The Cranberries 2003 Recording Sessions
Encyclopedia
From February to May 2003, Irish band The Cranberries
recorded material intended for a 2004 follow-up to the band's fifth album, Wake Up and Smell the Coffee
(2001). This material remains unreleased as the band decided to pursue personal projects and go into hiatus in September 2003. In 2011, The Cranberries entered back into studio to record a new album, putting aside the 2003 recordings.
The Cranberries opted for a more experimental sound with electronic elements. “I had an idea to take the songs in a different direction. […] For a long while I'd been listening to people like Beck
and Moby
and wondering how to incorporate the electronic side of things into my own writing. We'd done the guitar-drums line-up on five albums and it was time to introduce something else,” recalled guitarist Noel Hogan
, talking about the 2003 Cranberries recording session and his work for the Mono Band
album.
In a December 2002 statement by the band’s spokeperson, The Cranberries also expressed “their desire to change their approach to songwriting, and this could see them writing separately, initially”. This statement was released after a misinterpretation of lead vocalist Dolores O’Riordan intentions to pursue a solo career, during an interview with HotPress magazine.
for a 10-day recording session in now-closed Olympic Studios
(London), after two months of songwriting. The band went back into studio in mid-March 2003 to pursue their recording work, which was describe by Fergal as “quite different from anything we have done before but still recognisable as The Cranberries”. They continued working on their new material in April and May 2003.
During their 2003 recording sessions, The Cranberries hired the services of programmer Matt Vaughan, a first experience for the band. Talking about two tracks he worked on with Vaughan, Noel Hogan said: “They sounded very different from anything The Cranberries had done before and I was really excited about the potential direction in which the band could go”. O’Riordan and Hogan subsequently worked with Vaughan again on their respective solo projects.
Two songs created during these sessions were played by the band for the first time in Belfast
, Northern Ireland
, on May 29th 2003. While “Astral Projection” was describe as “a dreamy rock song”, “In it Together” – which had just been finished that day – was more “the same type of atmosphere as Stars”. These two songs were played again during the band’s mini tour that summer.
O’Riordan explained in an interview at Italian TV station La7 that the band was very selective about the songs they would retain for the 2004 album. “Even if we write 4 songs, we'll throw 3 of them away and we'll choose 1. We've got to be very selective to be sure that the next album is really good.”
In July 2003, the cranberries.ie website indicated that the band was offered several songs by electronic music songwriter Moby
. They decided not the retain the Moby’s material because it was not “right for the band”.
It is unclear how many songs were actually recorded during the 2003 sessions. However, 7 songs were already recorded in March. Amongst the titles the band worked on from February to May, “Astral Projection”, “Raining in My Heart”, “In It Together”, “Someday” and "The Fall". While first four were subsequently re-recorded in 2011 for Roses
, only "Raining in My Heart" and "Astral Projection" made the final cut of the 2012-scheduled comeback album.
It also unclear if some of the 2003 material that Dolores and Noel worked on separately and which was intended for the next Cranberries record ended up on their subsequent solo projects.
During that time period, O’Riordan released two solo albums Are You Listening? in 2007 and No Baggage
in 2009. She also collaborated on different music project with several artists, amongst them Zucchero Fornaciari, Jam & Spoon
and Angelo Badalamenti
.
As for Hogan, he released a collaboration album with several vocalists under the name Mono Band
in 2005. With this album, he pursued his experimental work he had started with the Cranberries 2003 recordings. Two year later, Hogan formed a new group, Arkitekt
, with one of Mono Band’s vocalist Richard Walters
and released two EPs.
In 2008, a rumor indicated that The Cranberries intended to release the material they recorded in 2003. The project never materialized.
In late 2009 the band reunited after a six-year hiatus. They worked on 19 tracks for a new album entitled Roses
, with producer Stephen Street between April and June 2011. Some of the 2003 tracks were then re-recorded.
The Cranberries
The Cranberries are an Irish rock band formed in Limerick in 1989 under the name The Cranberry Saw Us, later changed by vocalist Dolores O'Riordan. The band currently consists of O'Riordan, guitarist Noel Hogan, bassist Mike Hogan and drummer Fergal Lawler...
recorded material intended for a 2004 follow-up to the band's fifth album, Wake Up and Smell the Coffee
Wake up and Smell the Coffee
Wake Up and Smell the Coffee is the fifth studio album by The Cranberries. Released in 2001, the album has sold 170,000 copies in the US as of April 2007. Worldwide, the album has sold 1,300,000 copies by 2002....
(2001). This material remains unreleased as the band decided to pursue personal projects and go into hiatus in September 2003. In 2011, The Cranberries entered back into studio to record a new album, putting aside the 2003 recordings.
The Creative Process
In mid-2002, The Cranberries expressed their intention to record a new album after the “Best of” Tour, in a different manner. The wish to “create a new sound” and “be more experimental” was expressed in numerous interviews and band’s messages on their former cranberries.ie website. “We also have been discussing our next record a lot lately and everyone is of the opinion that if we record in the normal way then it’s going to be very un-exciting and stale so we have decided that Dolores and Noel will go into the studio […] and play around with some ideas […]. We want to do something that really challenges us and push ourselves into unchartered territory,” told drummer Fergal Lawler in October 2002. For the previous albums’ recording sessions, the band normally went into studio with the finished songs.The Cranberries opted for a more experimental sound with electronic elements. “I had an idea to take the songs in a different direction. […] For a long while I'd been listening to people like Beck
Beck
Beck Hansen is an American musician, singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, known by the stage name Beck...
and Moby
Moby
Richard Melville Hall , better known by his stage name Moby, is an American musician, DJ, and photographer. He is known mainly for his sample-based electronic music and his outspoken liberal political views, including his support of veganism and animal rights.Moby gained attention in the early...
and wondering how to incorporate the electronic side of things into my own writing. We'd done the guitar-drums line-up on five albums and it was time to introduce something else,” recalled guitarist Noel Hogan
Noel Hogan
Noel Anthony Hogan is the guitarist and co-songwriter of The Cranberries.With The Cranberries on hiatus from 2003–2009, Noel turned to focus on his own music. He began working with programmer Matt Vaughan, who had already done work on unreleased Cranberries songs and Dolores O'Riordan's solo...
, talking about the 2003 Cranberries recording session and his work for the Mono Band
Mono band
Mono Band is an Irish rock/electronica band. Mono Band has a rather unique approach in utilising a different lead vocalist for almost every song. The group first appeared when Noel Hogan's website announced the name of his new project on 9 October 2004. Mono Band's first gig was 13 March 2005 at...
album.
In a December 2002 statement by the band’s spokeperson, The Cranberries also expressed “their desire to change their approach to songwriting, and this could see them writing separately, initially”. This statement was released after a misinterpretation of lead vocalist Dolores O’Riordan intentions to pursue a solo career, during an interview with HotPress magazine.
The Recording Sessions
At the end of February 2003, The Cranberries joined with producer Stephen StreetStephen Street
Stephen Street is an English music producer best known for his work with The Smiths in the 1980s, as well as Blur and The Cranberries in the 1990s. Street also collaborated with Morrissey on some of his most popular work after The Smiths broke up, playing instruments and co-writing songs...
for a 10-day recording session in now-closed Olympic Studios
Olympic Studios
Olympic Studios was a renowned independent commercial recording studio located at 117 Church Road, Barnes, South West London, England. The studio is best known for the huge number of famous rock and pop recordings made there from the late 1960s onward....
(London), after two months of songwriting. The band went back into studio in mid-March 2003 to pursue their recording work, which was describe by Fergal as “quite different from anything we have done before but still recognisable as The Cranberries”. They continued working on their new material in April and May 2003.
During their 2003 recording sessions, The Cranberries hired the services of programmer Matt Vaughan, a first experience for the band. Talking about two tracks he worked on with Vaughan, Noel Hogan said: “They sounded very different from anything The Cranberries had done before and I was really excited about the potential direction in which the band could go”. O’Riordan and Hogan subsequently worked with Vaughan again on their respective solo projects.
Two songs created during these sessions were played by the band for the first time in Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
, on May 29th 2003. While “Astral Projection” was describe as “a dreamy rock song”, “In it Together” – which had just been finished that day – was more “the same type of atmosphere as Stars”. These two songs were played again during the band’s mini tour that summer.
O’Riordan explained in an interview at Italian TV station La7 that the band was very selective about the songs they would retain for the 2004 album. “Even if we write 4 songs, we'll throw 3 of them away and we'll choose 1. We've got to be very selective to be sure that the next album is really good.”
In July 2003, the cranberries.ie website indicated that the band was offered several songs by electronic music songwriter Moby
Moby
Richard Melville Hall , better known by his stage name Moby, is an American musician, DJ, and photographer. He is known mainly for his sample-based electronic music and his outspoken liberal political views, including his support of veganism and animal rights.Moby gained attention in the early...
. They decided not the retain the Moby’s material because it was not “right for the band”.
It is unclear how many songs were actually recorded during the 2003 sessions. However, 7 songs were already recorded in March. Amongst the titles the band worked on from February to May, “Astral Projection”, “Raining in My Heart”, “In It Together”, “Someday” and "The Fall". While first four were subsequently re-recorded in 2011 for Roses
Roses (album)
-Recording sessions:The Cranberries worked on 19 tracks for the Roses album in Toronto and London between April and June 2011 with producer Stephen Street, who previously collaborated with the band on Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can't We?, No Need to Argue and Wake Up and Smell the Coffee....
, only "Raining in My Heart" and "Astral Projection" made the final cut of the 2012-scheduled comeback album.
It also unclear if some of the 2003 material that Dolores and Noel worked on separately and which was intended for the next Cranberries record ended up on their subsequent solo projects.
Hiatus and Roses Recording Sessions
On September 17, 2003, The Cranberries announced their intention to take a two-year break – which was later extended indefinitely – to take some time off and pursue solo projects.During that time period, O’Riordan released two solo albums Are You Listening? in 2007 and No Baggage
No Baggage
Bonus Track Version Bonus Track Version B-Sides-Reception:No Baggage received mixed or average reviews upon its release, receiving a 45/100 critic score and a 6.5/10 user score on MetaCritic...
in 2009. She also collaborated on different music project with several artists, amongst them Zucchero Fornaciari, Jam & Spoon
Jam & Spoon
Jam & Spoon was an electronic dance duo from Frankfurt, Germany, that consisted of composers and producers Rolf Ellmer and Markus Löffel . They also worked under the pseudonyms Tokyo Ghetto Pussy, Storm and Big Room...
and Angelo Badalamenti
Angelo Badalamenti
Angelo Badalamenti is an American composer, known for his movie soundtrack work for director David Lynch, notably Blue Velvet, the Twin Peaks saga and Mulholland Drive...
.
As for Hogan, he released a collaboration album with several vocalists under the name Mono Band
Mono band
Mono Band is an Irish rock/electronica band. Mono Band has a rather unique approach in utilising a different lead vocalist for almost every song. The group first appeared when Noel Hogan's website announced the name of his new project on 9 October 2004. Mono Band's first gig was 13 March 2005 at...
in 2005. With this album, he pursued his experimental work he had started with the Cranberries 2003 recordings. Two year later, Hogan formed a new group, Arkitekt
Arkitekt
Arkitekt are an Irish/British rock/electronica band. The group is a derivative from Mono Band.-Formation:While working with Mono Band, Noel Hogan received a track from the singer-songwriter, Richard Walters. Upon listening to the track, Hogan asked him to contribute to Mono Band...
, with one of Mono Band’s vocalist Richard Walters
Richard Walters
Richard Walters may refer to:*Slick Rick, American rapper*Richard Leroy Walters, philanthropist...
and released two EPs.
In 2008, a rumor indicated that The Cranberries intended to release the material they recorded in 2003. The project never materialized.
In late 2009 the band reunited after a six-year hiatus. They worked on 19 tracks for a new album entitled Roses
Roses (album)
-Recording sessions:The Cranberries worked on 19 tracks for the Roses album in Toronto and London between April and June 2011 with producer Stephen Street, who previously collaborated with the band on Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can't We?, No Need to Argue and Wake Up and Smell the Coffee....
, with producer Stephen Street between April and June 2011. Some of the 2003 tracks were then re-recorded.