Grand National is the fourth album by the John Butler Trio

John Butler Trio

The John Butler Trio are an eclectic roots and jam band from Australia led by guitarist and vocalist John Butler. They formed in Fremantle in 1998 with Jason McGann on drums and Gavin Shoesmith on bass guitar...

. Somewhere between 22 to 25 songs were considered for this album, some created during or before Sunrise Over Sea

Sunrise over Sea

Sunrise Over Sea is the third album of The John Butler Trio and the fifth featuring John Butler. It was released in March 2004.- Conception and production :...

.

To date, it is the John Butler Trio's most ambitious work, containing many more instruments than previously seen on their albums, including a whole strings and horn section on some songs, with numerous percussion instruments for many more.

Butler, having previously tried to self-produce the album, called upon Mario Caldato Jr.

Mario Caldato Jr.

Mario Caldato, Jr. is a Brazilian record producer and studio engineer best known for his work with the Beastie Boys and Tone Loc. Born February 24, 1961 in São Paulo, Brazil, he and his family moved to Los Angeles in 1963...

 (Beastie Boys

Beastie Boys

Beastie Boys are an American hip hop trio from New York City. The group consists of Mike D who plays the drums, MCA who plays the bass, and Ad-Rock who plays the guitar....

, Tone Loc

Tone Loc

Anthony Terrell Smith , better known by his stage name Tone Lōc, is an American rapper and actor.-Early life and career:...

) to assist.

The album reached number one on the ARIA Albums Chart and the Billboard Heatseekers chart in the US, and as of 10 March 2008 it has reached triple Platinum Status (210,000+ copies sold). Grand National was the 7th highest selling album in Australia in 2007, remaining in the ARIA top 20 album charts for over nine months.

The title of the album is derived from the antique dobro

Dobro

Dobro 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...

 resphonic guitar that Butler inherited from his grandfather. In the 1920s the Dobro and National were competitors in the development of resonator or resophonic guitars

Resonator guitar

A resonator guitar or resophonic guitar is an acoustic guitar whose sound is produced by one or more spun metal cones instead of the wooden sound board . Resonator guitars were originally designed to be louder than conventional acoustic guitars which were overwhelmed by horns and percussion...

, in 1934 they merged to form the National-Dobro Corporation, and hence the name of the album.

Track listing

All music and lyrics written and arranged by John Butler.

The following tracklisting and song times are from the official release:

1. "Better Than
   Better Than
   "Better Than" is an alternative rock single/extended play by Australian jam band The John Butler Trio from their fourth studio album, Grand National...
   
   " – 3:29
2. "Daniella" – 4:16
3. "Funky Tonight
   Funky Tonight
   "Funky Tonight" is the first single by the John Butler Trio from their fourth studio album, Grand National. It was released in December, 2006, on Jarrah Records. The song blends funk, roots, blues, and rock...
   
   " – 5:27
4. "Caroline" – 3:48
5. "Good Excuse
   Good Excuse
   "Good Excuse" is a promotional only release by Australian jam band, The John Butler Trio from their fourth studio album Grand National."Good Excuse" was released in March 2007 in Australia by Jarrah Records and in the United States by Atlantic Records....
   
   " – 3:26
6. "Used to Get High
   Used to Get High
   "Used to Get High" is a radio promotional single by Australian jam band, The John Butler Trio from their fourth studio album Grand National. It was released by Jarrah Records in November 2007...
   
   " – 4:28
7. "Gov Did Nothin'" – 8:04
8. "Groovin' Slowly" – 4:32
9. "Devil Running" – 4:49
10. "Losing You" – 3:47
11. "Nowhere Man" – 3:21
12. "Fire in the Sky" – 5:36
13. "Gonna Take It" – 4:44

The following tracks were including on the limited-edition vinyl version of the record:

1. "Good as Gone"
2. "Recognise Me" (also released as bonus track on iTunes Deluxe Album)
3. "Ain't That Just the Way"
4. "Thou Shalt Not Steal" (also released as bonus track on iTunes Deluxe Album, and previously recorded for the Kev Carmody
   Kev Carmody
   Kevin Daniel "Kev" Carmody is an Indigenous Australian singer-songwriter. His song "From Little Things Big Things Grow" was recorded with co-writer Paul Kelly for their 1993 single; it was covered by the Get Up Mob in 2008 and peaked at #4 on the Australian Recording Industry Association singles...
   
    tribute album Cannot Buy My Soul)

Personnel

• John Butler
  John Butler (musician)
  John Charles Wiltshire-Butler or John Charles Butler is an Australian musician, songwriter, record label owner and producer...
  
   - Vocals, Acoustic/amplified open back banjo, 12-string, 6-string, resonator lapsteel, and Weissonborn lapsteel guitars, Baritone tricone resonator guitar, Nylon string acoustic guitar, Banjo, Mouth harp, Harmonica, Ukelele (track 8), Yidaki (Didgeridoo) & Electric guitar (track 9)
• Shannon Birchall
  Shannon Birchall
  Shannon Birchall is an Australian born musician, probably best known as the bassist for jam band the John Butler Trio. Birchall is often labeled a virtuoso by different music experts. He is also known for composing and conducting the string sections of the John Butler Trio's...
  
   - Backing vocals, Double bass, Electric bass guitar, Violin and string section composition and arrangement (track 4)
• Michael Barker
  Michael Barker (drummer)
  Michael Barker is a New Zealand percussion musician best known for performing with many Australasian acts, including The John Butler Trio and Split Enz.-Early musical education:...
  
   - Backing vocals, Drums, Shakers, Tambourine, Glockenspiel, Marimba, Congas, Timbale, Cow Bell, Timpani, Vibraphone, Tubular Bell, Crotale, Vibraslap, Kalimba, Tongue drum, Clave, Cabassa, Bongos, Triangle, Beat Box (track 2)

• Danielle Caruana - Backing vocals (tracks 2, 7, 11)
• Meng Jones - Beat Box (2)
• Chad Hedley - Turntables (2)
• Money Mark
  Money Mark
  Mark Ramos-Nishita aka Money Mark is a producer and musician who has collaborated with the Beastie Boys many times. He also appears on the first Banyan album in 1997 as the "Freeway Keyboardist".-Career:...
  
   - Clavinet (2)
• Bobby Singh - Tabla (2, 9, 12)
• Michael Caruana - Piano and B3 Hammond (5), Wurlitzer (7, 8)
• Ray Pereira - Talking drum (7)
• Jex Saarelaht - Piano (7), Hammond organ (9)
• Vika Bull
  Vika and Linda
  Vika and Linda Bull are a sister vocal duo who came to prominence after being asked to sing backing vocals in Joe Camilleri's band The Black Sorrows.-Biography:...
  
   - Backing vocals (7, 8)
• Linda Bull
  Vika and Linda
  Vika and Linda Bull are a sister vocal duo who came to prominence after being asked to sing backing vocals in Joe Camilleri's band The Black Sorrows.-Biography:...
  
   - Backing vocals (7, 8)
• Stacia Goninon - Backing vocals, chants & claps (7)
• Jesse Goninon - Backing vocals, chants & claps (7)
• Nicky Bomba
  Nicky Bomba
  Nicholas Caruana aka Nicky Bomba is an Australian musician and singer. He is the frontman of his band Bomba as well as the drummer and percussionist of John Butler Trio and has also performed with several other artists. He is also a solo artist.-Biography:Bomba's family migrated to Australia late...
  
   - Backing vocals, chants & claps (7), Police skank (8)

Strings section on "Caroline":

• Charlotte Armstrong - Violin
• Aaron Barndon - Violin
• Andrea Keeble - Violin
• Jane Mason - Violin
• Sue Simpson - Violin
• Stephanie Thom - Violin
• Michelle John - Cello
• Helen Mountford - Cello
• Caerwen Martin - Cello
• Jason Bunn - Viola
• Erkki Veltheim - Viola
• Sharni Williams - Viola

Horns section on "Gov Did Nothin'":

• Eugene Ball
  Eugene Ball
  Eugene Ball is an Australian jazz music composer and acclaimed trumpeter who won the best Australian jazz composition award for Fool Poet's Portion in 2008....
  
   - Trumpet
• Mark Elton - Tuba
• Ben Gillespie - Trombone
• Cam Robbins - Clarinet

Singles

• "Funky Tonight
  Funky Tonight
  "Funky Tonight" is the first single by the John Butler Trio from their fourth studio album, Grand National. It was released in December, 2006, on Jarrah Records. The song blends funk, roots, blues, and rock...
  
  " was released as the first Australian single (December 2006)
• "Good Excuse
  Good Excuse
  "Good Excuse" is a promotional only release by Australian jam band, The John Butler Trio from their fourth studio album Grand National."Good Excuse" was released in March 2007 in Australia by Jarrah Records and in the United States by Atlantic Records....
  
  " was released as the second Australian single (March 2007)
• "Better Than
  Better Than
  "Better Than" is an alternative rock single/extended play by Australian jam band The John Butler Trio from their fourth studio album, Grand National...
  
  " was released on 20 February 2007 as an online single in the United States, available via iTunes
  ITunes Store
  The iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
  
   and later in Australia as a CD single in August 2007 and it served as the third single in Australia.
• "Used to Get High
  Used to Get High
  "Used to Get High" is a radio promotional single by Australian jam band, The John Butler Trio from their fourth studio album Grand National. It was released by Jarrah Records in November 2007...
  
  " was released as a radio promotional fourth single in Australia (November 2007).

Other songs recorded during Grand National sessions

Before the official track list was released, these tracks were considered for the album, but were left out of the final cut.

• "Good As Gone" (released on the Funky Tonight single)
• "Recognize Me" (released as bonus with iTunes pre-order)
• "Waited For You"
• "Feel Forever"
• "The Frame"
• "Happy Home"
• "On This Sad Day"
• "Start Again"
• "These Chords"
• "Tomorrow"
• "All Night Long"