Not Too Late

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 This article documents a current album.
Information is likely to change as the album remains on the charts.
Not Too Late
Not Too Late cover
Studio album by Norah Jones
Released January 24, 2007 (Japan)
January 26, 2007 (the Netherlands)
January 27, 2007 (Australia)
January 29, 2007 (New Zealand, Europe)
January 30, 2007 (U.S.)
Recorded 2005-2006
Genre Jazz/Pop
Label Blue Note Records/EMI
Producer(s) Lee Alexander
Professional reviews
Norah Jones chronology
Feels like Home
(2004)
Not Too Late
(2007)
. . .


Alternate cover
Deluxe edition cover
Deluxe edition cover

Not Too Late is the third album by American jazz and pop singer Norah Jones, released by EMI in Australia on January 27, 2007[1] and by Blue Note Records in the United States on January 30, 2007 (see 2007 in music). It was produced by Lee Alexander, a songwriter and bassist on Jones's previous albums (Come Away with Me and Feels like Home).

Contents

[edit] Background and production

Jones wrote most of the songs on the album when she was on tour during 2004 and 2005; for example, "Until the End" was written in the South Pacific, "Rosie's Lullaby" in Australia, and "The Sun Doesn't Like You" in Brazil.[2] Jones wrote "Thinking About You" in 1999 with Ilhan Ersahin, her then-bandmate in Wax Poetic, but she thought it was too much of a pop song for her to record and rejected a version she recorded for Feels like Home.[3] Jones had an acoustic guitar with her on the tour and wrote more songs with it than she previously had: "The guitar is simple and a lot easier to carry than a piano", she said.

After the tour concluded, Jones began recording the album with Alexander, who "tweak[ed]" the lyrics of the songs and "pulled [them] into better shape", according to Jones.[2] Not Too Late was mostly recorded at Jones's home studio and is the first album Jones recorded without producer Arif Mardin, who died in the summer of 2006. Jones described the sessions as "fun, relaxed and easy" and without a deadline; executives at Blue Note Records reportedly did not know they were recording an album. Many of the sessions were "spur of the moment", with friends of Jones and musicians they recommended being asked to play.[2] The album features guest appearances by organist Larry Goldings, singer-songwriter M. Ward and Kronos Quartet cellist Jeff Ziegler.

Jones said the songs on the album are "not so cut-and-dried" compared to her earlier material and have "a twist to them". In contrast to her previous albums, the piano, organ and Wurlitzer are not as prominent as the guitar: "the piano is always loud in the mix, but I've never been into it being the main rhythm instrument unless we're playing something funky. I've always liked the guitar as the rhythmic instrument", Jones explained.[2]

[edit] Release

Reviews of the album have been favorable.[4] By January 29, 2007, it had become the most pre-ordered album of all time on Amazon.com, Jones' second album after Feels like Home to reach the merchant's all-time top ten pre-order list.[5]

The album debuted at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 405,000.[6] In the United Kingdom, it entered the UK Albums Chart at number one, becoming the 800th number-one album in the history of the chart;[7] it sold 60,500 copies in its first week.[8] It debuted at number five in Japan, opening with sales of 36,400 copies;[9] in Canada the album entered at number one with opening week sales of 36,000.[10] In Australia it entered the ARIA Albums Chart at number two and was certified gold with shipments of 35,000 copies.[11] The album reached number one in seventeen countries, including Germany and France. (For more information, see Charts.) According to Media Traffic, Not Too Late sold 719,000 copies worldwide in its first week and debuted at number one on the United World Chart.[12] According to a press release from EMI, Not Too Late is certified gold or platinum in twenty-one countries as of February 2007.[13] In February the IFPI awarded the album a platinum certification for shipping one million copies.[14]

The first single from the album was "Thinking About You", which was released in the U.S. in early December 2006 and was one of the first songs by a major artist to be available for paid digital download in mp3 format.[15] "Not Too Late" was released as a radio single in Taiwan in early 2007.[16] For the week beginning January 23, the entire album was streamed on VH1.com's "Hear Music First" program.[17] Jones recorded an hour-long performance for UK BBC radio and television that was aired in late January,[18] and she performed via simulcast on the feature Live@BT: Norah Jones for Canada's CHUM Television in early February.[19][20] The second single from the album was "Sinkin' Soon", released in March.[21]

Jones is scheduled to embark on a twenty-two date concert tour of North America, beginning on April 13 and ending on May 12. One of these dates takes place at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, on April 28.[22]

[edit] Track listing

  1. "Wish I Could" (Norah Jones, Lee Alexander)
  2. "Sinkin' Soon" (Alexander, Jones)
  3. "The Sun Doesn't Like You" (Jones, Alexander)
  4. "Until the End" (Jones, Alexander)
  5. "Not My Friend" (Jones)
  6. "Thinking About You" (Jones, Ilhan Ersahin)
  7. "Broken" (Jones, Alexander)
  8. "My Dear Country" (Jones)
  9. "Wake Me Up" (Jones, Alexander)
  10. "Be My Somebody" (Jones)
  11. "Little Room" (Jones)
  12. "Rosie's Lullaby" (Jones, Daru Oda)
  13. "Not Too Late" (Jones, Alexander)
  14. "2 Men" (Jones, Alexander) (Japan bonus track)

[edit] Deluxe version (CD and DVD)

  1. "Thinking About You" – music video
  2. "Sinkin' Soon" – music video
  3. "Until the End" – music video
  4. "Thinking About You" – Making Of....
  5. "Sinkin' Soon" – Making Of....
  6. "Live Performances" – filmed in Burbank, CA, in November 2006
  7. "12 minutes interview" – with Norah Jones

[edit] Charts

See also: Norah Jones discography
Chart Provider(s) Peak
position
Certification Sales/
shipments
Billboard 200 (U.S.)[23] Billboard 1 2x platinum[24] 1,192,481 (9 weeks)/2,000,000[25]
Billboard Top Digital Album (U.S.)[23] 1
Billboard Top Comprehensive Albums (U.S.)[23] 1
Billboard Top Internet Albums (U.S.)[23] 1
Billboard Top Tastemakers (U.S.)[23] 1
Euro Album Chart[26] IFPI 1 Platinum[14] 1,000,000
Albanian Album Chart[27] Muzika Shqiptare
Argentinian Album Chart[28] CAPIF 1
Australian Album Chart[11] ARIA 2 Platinum 70,000[25]
Austrian Album Chart[29] Media Control Europe 1 Platinum[30] 20,000[25]
Belgium Album Chart[31] IFPI/Ultratop 1 Gold[31] 15,000
Brazilian Album Chart[32] 5
Canadian Album Chart[33] Nielsen SoundScan 1 2x platinum[34] 200,000[25]
Czech Album Chart[35] IFPI 3
Danish Album Chart[36] IFPI/Nielsen Music Control 1
Dubai Album Chart[13] 1
Estonian Album Chart[37] Pedrobeat 2 Gold[37] 5,000[25]
Finnish Albums Chart[38] GLF 1
French Albums Chart[39] SNEP/IFOP 1 131,000[40]
German Album Chart[41] Media Control 1
Greek International Album Chart[42] IFPI 2
Hungarian Top 40 Album Chart[43] Mahasz 1
Indonesian Album Chart[citation needed] LIMA 12 350,000[citation needed]
Irish Album Chart[44] IRMA 2
Israeli Album Chart[45] MusicaNeto 1
Italian Album Chart[46] FIMI/Nielsen SoundScan 5
Japanese Albums Chart[47] Oricon 5 157,005[48]
Mexican Albums Chart[citation needed] MixUp 1
Netherlands Albums Chart[49] NVPI/MegaCharts 1
New Zealand Albums Chart[50] RIANZ 1 Gold 7,500[25]
Norwegian Albums Chart[51] VG Nett 1
Polish Album Chart[52] ZPAV 1 Platinum[citation needed] 20,000[25]
Portuguese Album Chart[53] AFP/Nielsen 5
Slovakian Album Chart[54] IFPI
Spanish Album Chart[55] Promusicae/Media Control 3 Gold[56] 40,000[57]
Swiss Album Chart[58] Media Control Europe 1 2x platinum[59] 60,000[25]
Swedish Album Chart[60] GLF 1 Gold[61] 30,000[25]
Taiwanese International Album Chart[16] ICRT 3
UK Albums Chart[62] BPI/The Official UK Charts Company 1 175,000[citation needed]
Uruguay Albums Chart[63] CUD
United World Chart[64] Media Traffic 1 Platinum[65] 2,664,000

[edit] Personnel

  • Vocals: Norah Jones
  • Backing vocals: Norah Jones, Daru Oda, M. Ward, Richard Julian, Adam Levy
  • Whistle: Daru Oda
  • Piano: Norah Jones
  • Chamberlain keyboards: Paul Bryan
  • Acoustic guitars: Jesse Harris, Norah Jones
  • Electric guitar: Adam Levy, Norah Jones, Tony Scherr, Robbie McIntosh
  • Backwards electric guitars: Adam Levy
  • Pizzicato cello: Julia Kent
  • Bowed cello: Jeffery Ziegler
  • Guitjo: Jesse Harris
  • Mandolin: Kevin Breit
  • Trombone: J. Walker Hawkes
  • Bass: Lee Alexander
  • Bowed basses: Lee Alexander
  • Drums: Andy Borger, Tony Mason
  • Slit drum: Andy Borger
  • Pots & Pans: Andy Borger
  • Wurlitzer: Norah Jones
  • Hammond B-3 organ: Larry Goldings, Devin Greenwood
  • Marimba: Andy Borger
  • Cymbals: Andy Borger
  • Trumpet: Chuck Mackinnon
  • Tenore sax: Rob Suddith, Bill McHenry
  • Mellotron: Norah Jones
  • Cellos: Julia Kent
  • Pizzicato: Lee Alexander
  • Tuba: Jose Davilla
  • Lap steel: Lee Alexander

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Norah Jones Releases New Album 'Not Too Late'
  2. ^ a b c d Widran, Jonathan. "Norah Jones Talks About Co-Writing All The Songs For Her Upcoming New Album, Not Too Late". SongwriterUniverse Magazine. Retrieved February 4, 2007.
  3. ^ "Norah Jones - Not Too Late / Thinking Of You". ilikemusic.com. Retrieved January 26, 2007.
  4. ^ "Not Too Late by Norah Jones". Metacritic. Retrieved January 31, 2007.
  5. ^ "Norah Jones' "Not Too Late" Becomes Most Pre-Ordered Album of All Time on Amazon.com". Business Wire. January 29, 2007. Retrieved January 31, 2007.
  6. ^ Cohen, Jonathan. "Better 'Late' Than Never: Jones Debuts At No. 1". Billboard. February 7, 2007. Retrieved February 7, 2007.
  7. ^ "Jones scores UK's 800th top album". BBC News. February 4, 2007. Retrieved February 5, 2007.
  8. ^ Music Week. February 10, 2007.
  9. ^ "Album - Weekly ranking". Oricon. February 5, 2007.
  10. ^ Williams, John. "Norah Jones blasts to No. 1". JAM! Showbiz. February 8, 2007. Retrieved February 8, 2007.
  11. ^ a b "Top 50 Albums Chart". ARIA. February 5, 2007.
  12. ^ "United World Chart - ALBUMS - week 07 / 2007". Media Traffic. February 17, 2007. Retrieved February 13, 2007.
  13. ^ a b "Norah Jones' "Not Too Late" debuts at #1 in the world's key markets". EMI. February 7, 2007. Retrieved February 13, 2007.
  14. ^ a b European Certifications
  15. ^ Smith, Ethan and Wingfield, Nick. "In a Turnabout, Record Industry Releases MP3s". The Wall Street Journal. December 6, 2006, pg. B1. Retrieved February 5, 2007.
  16. ^ a b "International Album Chart". ICRT. February 10February 16, 2007. Retrieved April 3, 2007.
  17. ^ "VH1 Digital Grooves Into 2007 With New Installments of Its 'Box Set' and 'Live@Vh1.Com' Series". PR Newswire. January 11, 2007. Retrieved February 5, 2007.
  18. ^ Perrone, Pierre. "Norah Jones, LSO, St Luke's, London". The Independent. January 15, 2007. Retrieved February 5, 2007.
  19. ^ "A CHUM Television Exclusive Performance "Live@BT: Norah Jones"". Canada NewsWire. January 23, 2007. Retrieved February 5, 2007.
  20. ^ Reaney, James. "A-Channel has Jones simulcast". The London Free Press. January 31, 2007. Retrieved February 5, 2007.
  21. ^ "Norah Jones - Sinkin' Soon in March". CD Times. March 23, 2007. Retrieved March 31, 2007.
  22. ^ Cohen, Jonathan. "Norah Jones Plots Out Spring Tour". Billboard. February 1, 2007. Retrieved February 5, 2007.
  23. ^ a b c d e Norah Jones chart history, U.S. album charts
  24. ^ Billboard. April 7, 2007.
  25. ^ a b c d e f g h i Certification award levels
  26. ^ European Album Chart
  27. ^ Albanian Album Chart
  28. ^ Argentinian Album Chart
  29. ^ Austrian Album Chart
  30. ^ Austrian certification
  31. ^ a b Belgium Album Chart
  32. ^ Brazilian Album Chart
  33. ^ Canadian Album Chart
  34. ^ Canadian certifications
  35. ^ Czech Album Chart
  36. ^ Danish Album Chart
  37. ^ a b Estonian Album Chart
  38. ^ Finnish Albums Chart
  39. ^ French Album Chart
  40. ^ French sales
  41. ^ Germany Albums Chart
  42. ^ Greek International Album Chart
  43. ^ Hungarian Top 40 Album Chart
  44. ^ Irish Album Chart
  45. ^ Israeli Album Chart
  46. ^ Italian Album Chart
  47. ^ Japanese Album Chart
  48. ^ Japanese Sales
  49. ^ Netherlands Album Chart
  50. ^ New Zealand Album Chart
  51. ^ Norwegian Album Chart
  52. ^ Polish Album Chart
  53. ^ Portuguese Album Chart
  54. ^ IFPI Slovakia
  55. ^ Spanish Album Chart
  56. ^ [1]
  57. ^ [www.promusicae.org]
  58. ^ Swiss Album Chart
  59. ^ Swiss Certification Week 12 2007
  60. ^ Swedish Album Chart
  61. ^ hitlistan - week 7, 2007
  62. ^ UK Album Chart
  63. ^ Uruguay Albums Chart
  64. ^ United World Chart
  65. ^ Week 11, 2007
Preceded by
Late Night Special by Pretty Ricky
U.S. Billboard 200 number-one album
February 17, 2007 - February 23, 2007
Succeeded by
Infinity on High by Fall Out Boy
Preceded by
Infinity on High by Fall Out Boy
U.S. Billboard 200 number-one album
March 3, 2007 - March 16, 2007
Succeeded by
Daughtry by Daughtry
In other languages