Togetherland

Togetherland was originally intended to be Seal's fourth album and was to be released back in 2001. The tracks were orininally written and recorded in Seal's home studio in Los Angeles in 1999. Songwriters Guy Gershoni and Dave Palmer were brought in at two week intervals for eight months of intensive collaboration efforts. The outcome of these writing sessions were experimental, edgy, underground club tracks reflective of Seal's early career and roots. Such a divergence from the Seal brand today, that there was discussion about releasing the tracks under a pseudo-name as to not distrupt the fan base. Instead, Henry Jackman was contracted to produce and mainstreme the album before it was presented to the label. These are the versions that are sampled online. Contrary to various reports, Warner Bros. Records turned down the album because it was dissatisfied with the end result. Seal recorded and released Seal in its place, and decided to put Togetherland into a "vault", where the album has remained since. Over the years, fans have been able to listen to 30 second clips as well as streamed, full versions of some of the album's songs, to which many of those songs received high praise. On July 1, 2007, a book titled The Greatest Music Never Sold^[1] was released and makes mention of Togetherland as well as other popular artists whose music has been kept hidden away. Unfortunately the original versions have not been leaked to the public.

The only song from Togetherland to be released commercially is "This Could Be Heaven" (originally entitled simply "Heaven"), which was featured on the soundtrack of the motion picture The Family Man. The recording of the track, however, is different from the version that was recorded for Togetherland.

Track listing

1. "(Just a) Step Away"
2. "Keep On" (Original title "Champagne")
3. "Love Is Better"
4. "Elise"
5. "Under the Sun"
6. "Heaven"
7. "English Lover" (Duet with Emiliana Torrini)
8. "Breathe"
9. "All I Wanted to Say"
10. "Let It Ride"
11. "Togetherland"

References