Who Killed Amanda Palmer
Encyclopedia
Who Killed Amanda Palmer is the first solo album by American musical artist Amanda Palmer
.
The album was largely recorded in Nashville, Tennessee
, with collaborator Ben Folds
and was released on Roadrunner Records (also home to The Dresden Dolls
). The name of the album is a reference to the series Twin Peaks
, which revolves around events surrounding the death of Laura Palmer
.
on cello.
In 2007, Palmer self-released the song "I Will Follow You Into the Dark", a cover of the Death Cab for Cutie
song, on her MySpace. The ID3 tags
listed the source album as Nashville. Fans began discussing the possibility of the solo album being named such, but Palmer dispelled rumors on the Dresden Dolls' forum, The Shadowbox, stating:
Palmer also revealed that the song would not be on the album, instead releasing it on Peace (for Mom) a compilation released by Brainwashed Recordings
.
Palmer confirmed to the Boston Phoenix in April 2007 that the album was indeed titled Who Killed Amanda Palmer, although another working title was That's Amanda Fucking Palmer to You. She joked that the latter was unlikely to encourage being stocked at notably conservative media chain Wal-Mart
.
On the overall feel of the record, Palmer said:
In November 2007, members of Estradasphere
started touring with Palmer, as well as helping to produce this album.
The magazine Alternative Press named this album one of the "Most Anticipated Albums of 2008".
In an interview on April 20, 2008, Palmer told Hayley Rosenblum
on her WHRW
(Binghamton University's radio station) show, Penguins in the Desert, that the release date would be September 16, 2008. She also mentioned that the album would be remastered
on April 25 because Ben was not happy with the original mastering job. A later blog post by Amanda indicated that the album has been remastered at least three times. A companion book created in conjunction with Neil Gaiman
was also mentioned. Roadrunner Records has since confirmed that the book will be a book of photography. Photographer Kyle Cassidy
confirmed on June 30 that the book would be written by Neil, with Kyle laying out, designing, and supplying photography for the book.
In an interview with Songfacts, Palmer explained that "Leeds United" was inspired by losing a Leeds United football shirt that was given to her by Ricky Wilson
of the English band Kaiser Chiefs
.
There have, to date, been videos released for nine of the tracks from Who Killed Amanda Palmer. "Astronaut", "Ampersand", "Runs in the Family", "The Point of It All", "Strength Through Music", "Guitar Hero", and "Another Year" all formed part of the Who Killed Amanda Plamer video series, directed by Michael Pope. These videos are all connected, and spoken word material can be heard at the end of several of the tracks. "Another Year" serves as the music for the credits, and there is also an introduction video containing music without vocals that does not appear on Palmer's album. Videos have also been released for "Oasis" (also directed by Pope) and "Leeds United" (directed by Alex de Campi). On December 24 the video for "What's the Use of Won'drin'?" was released on Amanda's YouTube
page directed by Michael Pope.
On September 5, 2008, Palmer revealed pre-orders for the album would begin on Monday September 8, 2008, via her new web site, whokilledamandapalmer.com.
In November 2008, Palmer refused her record label's demand that she remove shots of her "uncommercially fat" stomach from the "Leeds United" video. There was much controversy over these demands, eventually resulting in a fan protest that became known as "The reBELLYon". Fans posted photos of their stomachs on Dresden Dolls/Amanda Palmer fan site "Shadowbox", and eventually sent the photos to Palmer's label, Roadrunner Records, to prove their point. Palmer was successful in being dropped from the label, and released a free song, entitled "Do You Swear to Tell the Truth, the Whole Truth, and Nothing But The Truth, So Help Your Black Ass", in celebration.
gave positive reviews of all tracks (with the exception of "Oasis"), and stated that "The Point of it All" "emphasizes [her] strengths as a lyricist". MusicOMH reviewer Natasha Tripney described the album as "...exhilarating... It is a rather delicious confection; a cake iced with the darkest, bitterest chocolate", and ultimately gave the album 4 and half stars out of 5. However, Allmusic only gave the album 2 and half stars out of 5, stating that "[The album is] a disc full of songs that originally didn't make the cut on the band's main albums. Most of these best alternate song ideas were already used up when compiling the track listing for the fantastic Dresden Dolls B-sides compilation, No, Virginia...
released earlier the same year. So, what we're looking at here are C-sides, which despite any amount of studio polish and however great the contributions by Folds, don't quite stack up."
.
A live version of the song "I Google You" (co-written with Neil Gaiman
) was available with the pre-order of the album.
Amanda Palmer
Amanda MacKinnon Gaiman Palmer , sometimes known as Amanda Fucking Palmer, is an American performer who first rose to prominence as the lead singer, pianist, and lyricist/composer of the duo The Dresden Dolls...
.
The album was largely recorded in Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
, with collaborator Ben Folds
Ben Folds
Benjamin Scott "Ben" Folds is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and television personality. From 1995-2000, Folds was the frontman and pianist of the alternative rock band Ben Folds Five. Since the group disbanded, Folds has performed as a solo artist and has toured all over the world...
and was released on Roadrunner Records (also home to The Dresden Dolls
The Dresden Dolls
The Dresden Dolls are an American musical duo from Boston, Massachusetts. Formed in 2000, the group consists of Amanda Palmer and Brian Viglione...
). The name of the album is a reference to the series Twin Peaks
Twin Peaks
Twin Peaks is an American television serial drama created by David Lynch and Mark Frost. The series follows the investigation headed by FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper , of the murder of a popular teenager and homecoming queen, Laura Palmer...
, which revolves around events surrounding the death of Laura Palmer
Laura Palmer
Laura Palmer is a fictional character from the television series Twin Peaks, created by David Lynch and Mark Frost. Her death was the catalyst for the events of the series...
.
Background
Certain tracks also featured Folds on percussion and keyboards and former Rasputina member Zoë KeatingZoë Keating
Zoë Keating is a Canadian-born cellist and composer based in San Francisco, California.In her solo performances and recordings , she uses live electronic sampling and repetition in order to layer the sound of her cello, creating rhythmically dense musical structures...
on cello.
In 2007, Palmer self-released the song "I Will Follow You Into the Dark", a cover of the Death Cab for Cutie
Death Cab for Cutie
Death Cab for Cutie is an American alternative rock band formed in Bellingham, Washington in 1997. The band consists of Ben Gibbard , Chris Walla , Nick Harmer and Jason McGerr ....
song, on her MySpace. The ID3 tags
ID3
ID3 is a metadata container most often used in conjunction with the MP3 audio file format. It allows information such as the title, artist, album, track number, and other information about the file to be stored in the file itself....
listed the source album as Nashville. Fans began discussing the possibility of the solo album being named such, but Palmer dispelled rumors on the Dresden Dolls' forum, The Shadowbox, stating:
that was titled 'nashville' because that is the location that i am recording the solo album....in nashville, at ben folds' studio, with ben, who is producing the record and playing on it. [...] it will not be the album title unless i decide to confuse everybody and come up with an album title that will throw EVERYBODY
....ie 'nashville blues'
in which case shoot me
Palmer also revealed that the song would not be on the album, instead releasing it on Peace (for Mom) a compilation released by Brainwashed Recordings
Brainwashed (website)
Brainwashed is a not-for-profit online music publication offering news and reviews of eclectic music. Over fifty people contribute to the archives of Brainwashed. Brainwashed hosts websites for many bands, artists and record labels...
.
Palmer confirmed to the Boston Phoenix in April 2007 that the album was indeed titled Who Killed Amanda Palmer, although another working title was That's Amanda Fucking Palmer to You. She joked that the latter was unlikely to encourage being stocked at notably conservative media chain Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. , branded as Walmart since 2008 and Wal-Mart before then, is an American public multinational corporation that runs chains of large discount department stores and warehouse stores. The company is the world's 18th largest public corporation, according to the Forbes Global 2000...
.
On the overall feel of the record, Palmer said:
A lot of the songs are piano ballads that never found a home on a DollsAdditionally, she has said:The Dresden DollsThe Dresden Dolls are an American musical duo from Boston, Massachusetts. Formed in 2000, the group consists of Amanda Palmer and Brian Viglione...
' record, because I hadn't wanted to overload the record with slow material. But there's a really intense, exciting energy to the tracks at the same time. It definitely won't drag.
We've been adding everything from organs and Leslie cabinets [keyboard speaker] to strings, horns, and tympani. The final result should be biblical.
In November 2007, members of Estradasphere
Estradasphere
Estradasphere was an experimental band that originated in Santa Cruz, California during the late 1990s. The band, which in its last incarnation was based in Seattle, consisted of 6 multi-instrumentalists from a variety of musical backgrounds trained in disciplines ranging from classical music and...
started touring with Palmer, as well as helping to produce this album.
The magazine Alternative Press named this album one of the "Most Anticipated Albums of 2008".
In an interview on April 20, 2008, Palmer told Hayley Rosenblum
Hayley Rosenblum
Hayley Rosenblum is a former Public Relations Director for WHRW.-Show:She was co-host and co-creator of a radio show called Penguins in the Desert with listeners world wide...
on her WHRW
WHRW
WHRW is Binghamton University's non-profit, student run, free format radio station. Licensed to Binghamton, New York, USA, the station serves the New York college area. The station is currently owned by Binghamton University. The station has operational facilities in and on top of the Glenn G...
(Binghamton University's radio station) show, Penguins in the Desert, that the release date would be September 16, 2008. She also mentioned that the album would be remastered
Audio mastering
Mastering, a form of audio post-production, is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device ; the source from which all copies will be produced...
on April 25 because Ben was not happy with the original mastering job. A later blog post by Amanda indicated that the album has been remastered at least three times. A companion book created in conjunction with Neil Gaiman
Neil Gaiman
Neil Richard Gaiman born 10 November 1960)is an English author of short fiction, novels, comic books, graphic novels, audio theatre and films. His notable works include the comic book series The Sandman and novels Stardust, American Gods, Coraline, and The Graveyard Book...
was also mentioned. Roadrunner Records has since confirmed that the book will be a book of photography. Photographer Kyle Cassidy
Kyle Cassidy
Kyle Cassidy, born in Woodbury, New Jersey, is an American photographer and videographer who lives in West Philadelphia. He holds a BA in English from Rowan University, and also holds an MCSE. His latest book is "Armed America: Portraits of Gun Owners in Their Homes"...
confirmed on June 30 that the book would be written by Neil, with Kyle laying out, designing, and supplying photography for the book.
In an interview with Songfacts, Palmer explained that "Leeds United" was inspired by losing a Leeds United football shirt that was given to her by Ricky Wilson
Ricky Wilson (British musician)
Ricky Wilson is the lead singer of English band Kaiser Chiefs. Wilson has also been on the panel of the BBC Television comedy series Shooting Stars in 2009, Never Mind the Buzzcocks in 2005, and was a guest host on the show in 2006.-Character and Style:Wilson is well known for wearing stripy...
of the English band Kaiser Chiefs
Kaiser Chiefs
Kaiser Chiefs are an English indie rock band from Leeds who formed in 1996. They were named after the South African football club Kaizer Chiefs....
.
There have, to date, been videos released for nine of the tracks from Who Killed Amanda Palmer. "Astronaut", "Ampersand", "Runs in the Family", "The Point of It All", "Strength Through Music", "Guitar Hero", and "Another Year" all formed part of the Who Killed Amanda Plamer video series, directed by Michael Pope. These videos are all connected, and spoken word material can be heard at the end of several of the tracks. "Another Year" serves as the music for the credits, and there is also an introduction video containing music without vocals that does not appear on Palmer's album. Videos have also been released for "Oasis" (also directed by Pope) and "Leeds United" (directed by Alex de Campi). On December 24 the video for "What's the Use of Won'drin'?" was released on Amanda's 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....
page directed by Michael Pope.
On September 5, 2008, Palmer revealed pre-orders for the album would begin on Monday September 8, 2008, via her new web site, whokilledamandapalmer.com.
In November 2008, Palmer refused her record label's demand that she remove shots of her "uncommercially fat" stomach from the "Leeds United" video. There was much controversy over these demands, eventually resulting in a fan protest that became known as "The reBELLYon". Fans posted photos of their stomachs on Dresden Dolls/Amanda Palmer fan site "Shadowbox", and eventually sent the photos to Palmer's label, Roadrunner Records, to prove their point. Palmer was successful in being dropped from the label, and released a free song, entitled "Do You Swear to Tell the Truth, the Whole Truth, and Nothing But The Truth, So Help Your Black Ass", in celebration.
WKAPFM
As a promotional game for the release of Who Killed Amanda Palmer, a fake radio site, WKAP, has been set up with clues to her alleged disappearance.Critical reception
Reception of Who Killed Amanda Palmer was generally positive. Joshua Klein of Pitchfork MediaPitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
gave positive reviews of all tracks (with the exception of "Oasis"), and stated that "The Point of it All" "emphasizes [her] strengths as a lyricist". MusicOMH reviewer Natasha Tripney described the album as "...exhilarating... It is a rather delicious confection; a cake iced with the darkest, bitterest chocolate", and ultimately gave the album 4 and half stars out of 5. However, Allmusic only gave the album 2 and half stars out of 5, stating that "[The album is] a disc full of songs that originally didn't make the cut on the band's main albums. Most of these best alternate song ideas were already used up when compiling the track listing for the fantastic Dresden Dolls B-sides compilation, No, Virginia...
No, Virginia...
No, Virginia... is the second compilation album by American dark cabaret band The Dresden Dolls. It was released in Europe on May 19, 2008 and North America on May 20, 2008. A special edition was released in the U.S. via the iTunes Store and Amazon.com's MP3 service on June 10, 2008...
released earlier the same year. So, what we're looking at here are C-sides, which despite any amount of studio polish and however great the contributions by Folds, don't quite stack up."
Song history
- "Ampersand" began appearing during Dresden Dolls concerts shortly after their album Yes, Virginia... was released.
- "The Point of It All" was performed numerous times during Palmer's solo sets during the Dresden Dolls' film festival project Fuck the Back Row, in 2007. She also performed "Night Reconnaissance" during these concerts, leading to fans expecting it as a solo Amanda Palmer track only. However, that song was eventually released on the Dolls collection No, Virginia...No, Virginia...No, Virginia... is the second compilation album by American dark cabaret band The Dresden Dolls. It was released in Europe on May 19, 2008 and North America on May 20, 2008. A special edition was released in the U.S. via the iTunes Store and Amazon.com's MP3 service on June 10, 2008...
- "Blake Says" has been shared online for many years; the version that has circulated is from a performance in CambridgeCambridgeThe city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
, Massachusetts, in 2004. It has been a staple in Palmer's solo shows and has been performed since at least 2001. It heavily references the Velvet Underground song "Stephanie SaysStephanie Says"Stephanie Says" is a song by The Velvet Underground originally recorded in 1968. Although available on various bootlegs, the song was not officially released until 1985, when a remixed version appeared on the album VU. The original, 1968 mix of Stephanie Says was included on the 2005 Velvet...
", and is named after Boston artist Blake Brasher. - "Straight", which was recorded during the sessions but not actually on the album, has also circulated under the working title "Hey Bitch".
- According to Palmer's MySpaceMySpaceMyspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
, her set lists show that she had performed "Another Year", "Runs in the Family", "Guitar Hero", "Blake Says", "Ampersand", "Astronaut" and "Leeds United" during her summer 2007 summer concerts. - "Have to Drive" has been performed sporadically during Dresden Dolls concerts, but not since 2005.
- The earliest version of "Astronaut" was finished on October 15, 2006, at the Crystal Ballroom.
- "Runs in the Family" was written during the same time period as "Girl Anachronism" and was performed as a Dresden Dolls song before being vetoed for the band.
- The earliest version of "Guitar Hero" was finished in late 2006.
- The melody for "Another Year" was given to Palmer by Cormac Bride in 2005 as noted by Palmer on July 20, 2005, at a Boston performance.
- Palmer stated during the Evelyn Evelyn tour that "Astronaut" was created in Portland Oregon's very own "Crystal Ballroom" while traveling for the earlier Dresden Dolls tour to the same location.
Track listing
On June 6, 2008, in a preview for an interview with e-zine TheMagazine, Palmer gave the tracklist for the album, stating that advance copies of the album had been sent out to reviewers in EuropeEurope
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
.
A live version of the song "I Google You" (co-written with Neil Gaiman
Neil Gaiman
Neil Richard Gaiman born 10 November 1960)is an English author of short fiction, novels, comic books, graphic novels, audio theatre and films. His notable works include the comic book series The Sandman and novels Stardust, American Gods, Coraline, and The Graveyard Book...
) was available with the pre-order of the album.
Chart history
| Chart (2008) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| 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... |
77 |
Release history
| Region | Date | Label | Format | Catalog |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Online pre-order Pre-order A pre-order is an order placed for an item which has not yet been released. The idea for pre-orders came when people found it hard to get popular items in stores due to their popularity. Companies were then given the idea to allow people to reserve their own personal copy, before the release, ... |
September 8, 2008 | Digital download | ||
| September 13, 2008 | Roadrunner Records Roadrunner Records Roadrunner Records is an American record label that concentrates primarily on heavy metal bands. It is currently a subsidiary of Warner Music Group.-History:... |
CD Compact Disc The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,... |
RR 7925-5 | |
| September 15, 2008 | Roadrunner Records | CD Compact Disc The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,... |
RR79255 | |
| September 16, 2008 | Roadrunner Records | CD Compact Disc The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,... |
179252 | |
| September 16, 2008 | Roadrunner Records | CD Compact Disc The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,... |
||
| September 26, 2008 | Roadrunner Records | CD Compact Disc The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,... |
||
| October 7, 2008 | Vinyl Gramophone record A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove... |
179251 |
Personnel
- Amanda PalmerAmanda PalmerAmanda MacKinnon Gaiman Palmer , sometimes known as Amanda Fucking Palmer, is an American performer who first rose to prominence as the lead singer, pianist, and lyricist/composer of the duo The Dresden Dolls...
- 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...
, producer, WurlitzerWurlitzerThe Rudolph Wurlitzer Company, usually referred to simply as Wurlitzer, was an American company that produced stringed instruments, woodwinds, brass instruments, theatre organs, band organs, orchestrions, electronic organs, electric pianos and jukeboxes....
omni 3000, Wurlitzer electric pianoWurlitzer electric pianoWurlitzer 200A|250px|thumbThe Wurlitzer electric piano was one of a series of electromechanical stringless pianos manufactured and marketed by the Rudolph Wurlitzer Company, Corinth, Mississippi, U.S. and Tonawanda, New York...
, celesteCeleste- People :* Celeste Holm , US actress* Madame Céleste , French dancer and actress* Celeste , American former pornographic actress* Dick Celeste , governor of Ohio from 1983 to 1991...
, vibraphoneVibraphoneThe vibraphone, sometimes called the vibraharp or simply the vibes, is a musical instrument in the struck idiophone subfamily of the percussion family....
, handclaps - Ben FoldsBen FoldsBenjamin Scott "Ben" Folds is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and television personality. From 1995-2000, Folds was the frontman and pianist of the alternative rock band Ben Folds Five. Since the group disbanded, Folds has performed as a solo artist and has toured all over the world...
- producer, drums, synthesizers, percussion, jupiter-4Roland Jupiter-4The Roland Jupiter 4 was an analog synthesizer manufactured by the Roland Corporation of Japan between 1978 and 1981. It was notable as the company's first self-contained polyphonic synthesizer, and for containing digital control of analog circuits , allowing for such features as programmable...
, piano, moogMoog synthesizerMoog synthesizer may refer to any number of analog synthesizers designed by Dr. Robert Moog or manufactured by Moog Music, and is commonly used as a generic term for older-generation analog music synthesizers. The Moog company pioneered the commercial manufacture of modular voltage-controlled...
, BlackBerryBlackBerryBlackBerry is a line of mobile email and smartphone devices developed and designed by Canadian company Research In Motion since 1999.BlackBerry devices are smartphones, designed to function as personal digital assistants, portable media players, internet browsers, gaming devices, and much more...
, Wurlitzer omni 3000, back-up vocals - Zoë KeatingZoë KeatingZoë Keating is a Canadian-born cellist and composer based in San Francisco, California.In her solo performances and recordings , she uses live electronic sampling and repetition in order to layer the sound of her cello, creating rhythmically dense musical structures...
- celloCelloThe cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
(1, 5) - East Bay RayEast Bay RayRaymond John Pepperell , better known by his stage name East Bay Ray is a guitarist best-known for his membership in the San Francisco Bay area-based punk band Dead Kennedys...
- 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...
(7) - Annie ClarkAnnie ClarkAnnie Erin Clark is an American multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter who performs as St. Vincent. She was a member of The Polyphonic Spree and also part of Sufjan Stevens' touring band, prior to forming her own band....
- vocals, virtual chimes (9) - Paul BuckmasterPaul BuckmasterPaul John Buckmaster is a Grammy Award-winning English artist, arranger and composer.He began learning the cello at the age of 4 and graduated from the Royal College of Music at age 16....
- arranger (3, 8, 12)
- David Davidson - 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....
(1, 2, 5) - John Catchings - cello (2)
- Allan Ferguson - bassBass (instrument)Bass describes musical instruments that produce tones in the low-pitched range. They belong to different families of instruments and can cover a wide range of musical roles...
(4) - Jamie Graham - drums (4)
- Josh Coppersmith-Heaven - saxophoneSaxophoneThe saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
(4) - Tim Lane - 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...
(4) - Andy Moore - 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...
(4) - Sam Bass - cello (7)
- Jared Reynolds - bass (10), back-up vocals (10)
- Choir (8)
- Carey Kotsionis, Carmella Ramsey, Donald Schroader, George Daeger, Jack Palmer, Jared Reynolds, Kate York, Leigh Nash, Sam Smith
- Tim Smolens - additional recording (1)
- Joe Costa - engineer (2, 5, 6, 7, 10), mixer (1, 2, 4, 6, 10)
- Justin Phelps - engineer (3, 7, 8, 11, 12)
- Stephen Watkins - engineer (4)
- Jason Lehning - additional recording (4)
- Leslie Richter - engineer (5)
- Laura Dean - engineer (7, 8), handclaps (8)
- Henry Hirsch - engineer (9)
- Bram Tobey - assistant engineer (9)
- Alan Bezozi - producer (9)
- The strings
- Paul Buckmaster: arranger/conductor
- Suzie Katayama: orchestra manager/supervising copyist
- Dwight Mikkelsen: supervising copyist
- Kirby Furlong: copyist
- Victor Sagerquist: copyist
- Caryn Rasmussen: copyist
- violins: Natalie Leggett, Ruth Bruegger, Darius Campo, Roberto Cano, Mario de Leon, Sarah Parkins, Joel Derouin, Michele Richards, Josefina Vergara
- violaViolaThe viola is a bowed string instrument. It is the middle voice of the violin family, between the violin and the cello.- Form :The viola is similar in material and construction to the violin. A full-size viola's body is between and longer than the body of a full-size violin , with an average...
: Shanty Randall, Matt Funes, Evan Wilson - cello: Larry Corbett, Steve Richards, Daniel Smith