The Girl in the Other Room
Encyclopedia
The Girl in the Other Room is the eighth album by jazz singer and pianist Diana Krall
. For the first time, she performs songs that she co-wrote with her husband Elvis Costello
. The album has already gone top 5 in the UK and debuted high on the Billboard 200
in May 2004. Billboard
ranked album at number 7 on the magazine's Top Jazz Albums of the Decade.
that she had wanted to try songwriting before but lacked the confidence. "I started writing when I was a student but didn't really have the confidence to (pursue) lyric-writing in great depth. I've never done anything so personal."
On the Verve Records
website, Diana Krall explains the songwriting for the album in more detail. "Musically composed by Krall alone, these songs mark a lyrical collaboration with her new husband, Elvis Costello. Explaining how they worked, Krall said: "I wrote the music and then Elvis and I talked about what we wanted to say. I told him stories and wrote pages and pages of reminiscences, descriptions and images, and he put them into tighter lyrical form. For "Departure Bay," I wrote down a list of things that I love about home, things I realized were different, even exotic, now that I've been away".
"Departure Bay" is written about her hometown Nanaimo, British Columbia
on Vancouver Island
and the first Christmas without her mother and finishes the album. The penultimate song on the album "I'm Coming Through" is also about the death of her mother.
As well as the songs she co-wrote with Elvis Costello, Krall departs from the standards she has sung on previous albums by performing songs by contemporary performers such as Costello, Tom Waits
, Joni Mitchell
as well as a Chris Smither
song previously performed by Bonnie Raitt
. She also performs Mose Allison's
"Stop This World".
Diana Krall
Diana Jean Krall, OC, OBC is a Canadian jazz pianist and singer, known for her contralto vocals. She has sold more than 6 million albums in the US and over 15 million worldwide; altogether, she has sold more albums than any other female jazz artist during the 1990s and 2000s...
. For the first time, she performs songs that she co-wrote with her husband Elvis Costello
Elvis Costello
Elvis Costello , born Declan Patrick MacManus, is an English singer-songwriter. He came to prominence as an early participant in London's pub rock scene in the mid-1970s and later became associated with the punk/New Wave genre. Steeped in word play, the vocabulary of Costello's lyrics is broader...
. The album has already gone top 5 in the UK and debuted high 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 May 2004. 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...
ranked album at number 7 on the magazine's Top Jazz Albums of the Decade.
The making of the album
Diana Krall wrote some of the songs for the album with Elvis Costello. Krall told USA TodayUSA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
that she had wanted to try songwriting before but lacked the confidence. "I started writing when I was a student but didn't really have the confidence to (pursue) lyric-writing in great depth. I've never done anything so personal."
On the Verve Records
Verve Records
Verve Records is an American jazz record label now owned by Universal Music Group. It was founded by Norman Granz in 1956, absorbing the catalogues of his earlier labels, Clef Records and Norgran Records , and material which had been licensed to Mercury previously.-Jazz and folk origins:The Verve...
website, Diana Krall explains the songwriting for the album in more detail. "Musically composed by Krall alone, these songs mark a lyrical collaboration with her new husband, Elvis Costello. Explaining how they worked, Krall said: "I wrote the music and then Elvis and I talked about what we wanted to say. I told him stories and wrote pages and pages of reminiscences, descriptions and images, and he put them into tighter lyrical form. For "Departure Bay," I wrote down a list of things that I love about home, things I realized were different, even exotic, now that I've been away".
"Departure Bay" is written about her hometown Nanaimo, British Columbia
Nanaimo, British Columbia
Nanaimo is a city on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. It has been dubbed the "Bathtub Racing Capital of the World" and "Harbour City". Nanaimo is also sometimes referred to as the "Hub City" because of its central location on Vancouver Island and due to the layout of the downtown...
on Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island is a large island in British Columbia, Canada. It is one of several North American locations named after George Vancouver, the British Royal Navy officer who explored the Pacific Northwest coast of North America between 1791 and 1794...
and the first Christmas without her mother and finishes the album. The penultimate song on the album "I'm Coming Through" is also about the death of her mother.
As well as the songs she co-wrote with Elvis Costello, Krall departs from the standards she has sung on previous albums by performing songs by contemporary performers such as Costello, Tom Waits
Tom Waits
Thomas Alan "Tom" Waits is an American singer-songwriter, composer, and actor. Waits has a distinctive voice, described by critic Daniel Durchholz as sounding "like it was soaked in a vat of bourbon, left hanging in the smokehouse for a few months, and then taken outside and run over with a car."...
, Joni Mitchell
Joni Mitchell
Joni Mitchell, CC is a Canadian musician, singer songwriter, and painter. Mitchell began singing in small nightclubs in her native Saskatchewan and Western Canada and then busking in the streets and dives of Toronto...
as well as a Chris Smither
Chris Smither
Chris Smither is an American folk/blues singer, guitarist, and songwriter. His music draws deeply from the blues, American folk music, modern poets and philosophers.-Early life, influences and education:...
song previously performed by Bonnie Raitt
Bonnie Raitt
Bonnie Lynn Raitt is an American blues singer-songwriter and a renowned slide guitar player. During the 1970s, Raitt released a series of acclaimed roots-influenced albums which incorporated elements of blues, rock, folk and country, but she is perhaps best known for her more commercially...
. She also performs Mose Allison's
Mose Allison
Mose John Allison, Jr. is an American jazz blues pianist and singer.-Biography:...
"Stop This World".
Chart success
The album reached the Top 5 in the UK, the Australian top 40 album charts and made a strong debut on the Billboard 200. "Temptation", a cover of the Tom Waits song off his Frank's Wild Years album of 1987 has reached number 1 of the World Jazz Charts (based on the US, Germany, France, Japan and China) and reached the US Top 40 on the pop charts.Track listing
- "Stop This World" (Mose AllisonMose AllisonMose John Allison, Jr. is an American jazz blues pianist and singer.-Biography:...
) - "The Girl in the Other Room" (Diana Krall / Elvis Costello)
- "Temptation" (Tom WaitsTom WaitsThomas Alan "Tom" Waits is an American singer-songwriter, composer, and actor. Waits has a distinctive voice, described by critic Daniel Durchholz as sounding "like it was soaked in a vat of bourbon, left hanging in the smokehouse for a few months, and then taken outside and run over with a car."...
) - "Almost BlueAlmost Blue (song)"Almost Blue" is a song by Elvis Costello that appears on his 1982 album Imperial Bedroom."Almost Blue" was also performed by Everything but the Girl , Diana Krall , The Reputation , Judy Wexler , Alison Moyet "Almost Blue" is a song by Elvis Costello (Declan Patrick MacManus) that appears on his...
" (CostelloElvis CostelloElvis Costello , born Declan Patrick MacManus, is an English singer-songwriter. He came to prominence as an early participant in London's pub rock scene in the mid-1970s and later became associated with the punk/New Wave genre. Steeped in word play, the vocabulary of Costello's lyrics is broader...
) - "I've Changed My Address" (music: Krall, lyrics: Costello / Krall)
- "Love Me Like a Man" (Chris SmitherChris SmitherChris Smither is an American folk/blues singer, guitarist, and songwriter. His music draws deeply from the blues, American folk music, modern poets and philosophers.-Early life, influences and education:...
) - "I'm Pulling Through" (Arthur HerzogArthur HerzogArthur Herzog was an American novelist, non-fiction writer, and journalist, well known for his works of science fiction and true crime books.His novels The Swarm and Orca have been made into films...
/ Irene Kitchings) - "Black Crow" (Joni MitchellJoni MitchellJoni Mitchell, CC is a Canadian musician, singer songwriter, and painter. Mitchell began singing in small nightclubs in her native Saskatchewan and Western Canada and then busking in the streets and dives of Toronto...
) - "Narrow Daylight" (music: Krall, lyrics: Costello / Krall)
- "Abandoned Masquerade" (music: Krall, lyrics: Costello)
- "I'm Coming Through" (music: Krall, lyrics: Costello / Krall)
- "Departure Bay" (music: Krall, lyrics: Costello / Krall)
Personnel
- Diana KrallDiana KrallDiana Jean Krall, OC, OBC is a Canadian jazz pianist and singer, known for her contralto vocals. She has sold more than 6 million albums in the US and over 15 million worldwide; altogether, she has sold more albums than any other female jazz artist during the 1990s and 2000s...
: Vocals, 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... - Peter ErskinePeter ErskinePeter Erskine is an American jazz drummer and composer. He has enjoyed a long and successful career as a session drummer, recording and touring with many famous jazz and rock artists, including Steely Dan and Weather Report...
: 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 "Stop This World", "Almost Blue", and tracks 7 to 12 - Jeff HamiltonJeff Hamilton (drummer)Jeff Hamilton is an American jazz drummer. He is co-director of the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra and leader of his own trio.-Career:...
: 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 "The Girl In The Other Room", "I've Changed My Address", and "Love Me Like A Man" - Terri Lyne CarringtonTerri Lyne CarringtonTerri Lyne Carrington is a jazz drummer, composer, record producer and entrepreneur. She has played with jazz legends Dizzy Gillespie, Stan Getz, Clark Terry, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Joe Sample, Al Jarreau, Yellowjackets, and many more...
: 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 "Temptation" - Christian McBrideChristian McBrideChristian McBride is an American jazz bassist. His father, Lee Smith, and his great uncle, Howard Cooper, are well known Philadelphia bassists who served as McBride's early mentors...
: BassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
on "Stop This World", "Temptation", "Almost Blue", and tracks 7 to 12 - John ClaytonJohn Clayton (bassist)John Travis Clayton Jr. is an American jazz and classical double bassist.-Music:John Travis Clayton Jr. began seriously undertaking the study of double bass at age 16, studying with bass legend Ray Brown...
: BassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
on "The Girl In The Other Room", "I've Changed My Address", and "Love Me Like A Man" - Neil Larsen: Hammond B-3Hammond organThe Hammond organ is an electric organ invented by Laurens Hammond in 1934 and manufactured by the Hammond Organ Company. While the Hammond organ was originally sold to churches as a lower-cost alternative to the wind-driven pipe organ, in the 1960s and 1970s it became a standard keyboard...
on "Temptation" - Anthony Wilson: 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...
- Recorded by Al SchmittAl SchmittAl Schmitt is a recording engineer and record producer.-Early career:Schmitt grew up in New York City. After serving in the U.S. Navy he began working at Apex Recording Studios at the age of 19. In the late 1950's Schmitt moved to Los Angeles and became a staff engineer at Radio Recorders on Santa...
at Capitol StudiosCapitol StudiosThe Capitol Studios complex opened in the Capitol Records Building, a futuristic new building in the heart of Hollywood, in 1956. It has since hosted some of the most treasured recordings in music history, from Frank Sinatra to the Beastie Boys. It is owned by Capitol Records whose parent company...
, Hollywood and at Avatar StudiosAvatar StudiosAvatar Studios, formerly known as The Power Station, is a recording studio at 441 West 53rd Street in Manhattan, New York City.The building was originally a Consolidated Edison power plant; but after a period of vacancy, it was used as a sound stage for the television game show Let's Make a Deal...
, New YorkNew YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east... - Avatar StudiosAvatar StudiosAvatar Studios, formerly known as The Power Station, is a recording studio at 441 West 53rd Street in Manhattan, New York City.The building was originally a Consolidated Edison power plant; but after a period of vacancy, it was used as a sound stage for the television game show Let's Make a Deal...
Assistant: Brian Montgomery - Capitol StudiosCapitol StudiosThe Capitol Studios complex opened in the Capitol Records Building, a futuristic new building in the heart of Hollywood, in 1956. It has since hosted some of the most treasured recordings in music history, from Frank Sinatra to the Beastie Boys. It is owned by Capitol Records whose parent company...
ProTools Engineer: Steve Genewick - Mixed by Al SchmittAl SchmittAl Schmitt is a recording engineer and record producer.-Early career:Schmitt grew up in New York City. After serving in the U.S. Navy he began working at Apex Recording Studios at the age of 19. In the late 1950's Schmitt moved to Los Angeles and became a staff engineer at Radio Recorders on Santa...
at Capitol StudiosCapitol StudiosThe Capitol Studios complex opened in the Capitol Records Building, a futuristic new building in the heart of Hollywood, in 1956. It has since hosted some of the most treasured recordings in music history, from Frank Sinatra to the Beastie Boys. It is owned by Capitol Records whose parent company...
, Hollywood - Mastered by Robert Hadley and Doug Sax at The Mastering Lab, Los AngelesLos Angeles, CaliforniaLos 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...
- Production coordinator: Marsha Black
- Photography: Mark SeligerMark SeligerMark Seliger is an American photographer noted for his portraiture.Seliger was born in Amarillo, Texas and attended the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Houston, and Texas A&M University–Commerce. Seliger served as the chief photographer for Rolling Stone from 1992 to 2002 and...
- Art Director: Hollis King
- Booklet back cover photo: DJ Hunter
- Design: Isabelle Wong/Isthetic
- Photo Production: Donna Ranieri
- Release Coordinators: John Newcott and Kelly Pratt
Charts
| Chart (2004) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Billboard 200 | 4 |
| Polish Albums Chart Polish Music Charts The Polish Music Charts are two official album charts and seven singles charts in Poland, provided by ZPAV, the Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry . The first, the Top 100, is a monthly chart based on data received from the album companies... |
1 |
| Top Canadian Albums | 1 |
| Top Jazz Albums | 1 |
Certifications
| Country | Certification | Sales/shipments |
|---|---|---|
| Canada Cria A cria is the name for a baby camelid such as a llama, alpaca, vicuña, or guanaco. It comes from the Spanish word cría, meaning "baby". Its false cognate in English, crya , was coined by British sailors who explored Chile in the 18th century and were quick to describe the camelids onomatopoeically... |
2x Platinum | 160,000 |
| United States | Gold | 500,000 |