User:TheWho71/band/performance
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| Performance | |||||
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| Image:The wannabees performance.jpg | |||||
| Studio album by the Wannabees | |||||
| Released | December 23, 2017 | ||||
| Recorded | December 1, 2015 – December 15, 2017 at Victor Studios | ||||
| Genre | Pop Rock Psychedelic rock |
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| Length | ??:?? | ||||
| Label | Sony Music Entertainment | ||||
| Producer | ????????? | ||||
| The Wannabees chronology | |||||
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Performance is the twend album by the Wannabees. It is often cited as their magnum opus, although it is part of their first albums. It was recorded by the band over a 2-years period beginning on December 1, 2015. The album was released on December 23, 2017 to make the Christmas market. Upon release the album was a critical and popular sensation. Innovative, from structure to recording techniques, the artistic effect was felt immediately.
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[edit] Overview
Performance was recorded when the Wannabees' first album "Hit-Parade" and their EP "The Singles" have met an unwaited success through North America and United Kingdom. They made a big North America tour before stopping concerts, because they were tired and having enough of touring.
Retirement from touring gave them more ample time in which to prepare their next record. When leader and bassist Peter May came up with the idea of "Performance", they started to record and write. For this time, they wanted to have enough time for recording and creating their songs, because they were not satisfied by the time period spent to make "Hit-Parade" ; only five months. They fixed their recording period to 2 years, for getting enough time. All four band members had already developed a preference for long, late-night sessions although they were still extremely efficient and highly disciplined in their studio habits.
By the time the Wannabees recorded the album, their musical interests had grown from their simple pop and rock beginnings to incorporate a variety of new influences, although keyboardist Keith Young had become familiar with a wide range of instruments, such as the Hammond organ and the electric piano. Their instrumentation now covered the entire range, including strings, brass and woodwind. The Wannabees also used new modular effects units like the wah-wah pedal and the fuzzbox (already used in "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" 2014 single), which they augmented with their own experimental ideas, such as running voices and instruments through a Leslie speaker.
Performance features elaborate arrangements — for example, the flute ensemble on "I Talk to the Wind" and the brass ensemble on the song "Performance" — and extensive use of studio effects including echo, reverberation and reverse tape effects. Many of these effects were devised in collaboration with producer ????????? and his team of engineers. Each member of the band had his personal assistant.
[edit] Themes and structure
With Performance, the Wannabees wanted to play the game of acting : they had the idea of changing identities into others. Because of this, they are credited on the album as Jimmy Book (Peter May), Lex Waters (Dan Gibson), Micky Oldham (Keith Young) and Barney Waugh (Mike Jones).
All the songs, except a minority, are linked together and fades into the next, and vice versa. Only "Lord Knows We've Come", "I Talk to the Wind", "Time is Passing" and "Onyx" are not linked to other songs, maybe because they were destinated to appear on singles or because they have nothing to do with the concept.
[edit] References
Many songs in "Performance" have been subject of speculations. In "Steel Valley", the phrase When you'll go to Steel Valley, you'll have to smell the smoke has been referred as smoking marijuana. Peter May denied to have inserted references to marijuana, and that « it was just about the smoke from the chimmey of a factory in the steel valley. » "Time is Passing" is full of these "references". A phrase in the song, Letter O is in two in the dead names, has been referred to band leader John Taylor's alleged death ; John Taylor. Another phrase, in backwards, says I like to take drugs ! Please take it, it won't be bad.... In fact, it's a real backward message, but it says "I like to walk in fog ! Freeze, feel it, and don't be sad." Another backward message says "Enter your penis in it", and evidently refers to sexual penetration. In reality, Peter May says "Maker of Guinness Inuits."
[edit] Album cover
The album packaging has been designed by Peter May. His sister have buy magic sheets who makes appear pre-printed colours behind the black sheet when some water is applied on. Peter May made many sheets and scanned them on computer. He then conceived the album booklet with these images. « I remember I had many problems : the first sheets I've made have been broken, because I was applying water too loud on the sheet. Sometimes, I was working on a table, and all the colour was repanded on the table, which made my girlfriend become angry. The worst has been when I've let some sheets get dry, but the sun has caught fire to the sheets ! My girlfriend has litteraly threw the remaining sheets at trash. »
[edit] Track listing
All songs written by May/Gibson, except where noted.
- "Performance" – ?:??
- "Corn on Fire" – ?:??
- "Lord Knows We've Come" – ?:??
- "Steel Valley" – ?:??
- "I Talk to the Wind" (McDonald/Sinfield) – 6:06
- "Movie in the Janitor's Head" – ?:??
- "The Foreigner" - ?:??
- "Time is Passing" (May/Young) – ?:??
- "Onyx" – ?:??
- "Put the Money Down" – ?:??
- "Yesterday and Today" – ?:??
- "Performance (Reprise)" – ?:??
[edit] Singles
- Lord Knows We've Come / Corn on Fire (2018)
[edit] Personnel
- Peter May – bass guitar, guitars, keyboards, piano, lead vocals
- Dan Gibson – rhythm guitar, lead guitar, fuzzbox, wah-wah pedal, vocals
- Keith Young – piano, organ, mellotron
- Mike Jones – drums, percussion, bells, harmonium
- Alexandre Cloutier - alto saxophone
- ??????? – recording engineer
with participation of Montreal Symphony Orchestra :
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Template:The Wannabees
