Chrome (Catherine Wheel album)

Chrome
Studio album by Catherine Wheel
Released	20 July 1993
Recorded	1993 at Britannia Row Studios in Fulham, London
Genre	Alternative rock, shoegazing
Length	53:46
Label	Fontana (UK) / Mercury (US)
Producer	Gil Norton
Catherine Wheel chronology
Ferment (1992)Ferment1992 Chrome (1993) Happy Days (1995)Happy Days1995

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]
NME	(7.0/10)[2]
Q Magazine	B+[3]

Chrome is the second full-length album by English alternative rock band Catherine Wheel, released in July 1993. Chrome, produced by former Pixies producer Gil Norton, has a more metallic musical edge (hence the title) than the band's previous album Ferment and EPs.

Content

The album cover photo was shot in an indoor swimming pool by Storm Thorgerson of the Hipgnosis design company. In 1999, the cover of this album appeared as the cover of the Hipgnosis/Thorgerson retrospective book Eye of the Storm: The Album Graphics of Storm Thorgerson (Sanctuary Publishing, 190 pgs.). The CD version was also available in a limited-edition version with a shiny chrome-looking cover with embossed writing on it.

The track "Ursa Major Space Station" was named after an obscure guitar effects pedal, but it is not known if the band used that pedal on the album. "Fripp" was named after King Crimson guitarist Robert Fripp.

Promotion and release

Peaking at number 26 on the Billboard Top Heatseekers chart, the album was supported by the single "Crank", a number 5 Modern Rock Tracks hit.

Music videos were filmed for singles "Crank", "Show Me Mary", and "The Nude". The video for "Crank" featured the band playing in a hotel's elevator and lobby to a motley cast of hotel guests,with several scenes emulating the persecution, death, and resurrection of Jesus; "Show Me Mary" had the band being driven around in a taxi; "The Nude" featured the smearing of wet clay across a topless woman's torso.

Catherine Wheel embarked on tours with Slowdive, Chapterhouse, and INXS, among others, to promote this album.

Track listing

All songs written by Rob Dickinson and Brian Futter.

1. "Kill Rhythm" – 3:51
2. "I Confess" – 3:56
3. "Crank" – 3:45
4. "Broken Head" – 4:43
5. "Pain" – 6:31
6. "Strange Fruit" – 3:06
7. "Chrome" – 3:53
8. "The Nude" – 3:51
9. "Ursa Major Space Station" – 5:09
10. "Fripp" – 7:34
11. "Half Life" – 4:08
12. "Show Me Mary" – 3:19

Singles

• "Crank" (1993)
  • Fontana/Mercury CW 512, 864 423 (UK 12" vinyl picture disc)
    1. "Crank" – 3:46
    2. "Black Metallic (John Peel BBC Session 1991)" – 7:55
    3. "Painful Thing (John Peel BBC Session 1991)" – 5:52
  • Fontana 864 422-2 (Netherlands CD single)
    1. "Crank" – 3:45
    2. "Come Back Again" – 4:24
  • Fontana 862 517-2 (UK CD single)
    1. "Crank" – 3:45
    2. "La La Lala La" – 5:26
    3. "Pleasure" – 5:22
    4. "Tongue Twisted" – 4:50
  • Fontana CWCDA5, 864 423-2 (UK CD single)
    1. "Crank" – 3:45
    2. "La La Lala La" – 5:26
    3. "Something Strange" – 1:46
  • Fontana CWCDB5, 864 425-2 (UK CD single)
    1. "Crank" – 3:45
    2. "Pleasure" – 5:22
    3. "Tongue Twisted" – 4:50
  • Fontana CWMC 5, 864 422-4 (UK cassette single - same two tracks on each side)
    1. "Crank" – 3:45
    2. "Come Back Again" – 4:24
• "Show Me Mary" (1993)
  • Fontana CWCDB 6, 862 809-2 (UK CD single)
    1. "Show Me Mary" – 3:22
    2. "These Four Walls" – 5:22
    3. "Smother" – 7:09
  • Mercury CDP 1104 (US promo CD single)
    1. "Show Me Mary (Scott Lit remix)" – 3:18
    2. "Wish You Were Here (XFM Session), Pink Floyd cover" – 2:56
  • Fontana CW 612, 862 809-1 (UK 12" vinyl single)
    1. "Show Me Mary" – 3:19
    2. "High Heels" – 3:35
    3. "Mouth Full Of Air" – 2:42
  • Fontana CWDJX 6 (UK 12" vinyl promo single)
    1. "Show Me Mary" – 3:19
    2. "High Heels" – 3:35
    3. "Mouth Full Of Air" – 2:42
  • Fontana CW6, CW 6, 862 808-7 (UK 7" vinyl single)
    1. "Show Me Mary" – 3:23
    2. "Flower To Hide (live in Los Angeles Aug 3, 1993)" – 5:03
  • Fontana CWCDA 6, 862 811-2 (UK CD single)
    1. "Show Me Mary" – 3:23
    2. "Car" – 6:44
    3. "Girl Stand Still" – 8:09
  • Mercury CDP 1058 (UK promo CD single)
    1. "Show Me Mary" – 3:19
    2. "High Heels" – 3:39
    3. "Mouth Full Of Air" – 2:47
• "The Nude" (1993)
  • Fontana CDP 1191 (UK promo CD single)
    1. "The Nude (Scott Litt remix)" – 4:05

Personnel

• Rob Dickinson – vocals, guitar
• Brian Futter – guitar, vocals
• Dave Hawes – bass guitar
• Neil Sims – percussion
• Tim Friese-Greene – Hammond organ
• Gil Norton – producer
• John Lee – producer, engineer

References