Call off the Search

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For the title song, see Call off the Search (song).
Call off the Search
Call off the Search cover
Studio album by Katie Melua
Released 3 November 2003 (UK)
Genre Jazz/Blues
Length 41:14
Label Dramatico
Producer Mike Batt
Professional reviews
Katie Melua chronology

-		 Call off the Search
(2003)		 Piece by Piece
(2005)
Alternate cover
Special Bonus Edition
Special Bonus Edition

Call off the Search is the debut album by Georgian-born British jazz and blues singer Katie Melua, released in 2003 (see 2003 in music).

Contents

[edit] Recording and release

British songwriter, producer and arranger Mike Batt signed Melua to his Dramatico recording and management label after she performed at a showcase at the Brit School for the Performing Arts in early 2003. Batt was looking for a young artist capable of "performing jazz and blues in an interesting way". Melua went into the studio soon after with Batt as the producer. She recorded songs written by Batt, John Mayall, Delores J. Silver, herself, Randy Newman, and James Shelton. Melua wrote "Faraway Voice" about singer Eva Cassidy. "Belfast (Penguins and Cats)" refers to Melua's upbringing in Belfast, Northern Ireland: "Penguins" referring to Protestants and "Cats" to Catholics.

Call off the Search was released in the UK on 3 November 2003. It became a hit, reaching number one on the UK album chart in January 2004 and the top twenty of the Australian album chart in June 2004. It spent 87 weeks in the ARIA Top 100, certified Platinum for shipments of 70,000+. First single "The Closest Thing to Crazy", written by Batt, reached the top five in Ireland, top ten in the UK, top twenty in Norway, and top fifty in Australia. The second single from the album was the title track, "Call off the Search", which gave Melua her second UK top twenty hit. The third single, a cover of Mayall's "Crawling up a Hill", was top twenty on a composite world jazz tracks chart as of early July 2004 and was released on 18 July as the third single in the UK. In the UK the album sold 1.2 million copies within its first five months of release, making it four times platinum. It spent six weeks at the top of the chart.

[edit] Track listing

  1. "Call off the Search" (Mike Batt) – 3:24
  2. "Crawling up a Hill" (John Mayall) – 3:25
  3. "The Closest Thing to Crazy" (Batt) – 4:12
  4. "My Aphrodisiac Is You" (Batt) – 3:34
  5. "Learnin' the Blues" (Delores J. Silver) – 3:23
  6. "Blame It on the Moon" (Batt) – 3:47
  7. "Belfast (Penguins and Cats)" (Katie Melua) – 3:21
  8. "I Think It's Going to Rain Today" (Randy Newman) – 2:30
  9. "Mockingbird Song" (Batt) – 3:06
  10. "Tiger in the Night" (Batt) – 3:07
  11. "Faraway Voice" (Melua) – 3:13
  12. "Lilac Wine" (James Shelton) – 6:42

[edit] Personnel

[edit] Production

  • Producer: Mike Batt
  • Engineer: Steve Sale
  • Arranger: Mike Batt
  • Photography: Simon Fowler
  • Cover photo: Michael Halsband

[edit] Charts

Chart (2003/2004) Peak
position		 Certification[1][2] Sales
Australia 13 Platinum 70,000
Denmark 1 Platinum 30,000
Ireland 2 x 2 Platinum 30,000
European Billboard (IFPI) x2 Platinum +2,000,000
France 41
Germany 8 x 2 Platinum 400,000
Holland Gold 35,000
Hong Kong Gold 10,000
Italy 59
Japan top 5
Netherlands 6
New Zealand 4 Platinum 15,000
Norway 2 x 2 Platinum 40,000
Poland 19
South Africa x 2 Platinum
Switzerland 29 Gold 30,000
Sweden 22 Gold 20,000
United Kingdom 1 x6 Platinum +1,800,000
U.S. Billboard Top Contemporary Jazz 3
U.S. Billboard 200 161
U.S. Billboard Top Heatseekers (U.S.) 7
World Albums 12 +3.5 million

[edit] External links

Preceded by
Life For Rent by Dido		 UK Album Chart number-one album
31 January 2004 - 21 February 2004		 Succeeded by
Feels like Home by Norah Jones
Preceded by
Feels like Home by Norah Jones		 UK Album Chart number-one album
6 March 2004 - 27 March 2004		 Succeeded by
Patience by George Michael
v • d • e
Katie Melua
Albums
Call off the Search · Piece by Piece · Pictures
Singles
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