Tracy Chapman (album)
Encyclopedia
Tracy Chapman is the self-titled debut album
by singer-songwriter
Tracy Chapman
, released in 1988
.
movement, which included artists like Tori Amos
and Sarah McLachlan
. The first single "Fast Car
" was very popular, peaking at #5 in the UK and #6 in the US. The second single "Talkin' Bout a Revolution" was less successful, reaching only #75 in the US, but received much airplay and also charted in the Adult Contemporary and Modern Rock charts amongst others. "Baby Can I Hold You", the third single, only reached #48 - however, the song was a #2 UK hit for Boyzone
in 1997.
Tracy Chapman received a groundbreaking seven nominations at the 31st Grammy Awards, Album of the Year, Record of the Year, ("Fast Car"), Song of the Year ("Fast Car"), Producer of the Year for David Kershenbaum
, Best New Artist, Best Contemporary Folk Album, and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance ("Fast Car"). The latter three were won.
In 1989, the album was rated number 10 on Rolling Stone
magazine's list of the "100 Greatest Albums of the 80's." In 2003, the album was ranked number 261 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.
.
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
by singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman is an American singer-songwriter, best known for her singles "Fast Car", "Talkin' 'bout a Revolution", "Baby Can I Hold You", "Give Me One Reason" and "Telling Stories". She is a multi-platinum and four-time Grammy Award-winning artist.-Biography:Tracy Chapman was born in Cleveland,...
, released in 1988
1988 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1988.-January-March:* January 1 – André Rieu's Johann Strauss Orchestra plays its first concert....
.
History
Tracy Chapman hit #1 on both the US & UK album charts. The album was critically acclaimed and helped to launch the 1990s female singer-songwriterSinger-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
movement, which included artists like Tori Amos
Tori Amos
Tori Amos is an American pianist, singer-songwriter and composer. She was at the forefront of a number of female singer-songwriters in the early 1990s and was noteworthy early in her career as one of the few alternative rock performers to use a piano as her primary instrument...
and Sarah McLachlan
Sarah McLachlan
Sarah Ann McLachlan, OC, OBC is a Canadian musician, singer and songwriter. Known for her emotional ballads and mezzo-soprano vocal range, as of 2006, she has sold over 40 million albums worldwide. McLachlan's best-selling album to date is Surfacing, for which she won two Grammy Awards and four...
. The first single "Fast Car
Fast Car
"Fast Car" is a song written and recorded by American singer-songwriter Tracy Chapman. It was released as a single in April 1988 from her self-titled 1988 debut album Tracy Chapman...
" was very popular, peaking at #5 in the UK and #6 in the US. The second single "Talkin' Bout a Revolution" was less successful, reaching only #75 in the US, but received much airplay and also charted in the Adult Contemporary and Modern Rock charts amongst others. "Baby Can I Hold You", the third single, only reached #48 - however, the song was a #2 UK hit for Boyzone
Boyzone
Boyzone are an Irish boy band comprising Keith Duffy, Mikey Graham, Ronan Keating,Shane Lynch, and formerly Stephen Gately. Boyzone have 19 singles in the top 40 UK charts and 21 singles in the Ire charts. The group currently have 6 UK number one singles and 9 number one singles in Ireland with 12...
in 1997.
Tracy Chapman received a groundbreaking seven nominations at the 31st Grammy Awards, Album of the Year, Record of the Year, ("Fast Car"), Song of the Year ("Fast Car"), Producer of the Year for David Kershenbaum
David Kershenbaum
David Kershenbaum is an American record producer and entrepreneur, born in Springfield, Missouri. He has worked with many artists including Duran Duran, Tracy Chapman, Joe Jackson, Bryan Adams, Supertramp, Cat Stevens, Elkie Brooks, and Tori Amos. As a producer he has earned 75 international gold...
, Best New Artist, Best Contemporary Folk Album, and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance ("Fast Car"). The latter three were won.
In 1989, the album was rated number 10 on Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
magazine's list of the "100 Greatest Albums of the 80's." In 2003, the album was ranked number 261 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.
Track listing
All songs were written by Tracy ChapmanTracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman is an American singer-songwriter, best known for her singles "Fast Car", "Talkin' 'bout a Revolution", "Baby Can I Hold You", "Give Me One Reason" and "Telling Stories". She is a multi-platinum and four-time Grammy Award-winning artist.-Biography:Tracy Chapman was born in Cleveland,...
.
- "Talkin' Bout a Revolution" – 2:39
- "Fast CarFast Car"Fast Car" is a song written and recorded by American singer-songwriter Tracy Chapman. It was released as a single in April 1988 from her self-titled 1988 debut album Tracy Chapman...
" – 4:56 - "Across the Lines" – 3:24
- "Behind the Wall" – 1:49
- "Baby Can I Hold YouBaby Can I Hold You"Baby Can I Hold You" is the third single from American contemporary folk artist Tracy Chapman, released in late 1988. The song succeeded in reaching the top fifty in the United States, unlike its predecessor, "Talkin' 'bout a Revolution", but it failed to become Chapman's second top forty hit,...
" – 3:14 - "Mountains o' Things" – 4:39
- "She's Got Her Ticket" – 3:56
- "Why?" – 2:06
- "For My LoverFor My Lover"For My Lover" is the ninth track of Tracy Chapman's self-titled album Tracy Chapman.In 1986 Tracy recorded "For My Lover" for Fast Folk Musical Magazine, a Greenwich Village Folk magazine sold with a record....
" – 3:12 - "If Not Now..." – 3:01
- "For You" – 3:09
Personnel
- Tracy Chapman – acoustic guitarSteel-string acoustic guitarA steel-string acoustic guitar is a modern form of guitar descended from the classical guitar, but strung with steel strings for a brighter, louder sound...
, percussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
, 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...
, vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments... - Ed Black – steel guitarSteel guitarSteel guitar is a type of guitar or the method of playing the instrument. Developed in Hawaii in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a steel guitar is usually positioned horizontally; strings are plucked with one hand, while the other hand changes the pitch of one or more strings with the use...
- Paulinho Da CostaPaulinho Da CostaPaulinho da Costa is a Brazilian percussionist born in Rio de Janeiro, considered one of the most recorded musicians of modern times. Playing over two hundred percussion instruments, he has participated in thousands of recording sessions, Grammy Award-winning albums, hit songs, soundtracks, radio...
– percussion - Denny Fongheiser – percussion, drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
- Jack Holder – 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...
, dulcimerAppalachian dulcimerThe Appalachian dulcimer is a fretted string instrument of the zither family, typically with three or four strings. It is native to the Appalachian region of the United States...
, dobroDobroDobro is a registered trademark, now owned by Gibson Guitar Corporation and used for a particular design of resonator guitar.The name has a long and involved history, interwoven with that of the resonator guitar...
, 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...
, electric guitar, Hammond organHammond organThe Hammond organ is an electric organ invented by Laurens Hammond in 1934 and manufactured by the Hammond Organ Company. While the Hammond organ was originally sold to churches as a lower-cost alternative to the wind-driven pipe organ, in the 1960s and 1970s it became a standard keyboard...
, sitarSitarThe 'Tablaman' is a plucked stringed instrument predominantly used in Hindustani classical music, where it has been ubiquitous since the Middle Ages... - Steve KaplanSteve KaplanSteven Kaplan is a professor of African studies and comparative religion at Hebrew University in Jerusalem. He is one of the leading modern scholars on the origins of the Beta Israel, or Ethiopian Jews. He was the Dean of the Faculty of Humanities at Hebrew University from 2004-2006.-External...
– harmonicaHarmonicaThe harmonica, also called harp, French harp, blues harp, and mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used primarily in blues and American folk music, jazz, country, and rock and roll. It is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes...
, keyboardKeyboard 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... - 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....
– bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick.... - David LaFlamme – electric violinElectric violinAn electric violin is a violin equipped with an electronic output of its sound. The term most properly refers to an instrument purposely made to be electrified with built-in pickups, usually with a solid body...
- Bob Marlette – keyboard
Production
- David KershenbaumDavid KershenbaumDavid Kershenbaum is an American record producer and entrepreneur, born in Springfield, Missouri. He has worked with many artists including Duran Duran, Tracy Chapman, Joe Jackson, Bryan Adams, Supertramp, Cat Stevens, Elkie Brooks, and Tori Amos. As a producer he has earned 75 international gold...
– production - Brian Koppelman, Don Rubin – executive production
- Kevin Smith – engineering
- Kevin Smith – mixing
- Carol Bobolts – art direction
- Matt Mahurin – photography
Album
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1988 | The Billboard 200 | 1 (1 week) |
| The Official UK Top 40 | 1 (3 weeks) | |
| Canadian Charts | 1 (9 weeks) | |
| Billboard Billboard (magazine) Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis... Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums |
29 | |
| Swedish Album Chart Sverigetopplistan Sverigetopplistan, earlier known as Topplistan and Hitlistan and other names, is since October 2007 the Swedish national record chart, based on sales data from Swedish Recording Industry Association .... |
2 | |
Certifications
| Country | Certifications Music recording sales certification Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,... (sales thresholds) |
|---|---|
| Germany IFPI The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry is the organisation that represents the interests of the recording industry worldwide. It is a not-for-profit members' organisation registered in Switzerland... |
9x Gold |
| UK | 7x Platinum |
| USA | 6x Platinum |
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | "Fast Car Fast Car "Fast Car" is a song written and recorded by American singer-songwriter Tracy Chapman. It was released as a single in April 1988 from her self-titled 1988 debut album Tracy Chapman... " |
Mainstream Rock Tracks Mainstream Rock Tracks Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks is a ranking in Billboard magazine of the most-played songs on mainstream rock radio stations, a category that includes stations that play primarily rock music. Modern rock tracks are counted in the Alternative Songs chart.This chart began with the March 21, 1981, issue... |
19 |
| 1988 | "Fast Car" | The Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
6 |
| 1988 | "Talkin' Bout a Revolution" | Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks | 78 |
| 1988 | "Talkin' Bout a Revolution" | Mainstream Rock Tracks Mainstream Rock Tracks Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks is a ranking in Billboard magazine of the most-played songs on mainstream rock radio stations, a category that includes stations that play primarily rock music. Modern rock tracks are counted in the Alternative Songs chart.This chart began with the March 21, 1981, issue... |
22 |
| 1988 | "Talkin' Bout a Revolution" | Modern Rock Tracks Modern Rock Tracks Alternative Songs is a music chart in the United States that has appeared in Billboard magazine since September 10, 1988. It lists the 40 most-played songs on modern rock radio stations, most of which are alternative rock songs... |
24 |
| 1988 | "Talkin' Bout a Revolution" | The Billboard Hot 100 | 75 |
| 1988 | "Baby Can I Hold You Baby Can I Hold You "Baby Can I Hold You" is the third single from American contemporary folk artist Tracy Chapman, released in late 1988. The song succeeded in reaching the top fifty in the United States, unlike its predecessor, "Talkin' 'bout a Revolution", but it failed to become Chapman's second top forty hit,... " |
Adult Contemporary | 19 |
| 1988 | "Baby Can I Hold You" | The Billboard Hot 100 | 48 |
Grammy Awards
| Year | Winner | Category |
|---|---|---|
| 1988 | "Fast Car" | Best Female Pop Vocal Performance Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance The Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance is the latest in a series of awards recognizing superior vocal performance by a female in the pop category, the first of which was presented in 1959. The award goes to the artist... |
| 1988 | Tracy Chapman | Best Contemporary Folk Album Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album The Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album was awarded from 1987 to 2011. Until 1993 the award was known as the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Recording. In 2007, this category was renamed Best Contemporary Folk/Americana Album... |