The Lonesome Jubilee
Encyclopedia
The Lonesome Jubilee is the ninth album by American
singer-songwriter
John Mellencamp
, credited as John Cougar Mellencamp. The album was released by Mercury Records
on August 24, 1987 (see 1987 in music
). Four single
s were released from the album, the first two in 1987 and the last two in 1988.
The album was one of Mellencamp's most successful worldwide, charting in ten countries. The album was most successful in Canada
where it topped RPM
magazine's Top Albums chart and became the artist's highest certified album by Music Canada
(formerly the Canadian Recording Industry Association) becoming 6x platinum.
' s recording, John's Uncle Joe had died of cancer at the age of 57, which greatly influenced the album.
While the album was being recorded, Riva Records
had ceased to function, so the artist moved to Mercury Records
, who would continue to release material by Mellencamp until 1998.
and started in September 1986 and lasted until June 1987, a period of nine months. The sessions were produced
by Mellencamp with Don Gehman
and were engineered
by Gehman and David Leonard
.
The sound on the album was a departure from Mellencamp's previous albums and included many traditional folk
and country
instruments in order to make his audience aware of the "once-familiar social landscape" of folk music. The risk of making music counter to the mainstream of rock music paid off with the album's success.
, except where noted.
Singles
People of the United States
The people of the United States, also known as simply Americans or American people, are the inhabitants or citizens of the United States. The United States is a multi-ethnic nation, home to people of different ethnic and national backgrounds...
singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
John Mellencamp
John Mellencamp
John Mellencamp, previously known by the stage names Johnny Cougar, John Cougar, and John Cougar Mellencamp, is an American rock singer-songwriter, musician, painter and occasional actor known for his catchy, populist brand of heartland rock that eschews synthesizers and other artificial sounds...
, credited as John Cougar Mellencamp. The album was released by Mercury Records
Mercury Records
Mercury Records is a record label operating as a standalone company in the UK and as part of the Island Def Jam Motown Music Group in the US; both are subsidiaries of Universal Music Group. There is also a Mercury Records in Australia, which is a local artist and repertoire division of Universal...
on August 24, 1987 (see 1987 in music
1987 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1987.See also:Record labels established in 1987-January-February:*January 3 – Aretha Franklin becomes the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame...
). Four single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
s were released from the album, the first two in 1987 and the last two in 1988.
The album was one of Mellencamp's most successful worldwide, charting in ten countries. The album was most successful in Canada
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...
where it topped RPM
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,...
magazine's Top Albums chart and became the artist's highest certified album by Music Canada
Music Canada
Music Canada was a Canadian music television miniseries which aired approximately monthly on CBC Television from 1966 to 1967.-Premise:This series featured various special productions of music and dance, from classical to modern styles.-Scheduling:...
(formerly the Canadian Recording Industry Association) becoming 6x platinum.
Background
Around the time of The Lonesome JubileeWhile the album was being recorded, Riva Records
Riva Records
Riva Records was a record label founded the UK in 1975 by Billy Gaff, manager of Rod Stewart.Rod Stewart signed to the label in the UK, but stayed with Warner Bros. Records in the US. Another well known artist on the label was John Cougar Mellencamp, distributed by PolyGram in the US, and WEA in...
had ceased to function, so the artist moved to Mercury Records
Mercury Records
Mercury Records is a record label operating as a standalone company in the UK and as part of the Island Def Jam Motown Music Group in the US; both are subsidiaries of Universal Music Group. There is also a Mercury Records in Australia, which is a local artist and repertoire division of Universal...
, who would continue to release material by Mellencamp until 1998.
Recording and production
The sessions for The Lonesome Jubilee took place at Belmont Mall Studio in Belmont, IndianaBelmont, Indiana
Belmont is an unincorporated town in Washington Township, Brown County, Indiana.Belmont was originally the settlement of the Shakers, who quickly died out. However, they left the bell from their church. The bell went with the land in the government auction. The bell remained until 1920 by that...
and started in September 1986 and lasted until June 1987, a period of nine months. The sessions were produced
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
by Mellencamp with Don Gehman
Don Gehman
Don Gehman is an American record producer, best known for his work in the 1980s with John Mellencamp.Gehman grew up in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and played bass in a local rock band...
and were engineered
Audio engineering
An audio engineer, also called audio technician, audio technologist or sound technician, is a specialist in a skilled trade that deals with the use of machinery and equipment for the recording, mixing and reproduction of sounds. The field draws on many artistic and vocational areas, including...
by Gehman and David Leonard
David Leonard (producer)
David Leonard is a Grammy Award-winning American record producer and audio engineer.-Production discography:* 1981: Chaka Khan - What Cha' Gonna Do for Me - co-engineer* 1981: The Go-Go's - Beauty and the Beat - mixing assistant...
.
The sound on the album was a departure from Mellencamp's previous albums and included many traditional folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
and country
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
instruments in order to make his audience aware of the "once-familiar social landscape" of folk music. The risk of making music counter to the mainstream of rock music paid off with the album's success.
Track listing
All songs written by John MellencampJohn Mellencamp
John Mellencamp, previously known by the stage names Johnny Cougar, John Cougar, and John Cougar Mellencamp, is an American rock singer-songwriter, musician, painter and occasional actor known for his catchy, populist brand of heartland rock that eschews synthesizers and other artificial sounds...
, except where noted.
- "Paper in FirePaper in Fire"Paper in Fire" is a song by American rock singer John Cougar Mellencamp, released as the first single from his ninth studio album The Lonesome Jubilee....
" – 3:51 - "Down and Out in Paradise" – 3:37
- "Check It Out" – 4:19
- "The Real Life" – 3:57
- "Cherry Bomb" – 4:47
- "We Are the People" – 4:17
- "Empty Hands" (Mellencamp/GreenGeorge Green (songwriter)George Michael Green was an American songwriter. His compositions included the Top 10 Billboard hits "Crumblin' Down" and "Hurts So Good" , as well as another Canadian Number 1 hit in "Key West Intermezzo ".- Biography :Green was John Mellencamp's long-time writing...
) – 3:43 - "Hard Times for an Honest Man" – 3:27
- "Hotdogs and Hamburgers" – 4:04
- "Rooty Toot Toot" – 3:29
- "Blues from the Front Porch" (2005 re-issue bonus track) – 2:02
Personnel
- John Mellencamp – vocal, guitar
- Kenny AronoffKenny AronoffKenny Aronoff is an American drummer. He has played drums for many musicians, including John Mellencamp, Bob Seger, Belinda Carlisle, Elton John, John Fogerty, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Meat Loaf, The BoDeans, Gregg Alexander, The Smashing Pumpkins, Tony Iommi, Jon Bon Jovi, Vasco Rossi, Cinderella and...
– drums, percussion, backing vocals - Larry Crane – guitars, mandolin, harmonica, autoharp, banjo, backing vocals
- John Cascella – accordion, keyboards, saxophone, melodica, penny whistle, claves
- Lisa GermanoLisa GermanoLisa Germano is an American singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who has released seven albums featuring her often-hushed vocal style, confessional lyrics, and distinctive violin. Her 1994 album Geek the Girl received widespread critical acclaim, including being featured as a top album of...
– fiddle - Toby Myers – bass guitar, banjo, backing vocals
- Pat Peterson – backing vocals, cowbell, tambourine
- Crystal TalieferoCrystal TalieferoCrystal Taliefero is an American multi-instrumentalist and vocalist. Since 1989 she has been a touring and recording member of the Billy Joel Band...
– backing vocals - Mike Wanchic – guitars, dobro, banjo, dulcimer, backing vocals
Charts
Album| Chart (1987) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canadian Top Albums | 1 |
| German Albums | 41 |
| Netherlands Top 100 Albums | 24 |
| Norwegian Top 40 Albums | 16 |
| Swedish Top 60 Albums | 6 |
| Swiss Top 100 Albums | 10 |
| 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... |
31 |
| US 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... 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... |
6 |
| US Country Albums | 63 |
| Chart (1988) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Top 50 Albums | 10 |
| New Zealand Top 50 Albums | 3 |
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | "Paper in Fire" | The Billboard Hot 100 | 9 |
| 1987 | "Paper in Fire" | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 1 |
| 1987 | "Hard Times For An Honest Man" | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 10 |
| 1987 | "Cherry Bomb" | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 1 |
| 1988 | "Cherry Bomb" | The Billboard Hot 100 | 8 |
| 1988 | "Cherry Bomb" | Adult Contemporary | 12 |
| 1988 | "The Real Life" | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 3 |
| 1988 | "Check It Out" | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 3 |
| 1988 | "Check It Out" | The Billboard Hot 100 | 14 |
| 1988 | "Rooty Toot Toot" | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 7 |
| 1988 | "Rooty Toot Toot" | The Billboard Hot 100 | 61 |