Over the Rainbow (Connie Talbot album)
Encyclopedia
Over the Rainbow is Connie Talbot
's debut album, released 26 November 2007 by Rainbow Recording Company. It received poor reviews from critics and peaked at #35 on the British charts. Despite this, additional copies of the album had to be pressed after sales were higher than expected. Most of the album's recording was done in a spare room in the house of Talbot's aunt, in an attempt to preserve her childhood by not interrupting her regular activities. Although initially public appearances were kept to a minimum, Talbot did make appearances to promote the album, and performed in public several times after the British release. She later toured Asia in support of the album. Over the Rainbow achieved more success on the Asian charts, reaching number one in Taiwan, South Korea and Hong Kong.
Over the Rainbow was rereleased on 18 June 2008 with an updated tracklist, replacing some of the Christmas themed tracks
with more general covers. The first single from the album, "Three Little Birds," was released in June 2008, and a music video for the song was shot in Jamaica. On 14 October, the album was released in the U.S., appearing on several Billboard
charts. Talbot visited the U.S. to promote the album, appearing on national television.
, who currently manages Gabrielle
and Billy Ocean
, and Marc Marot, former managing director of Island Records
. It was produced and mixed by Simon Hill and Rob May. A recording schedule was worked out so Talbot could continue with her normal school activities while recording the album in her aunt Vicky's spare bedroom, which her mother described as "a better solution [than Sony BMG] which has not robbed her of her childhood". Talbot said that "it was just amazing that we could do it in my auntie's house". Arnison and Marot asked the Talbot family to "write down a list of the songs that Connie would sing at her birthday party" to help choose the track listing, and then "thought long and hard" about including more adult songs on the album. Talbot herself insisted that they should. The final version of Over the Rainbow was recorded at Olympic Studios, on 12 October 2007. Arnison described the recording process, saying that Talbot "hadn't sung nursery rhymes; she'd always sung classic tracks. So it was actually quite an easy task to make the record." The album was released on 26 November 2007, with an initial pressing of 50,000 copies. However, an additional 120,000 had to be pressed after the album sold out in days. The album was released in the U.S. on 14th October 2008.
Over the Rainbow was rereleased on 18 June 2008, and was available for preorder in May, with three new tracks to replace the Christmas-themed songs on the original album. The new tracks were made available from Talbot's official website so that those who bought the original need not buy the rerelease. Talbot's song "Three Little Birds", a cover of the Bob Marley
song of the same name
, was released as a single on 10 June 2008, and a music video was shot in Jamaica
to for the release. The album was released in the U.S. on 14 October, and Talbot travelled to America with her family to publicise it. Talbot's cover of "I Will Always Love You" was released as a single in the U.S. on 7 April, along with a newly recorded "You Raise Me Up".
Although Arnison claimed he did not "want to put [Talbot] through the promotional grind which most artists go through because she is too young", Talbot made several public appearances after the album release. These included headlining the Great Bridge
Christmas and Winter Festival, which local police threatened to cancel unless crowds clamouring to reach the tent in which Talbot was performing could be brought under control. At the event, on 7 December 2007, Talbot was quoted as saying "I love it here, it’s brilliant, really fun" but she had to be ushered off-stage by the police. Talbot performed publicly in Walsall's HMV
store, and in Birmingham
's Centenary Square
. TV appearances included GMTV
and Channel 5 news, both on the day of the album's release.
In April and May 2008, Talbot toured Asia to promote Over the Rainbow. Asian press attributed her success to her videos on YouTube
, with the Sun.Star
mentioning that her most viewed video had been watched over 14 million times, and The Straits Times
saying that videos of Talbot's performances have been watched over 30 million times. The tour made stops in South Korea, Taiwan
, Hong Kong and Singapore
, and Talbot and her family returned to England in late May. News that Talbot was to release the album in the U.S. resulted in attention from American press sources including Fox Business Network
and MarketWatch
. Kerri Mason, writing for Reuters
, described Talbot's videos as "viral
", and added that she had been watched on YouTube over 46 million times. Talbot travelled to the U.S. for a promotional tour to coincide with the release, where she performed on The Ellen DeGeneres Show
, appeared as a guest on The Oprah Winfrey Show
, and appeared in Los Angeles, Philadelphia, New York City and Washington D.C.. Following the television appearances, sales of the album were boosted in the U.S.. Talbot again travelled to the U.S. to promote her single "I Will Always Love You" on 30 April 2009, and is due to return on the 2 May. Appearances have included a performance on Good Day New York
on Fox Broadcasting Company
's WNYW
.
, said in a review of the album that Talbot had a "sweet, pure voice", but that there is "no nuance or depth to her performance". However, he said that "There's something inherently wrong about awarding a star rating to a seven-year-old", and that "the decidedly adult concept of musical merit should have nothing to do with [her music]", rating the album 2/5. Reviewers in the Harlow Star also commented on her age, saying "There's no doubt she's a sweet little girl with a nice voice, but surely there's something inherently wrong with thrusting a child into the limelight at such a young age?" Rashvin Bedi, writing for Malaysian newspaper The Star
, praised the album, saying that "Connie sings with ease and manages the high notes admirably", but asked whether "people would buy an album of the same songs sung by a 20-year-old girl".
on daytime television programme This Morning
. Following Talbot's tour of Asia, it was reported that the album had reached number one on the charts in Taiwan, South Korea and Hong Kong, as well as reaching number three in Singapore. The album has gone platinum in Taiwan and Hong Kong, and double platinum in Korea, selling 30,000 copies. In the U.S., the album appeared on three charts. It featured on the Top Heatseekers
for nine weeks, peaking at number 7, on the Kid Albums
for four weeks, peaking at number 8, and on Top Independent Albums
for one week, at number 43.
Connie Talbot
Connie Talbot is an English child singer from Streetly, Aldridge, in the Metropolitan Borough of Walsall, West Midlands. She rose to fame in 2007 when she reached the final of the television talent show Britain's Got Talent, where she was runner-up to Paul Potts...
's debut album, released 26 November 2007 by Rainbow Recording Company. It received poor reviews from critics and peaked at #35 on the British charts. Despite this, additional copies of the album had to be pressed after sales were higher than expected. Most of the album's recording was done in a spare room in the house of Talbot's aunt, in an attempt to preserve her childhood by not interrupting her regular activities. Although initially public appearances were kept to a minimum, Talbot did make appearances to promote the album, and performed in public several times after the British release. She later toured Asia in support of the album. Over the Rainbow achieved more success on the Asian charts, reaching number one in Taiwan, South Korea and Hong Kong.
Over the Rainbow was rereleased on 18 June 2008 with an updated tracklist, replacing some of the Christmas themed tracks
Christmas music
Christmas music comprises a variety of genres of music normally performed or heard around the Christmas season, which tends to begin in the months leading up the actual holiday and end in the weeks shortly thereafter.-Early:...
with more general covers. The first single from the album, "Three Little Birds," was released in June 2008, and a music video for the song was shot in Jamaica. On 14 October, the album was released in the U.S., appearing on several 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...
charts. Talbot visited the U.S. to promote the album, appearing on national television.
Recording and release
After briefly recording with Sony BMG, Talbot was signed to Rainbow Recording Company, an offshoot of Rhythm Riders made specifically for her. To produce Over the Rainbow, Talbot worked with John ArnisonJohn Arnison
John Arnison is an English music manager and producer. Acts he has managed include Marillion, Gabrielle, Billy Ocean, Aswad, MN8, Charles & Eddie and Yusuf Islam . He is currently working with Marc Marot, who was previously the managing director of Island records.-References:...
, who currently manages Gabrielle
Gabrielle (singer)
Louisa Gabrielle Bobb is a multi-platinum selling, BRIT Award winning English singer, who records under the name Gabrielle. Gabrielle began her career temping during the day and singing for free in London clubs at night...
and Billy Ocean
Billy Ocean
Billy Ocean is a Trinidad-born English Grammy Award winning popular music performer who had a string of rhythm and blues international pop hits in the 1970s and 1980s. He was the most popular British-based R&B singer / songwriter of the early to mid-1980s...
, and Marc Marot, former managing director of Island Records
Island Records
Island Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group...
. It was produced and mixed by Simon Hill and Rob May. A recording schedule was worked out so Talbot could continue with her normal school activities while recording the album in her aunt Vicky's spare bedroom, which her mother described as "a better solution [than Sony BMG] which has not robbed her of her childhood". Talbot said that "it was just amazing that we could do it in my auntie's house". Arnison and Marot asked the Talbot family to "write down a list of the songs that Connie would sing at her birthday party" to help choose the track listing, and then "thought long and hard" about including more adult songs on the album. Talbot herself insisted that they should. The final version of Over the Rainbow was recorded at Olympic Studios, on 12 October 2007. Arnison described the recording process, saying that Talbot "hadn't sung nursery rhymes; she'd always sung classic tracks. So it was actually quite an easy task to make the record." The album was released on 26 November 2007, with an initial pressing of 50,000 copies. However, an additional 120,000 had to be pressed after the album sold out in days. The album was released in the U.S. on 14th October 2008.
Over the Rainbow was rereleased on 18 June 2008, and was available for preorder in May, with three new tracks to replace the Christmas-themed songs on the original album. The new tracks were made available from Talbot's official website so that those who bought the original need not buy the rerelease. Talbot's song "Three Little Birds", a cover of the Bob Marley
Bob Marley
Robert Nesta "Bob" Marley, OM was a Jamaican singer-songwriter and musician. He was the rhythm guitarist and lead singer for the ska, rocksteady and reggae band Bob Marley & The Wailers...
song of the same name
Three Little Birds
"Three Little Birds" is a song by Bob Marley & The Wailers. It is the fourth track on side two of their 1977 album Exodus and was released as a single in 1980. The song reached the Top 20 in the UK, peaking at number 17. It is one of Bob Marley's most popular songs. The song has been covered by...
, was released as a single on 10 June 2008, and a music video was shot in Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
to for the release. The album was released in the U.S. on 14 October, and Talbot travelled to America with her family to publicise it. Talbot's cover of "I Will Always Love You" was released as a single in the U.S. on 7 April, along with a newly recorded "You Raise Me Up".
Publicity
Great Bridge, West Midlands
Great Bridge is a village in the Metropolitan Borough of Sandwell. It is situated in Tipton, near the border of West Bromwich, and it is within the metropolitan county of the West Midlands.-Origins and history:...
Christmas and Winter Festival, which local police threatened to cancel unless crowds clamouring to reach the tent in which Talbot was performing could be brought under control. At the event, on 7 December 2007, Talbot was quoted as saying "I love it here, it’s brilliant, really fun" but she had to be ushered off-stage by the police. Talbot performed publicly in Walsall's HMV
HMV
His Master's Voice is a trademark in the music business, and for many years was the name of a large record label. The name was coined in 1899 as the title of a painting of the dog Nipper listening to a wind-up gramophone...
store, and in Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
's Centenary Square
Centenary Square
Centenary Square is a public square on Broad Street in central Birmingham, England, named in 1989 in celebration of the centenary of Birmingham achieving city status in 1889....
. TV appearances included GMTV
GMTV
GMTV was the national Channel 3 breakfast television contractor, broadcasting in the United Kingdom from 1 January 1993 to 3 September 2010. It became a wholly owned subsidiary of ITV plc. in November 2009. Shortly after, ITV plc announced the programme would end...
and Channel 5 news, both on the day of the album's release.
In April and May 2008, Talbot toured Asia to promote Over the Rainbow. Asian press attributed her success to her videos on YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
, with the Sun.Star
Sun.Star
Sun.Star is a major English-language newspaper in the Philippines. The newspaper is based in Cebu City and is the only major national Philippine newspaper outside Metro Manila....
mentioning that her most viewed video had been watched over 14 million times, and The Straits Times
The Straits Times
The Straits Times is an English language daily broadsheet newspaper based in Singapore currently owned by Singapore Press Holdings . It is the country's highest-selling paper, with a current daily circulation of nearly 400,000...
saying that videos of Talbot's performances have been watched over 30 million times. The tour made stops in South Korea, Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
, Hong Kong and Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, and Talbot and her family returned to England in late May. News that Talbot was to release the album in the U.S. resulted in attention from American press sources including Fox Business Network
Fox Business Network
Fox Business Network is an American cable news and satellite news television channel that began broadcasting on October 15, 2007. It is owned by the Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation...
and MarketWatch
MarketWatch
MarketWatch operates a financial information website that provides business news, analysis and stock market data to some 6 million people. MarketWatch offers personal finance news and advice, tools for investors and access to industry research. Along with its flagship website, the company operates...
. Kerri Mason, writing for Reuters
Reuters
Reuters is a news agency headquartered in New York City. Until 2008 the Reuters news agency formed part of a British independent company, Reuters Group plc, which was also a provider of financial market data...
, described Talbot's videos as "viral
Viral video
A viral video is one that becomes popular through the process of Internet sharing, typically through video sharing websites, social media and email...
", and added that she had been watched on YouTube over 46 million times. Talbot travelled to the U.S. for a promotional tour to coincide with the release, where she 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...
, appeared as a guest on The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show is an American syndicated talk show hosted and produced by its namesake Oprah Winfrey. It ran nationally for 25 seasons beginning in 1986, before concluding in 2011. It is the highest-rated talk show in American television history....
, and appeared in Los Angeles, Philadelphia, New York City and Washington D.C.. Following the television appearances, sales of the album were boosted in the U.S.. Talbot again travelled to the U.S. to promote her single "I Will Always Love You" on 30 April 2009, and is due to return on the 2 May. Appearances have included a performance on Good Day New York
Good Day New York
Good Day New York is a weekday morning news and entertainment feature show which airs on WNYW, the New York City flagship television station of the News Corporation-owned Fox Broadcasting Company...
on Fox Broadcasting Company
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...
's WNYW
WNYW
WNYW, virtual channel 5 , is the flagship television station of the News Corporation-owned Fox Broadcasting Company, located in New York City. The station's transmitter is atop the Empire State Building and its studio facilities are located in the Yorkville section of Manhattan...
.
Critical reception
The album was received mostly negatively by critics. Sharon Mawer, of Allmusic, praised Over the Rainbow by saying "[Talbot] can sing, for a seven year old, and most of the notes (if not all of them) are in the right order and sung to the right pitch; the timing is fine too". However, she criticised the album, saying "there's no feeling, no emotion, no realization of what each song is about; they're just pretty little songs", giving the album 2/5. Nick Levine, of Digital SpyDigital Spy
Digital Spy is a British entertainment and media news website. According to Alexa Internet traffic statistics, as of February 2011, Digital Spy is the 93rd most popular website in the United Kingdom, with an overall Alexa ranking of 2,088....
, said in a review of the album that Talbot had a "sweet, pure voice", but that there is "no nuance or depth to her performance". However, he said that "There's something inherently wrong about awarding a star rating to a seven-year-old", and that "the decidedly adult concept of musical merit should have nothing to do with [her music]", rating the album 2/5. Reviewers in the Harlow Star also commented on her age, saying "There's no doubt she's a sweet little girl with a nice voice, but surely there's something inherently wrong with thrusting a child into the limelight at such a young age?" Rashvin Bedi, writing for Malaysian newspaper The Star
The Star (Malaysia)
The Star is an English-language, tabloid-format newspaper in Malaysia. It is the largest in terms of circulation in Malaysia, according to the . It has a daily circulation of between 290,000 to 300,000...
, praised the album, saying that "Connie sings with ease and manages the high notes admirably", but asked whether "people would buy an album of the same songs sung by a 20-year-old girl".
Chart performance and sales
The album entered in the British album charts at 35 on December 8, 2007, but was at the bottom of the charts by Christmas, despite having been tipped as a potential Christmas number one. It remained in the charts for five weeks, and peaked at 35. However, the album was certified gold in Britain in early December, with Talbot being presented a gold disc by Phillip SchofieldPhillip Schofield
Phillip Bryan Schofield is an English broadcaster and television personality best known for presenting shows such as This Morning, Dancing on Ice, and various game shows including The Cube.-Early life and career:...
on daytime television programme This Morning
This Morning (TV series)
This Morning is a British daytime television programme broadcast on ITV. As of September 2011, its main presenters are Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby, and Ruth Langsford and Eamonn Holmes, with various other presenters standing in for illness or contributing to sections of the programme.The...
. Following Talbot's tour of Asia, it was reported that the album had reached number one on the charts in Taiwan, South Korea and Hong Kong, as well as reaching number three in Singapore. The album has gone platinum in Taiwan and Hong Kong, and double platinum in Korea, selling 30,000 copies. In the U.S., the album appeared on three charts. It featured on the Top Heatseekers
Top Heatseekers
Top Heatseekers refers to either of two separate "Breaking and Entering" music charts issued weekly by Billboard Magazine: the Heatseekers Albums chart or the Heatseekers Songs chart. They were introduced by Billboard in 1993 with the purpose of highlighting the sales by new and developing musical...
for nine weeks, peaking at number 7, on the Kid Albums
Kid Albums
Kid Albums is a music chart published weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks the top selling children's music albums in the United States. The chart debuted on the issue dated September 9, 1995. It originally began as, and still is, a 15-position chart...
for four weeks, peaking at number 8, and on Top Independent Albums
Independent Albums
The Billboard Independent Albums is a chart of the highest-selling independent music albums and extended plays in the United States, compiled by Nielsen SoundScan and published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is used to list artists who are not signed to major labels...
for one week, at number 43.
Original track listing
Rerelease track listing
External links
- "I Will Always Love You" on YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
(Marc Marot's official channel) - Talbot recording Over the Rainbow on YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
(Marc Marot's official channel)