodshy & Avant and The Clutch in November 2006 as a record that did not relate to any of her personal problems at the time. The recording sessions took place the day after Spears filed for divorce from...
", "Toxic
Toxic (song)
"Toxic" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears, co-written and produced by Bloodshy & Avant, from her fourth album, In the Zone. It was released on January 12, 2004, by Jive Records as the second single from the album. After trying to choose between " Boom Boom" and "Outrageous" to...
" and "... Baby One More Time
...Baby One More Time (song)
"...Baby One More Time" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears. It served as Spears' debut single from her debut studio album, ...Baby One More Time . Written by Max Martin and produced by Martin, Denniz Pop and Rami Yacoub, "...Baby One More Time" was released on September 30, 1998,...
". All the songs were recorded during the first day of the recording of his second EP, Never Was. The EP became Dallman's first record to chart on iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
. His music video for "Gimme More" received attention from Spears's fans who misenterpreted his message and thought he was parodying her, which he denied.
Background
In late 2007, Dallman played a coverCover 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 Spears's "Gimme More
Gimme More
"Gimme More" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears from her fifth studio album, Blackout. It was released on September 27, 2007 by Jive Records as the lead single of the album. The song was written by Jim Beanz, Marcella "Ms. Lago" Araica, Nate "Danja" Hills and Keri Hilson...
" (2007), which was her current single at the time, in many of his live performances. He had previously done many "folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
y cover[s]" of popular 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...
songs. He explained that "My own songs tend to lean toward the blue, so every once in a while a cover is a nice to thing change the pace and break up the mood a bit". In 2009, Dallman's friend and web designer Sean Akers moved to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
and started pushing him to record music again. Akers introduced him to another singer-songwriter, Philadelphia-based George Stanford
George Stanford
George Stanford is a Los Angeles-based singer and songwriter who was signed to Mercury Records. He is a former member and lead vocalist for the band Townhall.-Albums:-Singles:-References:Stanford, George,...
. Rachel Alina, who was the assistant engineer
Audio engineering
An audio engineer, also called audio technician, audio technologist or sound technician, is a specialist in a skilled trade that deals with the use of machinery and equipment for the recording, mixing and reproduction of sounds. The field draws on many artistic and vocational areas, including...
on his 2004 debut album Race the Light, also moved to Los Angeles the same year. Her and Dallman reconnected, and he said that at that moment, "I knew that I had someone that would make me feel safe enough in the studio to really open up and let out the love". Dallman showed Alina his cover of "Gimme More", which she "loved". Alina, along with Akers, suggested a project of Spears's covers, which could raise his profile and bring his music to new audience as well as, Dallman explained, "[making] a really fucking cool little record". He spent the next few days in his apartment, making arrangement
Arrangement
The American Federation of Musicians defines arranging as "the art of preparing and adapting an already written composition for presentation in other than its original form. An arrangement may include reharmonization, paraphrasing, and/or development of a composition, so that it fully represents...
s to three more Spears's songs, "...Baby One More Time
...Baby One More Time (song)
"...Baby One More Time" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears. It served as Spears' debut single from her debut studio album, ...Baby One More Time . Written by Max Martin and produced by Martin, Denniz Pop and Rami Yacoub, "...Baby One More Time" was released on September 30, 1998,...
" (1998), "Toxic
Toxic (song)
"Toxic" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears, co-written and produced by Bloodshy & Avant, from her fourth album, In the Zone. It was released on January 12, 2004, by Jive Records as the second single from the album. After trying to choose between " Boom Boom" and "Outrageous" to...
" (2004) and "Radar
Radar (song)
"Radar" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears. It was written and produced by Bloodshy & Avant and The Clutch in November 2006 as a record that did not relate to any of her personal problems at the time. The recording sessions took place the day after Spears filed for divorce from...
" (2007). Alina also introduced him to Barrie Maguire, who used to be a member of American rock band The Wallflowers
The Wallflowers
The Wallflowers is a rock band from Los Angeles, California, fronted by Jakob Dylan. Formed in 1989 and originally known as The Apples, the ensemble has gone through numerous personnel changes with Dylan the only constant....
.
Recording
Dallman, Alina and Maguire entered Redstar Studios in Los Angeles to record his next EPExtended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
, Never Was. It was the first time Dallman had entered a recording studio
Recording studio
A recording studio is a facility for sound recording and mixing. Ideally both the recording and monitoring spaces are specially designed by an acoustician to achieve optimum acoustic properties...
in five years and he felt anxious
Anxiety
Anxiety is a psychological and physiological state characterized by somatic, emotional, cognitive, and behavioral components. The root meaning of the word anxiety is 'to vex or trouble'; in either presence or absence of psychological stress, anxiety can create feelings of fear, worry, uneasiness,...
whether he could deliver or not. During the first day, they "decided to have some fun" and "play around" with the covers. "Toxic" and "Gimme More" were the first to be recorded, with the first one "com[ing] together really quickly". Dallman was convinced "...Baby One More Time" was not going to work until George Stanford suggested adding a horn
Horn (instrument)
The horn is a brass instrument consisting of about of tubing wrapped into a coil with a flared bell. A musician who plays the horn is called a horn player ....
track to the song. "Radar" was the last to be recorded, which Dallman deemed his favorite. The guitar
Guitar
The 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...
and vocals for the four covers were recorded during the day. The following days, they started to work on Never Was, but listened to Sad Britney as Dallman explained, "every once in a while whenever our heads got too deep". He ultimately decided to release the EP, saying, "As we added each new production element to the songs, they got better and better. We really loved it".
Release and promotion
Sad Britney was released on November 9, 2009. The cover artCover art
Cover art is the illustration or photograph on the outside of a published product such as a book , magazine, comic book, video game , DVD, CD, videotape, or music album. The art has a primarily commercial function, i.e...
was designed by Sean Akers. The same day it peaked at number six on the iTunes
ITunes Store
The iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
Singer/Songwriter chart, Dallman first record to chart. On December 8, 2009, he released a music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for "Gimme More", consisting of pictures of him and his friends Liz and Josh going out at night. He explained that, "I have no money for promotion and must make the most of the resources that I have at my disposal. [...] While it’s clearly an evening of debauchery, the energy of the clip is positive and fun and doesn’t have any of the darkness Britney’s video has". The video attracted many viewers and Dallman commented on the situation,
"I definitely found a bunch of new besties after that video, but doing anything 'Britney' also opens one up to a whole crop of 'haters', I’ve discovered. I’ve gotten tons of mean messages in a variety of different languages and I will definitely do my best to avoid the temptation of reading YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
comments ever again! [...] I would love to know [if Spears likes the EP]. There have been a few folks who have misinterpreted what I was doing and thought that I was somehow making fun of her, which really isn’t the case. I have such a place in my heart for Britney, particularly the Blackout album. Every song on that record is top-notch pop and is exactly what it wants to be. There’s a place for everything".
On December 10, 2009 during one of his concerts, he played the four covers in the order they are in the EP. On January 29, 2010, Dallman announced he had no plans to release the EP on CD
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
.