The Witness Tree
Encyclopedia
The Witness Tree is the third solo studio album
by Australia
n singer Wendy Matthews
released in Australia by rooArt
on 14 November 1994. It is a non-traditional gospel
album, Matthews stating "the spirit of gospel is so uplifting, I have a lot of faith, but for me it's more nature and the elements." The Witness Tree debuted inside the Australian ARIA Albums Chart top twenty and sales fell considerably short of those of Matthews's previous album Lily
(1992). The album was nominated for an ARIA Award in 1995 for "Best Adult Contemporary Album" and yielded three singles; "Standing Strong", "Love Will Keep Me Alive" and "Say a Prayer".
The Witness Tree had minor commercial success in Australia. In mid November 1994, it debuted at number sixteen on the Australian ARIA Albums Chart, becoming Matthews fourth top twenty album. The album dropped out of the top fifty after two months, spending a total of twenty-one weeks in the top one hundred. The Australian Recording Industry Association
awarded the album a platinum certification for shipping 70,000 copies. At the 1995 ARIA Awards, the album was nominated for "Best Adult Contemporary Album" but lost the award to "I've Got a Plan" by My Friend The Chocolate Cake
.
and produced by Booker T. Jones
. Matthews states she chose Jones for the producer because "we got along very, very well and he's just steeped in music and rhythm and soul. He was the first person I thought of with this slight gospel, for want of a better word, flavoured album, and he was really into it." The idea for the album came about as Matthews found her interests and motivations "have a connection to the things that I'm feeling are very important as I get older, which are family, the seasons and our connections to the earth."
She explaines "I've got a lot of trust in myself and in something higher, so I wanted to make a non-traditional gospel album. The spirit of gospel is so uplifting. They celebrate, y'know? I have a lot of faith, but for me it's more nature and the elements. My grandfather taught me that every question you've ever had can be answered in nature but we have lost the ability to look, let alone ask." Matthews admitted that a few people from her label rooArt
had tried to dissuade her from creating the album but she remained firm. She explains "I suppose people tend to be scared off by that kind of stuff. Having said that I wasn't trying to make a traditional gospel album at all. I mean I'm very interested in all kinds of spiritual matters, but I'm not a traditionally religious person at all. I don't know ... maybe they got a little bit thrown by that one."
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 Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n singer Wendy Matthews
Wendy Matthews
Wendy Joan Matthews is an Australian adult alternative pop singer originally from Canada who has been a member of Models and Absent Friends and is a solo artist...
released in Australia by rooArt
RooArt
rooArt was an Australian independent record label, founded in 1988 by INXS's then-manager, Chris Murphy. The label's roster included several well-known Australian bands and artists such as Crow, Ratcat, Screaming Jets, You Am I, Wendy Matthews, The Hummingbirds, The Trilobites and Amanda Brown...
on 14 November 1994. It is a non-traditional gospel
Gospel music
Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal, spiritual or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
album, Matthews stating "the spirit of gospel is so uplifting, I have a lot of faith, but for me it's more nature and the elements." The Witness Tree debuted inside the Australian ARIA Albums Chart top twenty and sales fell considerably short of those of Matthews's previous album Lily
Lily (album)
Lily is the second solo studio album by Australian singer-songwriter Wendy Matthews released by rooArt in Australia on 28 September 1992 . Matthews travelled to Canada with her mother for the album to discover their heritage, which influences the album. Matthews states the album "overall, has...
(1992). The album was nominated for an ARIA Award in 1995 for "Best Adult Contemporary Album" and yielded three singles; "Standing Strong", "Love Will Keep Me Alive" and "Say a Prayer".
The Witness Tree had minor commercial success in Australia. In mid November 1994, it debuted at number sixteen on the Australian ARIA Albums Chart, becoming Matthews fourth top twenty album. The album dropped out of the top fifty after two months, spending a total of twenty-one weeks in the top one hundred. The Australian Recording Industry Association
Australian Recording Industry Association
The Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry which was established in 1983 by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers which was formed in 1956...
awarded the album a platinum certification for shipping 70,000 copies. At the 1995 ARIA Awards, the album was nominated for "Best Adult Contemporary Album" but lost the award to "I've Got a Plan" by My Friend The Chocolate Cake
My Friend The Chocolate Cake
My Friend The Chocolate Cake is an Australian musical group based in Melbourne. They have recorded seven albums since being founded in 1989 by David Bridie and Helen Mountfort, members of Not Drowning, Waving...
.
Background and content
The Witness Tree was recorded in 1994 at The Plant in Sausalito, CaliforniaSausalito, California
Sausalito is a San Francisco Bay Area city, in Marin County, California, United States. Sausalito is south-southeast of San Rafael, at an elevation of 13 feet . The population was 7,061 as of the 2010 census. The community is situated near the northern end of the Golden Gate Bridge, and prior to...
and produced by Booker T. Jones
Booker T. Jones
Booker T. Jones is a multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, record producer and arranger, best known as the frontman of the band Booker T. and the MGs. He has also worked in the studios with many well-known artists of the 20th and 21st centuries, earning him a Grammy Award for lifetime...
. Matthews states she chose Jones for the producer because "we got along very, very well and he's just steeped in music and rhythm and soul. He was the first person I thought of with this slight gospel, for want of a better word, flavoured album, and he was really into it." The idea for the album came about as Matthews found her interests and motivations "have a connection to the things that I'm feeling are very important as I get older, which are family, the seasons and our connections to the earth."
She explaines "I've got a lot of trust in myself and in something higher, so I wanted to make a non-traditional gospel album. The spirit of gospel is so uplifting. They celebrate, y'know? I have a lot of faith, but for me it's more nature and the elements. My grandfather taught me that every question you've ever had can be answered in nature but we have lost the ability to look, let alone ask." Matthews admitted that a few people from her label rooArt
RooArt
rooArt was an Australian independent record label, founded in 1988 by INXS's then-manager, Chris Murphy. The label's roster included several well-known Australian bands and artists such as Crow, Ratcat, Screaming Jets, You Am I, Wendy Matthews, The Hummingbirds, The Trilobites and Amanda Brown...
had tried to dissuade her from creating the album but she remained firm. She explains "I suppose people tend to be scared off by that kind of stuff. Having said that I wasn't trying to make a traditional gospel album at all. I mean I'm very interested in all kinds of spiritual matters, but I'm not a traditionally religious person at all. I don't know ... maybe they got a little bit thrown by that one."
Track listing
- "Quiet Joys of Brotherhood" (Richard FariñaRichard FariñaRichard George Fariña was an American writer and folksinger.-Early years and education:Richard Fariña was born in Brooklyn, New York, of Cuban and Irish descent. He grew up in the Flatbush neighborhood of Brooklyn and attended Brooklyn Technical High School...
) – 3:18 - "God Watch Over You" (Paddy McAloonPaddy McAloonPaddy McAloon is an English singer-songwriter and member of the band Prefab Sprout. Allmusic describes him as "one of the most underrated lyricists of the '80s".-Career:...
) – 4:31 - "Love Will Keep Me Alive" (Jim CapaldiJim CapaldiNicola James "Jim" Capaldi was an English musician and songwriter. His musical career lasted more than four decades. He co-founded Traffic in Birmingham with Steve Winwood, and the band's psychedelic rock was influential in Britain and the United States...
, Paul CarrackPaul CarrackPaul Carrack is an English singer, songwriter and musician. Carrack has been a member of several bands including Ace, Squeeze, Mike + The Mechanics, and Roxy Music, been a session and touring musician for several others including Nick Lowe, and has enjoyed success as a solo artist as well...
, Peter Vale) – 4:14 - "Standing Strong" (Matthews, Glenn Skinner) – 4:54
- "Hymn of the Big Wheel" (Horace AndyHorace AndyHorace Andy is a roots reggae songwriter and singer, known for his distinctive vocals and hit songs such as "Government Land", "Angel", "Five Man Army" and a cover version of "Ain't No Sunshine"....
, Neneh CherryNeneh CherryNeneh Mariann Cherry is a Swedish singer-songwriter, rapper, and occasional DJ and broadcaster...
, Grantley MarshallDaddy GDaddy G, , is a British musician and a founding member of the band, Massive Attack.-Music:...
, A. VowlesAndrew VowlesAndrew Lee Isaac Vowles , also known as Mushroom, is a founding member of British trip-hop collective Massive Attack.-Early years:Vowles grew up in Bath, attending Newbridge Junior School...
, Del NajaRobert Del NajaRobert Del Naja , also known as 3D, is an English artist and musician. Initially gaining notoriety as a graffiti artist and member of the Bristol collective known as "The Wild Bunch", Del Naja went on to become a founding member of the band Massive Attack where he is active to this day.-Music:Del...
) – 5:22 - "If I Can DreamIf I Can Dream"If I Can Dream" is a song made famous by Elvis Presley, written by Walter Earl Brown and notable for its direct quotations of Martin Luther King, Jr. It was recorded by Presley in June 1968, two months after King's assassination...
" (Walter Earl Brown) – 3:47 - "O Happy DayOh Happy Day"Oh Happy Day" is a 1967 gospel music arrangement of an 18th century hymn. Recorded by the Edwin Hawkins Singers, it became an international hit in 1969, reaching US #4 and UK #2 on the pop charts...
" (Edwin HawkinsEdwin HawkinsEdwin Hawkins is a Grammy Award-winning American gospel and R&B musician, pianist, choir master, composer and arranger. He is one of the originators of the urban contemporary gospel sound. He are best known for his arrangement of "Oh Happy Day" , which was included on the Songs of the Century list...
) – 4:48 - "Stand Back" (Tim FinnTim FinnBrian Timothy "Tim" Finn, OBE is a New Zealand singer and musician. Finn is most known for his music with New Zealand 1970s and 1980s rock group Split Enz, and later for his solo work, a temporary membership in his brother Neil's band Crowded House and his joint efforts with Neil Finn as the Finn...
, Matthews) – 3:05 - "It Ain't Wrong" (Booker T. JonesBooker T. JonesBooker T. Jones is a multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, record producer and arranger, best known as the frontman of the band Booker T. and the MGs. He has also worked in the studios with many well-known artists of the 20th and 21st centuries, earning him a Grammy Award for lifetime...
, Matthews, Don WalkerDon Walker (musician)Don Walker is an Australian musician and songwriter known for writing many of the hits for Australian pub rock band Cold Chisel. He played piano and keyboard with the band from 1973 to 1983, when they disbanded. He has since continued to record and tour, both solo and with Tex, Don and Charlie,...
) – 3:56 - "Happy" (Finn, Matthews) – 3:26
- "Ride" (McAloon) – 4:41
- "Say a Prayer" (Jordan Knutson) – 3:20
- "Ruins (Jesu, Joy of Man's Desire)" (Robert James, Matthews) – 4:20
Charts
| Chart (1994) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian ARIA Albums Chart | 16 |
Personnel
The following people contributed to The Witness Tree:- Johnnie Bamont — baritone saxophoneBaritone saxophoneThe baritone saxophone, often called "bari sax" , is one of the largest and lowest pitched members of the saxophone family. It was invented by Adolphe Sax. The baritone is distinguished from smaller sizes of saxophone by the extra loop near its mouthpiece...
. - Kitty Beethoven — voice.
- Marquinho Brazil — shakerShaker (percussion)The word shaker describes a large number of percussive musical instruments used for creating rhythm in music.They are so called because the method of creating sound involves shaking them—moving them back and forth rather than striking them. Most may also be struck for a greater accent on certain...
, caxixiCaxixiA caxixi is a percussion instrument consisting of a closed basket with a flat-bottom filled with seeds or other small particles. The caxixi is an indirectly struck idiophone. Like the maraca, it is sounded by shaking. It is found across Africa and South America, but mainly in Brazil...
, uduUdufor other uses see Udu The udu is an African drum originated by the Igbo people of Nigeria. In the Igbo language, udu means vessel. Actually being a water jug with an additional hole, it was played by women for ceremonial uses. Usually the udu is made of clay...
. - Ndugu Chancler — drumDrumThe drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
s. - Jeff Cressman — tromboneTromboneThe trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. Like all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player’s vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate...
. - Louis Fasman — trumpetTrumpetThe trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
, flugelhornFlugelhornThe flugelhorn is a brass instrument resembling a trumpet but with a wider, conical bore. Some consider it to be a member of the saxhorn family developed by Adolphe Sax ; however, other historians assert that it derives from the valve bugle designed by Michael Saurle , Munich 1832 , thus...
. - Tim FinnTim FinnBrian Timothy "Tim" Finn, OBE is a New Zealand singer and musician. Finn is most known for his music with New Zealand 1970s and 1980s rock group Split Enz, and later for his solo work, a temporary membership in his brother Neil's band Crowded House and his joint efforts with Neil Finn as the Finn...
— voice. - Nikita Germaine — voice.
- Booker T. JonesBooker T. JonesBooker T. Jones is a multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, record producer and arranger, best known as the frontman of the band Booker T. and the MGs. He has also worked in the studios with many well-known artists of the 20th and 21st centuries, earning him a Grammy Award for lifetime...
— keyboardMusical keyboardA musical keyboard is the set of adjacent depressible levers or keys on a musical instrument, particularly the piano. Keyboards typically contain keys for playing the twelve notes of the Western musical scale, with a combination of larger, longer keys and smaller, shorter keys that repeats at the...
s, organOrgan (music)The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...
, pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
. - John Lacey — didgeridooDidgeridooThe didgeridoo is a wind instrument developed by Indigenous Australians of northern Australia around 1,500 years ago and still in widespread usage today both in Australia and around the world. It is sometimes described as a natural wooden trumpet or "drone pipe"...
. - Tony Lindsay — voice.
- Bennie Reitvelo — bassBass (instrument)Bass describes musical instruments that produce tones in the low-pitched range. They belong to different families of instruments and can cover a wide range of musical roles...
. - Marc Russo — saxophoneSaxophoneThe saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
. - Larry Sampson — voice.
- Rick Wilson — 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...
.