Annie in Wonderland
Encyclopedia
Annie in Wonderland is the first solo album by Annie Haslam
, vocalist with the 1970s band Renaissance
. It was produced by the multi-talented Roy Wood
, who also wrote some of the material, arranged all the songs, played nearly all of the instruments (including an uncredited lead vocal on "I Never Believed in Love"), and illustrated the cover. The album features a range of musical styles enabling Haslam to experiment with vocal styles outside the ethos of Renaissance. The range for which Haslam is well-known is still apparent, however, especially in the showcase number "Rockalise". The album peaked at #167 on the Billboard
"pop albums" chart.
sleeve featuring original artwork by Roy Wood
. Many of John Tenniel
's characters from Lewis Carroll
's Alice In Wonderland appear, in particular the Knave of Hearts (as a teddy boy
), the March Hare
(as a football supporter), and the caterpillar
(as Wood himself) - the caricatures are reasonably faithful to the original illustrations. The interior features photographs of the performers, friends and family as well as the track listing and credits.
Annie Haslam
Annie Haslam is an English progressive rock vocalist and songwriter.Originally a fashion student, she began studying under opera singer Sybil Knight in 1970 and developed her five-octave vocal range...
, vocalist with the 1970s band Renaissance
Renaissance (band)
Renaissance are an English progressive rock band, most notable for their 1978 UK top 10 hit "Northern Lights" and progressive rock classics like "Carpet of the Sun", "Mother Russia" and "Ashes Are Burning".-Original incarnation :...
. It was produced by the multi-talented Roy Wood
Roy Wood
Roy Adrian Wood is an English singer-songwriter and musician. He was particularly successful in the 1960s and 1970s as member and co-founder of the bands The Move, Electric Light Orchestra, and Wizzard. As a songwriter, he contributed a number of hits to the repertoire of these bands.-Career:Wood...
, who also wrote some of the material, arranged all the songs, played nearly all of the instruments (including an uncredited lead vocal on "I Never Believed in Love"), and illustrated the cover. The album features a range of musical styles enabling Haslam to experiment with vocal styles outside the ethos of Renaissance. The range for which Haslam is well-known is still apparent, however, especially in the showcase number "Rockalise". The album peaked at #167 on the 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...
"pop albums" chart.
Side one
- "Introlise" (0:30)
- "If I Were Made Of Music" (Jon Camp) (4:29)
- "I Never Believed In Love" (Roy WoodRoy WoodRoy Adrian Wood is an English singer-songwriter and musician. He was particularly successful in the 1960s and 1970s as member and co-founder of the bands The Move, Electric Light Orchestra, and Wizzard. As a songwriter, he contributed a number of hits to the repertoire of these bands.-Career:Wood...
) (3:38) - "If I Loved YouIf I Loved You"If I Loved You" is a show tune from the 1945 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical Carousel.The song was introduced by John Raitt as "Billy Bigelow" and Jan Clayton as "Julie"...
" (Richard RodgersRichard RodgersRichard Charles Rodgers was an American composer of music for more than 900 songs and for 43 Broadway musicals. He also composed music for films and television. He is best known for his songwriting partnerships with the lyricists Lorenz Hart and Oscar Hammerstein II...
, Oscar Hammerstein IIOscar Hammerstein IIOscar Greeley Clendenning Hammerstein II was an American librettist, theatrical producer, and theatre director of musicals for almost forty years. Hammerstein won eight Tony Awards and was twice awarded an Academy Award for "Best Original Song". Many of his songs are standard repertoire for...
) (4:38) - "Hunioco" (Roy Wood) (7:32)
Side two
- "Rockalise" (Roy Wood) (6:08) - to alison
- "Nature BoyNature Boy (song)"Nature Boy" is a song by eden ahbez, published in 1947. The song tells a fantasy of a "strange enchanted boy... who wandered very far" only to learn that "the greatest thing... was just to love and be loved in return"...
" (Eden AhbezEden Ahbezeden ahbez was an American songwriter and recording artist of the 1940s-1960s, whose lifestyle in California was influential on the hippie movement...
) (4:53) - "Inside My Life" (Jon Camp) (4:50)
- "Going Home" (Antonín DvořákAntonín DvorákAntonín Leopold Dvořák was a Czech composer of late Romantic music, who employed the idioms of the folk music of Moravia and his native Bohemia. Dvořák’s own style is sometimes called "romantic-classicist synthesis". His works include symphonic, choral and chamber music, concerti, operas and many...
, William Arms FisherWilliam Arms FisherWilliam Arms Fisher was an American composer, music historian and writer.-Personal life:Fisher was born in San Francisco, California on April 27, 1861...
) (5:06)
The album cover
Annie in Wonderland was originally released in a gatefoldGatefold
A gatefold is a type of fold used for advertising around a magazine or section, and for packaging of media such as vinyl records.- LP covers :...
sleeve featuring original artwork by Roy Wood
Roy Wood
Roy Adrian Wood is an English singer-songwriter and musician. He was particularly successful in the 1960s and 1970s as member and co-founder of the bands The Move, Electric Light Orchestra, and Wizzard. As a songwriter, he contributed a number of hits to the repertoire of these bands.-Career:Wood...
. Many of John Tenniel
John Tenniel
Sir John Tenniel was a British illustrator, graphic humorist and political cartoonist whose work was prominent during the second half of England’s 19th century. Tenniel is considered important to the study of that period’s social, literary, and art histories...
's characters from Lewis Carroll
Lewis Carroll
Charles Lutwidge Dodgson , better known by the pseudonym Lewis Carroll , was an English author, mathematician, logician, Anglican deacon and photographer. His most famous writings are Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and its sequel Through the Looking-Glass, as well as the poems "The Hunting of the...
's Alice In Wonderland appear, in particular the Knave of Hearts (as a teddy boy
Teddy Boy
The British Teddy Boy subculture is typified by young men wearing clothes that were partly inspired by the styles worn by dandies in the Edwardian period, styles which Savile Row tailors had attempted to re-introduce in Britain after World War II...
), the March Hare
March Hare
Haigha, the March Hare is a character most famous for appearing in the tea party scene in Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.The main character, Alice, hypothesises,...
(as a football supporter), and the caterpillar
Caterpillar (Alice's Adventures in Wonderland)
The Caterpillar is a fictional character appearing in Lewis Carroll's book, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.-Appearance in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland:...
(as Wood himself) - the caricatures are reasonably faithful to the original illustrations. The interior features photographs of the performers, friends and family as well as the track listing and credits.
Reception
Allmusic's reviewer described the album as "whimsical, fanciful, and verging on precious", particularly praising "If I Loved You" and commenting in reference to "Nature Boy" that "Haslam gets right to the heart of this beautifully soulful song". Rating: .Personnel
- Annie Haslam - lead vocals, backing vocals
- Roy WoodRoy WoodRoy Adrian Wood is an English singer-songwriter and musician. He was particularly successful in the 1960s and 1970s as member and co-founder of the bands The Move, Electric Light Orchestra, and Wizzard. As a songwriter, he contributed a number of hits to the repertoire of these bands.-Career:Wood...
- electric and acoustic guitars, bass guitar, string bass, cello, balalaikaBalalaikaThe balalaika is a stringed musical instrument popular in Russia, with a characteristic triangular body and three strings.The balalaika family of instruments includes instruments of various sizes, from the highest-pitched to the lowest, the prima balalaika, secunda balalaika, alto balalaika, bass...
s, saxophones, drums, bass clarinetBass clarinetThe bass clarinet is a musical instrument of the clarinet family. Like the more common soprano B clarinet, it is usually pitched in B , but it plays notes an octave below the soprano B clarinet...
, trumpet, African drums, percussion, string ensemble, Moog, piano, clavinetClavinetA Clavinet is an electrically amplified keyboard instrument manufactured by the Hohner company. It is essentially an electronically amplified clavichord, analogous to an electric guitar. Its distinctive bright staccato sound has appeared particularly in funk, disco, rock, and reggae songs.Various...
, backing vocals - Jon Camp - bass guitar on 'I Never Believed in Love', 'Nature Boy' and 'Inside My Life'; bass pedals and acoustic guitar on 'If I Were Made of Music'; backing vocals on 'Inside My Life'
- Dave Donovan - drums on 'Nature Boy' and 'If I Were Made of Music'
- Louis ClarkLouis ClarkLouis Clark is a British musical arranger and keyboard player.He trained at Leeds College of Music. He was the conductor of the orchestra and choir hired to back Electric Light Orchestra's sound, introduced on their album Eldorado in 1974...
- polymoog and string arrangements on 'Rockalise', brass and choir arrangements and flute on 'Going Home' - Dick Plant - engineering, backing vocals