The Girl Who Ate Herself
Encyclopedia
The Girl Who Ate Herself is the debut album by the American
-born singer-songwriter Betsy Cook. It was released in 1992 by EastWest Records.
, George Michael
, Marc Almond
, Frankie Goes To Hollywood
, Seal
and Gerry Rafferty
. Cook had actually started recording her own material as early as 1984, when she recorded and co-produced versions of her songs "Nothing Ventured" and "Wonderland" with her then-husband Hugh Murphy (who had been Gerry Rafferty's producer). "Wonderland" was then recorded by Paul Young in 1986, with Cook on backing vocals, and became a Top 30 hit. Cook was eventually offered a recording deal of her own, and she recorded several more tracks and also re-recorded elements of the two songs that she had originally recorded with her husband in the mid-1980s.
Although the album (and its singles) failed to make any commercial impact, the material gained enough prominence to be covered by more established artists in later years. The track "Love Is The Groove
" was later recorded by Cher
for her 1998 album Believe. The track "Docklands" was later recorded by Stevie Nicks
for her 1994 album Street Angel
.
The album's cover portrait was taken by Cook herself, with inner portraits taken by the photographer Kate Garner
(former singer with the band Haysi Fantayzee
).
Following the album's release, Cook did not release any further recordings of her own, but continued to work with producers Horn, Lipson and Woolley as a writer and session musician on other projects.
Stephen Lipson: guitars (trks 1,2,8), drums (1,2)
Bruce Woolley: drums (1), harmonics (1), backing vocals (1), guitar (5)
Luis Jardim: percussion (2)
Tony Phillips: drums (1)
Wil Malone: string arrangements (2), piano and idiosyncracies (4), "interesting noises" (1)
Gavin Wright: strings leader (2)
Dave Defries: trumpet (4)
Felix Kirsh: bass (5)
Andy Duncan: drums (5)
Richard Brunton: guitar (6)
Stuart Elliot: drums(6 8)
Nico Ramsdem: guitar (7)
Mark Smith: percussion (7)
Jonathan Nash: piano (9)
Ian Stanley: drums and "vibey vibes" (10)
Mixed by: Stephen Lipson (2,4), Tony Phillips (1,3), Ren Swan (1), Paul Gomershall (5,6,7), Ross Cullum (10).
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
-born singer-songwriter Betsy Cook. It was released in 1992 by EastWest Records.
Background
Prior to the release of the album, Cook was a songwriter, session musician and backing vocalist for other artists, and had worked with Paul YoungPaul Young (singer and guitarist)
Paul Antony Young is an English pop musician. Formerly the frontman of the short-lived bands Kat Kool & The Kool Cats, Streetband and Q-Tips, his following solo success as a solo recording artist turned him into a 1980s teenage pop idol...
, George Michael
George Michael
George Michael is a British musician, singer, songwriter and record producer who rose to fame in the 1980s when he formed the pop duo Wham! with his school friend, Andrew Ridgeley...
, Marc Almond
Marc Almond
Marc Almond is an English singer-songwriter and musician, who originally found fame as half of the seminal synthpop/New Wave duo Soft Cell...
, Frankie Goes To Hollywood
Frankie Goes to Hollywood
Frankie Goes to Hollywood were a British dance-pop band popular in the mid-1980s. The group was fronted by Holly Johnson , with Paul Rutherford , Peter Gill , Mark O'Toole , and Brian Nash .The group's debut single "Relax" was banned by the BBC in 1984 while at number six in the charts and...
, Seal
Seal (musician)
Seal Henry Olusegun Olumide Adeola Samuel , known simply as Seal, is a British soul and R&B singer-songwriter, of Nigerian and Brazilian background. Seal has won numerous music awards throughout his career, including three Brit Awards—winning Best British Male in 1992, four Grammy Awards, and an...
and Gerry Rafferty
Gerry Rafferty
Gerald "Gerry" Rafferty was a Scottish singer songwriter best known for his solo hits "Baker Street", "Right Down the Line", "Days Gone Down", "Night Owl", "Get It Right Next Time", and with the band Stealers Wheel, "Stuck in the Middle with You". Rafferty was born into a working-class family in...
. Cook had actually started recording her own material as early as 1984, when she recorded and co-produced versions of her songs "Nothing Ventured" and "Wonderland" with her then-husband Hugh Murphy (who had been Gerry Rafferty's producer). "Wonderland" was then recorded by Paul Young in 1986, with Cook on backing vocals, and became a Top 30 hit. Cook was eventually offered a recording deal of her own, and she recorded several more tracks and also re-recorded elements of the two songs that she had originally recorded with her husband in the mid-1980s.
Although the album (and its singles) failed to make any commercial impact, the material gained enough prominence to be covered by more established artists in later years. The track "Love Is The Groove
Love Is The Groove
"Love Is the Groove" is the first single by the singer/songwriter Betsy Cook. Released in 1991 by East West Records, it was the first track to taken from her debut album The Girl Who Ate Herself .-Track listings:...
" was later recorded by Cher
Cher
Cher is an American recording artist, television personality, actress, director, record producer and philanthropist. Referred to as the Goddess of Pop, she has won an Academy Award, a Grammy Award, an Emmy Award, three Golden Globes and a Cannes Film Festival Award among others for her work in...
for her 1998 album Believe. The track "Docklands" was later recorded by Stevie Nicks
Stevie Nicks
Stephanie Lynn "Stevie" Nicks is an American singer-songwriter, best known for her work with Fleetwood Mac and an extensive solo career, which collectively have produced over forty Top 50 hits and sold over 140 million albums...
for her 1994 album Street Angel
Street Angel (album)
-B-sides:# "Mirror Mirror" – B-side to "Blue Denim" cassette single. Originally recorded for the Rock a Little album in 1984 and later surfaced during sessions for The Other Side of the Mirror in 1989 but was never included...
.
The album's cover portrait was taken by Cook herself, with inner portraits taken by the photographer Kate Garner
Kate Garner
Kate Garner is an English singer and photographer. Garner was one third of the trio of 1980s avant-garde, new wave pop project called Haysi Fantayzee, the other members being Jeremy Healy and Paul Caplin...
(former singer with the band Haysi Fantayzee
Haysi Fantayzee
Haysi Fantayzee were a British New Wave band of the early 1980s. Allmusic journalist Andy Kellman notes "Haysi Fantayzee was a quirky pop group, known most for its colourful thrift shop image and successful debut single, "John Wayne Is Big Leggy", which was released in 1982.-Career:Haysi Fantayzee...
).
Following the album's release, Cook did not release any further recordings of her own, but continued to work with producers Horn, Lipson and Woolley as a writer and session musician on other projects.
Track listing
- "Love Is The Groove" (Betsy Cook, Bruce Woolley)
- "How Can I Believe?" (Betsy Cook, Clyde Lieberman)
- "Docklands" (Betsy Cook, Trevor Horn)
- "Exchange Some Energy" (Betsy Cook)
- "Look To Yourself" (Betsy Cook, Bruce Wooley)
- "Wonderland" (Betsy Cook)
- "Hold Me Tight" (Betsy Cook)
- "Nothing Ventured" (Betsy Cook)
- "Diving" (Betsy Cook, Jonathan Nash)
- "Hand On My Shoulder" (Betsy Cook)
- "Love Is The Groove" (reprise)
Singles
| Single | Year | Formats | Track Listing | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Love Is the Groove Love Is The Groove "Love Is the Groove" is the first single by the singer/songwriter Betsy Cook. Released in 1991 by East West Records, it was the first track to taken from her debut album The Girl Who Ate Herself .-Track listings:... |
1991 | 7", 12", Cassingle, CD-Single CD single A CD single is a music single in the form of a standard size Compact Disc, not to be confused with the 3-inch CD single, which uses a smaller form factor. The format was introduced in the mid-1980s, but did not gain its place in the market until the early 1990s... |
|
|
| How Can I Believe? | 1992 | 7", CD-Single |
|
|
| Docklands | 1992 | 7", CD-Single |
|
Personnel
All tracks arranged and performed by Betsy Cook, with:Stephen Lipson: guitars (trks 1,2,8), drums (1,2)
Bruce Woolley: drums (1), harmonics (1), backing vocals (1), guitar (5)
Luis Jardim: percussion (2)
Tony Phillips: drums (1)
Wil Malone: string arrangements (2), piano and idiosyncracies (4), "interesting noises" (1)
Gavin Wright: strings leader (2)
Dave Defries: trumpet (4)
Felix Kirsh: bass (5)
Andy Duncan: drums (5)
Richard Brunton: guitar (6)
Stuart Elliot: drums(6 8)
Nico Ramsdem: guitar (7)
Mark Smith: percussion (7)
Jonathan Nash: piano (9)
Ian Stanley: drums and "vibey vibes" (10)
Mixed by: Stephen Lipson (2,4), Tony Phillips (1,3), Ren Swan (1), Paul Gomershall (5,6,7), Ross Cullum (10).