The Conversation (Texas album)

The Conversation
Studio album by Texas
Released 20 May 2013
Recorded 2013 Glasgow, London and Richard Hawley's studio in Sheffield
Genre Alternative rock
Label PIAS Recordings
Producer Johnny McElhone
except "Big World", produced by Bernard Butler
Texas chronology

The BBC Sessions
(2007)		 The Conversation
(2013)		 Texas 25
(2015)
Singles from The Conversation
  1. "The Conversation"
    Released: 25 March 2013
  2. "Detroit City"
    Released: 12 August 2013
  3. "Dry Your Eyes"
    Released: 18 November 2013
Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Liverpool Sound and Vision [1]

The Conversation is the eighth album from Scottish rock band Texas. It was released on 20 May 2013. Tracks are written mainly by Sharleen Spiteri and Johnny McElhone, with Richard Hawley and Bernard Butler as collaborators. The album's lead single of the same name joined Radio 2's playlist in April 2013.

The Conversation is the group's first studio album of new material since Red Book in 2005.

"The Conversation" was released as the first single from the album, followed by up-beat Pop Rock "Detroit City", both of which received a decent amount of UK airplay, including on BBC Radio 2's playlist.

Their third single from the album "Dry Your Eyes", was released in November 2013.

Background

On 8 September 2009, bandmember Ally McErlaine was hospitalized after he collapsed with a massive brain aneurysm at the age of 40.[2][3][4] By February 2010, he was recovering well as reported by bandmate Sharleen Spiteri in The Sunday Mail: "Ally is the most stubborn person I have ever come across, and I think his sheer pigheadedness is the reason he's still here! When he asked what was happening with Texas, I said it was up to him. He told me he wanted to get back into the studio".

After McErlaine survived his collapse - which kills in 80% of cases - Texas reunited for the first time since 2005. The band embarked on a tour in Summer 2011 and lead singer Spiteri appeared on Popstar to Operastar on 12 June 2011 singing a version of the band's hit "Say What You Want".[5] Prior to this, Texas had played at the Den Fynske Landsby Festival in Denmark. At the festival, they debuted a new track "The Conversation" which marked the first time the track has been played outside their native Glasgow.[6]

Spiteri was also invited to make a series of cameo appearances at different events, all of which involved film scores. She sang Yvonne Elliman's "If I Can't Have You" for a Saturday Night Fever tribute concert and duetted with Italian singer Mauro Gioia on the "Love Theme from The Godfather". Spiteri said "That led to this [forthcoming Texas] album...But I don't see it as a covers album – I didn't want it to sound like karaoke".[7]

In February 2013, Music Week [8] announced the band had signed to PIAS Recordings; the album The Conversation was released in May 2013. The deluxe edition includes a second disc of a selection of hits recorded live at the Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival in 2011.

Karen Overton, who co-wrote 4 songs, is better known as Karen Anne, singer of the band "girl called johnny", which was the opening act on Texas "the conversation-tour". She released an earlier version of the song "Detroit City" named "New York City" with her former band Ramona.

Track listing

No. TitleWriter(s) Length
1. "The Conversation"  Sharleen Spiteri/Johnny McElhone/Karen Overton/Amanda Ghost/Ian Dench 2:44
2. "Dry Your Eyes"  Spiteri/McElhone/Richard Hawley 2:41
3. "If This isn't Real"  Spiteri/McElhone/Overton/Jack McElhone 3:17
4. "Detroit City"  Spiteri/McElhone/Overton/Robert Hodgens 3:42
5. "I Will Always"  Spiteri/McElhone/Hawley 2:26
6. "Talk About Love"  Spiteri/McElhone/Hawley 3:28
7. "Hid From the Light"  Spiteri/McElhone/Hawley 3:32
8. "Be True"  Spiteri/McElhone/Hawley 3:15
9. "Maybe I"  Spiteri/McElhone/Hawley 2:38
10. "Hearts Are Made to Stray"  Spiteri/McElhone/Overton 2:45
11. "Big World"  Spiteri/McElhone/Bernard Butler/Overton 3:21
12. "I Need Time"  Spiteri/McElhone/Hawley 3:20
iTunes bonus track[9]
No. Title Length
13. "Where Do You Go"   3:43

Charts

Chart (2013) Peak
position
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[10] 7
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[11] 7
Dutch Albums (MegaCharts)[12] 46
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[13] 38
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[14] 27
Scottish Albums (OCC)[15] 3
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[16] 21
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[17] 51
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[18] 7
UK Albums (OCC)[19] 4
UK Digital Albums (OCC)[20] 13
UK Independent Albums (OCC)[21] 2

References

  1. ↑ "The Conversation - Texas". Hall, Ian D. Retrieved 20 May 2013.
  2. ↑ "Texas Guitarist suffering Critical after brain haemorrhage". Daily Mail. UK. 2010-02-02. Retrieved 2011-08-17.
  3. ↑ "Texas guitar player Ally McErlaine in hospital after fall in London". NME. UK. 2009-09-12. Retrieved 2011-08-17.
  4. ↑ "Texas Guatarist in critical conditions after brain hemorrhage". Contactmusic.com. 2009-09-12. Retrieved 2011-08-17.
  5. ↑ "Joy for Sharleen Spiteri as Texas reunite after guitarist wins fight for life". The Daily Record. Retrieved 2011-08-17.
  6. ↑ http://www.sharleenspiteri.co.uk/
  7. ↑ Adrian Thrills. "Sharleen Spiteri leaves her Texas roots and looks to Hollywood for inspiration". Mailonsunday.co.uk. Retrieved 2011-08-17.
  8. ↑ |url=http://www.musicweek.com/news/read/pias-set-to-release-new-texas-lp/053627
  9. ↑ "iTunes - Music - The Conversation by Texas". itunes.apple.com. 2013. Retrieved 27 March 2013.
  10. ↑ "texas – the conversation" (in Dutch). Ultratop.be. Hung Medien.
  11. ↑ "texas – the conversation" (in French). Ultratop.be. Hung Medien.
  12. ↑ "texas – the conversation" (in Dutch). Dutchcharts.nl. Hung Medien.
  13. ↑ "Longplay-Chartverfolgung at Musicline" (in German). Musicline.de. Phononet GmbH.
  14. ↑ "texas – the conversation". Norwegiancharts.com. Hung Medien.
  15. ↑ "2013-06-01 Top 40 Scottish Albums Archive". Official Charts Company.
  16. ↑ "texas – the conversation". Spanishcharts.com. Hung Medien.
  17. ↑ "texas – the conversation". Swedishcharts.com. Hung Medien.
  18. ↑ "texas – the conversation". Swisscharts.com. Hung Medien.
  19. ↑ "texas | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart
  20. ↑ "2013-06-01 Top 40 UK Album Downloads Archive". Official Charts Company.
  21. ↑ "2013-06-01 Top 40 Independent Albums Archive | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart

External links