So (album)
Encyclopedia
So is the fifth studio album
(and seventh album overall) by British
rock
musician Peter Gabriel
, released in 1986. Many of its songs reflect a more conventional pop-writing style and became radio hits, while others still retain Gabriel's dark, brooding sense of experimentalism.
It is Peter Gabriel's second album produced by Canadian
artist Daniel Lanois
. The previous year, the two of them had worked together on Birdy
. Lanois had been previously known for his ambient
collaborations with Brian Eno
as well as producing U2
since 1984. As he had with the soundtrack to the film Birdy
, Lanois brought many of his own ambient sensibilities to this recording.
The album charted at number 1 in the UK Album Chart, and number 2 on the Billboard 200
in the US. It is certified triple platinum
in the UK, and five times platinum in the US. So ranked at number #14 on Rolling Stone
magazine's list of "Top 100 Albums of the Eighties".
". Inspired by a recurring dream which Gabriel had of swimming in a sea of red water, its lyrics vividly depict dream imagery that reflect a sense of vulnerability. The song is one of the works in the story of Mozo, a wandering stranger who appears in several Gabriel songs. Of all the tracks on the album, Gabriel considers "Red Rain" one of his favourites. Other Mozo works include "On the Air" and "Exposure".
The second track is Gabriel's most popular single, "Sledgehammer
". "Sledgehammer" is a piece with Motown and world music
influences, from its famous use of the shakuhachi
. The video for "Sledgehammer" won MTV
's 1987 Top Music Video Award, and Best British Video at the 1987 Brit Awards
. Directed by Steven Johnson, it features stop motion animation by Aardman Animations
of Wallace and Gromit
fame. The dancing chickens were animated by Nick Park
. The video ends with Gabriel dancing in silhouette, covered with lights taped on his suit by a runner who later became a producer for the Wallace and Gromit films. While performing the song on his 2002 tour, Gabriel recreated this image by wearing a jacket covered with LED
lights.
Tracks 3–6 include a duet with Kate Bush
titled "Don't Give Up
", "That Voice Again", and "In Your Eyes
". "Don't Give Up" was about the devastation of economic hardship, with the support and wise counsel sung by Bush in the refrain. "Mercy Street" is dedicated to poet Anne Sexton
and takes its title from her 1969 play, Mercy Street (Sexton also posthumously released a book of poetry, 45 Mercy Street). "In Your Eyes" was used in the famed boombox (ghetto blaster) scene from the film Say Anything... (1989).
Track 7 is "Big Time". This song is a send-up of the narcissism of the 1980s and was also accompanied by a video in the same vein of "Sledgehammer", although to less popularity. The next track is titled "We Do What We're Told (Milgram's 37)". The title refers to the 37 out of 40 compliant subjects of Milgram Experiment
18.
The album ends with "This Is the Picture (Excellent Birds)". This song features vocals with co-writer Laurie Anderson. This track is not included on the original vinyl release of the album, but was added to the audio cassette and CD editions. Anderson had previously recorded a different arrangement of the song entitled "Excellent Birds" for her 1984 album, Mister Heartbreak
, which also featured vocals by Gabriel. A video rendition of the song featuring Anderson and Gabriel was included in the 1 January 1984 TV satellite broadcast Good Morning, Mr. Orwell
. Anderson also performs the song in her concert film Home of the Brave
, released around the same time as So.
, which was retitled by Gabriel's US label at the time, Geffen Records
. Peter Gabriel said in a interview with Smash Hits
in 1986 the title "doesn't mean anything. We just liked the form of the word and the two letters. That's all."
except as indicated.
Side one
Side two
†Not included on original vinyl release.
}
}
}
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
(and seventh album overall) by British
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...
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...
musician Peter Gabriel
Peter Gabriel
Peter Brian Gabriel is an English singer, musician, and songwriter who rose to fame as the lead vocalist and flautist of the progressive rock group Genesis. After leaving Genesis, Gabriel went on to a successful solo career...
, released in 1986. Many of its songs reflect a more conventional pop-writing style and became radio hits, while others still retain Gabriel's dark, brooding sense of experimentalism.
It is Peter Gabriel's second album produced by Canadian
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...
artist Daniel Lanois
Daniel Lanois
Daniel Lanois born September 19, 1951 in Hull, Quebec) is a Canadian record producer, guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter. He has released a number of albums of his own work and has produced albums for a wide variety of artists, including Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Peter Gabriel, Emmylou Harris, Willie...
. The previous year, the two of them had worked together on Birdy
Birdy (album)
Birdy is the first soundtrack and sixth album overall by British rock musician Peter Gabriel, for the movie of the same name, released in 1985 . The album marked Gabriel's first work with producer Daniel Lanois...
. Lanois had been previously known for his ambient
Ambient music
Ambient music is a musical genre that focuses largely on the timbral characteristics of sounds, often organized or performed to evoke an "atmospheric", "visual" or "unobtrusive" quality.- History :...
collaborations with Brian Eno
Brian Eno
Brian Peter George St. John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno , commonly known as Brian Eno or simply as Eno , is an English musician, composer, record producer, singer and visual artist, known as one of the principal innovators of ambient music.Eno studied at Colchester Institute art school in Essex,...
as well as producing U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
since 1984. As he had with the soundtrack to the film Birdy
Birdy (film)
Birdy is a 1984 American film directed by Alan Parker and starring Matthew Modine and Nicolas Cage. It is based on the novel of the same name by William Wharton.- Synopsis :...
, Lanois brought many of his own ambient sensibilities to this recording.
The album charted at number 1 in the UK Album Chart, and number 2 on the Billboard 200
Billboard 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...
in the US. It is certified triple platinum
British Phonographic Industry
The British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade association.-Structure:Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies...
in the UK, and five times platinum in the US. So ranked at number #14 on 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...
magazine's list of "Top 100 Albums of the Eighties".
Songs
The album begins with "Red RainRed Rain (song)
"Red Rain" is the first track on Peter Gabriel's 1986 solo album So. In the USA, it reached #3 on Billboard magazine's Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. Stewart Copeland from The Police played the hi-hat for the rain-like background sound; the rest of the drumming was handled by Jerry Marotta.The song...
". Inspired by a recurring dream which Gabriel had of swimming in a sea of red water, its lyrics vividly depict dream imagery that reflect a sense of vulnerability. The song is one of the works in the story of Mozo, a wandering stranger who appears in several Gabriel songs. Of all the tracks on the album, Gabriel considers "Red Rain" one of his favourites. Other Mozo works include "On the Air" and "Exposure".
The second track is Gabriel's most popular single, "Sledgehammer
Sledgehammer (song)
"Sledgehammer" is a song by British musician Peter Gabriel from his 1986 album So. It hit number one in Canada on 21 July 1986 where it spent four weeks; number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States on 26 July 1986; and number four in the UK singles chart, thanks in part to a...
". "Sledgehammer" is a piece with Motown and world music
World music
World music is a term with widely varying definitions, often encompassing music which is primarily identified as another genre. This is evidenced by world music definitions such as "all of the music in the world" or "somebody else's local music"...
influences, from its famous use of the shakuhachi
Shakuhachi
The is a Japanese end-blown flute. It is traditionally made of bamboo, but versions now exist in ABS and hardwoods. It was used by the monks of the Fuke school of Zen Buddhism in the practice of...
. The video for "Sledgehammer" won MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
's 1987 Top Music Video Award, and Best British Video at the 1987 Brit Awards
Brit Awards
The Brit Awards are the British Phonographic Industry's annual pop music awards. The name was originally a shortened form of "British", "Britain" or "Britannia", but subsequently became a backronym for British Record Industry Trust...
. Directed by Steven Johnson, it features stop motion animation by Aardman Animations
Aardman Animations
Aardman Animations, Ltd., also known as Aardman Studios, or simply as Aardman, is a British animation studio based in Bristol, United Kingdom. The studio is known for films made using stop-motion clay animation techniques, particularly those featuring Plasticine characters Wallace and Gromit...
of Wallace and Gromit
Wallace and Gromit
Wallace and Gromit are the main characters in a series consisting of four British animated short films and a feature-length film by Nick Park of Aardman Animations...
fame. The dancing chickens were animated by Nick Park
Nick Park
Nicholas Wulstan "Nick" Park, CBE is an English filmmaker of stop motion animation best known as the creator of Wallace and Gromit and Shaun the Sheep....
. The video ends with Gabriel dancing in silhouette, covered with lights taped on his suit by a runner who later became a producer for the Wallace and Gromit films. While performing the song on his 2002 tour, Gabriel recreated this image by wearing a jacket covered with LED
LEd
LEd is a TeX/LaTeX editing software working under Microsoft Windows. It is a freeware product....
lights.
Tracks 3–6 include a duet with Kate Bush
Kate Bush
Kate Bush is an English singer-songwriter, musician and record producer. Her eclectic musical style and idiosyncratic vocal style have made her one of the United Kingdom's most successful solo female performers of the past 30 years.In 1978, at the age of 19, Bush topped the UK Singles Chart...
titled "Don't Give Up
Don't Give Up (Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush song)
"Don't Give Up" is song written by Peter Gabriel and recorded as a duet with Kate Bush for Gabriel's album So. The single version spent eleven weeks in the UK Top 75 chart in 1986, peaking at number nine. It describes the despair of a man who feels isolated and defeated by the economic system, and...
", "That Voice Again", and "In Your Eyes
In Your Eyes (Peter Gabriel song)
"In Your Eyes" is a song by British musician Peter Gabriel from his 1986 album So. It reached #1 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks and #26 on the Billboard Hot 100 in November, 1986. It was not released as a single in the UK...
". "Don't Give Up" was about the devastation of economic hardship, with the support and wise counsel sung by Bush in the refrain. "Mercy Street" is dedicated to poet Anne Sexton
Anne Sexton
Anne Sexton was an American poet, known for her highly personal, confessional verse. She won the Pulitzer Prize for poetry in 1967...
and takes its title from her 1969 play, Mercy Street (Sexton also posthumously released a book of poetry, 45 Mercy Street). "In Your Eyes" was used in the famed boombox (ghetto blaster) scene from the film Say Anything... (1989).
Track 7 is "Big Time". This song is a send-up of the narcissism of the 1980s and was also accompanied by a video in the same vein of "Sledgehammer", although to less popularity. The next track is titled "We Do What We're Told (Milgram's 37)". The title refers to the 37 out of 40 compliant subjects of Milgram Experiment
Milgram experiment
The Milgram experiment on obedience to authority figures was a series of notable social psychology experiments conducted by Yale University psychologist Stanley Milgram, which measured the willingness of study participants to obey an authority figure who instructed them to perform acts that...
18.
The album ends with "This Is the Picture (Excellent Birds)". This song features vocals with co-writer Laurie Anderson. This track is not included on the original vinyl release of the album, but was added to the audio cassette and CD editions. Anderson had previously recorded a different arrangement of the song entitled "Excellent Birds" for her 1984 album, Mister Heartbreak
Mister Heartbreak
Mister Heartbreak is the second album by avant-garde artist, singer and composer Laurie Anderson, released in 1984.Considered more mainstream than its predecessor, Big Science, the album's lead track, "Sharkey's Day" formed the basis of a popular music video. Author William S...
, which also featured vocals by Gabriel. A video rendition of the song featuring Anderson and Gabriel was included in the 1 January 1984 TV satellite broadcast Good Morning, Mr. Orwell
Good Morning, Mr. Orwell
"Good Morning, Mr. Orwell" was the first international satellite "installation" by Nam June Paik, a South Korean-born American artist often credited with inventing video art...
. Anderson also performs the song in her concert film Home of the Brave
Home of the Brave (1986 film)
Home of the Brave is a 1986 American concert film featuring the music of Laurie Anderson, who also directed the movie. The film's full on-screen title is Home of the Brave: A Film by Laurie Anderson. The performances were filmed at the Park Theater in Union City, NJ during the summer of 1985.The...
, released around the same time as So.
Title
This was Gabriel's first studio album to bear an official title from its inception. His previous regular albums were simply titled "Peter Gabriel," including 1982's SecurityPeter Gabriel (IV Security)
Peter Gabriel is the fourth album released by the British progressive rock musician Peter Gabriel. This album was originally released as Gabriel’s fourth eponymous album, but was released in the United States as Security, Gabriel's first album with Geffen Records in the US and Canada.-History:This...
, which was retitled by Gabriel's US label at the time, Geffen Records
Geffen Records
Geffen Records is an American record label, owned by Universal Music Group, and operated as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-Beginnings:...
. Peter Gabriel said in a interview with Smash Hits
Smash Hits
Smash Hits was a pop music based magazine, aimed at teenagers and young adults and originally published in the United Kingdom by EMAP. It ran from 1978 to 2006 and was issued fortnightly for most of that time...
in 1986 the title "doesn't mean anything. We just liked the form of the word and the two letters. That's all."
Track listing
All songs written by Peter GabrielPeter Gabriel
Peter Brian Gabriel is an English singer, musician, and songwriter who rose to fame as the lead vocalist and flautist of the progressive rock group Genesis. After leaving Genesis, Gabriel went on to a successful solo career...
except as indicated.
Side one
- "Red RainRed Rain (song)"Red Rain" is the first track on Peter Gabriel's 1986 solo album So. In the USA, it reached #3 on Billboard magazine's Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. Stewart Copeland from The Police played the hi-hat for the rain-like background sound; the rest of the drumming was handled by Jerry Marotta.The song...
" – 5:39 - "SledgehammerSledgehammer (song)"Sledgehammer" is a song by British musician Peter Gabriel from his 1986 album So. It hit number one in Canada on 21 July 1986 where it spent four weeks; number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States on 26 July 1986; and number four in the UK singles chart, thanks in part to a...
" – 5:12 - "Don't Give UpDon't Give Up (Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush song)"Don't Give Up" is song written by Peter Gabriel and recorded as a duet with Kate Bush for Gabriel's album So. The single version spent eleven weeks in the UK Top 75 chart in 1986, peaking at number nine. It describes the despair of a man who feels isolated and defeated by the economic system, and...
" (featuring Kate Bush) – 6:33 - "That Voice Again" (Gabriel, David Rhodes) – 4:53
Side two
- "In Your EyesIn Your Eyes (Peter Gabriel song)"In Your Eyes" is a song by British musician Peter Gabriel from his 1986 album So. It reached #1 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks and #26 on the Billboard Hot 100 in November, 1986. It was not released as a single in the UK...
" – 5:27 - "Mercy Street" – 6:22
- "Big Time" – 4:28
- "We Do What We're Told (Milgram's 37)" – 3:22
- "This Is the Picture (Excellent Birds)" (Laurie Anderson, Gabriel) – 4:25†
†Not included on original vinyl release.
Remastered CD Track Listing
- "Red Rain" – 5:39
- "Sledgehammer" – 5:12
- "Don't Give Up" (featuring Kate Bush) – 6:33
- "That Voice Again" (Gabriel, Rhodes) – 4:53
- "Mercy Street" – 6:22
- "Big Time" – 4:28
- "We Do What We're Told (Milgram's 37)" – 3:22
- "This Is the Picture (Excellent Birds)" (Anderson, Gabriel) – 4:25
- "In Your Eyes" – 5:27
Personnel
The track numbers only correspond to the original release, not the remastered version.- Peter GabrielPeter GabrielPeter Brian Gabriel is an English singer, musician, and songwriter who rose to fame as the lead vocalist and flautist of the progressive rock group Genesis. After leaving Genesis, Gabriel went on to a successful solo career...
– vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, synthesizerSynthesizerA synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
s, pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
on tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, percussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
on track 4, LinnLinnLinn is a first name for girls. This name is common in countries such as Sweden and Norway. Otherwise it can also be spelled "Lynn".Linn may refer to:-Linn :* George Ward Linn , philatelic publisher of Ohio...
on tracks 3, 7, 9, SynclavierSynclavierThe Synclavier System was an early digital synthesizer, polyphonic digital sampling system, and music workstation, manufactured by New England Digital Corporation, Norwich, VT. The original design and development of the Synclavier prototype occurred at Dartmouth College with the collaboration of...
on track 9 - Tony LevinTony LevinTony Levin is an American progressive rock musician, specializing in bass guitar, Chapman stick and upright bass ....
– bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
on tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9 - David Rhodes – guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
on tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, backing vocals on tracks 1, 5 - Jerry MarottaJerry MarottaJerry Marotta is a drummer currently residing in Woodstock, New York. He is the brother of Rick Marotta, who is also a well-known drummer and composer....
– drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
on tracks 1, 5, 8, drumstic bass on track 7 - Manu KatchéManu KatchéManu Katché is a French musician of Ivorian origin, born in Saint-Maur-des-Fossés on 27 October 1958. He is a drummer and songwriter.-Career:Session musician...
– drums on tracks 2, 3, 4, 5, percussion on tracks 3, 4, 5, talking drum on tracks 5, 9
Additional personnel
- Chris Hughes – trumpet on track 2, Linn programming on track 1
- Stewart CopelandStewart CopelandStewart Armstrong Copeland is an American musician, best known as the drummer for the band The Police. During the group's extended hiatus from the mid-1980s to 2007, he played in other bands and composed soundtracks...
– hi-hatHi-hatA hi-hat, or hihat, is a type of cymbal and stand used as a typical part of a drum kit by percussionists in R&B, hip-hop, disco, jazz, rock and roll, house, reggae and other forms of contemporary popular music.- Operation :...
on track 1, drums on track 7 - Daniel LanoisDaniel LanoisDaniel Lanois born September 19, 1951 in Hull, Quebec) is a Canadian record producer, guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter. He has released a number of albums of his own work and has produced albums for a wide variety of artists, including Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Peter Gabriel, Emmylou Harris, Willie...
– guitar on tracks 1, 2, 4, 7, 9, tambourineTambourineThe tambourine or marine is a musical instrument of the percussion family consisting of a frame, often of wood or plastic, with pairs of small metal jingles, called "zils". Classically the term tambourine denotes an instrument with a drumhead, though some variants may not have a head at all....
on track 2 - Wayne Jackson – trumpetTrumpetThe trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
on tracks 2, 7, cornetCornetThe cornet is a brass instrument very similar to the trumpet, distinguished by its conical bore, compact shape, and mellower tone quality. The most common cornet is a transposing instrument in B. It is not related to the renaissance and early baroque cornett or cornetto.-History:The cornet was...
on track 7 - Mark RiveraMark RiveraMark Rivera is a musician, musical director and corporate entertainment provider. In addition to playing soprano, alto, tenor and baritone saxophones, Rivera's musical talents encompass vocals, guitar, percussion and keyboards.-Education:...
– Tenor saxophoneTenor saxophoneThe tenor saxophone is a medium-sized member of the saxophone family, a group of instruments invented by Adolphe Sax in the 1840s. The tenor, with the alto, are the two most common types of saxophones. The tenor is pitched in the key of B, and written as a transposing instrument in the treble...
on tracks 2, 7, processed saxophone on track 6 - Reggie HoustonReggie HoustonReggie Houston is an American saxophonist.-Biography:Houston was born in New Orleans, Louisiana to Ralph Houston, a pianist and acoustic bassist, and Margarete Houston, who was both an educator and social activist. At the age of 10 Reggie Houston began studying the saxophone...
-Baritone SaxophoneBaritone saxophoneThe baritone saxophone, often called "bari sax" , is one of the largest and lowest pitched members of the saxophone family. It was invented by Adolphe Sax. The baritone is distinguished from smaller sizes of saxophone by the extra loop near its mouthpiece...
on tracks 2,7 Distorted Saxophone on track 7 - Don Mikkelson – tromboneTromboneThe trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. Like all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player’s vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate...
on tracks 2, 7 - P. P. ArnoldP. P. ArnoldP. P. Arnold is an American-born soul singer who enjoyed considerable success in the United Kingdom in the 1960s and beyond.-Early life:...
– backing vocals on tracks 2, 6, 7 - Coral Gordon – backing vocals on tracks 2, 7
- Dee Lewis – backing vocals on tracks 2, 7
- Richard TeeRichard TeeRichard Tee was a pianist, studio musician, singer and arranger.Tee graduated from the High School of Music and Art and attended the Manhattan School of Music. Though better known as a studio and session musician, Tee led a jazz ensemble, the Richard Tee Committee, and was a founding member of the...
– piano on tracks 3, 5, 6 - Simon Clark – synthesizer on tracks 3, 7, organOrgan (music)The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...
on track 7, bass on track 7 - Kate BushKate BushKate Bush is an English singer-songwriter, musician and record producer. Her eclectic musical style and idiosyncratic vocal style have made her one of the United Kingdom's most successful solo female performers of the past 30 years.In 1978, at the age of 19, Bush topped the UK Singles Chart...
– vocals on track 3 - L. ShankarL. ShankarLakshminarayanan Shankar, also known as L. Shankar and Shenkar, is an Indian-born American violinist, singer and composer.-Early life:...
– violinViolinThe violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
on track,4,8 - Larry KleinLarry KleinLarry Klein is a music producer, songwriter and bass guitar player, commonly known for being the frequent musical collaborator, and ex-husband, of Joni Mitchell....
– bass on tracks 5, 6 - Youssou N'DourYoussou N'DourYoussou N'Dour is a Senegalese singer, percussionist and occasional actor. In 2004, Rolling Stone described him as, in Senegal and much of Africa, "perhaps the most famous singer alive." He helped develop a style of popular music in Senegal, known in the Serer language as mbalax, a type of music...
– vocals on track 5 - Michael BeenThe Call (band)The Call was an American rock band from Santa Cruz, California active from 1980 to 2000.-Biography:The Call formed in Santa Cruz in 1980 by vocalist/guitarist Michael Been, Scott Musick, and Tom Ferrier. Been and Musick were originally from Oklahoma...
– backing vocals on track 5 - Jim KerrJim KerrJames "Jim" Kerr is a Scottish musician and singer-songwriter, best known for his work with the band Simple Minds who achieved five UK #1 albums and a #1 single "Ballad of the Streets EP". He released his first solo album, Lostboy! AKA Jim Kerr, on the 27 May 2010.- Simple Minds :Kerr attended...
– backing vocals on track 5 - Ronnie BrightRonnie BrightRonnie Bright is an American R&B and doo wop singer of the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s.-Biography:...
– bass vocals on track 5 - Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan-background vocals track 5
- Renard Poche - piccolo trumpet on track 2,7 Silent trumpet on track 6
- Djalma Correa – surdoSurdoFor the football player of the same name see Surdu.The surdo is a large bass drum used in many kinds of Brazilian music, most notably in Axé/Samba-reggae and samba and its variants, where it plays the lower parts from a percussion section....
, congas, triangleTriangleA triangle is one of the basic shapes of geometry: a polygon with three corners or vertices and three sides or edges which are line segments. A triangle with vertices A, B, and C is denoted ....
on track 6 - Jimmy Bralower – Linn on track 7
- Laurie Anderson – vocals on track 9
- Bill LaswellBill LaswellBill Laswell is an American bassist, producer and record label owner....
– bass on track 9 - Nile RodgersNile RodgersNile Gregory Rodgers is an American musician, producer, composer, arranger, and guitarist.-Biography:...
– guitar on track 9
Chart positions
| Chart | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Kent Music Report Kent Music Report The Kent Music Report was a weekly record chart of Australian music singles and albums which was compiled by music enthusiast David Kent from May 1974 through to 1998... |
5 |
| Austrian Albums Chart | 1 |
| Canadian Albums Chart RPM (magazine) RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,... |
1 |
| Dutch Albums Chart | 1 |
| French SNEP Albums Chart | 12 |
| Italian Albums Chart | 1 |
| New Zealand Albums Chart | 1 |
| Norwegian VG-lista Albums Chart VG-lista VG-listen is a Norwegian record chart. It is weekly presented in the newspaper VG and the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation program Topp 20. It is considered the primary Norwegian record chart, charting albums and singles from countries and continent around the world. The data is collected by... |
1 |
| Swedish Albums Chart | 2 |
| Swiss Albums Chart | 2 |
| UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
1 |
| U.S. Billboard 200 Billboard 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... |
2 |
| West German Media Control Albums Chart | 2 |
Certifications
} }}
}
}
Year-end charts
| Chart (1986) | Position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums Chart | 31 |
| Austrian Albums Chart | 9 |
| Canadian Albums Chart RPM Year-End RPM Year-End charts are a cumulative measure of a single or album's performance in Canada, based upon the RPM magazine charts during any given chart year.-RPM year-end number ones:... |
7 |
| Italian Albums Chart | 13 |
| Swiss Albums Chart | 9 |
| UK Albums Chart | 19 |
| U.S. Billboard 200 | 35 |
| Chart (1987) | Position |
| Australian Albums Chart | 28 |
| Canadian Albums Chart | 63 |
| UK Albums Chart | 38 |
| U.S. Billboard 200 | 21 |
External links
- http://www.theofficialcharts.com/all_albums_album.php?id=469