Charmed: The Book of Shadows
Encyclopedia
Charmed: The Book of Shadows is a soundtrack album released in 2005, featuring music from the Charmed
television series. It is also known as Charmed: The Book of Shadows: Music From and Inspired By.
The album is made up mostly of tracks by little-known artists, though some better known ones, such as Dido
and Ashlee Simpson
, are also featured. None of the television show's original score is included, however its theme tune, "How Soon Is Now?
", appears as a bonus track
on the UK edition of the album. Although the album was released in 2005, it contains music from Charmeds first seven seasons.
The album was produced by Jonathan Platt, Jonathan Miller, the president of Artists' Addiction Records, and Ken Miller, the Senior Vice President of Spelling Television
. Platt said of the series' chronology of soundtrack albums:
The album is the second in the trilogy of Charmed soundtrack albums, after 2003's Charmed: The Soundtrack
. A followup, Charmed: The Final Chapter
, was released in November 2006.
, Rose McGowan
and Holly Marie Combs
. Despite being released in 2005, the images used are from the series' fifth season which ran from 2002 to 2003. The cover also features a small photograph of the Book of Shadows
after which the album is named.
Allmusic awarded the soundtrack three stars out of five. It praises the way in which the album "streamlines its approach", in comparison to the first soundtrack album
, by focusing on a wide variety of female artists, echoing the theme of female empowerment
raised in the television series. Whilst aware that the album has little direct tie-in with the series, the reviewer complements its use of little-known artists as well as its mixture of different musical genres in creating an original approach to a television soundtrack:
Furthermore, the series' use of emerging musical artists has also been praised by other critics, including the Microsoft
-owned Ciao
which states that:
Charmed
Charmed is an American television series that originally aired from October 7, 1998, until May 21, 2006, on the now defunct The WB Television Network. The series was created in 1998 by writer Constance M...
television series. It is also known as Charmed: The Book of Shadows: Music From and Inspired By.
The album is made up mostly of tracks by little-known artists, though some better known ones, such as Dido
Dido (singer)
Dido Florian Cloud de Bounevialle O'Malley Armstrong , known as Dido, is an English singer-songwriter.Dido shot to worldwide success with her debut album, No Angel...
and Ashlee Simpson
Ashlee Simpson
Ashlee Nicole Simpson is an American singer and actress. In 2004, she rose to prominence with the success of her number-one debut album Autobiography and the reality series, The Ashlee Simpson Show. In October 2005, following a North American concert tour and a film appearance, Simpson released...
, are also featured. None of the television show's original score is included, however its theme tune, "How Soon Is Now?
How Soon Is Now?
"How Soon Is Now?" is a song by the British alternative rock band The Smiths. Written by Smiths singer Morrissey and guitarist Johnny Marr, it was originally a B-side of the 1984 single "William, It Was Really Nothing"...
", appears as a bonus track
Bonus track
In terms of recorded music, a bonus track is a piece of music which has been included on specific releases or reissues of an album. This is most often done as a promotional device, either as an incentive to customers to purchase albums they might otherwise not, or to repurchase albums they already...
on the UK edition of the album. Although the album was released in 2005, it contains music from Charmeds first seven seasons.
The album was produced by Jonathan Platt, Jonathan Miller, the president of Artists' Addiction Records, and Ken Miller, the Senior Vice President of Spelling Television
Spelling Television
Spelling Television Inc. was a television production company that produced popular shows such as Charmed, Beverly Hills, 90210, 7th Heaven, Dynasty and Melrose Place. The company was founded by television producer Aaron Spelling in 1969...
. Platt said of the series' chronology of soundtrack albums:
The album is the second in the trilogy of Charmed soundtrack albums, after 2003's Charmed: The Soundtrack
Charmed: The Soundtrack
Charmed: The Soundtrack is a soundtrack album released in September 2003, featuring music from the Charmed television series.The album is made up mostly of tracks by little-known artists, though some better known ones, such as Goldfrapp and Stereophonics, are also featured...
. A followup, Charmed: The Final Chapter
Charmed: The Final Chapter
Charmed: The Final Chapter is a soundtrack album released in May 2006, in the United States, featuring music from the Charmed television series....
, was released in November 2006.
Cover artwork
The front cover of the album features publicity photographs of the series' three lead actresses, from left to right, Alyssa MilanoAlyssa Milano
Alyssa Jayne Milano is an American actress and former singer, known for her childhood role as Samantha Micelli in the sitcom Who's the Boss? and an eight-year stint as Phoebe Halliwell on the series Charmed. She was also a series regular on the original Melrose Place portraying the role of...
, Rose McGowan
Rose McGowan
Rose Arianna McGowan is an actress and singer. She is known for her role as Paige Matthews in The WB Television Network supernatural drama series Charmed. She played Ann-Margret alongside Jonathan Rhys Meyers as Elvis Presley in the CBS mini-series Elvis...
and Holly Marie Combs
Holly Marie Combs
Holly Marie Combs is an American film and television actress and producer whose roles have included a portrayal in Charmed as Piper Halliwell and another in Picket Fences, where she received a Young Artist Award for her role, as Kimberly Brock...
. Despite being released in 2005, the images used are from the series' fifth season which ran from 2002 to 2003. The cover also features a small photograph of the Book of Shadows
Book of Shadows (Charmed)
The Book of Shadows, or simply "the Book", is a fictional book of witchcraft from the TV series Charmed. In the beginning, the book was created by Melinda Warren and was passed down the family to the Charmed Ones. This book contains spells, incantations, potions and information of the evil beings...
after which the album is named.
Critical reception
The album received generally positive reviews.Allmusic awarded the soundtrack three stars out of five. It praises the way in which the album "streamlines its approach", in comparison to the first soundtrack album
Charmed: The Soundtrack
Charmed: The Soundtrack is a soundtrack album released in September 2003, featuring music from the Charmed television series.The album is made up mostly of tracks by little-known artists, though some better known ones, such as Goldfrapp and Stereophonics, are also featured...
, by focusing on a wide variety of female artists, echoing the theme of female empowerment
Feminism
Feminism is a collection of movements aimed at defining, establishing, and defending equal political, economic, and social rights and equal opportunities for women. Its concepts overlap with those of women's rights...
raised in the television series. Whilst aware that the album has little direct tie-in with the series, the reviewer complements its use of little-known artists as well as its mixture of different musical genres in creating an original approach to a television soundtrack:
Furthermore, the series' use of emerging musical artists has also been praised by other critics, including the Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
-owned Ciao
Ciao (website)
Ciao is a European based online-shopping portal with websites in the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy and Sweden. In February 2008, the company launched an American version of the site, Ciao.com. The site provides a forum where registered users can write reviews and...
which states that:
Release history
| Country | Date |
|---|---|
| United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
April 19, 2005 |
| Canada Canada Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean... |
|
| 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... |
|
| United Kingdom United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages... |
September 5, 2005 |
Track listing
- "20th Century Fox Fanfare (Low Tone)" — David NewmanDavid NewmanDavid Newman may refer to:*David Newman of Loughborough since 2009*David Newman , aka David "Fathead" Newman, American jazz saxophonist*David Newman , American composer...
- "Take It Off" — The DonnasThe DonnasThe Donnas are an American all-female rock band from Palo Alto, California. They draw inspiration from The Ramones, The Runaways, AC/DC, Bachman–Turner Overdrive and Kiss. Rolling Stone has stated that "the Donnas offer a guileless take on adolescent alienation; they traffic in kicks, not...
- "Take A LookLiz Phair (album)Liz Phair is the eponymous fourth album by American singer-songwriter Liz Phair, released June 24, 2003 on Capitol Records. "Why Can't I?" and "Extraordinary" were released as a singles...
" — Liz PhairLiz PhairPhair's entry into the music industry began when she met guitarist Chris Brokaw, a member of the band Come. Brokaw and Phair moved to San Francisco together, and Phair tried to become an artist there... - "Sand In My ShoesLife for RentLife for Rent is the second studio album by the British singer-songwriter Dido, released by Arista Records on 29 September 2003. The album was produced by Rollo Armstrong and American songwriter Rick Nowels. Work on the album began in mid 2002...
" — DidoDido (singer)Dido Florian Cloud de Bounevialle O'Malley Armstrong , known as Dido, is an English singer-songwriter.Dido shot to worldwide success with her debut album, No Angel... - "FallenFallen (Sarah McLachlan song)"Fallen" is the first single from Sarah McLachlan's 2003 album Afterglow. The song was nominated on the 2004 Grammy Awards on the Best Female Pop Vocal Performance field, losing to "Beautiful" by Christina Aguilera...
(Dan The AutomatorDan the AutomatorDaniel M. Nakamura , better known by the stage name Dan the Automator, is a Japanese-American hip hop producer. He founded the record label 75 Ark, which was distributed by Tommy Boy Records during its short existence....
RemixRemixA remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
)" — Sarah McLachlanSarah McLachlanSarah 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... - "I Can't Make MeFlutterbyFlutterby is the debut album by Australian singer/songwriter Butterfly Boucher, first released in 2003.-Track listing:*All songs written by Butterfly Boucher, except where noted.#"Life Is Short" – 3:06#"Can You See the Lights?" – 3:07...
(Chris Lord Algo RemixRemixA remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
)" — Butterfly BoucherButterfly BoucherButterfly Boucher is an Australian singer-songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. She has released two albums, Flutterby and Scary Fragile .-Biography:... - "San FranciscoHarmonium (Vanessa Carlton album)Harmonium is the second album by American pop singer-pianist Vanessa Carlton, released by A&M Records in the United States on November 9, 2004 . Carlton co-wrote some of the album with Stephan Jenkins, her then-boyfriend and the lead singer of Third Eye Blind, who produced the album. Harmonium...
" — Vanessa CarltonVanessa CarltonVanessa Lee Carlton is an American singer-songwriter and musician. Upon completion of her education at the School of American Ballet, Carlton chose to pursue singing instead, performing in New York bars and clubs while attending university. Three months after recording a demo with producer Peter... - "Pieces Of Me (David Garcia And High Spies RemixPieces of Me"Pieces of Me" is a song by American pop/rock singer Ashlee Simpson and the first single from her début album, Autobiography. The song, which was co-written by Simpson, Kara DioGuardi and John Shanks , is a blend of pop and rock with lyrics about finding comfort and happiness in a relationship with...
)" — Ashlee SimpsonAshlee SimpsonAshlee Nicole Simpson is an American singer and actress. In 2004, she rose to prominence with the success of her number-one debut album Autobiography and the reality series, The Ashlee Simpson Show. In October 2005, following a North American concert tour and a film appearance, Simpson released... - "Unbroken" — Missy HigginsMissy HigginsMelissa "Missy" Morrison Higgins is an Australian pop singer-songwriter, musician and actor. Her No. 1 albums in Australia are The Sound of White and On a Clear Night , and her Top Ten singles are "Scar", "The Special Two", "Steer" and "Where I Stood". From a musical family in...
- "Free (Swiss American Federation Club RemixRemixA remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
)" — Sarah BrightmanSarah BrightmanSarah Brightman is an English classical crossover soprano, actress, songwriter and dancer. She is famous for possessing a vocal range of over 3 octaves and singing in the whistle register... - "I Close My Eyes" — ShivareeShivaree (band)Shivaree is an American alternative pop/rock band formed in 1997 consisting of Ambrosia Parsley , Danny McGough , and Duke McVinnie . Shivaree is best known for the song "Goodnight Moon", released in 1999 and appearing in Dawson's Creek and Kill Bill: Volume 2...
- "HomeWhen It Falls-Singles:The following singles were released from the album:- External links :**...
" — Zero 7Zero 7Zero 7 is a British musical duo consisting of Henry Binns and Sam Hardaker. The group members began their musical careers as studio engineers and in 1997 formed the group Zero 7. Their debut album, Simple Things was released in 2001 and received critical acclaim... - "How Soon Is Now?How Soon Is Now?"How Soon Is Now?" is a song by the British alternative rock band The Smiths. Written by Smiths singer Morrissey and guitarist Johnny Marr, it was originally a B-side of the 1984 single "William, It Was Really Nothing"...
" — Love Spit LoveLove Spit LoveLove Spit Love was a musical group founded in 1992 by singer Richard Butler following the initial disbanding of the Psychedelic Furs.-History:...
(UK Bonus track)
Charts
| Charts | Peak Position |
Certification | Sales/Shipments |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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... U.S. Top Soundtracks |
9 | ||
| 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... U.S. Independent Albums |
20 | ||