Glee: The Music Presents the Warblers
Encyclopedia
Glee: The Music Presents the Warblers is the seventh soundtrack album
by the cast of Glee
, a musical
comedy-drama television series that airs on Fox
in the United States. Released through Columbia Records
on April 19, 2011, it contains thirteen cover
s: eleven accompanying performances from the series' second season
and two exclusive to the album. Performers are portrayed on Glee as the fictional Dalton Academy Warblers, an all-male high school glee club
from Westerville, Ohio
. Recurring guest star Darren Criss
and series regular Chris Colfer
serve as lead vocalists, while the Beelzebubs
, an all-male a cappella
group from Tufts University
, provide background vocals. Dante Di Loreto
and Brad Falchuk
serve as the album's executive producers, and its tracks have collectively sold over 1.3 million copies.
glee club
from a fictional private school
in Westerville, Ohio
, were first introduced in the episode "Never Been Kissed
". The episode also introduced recurring guest star Darren Criss
as Blaine Anderson
, lead singer and junior member of the group. Performing a cover version
of Katy Perry
's "Teenage Dream
", actors for the Warblers lip sync
ed to background vocals provided by the Beelzebubs
, an all-male a cappella group from Tufts University
in Somerville, Massachusetts
. According to the Beelzebubs' president Eli Seidman, the producers of Glee were considering having the singers appear on the series, but the idea of having students flown across the continent to Los Angeles, California
proved too logistically unrealistic. Kurt Hummel
, portrayed by series regular Chris Colfer
, enrolls in Dalton Academy in the episode "Special Education
" and joins the Warblers in performances, starting as a background singer with Train
's "Hey, Soul Sister
". Kurt later duets with Blaine on Neon Trees
' "Animal
" and Hey Monday
's "Candles". Song arrangements were done by Beelzebubs alumnus Ed Boyer, and vocals for all songs were recorded at Q Division Studios
in Somerville, with the exception of "Teenage Dream", which was done in New York City
.
The album was announced by Criss on March 7, 2011, when he appeared on Live with Regis and Kelly
. Its title, front cover, and track listing were revealed in a press release on March 23, 2011, as well as its release date of April 19, 2011. The cover art
shows the Warblers' uniform
, along with the logos of both the glee club and the school. Two covers were arranged and released by the Beelzebubs prior to their involvement with Glee: Destiny's Child
's "Bills, Bills, Bills
" and Robin Thicke
's "When I Get You Alone
", which were respectively included on the albums Next (2001) and Pandemonium (2007). Two tracks were never used on the series, and are exclusive to the album: a cover of Barbra Streisand
and Barry Gibb
's "What Kind of Fool
" and a cover of Rod Stewart
's "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?
". The former was performed at the 2011 MusiCares Person of the Year
gala and the latter was originally intended to appear in the Glee episode "Sexy
", but did not. "Teenage Dream" was previously included on Glee: The Music, Volume 4, released in November 2010.
' "Blackbird
", was sung by Colfer backed by other background vocalists. Though mainly pop
, tracks also fall under several other genres, including rock
, R&B
, and hip hop
, and are sometimes reinvented when rearranged. Matt Diahl of the Los Angeles Times
described Glee version of "Teenage Dream" as "The Killers meet Sigur Rós
meet the Jonas Brothers
". A cover of Train
's "Hey, Soul Sister
", which Diahl noted as similar in sound to a Bruno Mars
song, required overdubbing
to imitate the sound of a mandolin
. Other songs on the album also took advantage of overdubbing as well as multitrack recording
to create a sound "larger" than what the Beelzebubs' eleven-member group could accomplish live.
's Bill Lamb reviewed the album positively, calling it "one of the best Glee collections". Though he called some of the covers "an effort to draw attention with a current pop hit", he applauded some of the other tracks, i.e. "Candles" and Keane's "Somewhere Only We Know
", as some of the album's top tracks for featuring songs unfamiliar to a mainstream American audience. Andrew Leahey of Allmusic gave the album a rating of three stars out of a possible five, and felt Colfer's performance on "Blackbird" was lacking in confidence. On the other hand, he greatly admired Criss' versatility as a singer in covering songs from a range of different genres. He also praised the tracks' creative a cappella arrangements, which he felt made them more interesting that those of previous Glee releases. The Boston Globe
Nicole Cammorata gave an overall favorable review of Glee: The Music Presents the Warblers: her only negative remark was that she felt Colfer's voice on "Candles" did not work well with the song's high notes. Diehl gave the release two stars out of four and felt that, outside the context of the series, the tracks seemed somewhat over-the-top. "When I Get You Alone", for example, was noted as "too cute" for an urban
song. Thomas Conner from The Chicago Sun-Times also gave the album two out of four stars, stating, "over the course of 13 tracks the Warblers' gimmick just as often degrades into laughable self-parody." David Burger of The Salt Lake Tribune
enjoyed the a cappella songs in contrast to the series' conventional material, which he felt was "over-produced and over-orchestrated".
and number one on Billboard
Soundtracks chart, selling 86,000 copies in its first week. This marked the second-lowest opening sales figure for a Glee release, next to the extended play
Glee: The Music, The Rocky Horror Glee Show
, though it was the highest charting album on the Billboard 200 from the show's second season, and the next soundtrack release, Glee: The Music, Volume 6
, would sell 6,000 fewer copies in its first week. The Warblers album sold 28,000 copies in its second week. On the Canadian
and Australian Albums Charts, the album debuted at numbers five and six, respectively. In New Zealand, Glee: The Music Presents the Warblers debuted at number eleven. The album peaked at number forty-one on the Mexican charts. Meanwhile, the Beelzebubs have seen their releases undergo a four-fold increase in average sales per month.
, available for digital download
over the course of the season. "Teenage Dream" debuted at number eight on the Billboard Hot 100
on the week of November 27, 2010. It was the best-selling song in the US that week, selling 214,000 copies, the largest figure for a Glee title, and has sold over 500,000 copies to date, having been certified a gold single on of July 13, 2011. The single also charted at number ten in Canada, eighteen in Ireland, twenty-four in Australia, and thirty-six in the United Kingdom. Three other covers from the album have become top 40 hits on the Billboard Hot 100: "Hey, Soul Sister", Pink
's "Raise Your Glass
", and "Blackbird", at numbers 29, 36, and 37, respectively. The cover of "Blackbird" marks the first time the song has charted on the Hot 100. "Hey, Soul Sister" also became a top 40 hit in both Canada and the UK. Altogether, tracks by the Warblers have sold over 1.3 million copies.
"Teenage Dream" was performed by Criss and the Warblers on December 5, 2010, for Trevor Live, an annual fundraising event by The Trevor Project
, and they were joined by Perry herself mid-song. It was later performed on The Ellen DeGeneres Show
on April 22, 2011. Criss has also performed several songs solo: "Teenage Dream" for Rolling Stone
and "Silly Love Songs
" by Wings
on Live with Regis and Kelly. He later stopped by Rolling Stone a second time to perform three other songs from the album. On April 19, 2011, Criss and the Warblers performed "Hey, Soul Sister" and "Raise Your Glass" on Today in promotion of the album. Criss and the Warblers were added to the 2011 concert tour, Glee Live! In Concert!
, for both the four-week North American leg starting on May 21, and the ensuing leg in England and Ireland ending July 3.
Note: the term "group member" refers to the singers of the Tufts Beelzebubs, who voiced the Warblers, plus Darren Criss and Chris Colfer, who sang lead.
Soundtrack album
A soundtrack album is any album that incorporates music directly recorded from the soundtrack of a particular feature film or television program. In some cases, not all the tracks from the movie are included in the album; however there are rare cases of songs in the trailers that do not appear in...
by the cast of Glee
Glee (TV series)
Glee is an American musical comedy-drama television series that airs on Fox in the United States, and on GlobalTV in Canada. It focuses on the high school glee club New Directions competing on the show choir competition circuit, while its members deal with relationships, sexuality and social issues...
, a musical
Jukebox musical
A jukebox musical is a stage or film musical that uses previously released popular songs as its musical score. Usually the songs have in common a connection with a particular popular musician or group — either because they were written by, or for, the artists in question, or were at least...
comedy-drama television series that airs on Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
in the United States. Released through Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
on April 19, 2011, it contains thirteen cover
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
s: eleven accompanying performances from the series' second season
Glee (season 2)
The second season of the musical comedy-drama television series Glee originally aired between September 21, 2010 and May 24, 2011 on Fox in the United States...
and two exclusive to the album. Performers are portrayed on Glee as the fictional Dalton Academy Warblers, an all-male high school glee club
Glee club
A glee club is a musical group or choir group, historically of male voices but also of female or mixed voices, which traditionally specializes in the singing of short songs—glees—by trios or quartets. In the late 19th Century it was very popular in most schools and was made a tradition...
from Westerville, Ohio
Westerville, Ohio
Westerville, once known as "The Dry Capital of the World", is a city in Franklin and Delaware counties in the U.S. state of Ohio. The population was 35,318 at the 2000 census.-Early history:...
. Recurring guest star Darren Criss
Darren Criss
Darren Everett Criss is an American actor, singer-songwriter, musician, composer, and a founding member and co-owner of the theater company StarKid Productions. He currently portrays Blaine Anderson, an openly gay high school student, on the FOX television series Glee...
and series regular Chris Colfer
Chris Colfer
Christopher Paul "Chris" Colfer is an American actor and singer known for his portrayal of Kurt Hummel on the television series Glee, for which he won a 2011 Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor and was also nominated twice for an Emmy...
serve as lead vocalists, while the Beelzebubs
Beelzebubs
The Beelzebubs, frequently referred to as "The Bubs", are an all-male a cappella group from Tufts University that performs a mix of pop, rock, R&B, and other types of music while spreading their motto of "Fun through Song." They have toured in Europe, Asia, and North America, and they competed in...
, an all-male a cappella
A cappella
A cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
group from Tufts University
Tufts University
Tufts University is a private research university located in Medford/Somerville, near Boston, Massachusetts. It is organized into ten schools, including two undergraduate programs and eight graduate divisions, on four campuses in Massachusetts and on the eastern border of France...
, provide background vocals. Dante Di Loreto
Dante Di Loreto
Dante Di Loreto is an American writer and producer, best known for executive producing the 20th Century Fox series Glee.-Career:Prior to joining Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk to create Glee, Di Loreto produced several shows for cable and broadcast television as well as a selection of films...
and Brad Falchuk
Brad Falchuk
Brad Falchuk is a television writer, director and producer. He is best known for his work on the television series Nip/Tuck, Glee, and American Horror Story.-Early life:...
serve as the album's executive producers, and its tracks have collectively sold over 1.3 million copies.
Background
The Dalton Academy Warblers, an a cappellaA cappella
A cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
glee club
Glee club
A glee club is a musical group or choir group, historically of male voices but also of female or mixed voices, which traditionally specializes in the singing of short songs—glees—by trios or quartets. In the late 19th Century it was very popular in most schools and was made a tradition...
from a fictional private school
Private school
Private schools, also known as independent schools or nonstate schools, are not administered by local, state or national governments; thus, they retain the right to select their students and are funded in whole or in part by charging their students' tuition, rather than relying on mandatory...
in Westerville, Ohio
Westerville, Ohio
Westerville, once known as "The Dry Capital of the World", is a city in Franklin and Delaware counties in the U.S. state of Ohio. The population was 35,318 at the 2000 census.-Early history:...
, were first introduced in the episode "Never Been Kissed
Never Been Kissed (Glee)
"Never Been Kissed" is the sixth episode of the second season of the American television series Glee, and the 28th episode overall. It was written by Brad Falchuk, directed by Bradley Buecker and premiered on Fox on November 9, 2010. In "Never Been Kissed", the glee club members are assigned a boys...
". The episode also introduced recurring guest star Darren Criss
Darren Criss
Darren Everett Criss is an American actor, singer-songwriter, musician, composer, and a founding member and co-owner of the theater company StarKid Productions. He currently portrays Blaine Anderson, an openly gay high school student, on the FOX television series Glee...
as Blaine Anderson
Blaine Anderson
Blaine Anderson is a fictional character from the American musical comedy-drama television series Glee. Played by Darren Criss, Blaine was introduced in the sixth episode of the second season as the openly gay lead singer of the Dalton Academy Warblers, a rival show choir to New Directions, the...
, lead singer and junior member of the group. Performing a cover version
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of Katy Perry
Katy Perry
Katy Perry is an American singer, songwriter and actress. Born in Santa Barbara, California, and raised by Christian pastor parents, Perry grew up listening to only gospel music and sang in her local church as a child. After earning a GED during her first year of high school, she began to pursue a...
's "Teenage Dream
Teenage Dream (Katy Perry song)
"Teenage Dream" is a song by American recording artist Katy Perry. It was released as the second single from her third studio album of the same name on July 23, 2010 through digital distribution. Perry and Bonnie McKee wrote many songs with a youthful theme in mind, but they were rejected by...
", actors for the Warblers lip sync
Lip sync
Lip sync, lip-sync, lip-synch is a technical term for matching lip movements with sung or spoken vocals...
ed to background vocals provided by the Beelzebubs
Beelzebubs
The Beelzebubs, frequently referred to as "The Bubs", are an all-male a cappella group from Tufts University that performs a mix of pop, rock, R&B, and other types of music while spreading their motto of "Fun through Song." They have toured in Europe, Asia, and North America, and they competed in...
, an all-male a cappella group from Tufts University
Tufts University
Tufts University is a private research university located in Medford/Somerville, near Boston, Massachusetts. It is organized into ten schools, including two undergraduate programs and eight graduate divisions, on four campuses in Massachusetts and on the eastern border of France...
in Somerville, Massachusetts
Somerville, Massachusetts
Somerville is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, located just north of Boston. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 75,754 and was the most densely populated municipality in New England. It is also the 17th most densely populated incorporated place in...
. According to the Beelzebubs' president Eli Seidman, the producers of Glee were considering having the singers appear on the series, but the idea of having students flown across the continent to Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
proved too logistically unrealistic. Kurt Hummel
Kurt Hummel
Kurt Hummel is a fictional character and one of the male leads in the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. Series creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan initially conceived of him as a fashionable gay countertenor who is routinely bullied at school...
, portrayed by series regular Chris Colfer
Chris Colfer
Christopher Paul "Chris" Colfer is an American actor and singer known for his portrayal of Kurt Hummel on the television series Glee, for which he won a 2011 Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor and was also nominated twice for an Emmy...
, enrolls in Dalton Academy in the episode "Special Education
Special education
Special education is the education of students with special needs in a way that addresses the students' individual differences and needs. Ideally, this process involves the individually planned and systematically monitored arrangement of teaching procedures, adapted equipment and materials,...
" and joins the Warblers in performances, starting as a background singer with Train
Train (band)
Train is an American pop rock band from San Francisco, California, formed in 1994. The band currently comprises a core trio of Patrick Monahan , Jimmy Stafford and Scott Underwood ....
's "Hey, Soul Sister
Hey, Soul Sister
"Hey, Soul Sister" is a song by the American rock band Train, written by Patrick Monahan, Amund Bjørklund, and Espen Lind. It was released as the lead single from the band's fifth studio album, Save Me, San Francisco. The song reached number three on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and is their highest...
". Kurt later duets with Blaine on Neon Trees
Neon Trees
Neon Trees is an American alternative rock band from Provo, Utah, with origins in Murrieta, California. The band received nationwide exposure in late 2008 when they opened several North American tour dates for the rock band The Killers. Not long after, the band was signed by Mercury Records and...
' "Animal
Animal (Neon Trees song)
"Animal" is the lead single from Neon Trees' debut album Habits. It debuted at #100 on the Billboard Hot 100 and has reached a current peak of #13 in its 22nd week on the chart. In Canada, the song debuted at number 95 on the Canadian Hot 100 and has climbed to No. 29...
" and Hey Monday
Hey Monday
Hey Monday is an American rock band from West Palm Beach, Florida, formed in 2008. They released their debut album Hold on Tight in 2008 which produced notable singles "Homecoming" and "How You Love Me Now". The album was followed up with their 2010 EP Beneath It All, which achieved moderate...
's "Candles". Song arrangements were done by Beelzebubs alumnus Ed Boyer, and vocals for all songs were recorded at Q Division Studios
Q Division Studios
Q Division Studios is a recording studio located in Somerville, Massachusetts, United States, at the heart of the Boston area's music scene. Founded in 1986, Q Division was originally located at 443 Albany Street in Boston, but moved to its current two-studio facility in 2000...
in Somerville, with the exception of "Teenage Dream", which was done in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
The album was announced by Criss on March 7, 2011, when he appeared on Live with Regis and Kelly
Live with Regis and Kelly
Live! with Kelly is a syndicated American television morning talk show, hosted by Kelly Ripa. The show has aired since 1983 in New York City and 1988 nationwide. Tony Pigg has been the show's announcer since its inception...
. Its title, front cover, and track listing were revealed in a press release on March 23, 2011, as well as its release date of April 19, 2011. The cover art
Cover art
Cover art is the illustration or photograph on the outside of a published product such as a book , magazine, comic book, video game , DVD, CD, videotape, or music album. The art has a primarily commercial function, i.e...
shows the Warblers' uniform
School uniform
A school uniform is an outfit—a set of standardized clothes—worn primarily for an educational institution. They are common in primary and secondary schools in various countries . When used, they form the basis of a school's dress code.Traditionally school uniforms have been largely subdued and...
, along with the logos of both the glee club and the school. Two covers were arranged and released by the Beelzebubs prior to their involvement with Glee: Destiny's Child
Destiny's Child
Destiny's Child was an American R&B girl group whose final line-up comprised lead singer Beyoncé Knowles alongside Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams. Formed in 1997 in Houston, Texas, Destiny's Child members began their musical endeavors in their pre-teens under the name Girl's Tyme...
's "Bills, Bills, Bills
Bills, Bills, Bills
"Bills, Bills, Bills" is a 1999 hit single by Destiny's Child, released as the first single from their second album The Writing's on the Wall. It echoed the female empowerment sentiments of TLC's single "No Scrubs", and featured the same producer and songwriter...
" and Robin Thicke
Robin Thicke
Robin Charles Thicke is an Award-winning American R&B singer-songwriter, musician, composer, and actor. Thicke's albums, which he previously released under the moniker Thicke, are noted for their feature of a predominantly R&B sound. Robin Thicke has penned hits for popular artists such as...
's "When I Get You Alone
When I Get You Alone
"When I Get You Alone" is the first single by American singer Robin Thicke, released in 2002. It was originally to be featured on his debut album Cherry Blue Skies, before being placed on a revamped version of the album and his first released studio album A Beautiful World.-Writing and...
", which were respectively included on the albums Next (2001) and Pandemonium (2007). Two tracks were never used on the series, and are exclusive to the album: a cover of Barbra Streisand
Barbra Streisand
Barbra Joan Streisand is an American singer, actress, film producer and director. She has won two Academy Awards, eight Grammy Awards, four Emmy Awards, a Special Tony Award, an American Film Institute award, a Peabody Award, and is one of the few entertainers who have won an Oscar, Emmy, Grammy,...
and Barry Gibb
Barry Gibb
Barry Alan Crompton Gibb, CBE , is a singer, songwriter and producer. He was born in the Isle of Man to English parents. With his brothers Robin and Maurice, he formed The Bee Gees, one of the most successful pop groups of all time. The trio got their start in Australia, and found their major...
's "What Kind of Fool
What Kind of Fool
"What Kind of Fool" is the title of a vocal duet from 1981 by singers Barbra Streisand and Barry Gibb. The songwriters for "What Kind of Fool" are Gibb and Albhy Galuten....
" and a cover of Rod Stewart
Rod Stewart
Roderick David "Rod" Stewart, CBE is a British singer-songwriter and musician, born and raised in North London, England and currently residing in Epping. He is of Scottish and English ancestry....
's "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?
Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?
"Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?" is a 1978 hit song for Rod Stewart. It was written by Stewart and Carmine Appice, and produced by Tom Dowd."Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?" spent one week at the top of the British charts in December 1978 and four weeks at the top of the Billboard Hot 100, starting 10 February 1979...
". The former was performed at the 2011 MusiCares Person of the Year
MusiCares Person of the Year
The MusiCares Person of the Year is an award presented annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, the same organization that distributes the Grammy Awards, to commend musicians for their artistic achievement in the music industry and dedication to philanthropy...
gala and the latter was originally intended to appear in the Glee episode "Sexy
Sexy (Glee)
"Sexy" is the fifteenth episode of the second season of the American television series Glee, and the 37th overall. It was written by Brad Falchuk, directed by Ryan Murphy, and premiered on Fox on March 8, 2011. This episode mainly revolves around the topics of sex and adolescent sexuality...
", but did not. "Teenage Dream" was previously included on Glee: The Music, Volume 4, released in November 2010.
Composition
The album features thirteen covers, twelve of which feature a cappella backing from the Beelzebubs. The other, a cover of The BeatlesThe Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
' "Blackbird
Blackbird (song)
"Blackbird" is a Beatles song from the double-disc album The Beatles . Blackbird was written by Paul McCartney, but credited to Lennon–McCartney.-Origins:...
", was sung by Colfer backed by other background vocalists. Though mainly pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
, tracks also fall under several other genres, including rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
, R&B
Contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...
, and hip hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
, and are sometimes reinvented when rearranged. Matt Diahl of the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
described Glee version of "Teenage Dream" as "The Killers meet Sigur Rós
Sigur Rós
Sigur Rós is an Icelandic post-rock band with classicaland minimalist elements. The band is known for its ethereal sound, and frontman Jónsi Birgisson's falsetto vocals and use of bowed guitar. In January 2010, the band announced that they will be on hiatus. Since then, it has since been announced...
meet the Jonas Brothers
Jonas Brothers
The Jonas Brothers are an American boy band. The band gained its popularity from the Disney Channel children's television network. From the shore region of New Jersey, the band consists of three brothers: Paul Kevin Jonas II , Joseph Adam Jonas , and Nicholas Jerry Jonas...
". A cover of Train
Train (band)
Train is an American pop rock band from San Francisco, California, formed in 1994. The band currently comprises a core trio of Patrick Monahan , Jimmy Stafford and Scott Underwood ....
's "Hey, Soul Sister
Hey, Soul Sister
"Hey, Soul Sister" is a song by the American rock band Train, written by Patrick Monahan, Amund Bjørklund, and Espen Lind. It was released as the lead single from the band's fifth studio album, Save Me, San Francisco. The song reached number three on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and is their highest...
", which Diahl noted as similar in sound to a Bruno Mars
Bruno Mars
Peter Gene Hernandez , better known by his stage name Bruno Mars, is an Filipino-American singer-songwriter and record producer. Raised in Honolulu, Hawaii by a family of musicians, Mars began making music at a young age...
song, required overdubbing
Overdubbing
Overdubbing is a technique used by recording studios to add a supplementary recorded sound to a previously recorded performance....
to imitate the sound of a mandolin
Mandolin
A mandolin is a musical instrument in the lute family . It descends from the mandore, a soprano member of the lute family. The mandolin soundboard comes in many shapes—but generally round or teardrop-shaped, sometimes with scrolls or other projections. A mandolin may have f-holes, or a single...
. Other songs on the album also took advantage of overdubbing as well as multitrack recording
Multitrack recording
Multitrack recording is a method of sound recording that allows for the separate recording of multiple sound sources to create a cohesive whole...
to create a sound "larger" than what the Beelzebubs' eleven-member group could accomplish live.
Reception
Professional critics have overall given Glee: The Music Presents the Warblers generally mixed reviews. About.comAbout.com
About.com is an online source for original information and advice. It is written in English, and is aimed primarily at North Americans. It is owned by The New York Times Company....
's Bill Lamb reviewed the album positively, calling it "one of the best Glee collections". Though he called some of the covers "an effort to draw attention with a current pop hit", he applauded some of the other tracks, i.e. "Candles" and Keane's "Somewhere Only We Know
Somewhere Only We Know
"Somewhere Only We Know" is a song performed and composed by English alternative rock band Keane, officially released as their third commercial single, and appearing as the opening track of their debut album, Hopes and Fears as the first single...
", as some of the album's top tracks for featuring songs unfamiliar to a mainstream American audience. Andrew Leahey of Allmusic gave the album a rating of three stars out of a possible five, and felt Colfer's performance on "Blackbird" was lacking in confidence. On the other hand, he greatly admired Criss' versatility as a singer in covering songs from a range of different genres. He also praised the tracks' creative a cappella arrangements, which he felt made them more interesting that those of previous Glee releases. The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe is an American daily newspaper based in Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Globe has been owned by The New York Times Company since 1993...
Nicole Cammorata gave an overall favorable review of Glee: The Music Presents the Warblers: her only negative remark was that she felt Colfer's voice on "Candles" did not work well with the song's high notes. Diehl gave the release two stars out of four and felt that, outside the context of the series, the tracks seemed somewhat over-the-top. "When I Get You Alone", for example, was noted as "too cute" for an urban
Urban contemporary
Urban contemporary is a music radio format. The term was coined by the late New York DJ Frankie Crocker in the mid 1970s. Urban contemporary radio stations feature a playlist made up entirely of hip hop/rap, contemporary R&B, pop, electronica such as dubstep and drum and bass and Caribbean music...
song. Thomas Conner from The Chicago Sun-Times also gave the album two out of four stars, stating, "over the course of 13 tracks the Warblers' gimmick just as often degrades into laughable self-parody." David Burger of The Salt Lake Tribune
The Salt Lake Tribune
The Salt Lake Tribune is the largest-circulated daily newspaper in the U.S. city of Salt Lake City. It is distributed by Newspaper Agency Corporation, which also distributes the Deseret News. The Tribune — or "Trib," as it is locally known — is currently owned by the Denver-based MediaNews Group....
enjoyed the a cappella songs in contrast to the series' conventional material, which he felt was "over-produced and over-orchestrated".
Commercial performance
The album debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
and number one on 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...
Soundtracks chart, selling 86,000 copies in its first week. This marked the second-lowest opening sales figure for a Glee release, next to the extended play
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
Glee: The Music, The Rocky Horror Glee Show
Glee: The Music, The Rocky Horror Glee Show
-Credits and personnel:Persons responsible for the project are as follows.*Adam Anders – arranger; engineer; producer; soundtrack producer; vocals*Alex Anders – engineer*Nikki Anders – vocals*Peer Åström – arranger; engineer; mixing; producer...
, though it was the highest charting album on the Billboard 200 from the show's second season, and the next soundtrack release, Glee: The Music, Volume 6
Glee: The Music, Volume 6
Glee: The Music, Volume 6 is the eighth soundtrack album by the cast of the American musical television series Glee, released on May 23, 2011 through the Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation and Columbia Records...
, would sell 6,000 fewer copies in its first week. The Warblers album sold 28,000 copies in its second week. On the Canadian
Canadian Albums Chart
The Canadian Albums Chart is the official album sales chart in Canada. It is compiled every Wednesday by U.S.-based music sales tracking company Nielsen Soundscan, and published every Thursday by Jam! Canoe and Billboard, along with its sister charts the Canadian Singles Chart and the Canadian BDS...
and Australian Albums Charts, the album debuted at numbers five and six, respectively. In New Zealand, Glee: The Music Presents the Warblers debuted at number eleven. The album peaked at number forty-one on the Mexican charts. Meanwhile, the Beelzebubs have seen their releases undergo a four-fold increase in average sales per month.
Promotion
The first eleven tracks from the album were released as singlesSingle (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
, available for digital download
Music download
A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment...
over the course of the season. "Teenage Dream" debuted at number eight on 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...
on the week of November 27, 2010. It was the best-selling song in the US that week, selling 214,000 copies, the largest figure for a Glee title, and has sold over 500,000 copies to date, having been certified a gold single on of July 13, 2011. The single also charted at number ten in Canada, eighteen in Ireland, twenty-four in Australia, and thirty-six in the United Kingdom. Three other covers from the album have become top 40 hits on the Billboard Hot 100: "Hey, Soul Sister", Pink
Pink (singer)
Alecia Beth Moore , better known by her stage name Pink , is an American singer-songwriter, musician and actress....
's "Raise Your Glass
Raise Your Glass
"Raise Your Glass" is a song by American recording artist and songwriter Pink, released as the lead single of her first compilation album, Greatest Hits... So Far!!!...
", and "Blackbird", at numbers 29, 36, and 37, respectively. The cover of "Blackbird" marks the first time the song has charted on the Hot 100. "Hey, Soul Sister" also became a top 40 hit in both Canada and the UK. Altogether, tracks by the Warblers have sold over 1.3 million copies.
"Teenage Dream" was performed by Criss and the Warblers on December 5, 2010, for Trevor Live, an annual fundraising event by The Trevor Project
The Trevor Project
The Trevor Project is an American non-profit organization founded in 1998 and the leading national organization focused on suicide prevention efforts among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning youth. Through a toll-free telephone number, it operates The Trevor Lifeline, a...
, and they were joined by Perry herself mid-song. It was later performed on The Ellen DeGeneres Show
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
The Ellen DeGeneres Show, often shortened to Ellen, is an American television talk show hosted by comedian/actress Ellen DeGeneres. Debuting on September 8, 2003, it is produced by Telepictures and airs in syndication, including stations owned by NBC Universal. For its first five seasons, the show...
on April 22, 2011. Criss has also performed several songs solo: "Teenage Dream" for 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...
and "Silly Love Songs
Silly Love Songs
Silly Love Songs is a song written by Paul and Linda McCartney and performed by Wings. The song appeared on the 1976 album, Wings at the Speed of Sound. It was also released as a single in 1976. The US single was released on 1 April 1976 and reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. The UK single was...
" by Wings
Wings (band)
Wings were a British-American rock group formed in 1971 by Paul McCartney, Denny Laine and Linda McCartney that remained active until 1981....
on Live with Regis and Kelly. He later stopped by Rolling Stone a second time to perform three other songs from the album. On April 19, 2011, Criss and the Warblers performed "Hey, Soul Sister" and "Raise Your Glass" on Today in promotion of the album. Criss and the Warblers were added to the 2011 concert tour, Glee Live! In Concert!
Glee Live! In Concert!
Glee Live! In Concert! is a concert tour performed in character by members of the cast of the popular television series, Glee. The tour, created by series creator Ryan Murphy was designed due to the overwhelming response to the series. The show reached North America, the United Kingdom and Ireland...
, for both the four-week North American leg starting on May 21, and the ensuing leg in England and Ireland ending July 3.
Track listing
Personnel
Credits adapted from Allmusic.- Adam AndersAdam AndersAdam Anders is a music producer who has sold more than 60 million albums and developed songs for motion pictures and television programs.Anders’ work has earned him Grammy Award nominations, a People’s Choice Award and two Golden Globe Awards...
– arranger, engineerAudio engineeringAn audio engineer, also called audio technician, audio technologist or sound technician, is a specialist in a skilled trade that deals with the use of machinery and equipment for the recording, mixing and reproduction of sounds. The field draws on many artistic and vocational areas, including...
, producerRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, soundtrack producer, vocal arrangementArrangementThe American Federation of Musicians defines arranging as "the art of preparing and adapting an already written composition for presentation in other than its original form. An arrangement may include reharmonization, paraphrasing, and/or development of a composition, so that it fully represents...
, vocals - Alex Anders – engineer
- Nikki Anders – vocals
- Carmine AppiceCarmine AppiceCarmine Appice is an American rock drummer of Italian background and is the older brother of drummer Vinny Appice by 12 years. He received a classical music training and was influenced by the jazz drumming of Buddy Rich and Gene Krupa early on...
– composerSongwriterA songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer... - Peer ÅströmPeer ÅströmPeer Åström Peer Åström Peer Åström (born in Ljusdal, Sweden is a Swedish composer, lyricist, musician and record producer and partner with Anders Bagge. The two songwriters / producers are known as Bagge & Peer. They have together written and produced songs for Lara Fabian, Celine Dion, Madonna,...
– arranger, engineer, mixingAudio mixing (recorded music)In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may...
, producer, programmingProgramming (music)Programming is a form of music production and performance using electronic devices, often sequencers or computer programs, to generate music. Programming is used in nearly all forms of electronic music and in most hip hop music since the 1990s. It is also frequently used in modern pop and rock...
, soundtrack producer - Shoshana Bean – vocals
- Dave Bett – art direction
- Amund Bjørklund – composer
- PJ Bloom – music supervisor
- Ed Boyer – arranger, engineer, mixing, vocal arrangement
- Kevin "She'kspere" Briggs – composer
- Kandi BurrussKandi BurrussKandi Burruss , better known by her stage names Kandi or Kandi Girl, is an American R&B singer-songwriter and record producer. She is also a former member of the group Xscape from Atlanta.-Early life:...
– composer - Geoff Bywater – executive in charge of musicMusic executiveA music executive or record executive is person within a record label who works in senior management, making executive decisions over the label's artists...
- Sam Cantor – group member
- Jesse CarmichaelJesse CarmichaelJesse Carmichael is an American musician who is the keyboardist for Maroon 5....
– composer - Josh Cheuse – art direction
- Deyder Cintron – assistant engineer
- Chris ColferChris ColferChristopher Paul "Chris" Colfer is an American actor and singer known for his portrayal of Kurt Hummel on the television series Glee, for which he won a 2011 Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor and was also nominated twice for an Emmy...
– group member - Darren CrissDarren CrissDarren Everett Criss is an American actor, singer-songwriter, musician, composer, and a founding member and co-owner of the theater company StarKid Productions. He currently portrays Blaine Anderson, an openly gay high school student, on the FOX television series Glee...
– group member - Tim Davis – vocal contractor, vocals
- Dante Di LoretoDante Di LoretoDante Di Loreto is an American writer and producer, best known for executive producing the 20th Century Fox series Glee.-Career:Prior to joining Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk to create Glee, Di Loreto produced several shows for cable and broadcast television as well as a selection of films...
– soundtrack executive producer - Brad FalchukBrad FalchukBrad Falchuk is a television writer, director and producer. He is best known for his work on the television series Nip/Tuck, Glee, and American Horror Story.-Early life:...
– soundtrack executive producer - Tommy FaragherTommy FaragherTommy Faragher is an American producer, composer, songwriter, singer, and arranger. He is originally from Redlands, California.-Performer:Tommy Faragher started his career as a singer and keyboardist with his family, who formed a group called The Faragher Brothers...
– producer, soundtrack producer, vocal arrangement - Conor Flynn – group member
- Steve Flynn – assistant engineer
- Albhy GalutenAlbhy GalutenAlbhy Galuten is a Grammy Award-winning American record producer, composer, musician, orchestrator and technology executive.He produced 18 number 1 singles with songs and albums selling over 100,000,000 copies...
– composer - Mike Gentile – composer
- Lukasz "Dr. Luke" Gottwald – composer
- Michael Grant – group member
- Heather Guibert – coordination
- Duane Hitchings – composer
- Sam HollanderSam HollanderSam Hollander is an American songwriter and record producer. He has written and/or produced hits for the likes of Train, Boys Like Girls, Gym Class Heroes, Good Charlotte, Carole King, Neon Trees, Cobra Starship, 3OH!3, Coheed and Cambria, All Time Low, Metro Station, We The Kings, O.A.R., Uncle...
– composer - Fredrik Jansson – assistant engineer
- Beyoncé KnowlesBeyoncé KnowlesBeyoncé Giselle Knowles , often known simply as Beyoncé, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, she enrolled in various performing arts schools and was first exposed to singing and dancing competitions as a child...
– composer - Alexander Koutzoukis – engineer
- Charlie Kramsky – assistant engineer
- John Kwon – group member
- Storm Lee – vocals
- John LennonJohn LennonJohn Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
– composer
- Benjamin Levin – composer
- Adam LevineAdam LevineAdam Noah Levine is an American singer-songwriter and musician, best known as the front man and guitarist for the pop rock band Maroon 5. He is also a coach on the American talent show The Voice.-Early life:...
– composer - Fernando Lodeiro – assistant engineer
- David Loucks – vocals
- LeToya LuckettLeToya LuckettLeToya Nicole Luckett , known professionally as LeToya, is an American R&B singer-songwriter and actress. She was a member of the R&B group Destiny's Child, with whom she won two Grammy Awards and released many successful commercial recordings.After signing a record deal with Capitol Records, she's...
– composer - John Lukason – engineer
- Meaghan Lyons – coordination
- Cailin Mackenzie – group member
- Michael Madden – composer
- Dominick Maita – masteringAudio masteringMastering, a form of audio post-production, is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device ; the source from which all copies will be produced...
- Kent McCann – engineer, group member
- Linda McCartneyLinda McCartneyLinda Louise McCartney, Lady McCartney was an American photographer, musician and animal rights activist. Her father and mother were Lee Eastman and Louise Sara Lindner Eastman....
– composer - Paul McCartneyPaul McCartneySir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
– composer - Pat Monahan – composer
- Eric Morrissey – group member
- Ryan Murphy – producer, soundtrack producer
- Jeanette Olsson – vocals
- Tim Rice-OxleyTim Rice-OxleyTimothy James Rice-Oxley , is an English multi-instrumentalist, best known as co-founder, the principal composer and pianist, backing vocalist of piano rock band Keane.-Life and career:...
– composer - Tim Pagnotta – composer
- Katy PerryKaty PerryKaty Perry is an American singer, songwriter and actress. Born in Santa Barbara, California, and raised by Christian pastor parents, Perry grew up listening to only gospel music and sang in her local church as a child. After earning a GED during her first year of high school, she began to pursue a...
– composer - Roni Pillischer – assistant engineer
- Evan Powell – group member
- Nicole Ray – production coordination
- Penn Rosen – group member
- Kelly RowlandKelly RowlandKelendria Trene "Kelly" Rowland is an American singer, songwriter, actress, dancer, and television personality. She rose to fame as one of the founding members of the American girl group Destiny's Child...
– composer - Johan Schuster – composer
- Eli Seidman – group member
- Onitsha Shaw – vocals
- Jenny Sinclair – coordination
- Bryan Smith – engineer, mixing
- Robert L. Smith – engineer, mixing
- Sally Stevens – vocal contractor
- Rod StewartRod StewartRoderick David "Rod" Stewart, CBE is a British singer-songwriter and musician, born and raised in North London, England and currently residing in Epping. He is of Scottish and English ancestry....
– composer - Robin ThickeRobin ThickeRobin Charles Thicke is an Award-winning American R&B singer-songwriter, musician, composer, and actor. Thicke's albums, which he previously released under the moniker Thicke, are noted for their feature of a predominantly R&B sound. Robin Thicke has penned hits for popular artists such as...
– composer - Jack Thomas – group member
- Miranda Penn Turin – photographyPhotographyPhotography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
- Windy Wagner – vocals
- Seth Waldmann – engineer, mixing
- Eric Weaver – assistant engineer
Note: the term "group member" refers to the singers of the Tufts Beelzebubs, who voiced the Warblers, plus Darren Criss and Chris Colfer, who sang lead.
External links
- Glee: The Music Presents the Warblers at GleeTheMusic.com
- Glee: The Music Presents the Warblers at Allmusic