New Beginning (Tracy Chapman album)

New Beginning
Studio album by Tracy Chapman
Released	November 14, 1995
Recorded	1993-95
Genre	Folk Blues Pop
Length	62:19
Label	Elektra
Producer	Tracy Chapman, Don Gehman
Tracy Chapman chronology
Matters of the Heart (1992) New Beginning (1995) Telling Stories (2000)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]
Robert Christgau	(B-)[2]
Rolling Stone	[3]

New Beginning is the fourth album by singer/songwriter Tracy Chapman, released in 1995 (see 1995 in music). According to Nielsen Soundscan it is her biggest-selling recording with 3.8 million copies sold,^[4] and has shipped a total of five million copies throughout the United States according to the RIAA.

According to Billboard Magazine, the New Beginnings single was the first multi-session disc to have a sticker printed on the back of the packaging detailing system requirements to play the multi-media footage.

Contents 1 Track listing 2 Musical Style 3 Personnel 4 Production 5 Charts 6 Awards 7 References

Track listing

All songs written by Tracy Chapman

1. "Heaven's Here on Earth" – 5:23
2. "New Beginning" – 5:33
3. "Smoke and Ashes" – 6:39
4. "Cold Feet" – 5:40
5. "At This Point in My Life" – 5:09
6. "The Promise" – 5:28
7. "The Rape of the World" – 7:07
8. "Tell It Like It Is" – 6:08
9. "Give Me One Reason" – 4:31
10. "Remember the Tinman" – 5:45
11. "I'm Ready" – 4:56

Bonus track: "Save a Space For Me" appended to "I'm Ready"

Musical Style

The album's sound consists Chapman's trademark acoustic rock / folk sound and is mainly made up of slow, low-key tunes and a few upbeat tracks. One notable exception is the hit "Give Me One Reason", which is a blues piece. Most tracks on the album have backup singers, which was very rare in Chapman's earlier works.

Personnel

• Tracy Chapman - organ, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, vocals, background vocals
• Rock Deadrick - percussion, drums, background vocals
• Lili Haydn - violin
• Steve Ferrone - drums
• Adam Levy - electric guitar, background vocals
• Eric Rigler - human whistle, Scottish small pipes
• Scott Roewe - didjeridu
• Glenys Rogers - percussion, background vocals
• John Philip Shenale - keyboard
• Andy Stoller - bass, background vocals, tamboura
• Cameron Stone - cello
• John Thomas - piano

Production

• Producers: Tracy Chapman, Don Gehman
• Engineer: Don Gehman
• Assistant engineers: John Ewing, Jr., Kevin Scott, Doug Trantow
• Mixing: Don Gehman
• Mastering: Eddy Schreyer
• Production coordination: Diane Medak
• Art direction: Lee Cantelon
• Design: Lee Cantelon
• Graphic layout: Lavonne Murlowski
• Photography: Christine Alicino

Charts

Album - Billboard (North America)

Year	Chart	Position
1995	The Billboard 200	4
1995	Swedish Album Chart	46

Singles - Billboard (North America)

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1996	"Give Me One Reason"	Adult Contemporary	3
1996	"Give Me One Reason"	Adult Top 40	1
1996	"Give Me One Reason"	Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks	35
1996	"Give Me One Reason"	The Billboard Hot 100	3
1996	"Give Me One Reason"	Top 40 Mainstream	2
1997	"Give Me One Reason"	Top 40 Adult Recurrents	1

Awards

Grammy Awards

Year	Winner	Category
1996	"Give Me One Reason"	Best Rock Song

References