New Beginning (Tracy Chapman album)
New Beginning is the fourth album by singer-songwriter Tracy Chapman, released in 1995. According to Nielsen Soundscan, it is her biggest-selling recording since 1991, with 3.8 million copies sold,[8] and according to the RIAA, it has shipped five million copies in the United States.
New Beginning | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | November 14, 1995 | |||
Genre | Folk rock, blues | |||
Length | 62:19 | |||
Label | Elektra | |||
Producer | Tracy Chapman, Don Gehman | |||
Tracy Chapman chronology | ||||
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Singles from New Beginning | ||||
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Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [1] |
Cash Box | (favorable)[2] |
Robert Christgau | B-[3] |
Entertainment Weekly | B[4] |
The Guardian | [5] |
Rolling Stone | [6] |
The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [7] |
The album's sound consists of Chapman's trademark acoustic folk-rock 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. Chapman earned the Grammy Award for Best Rock Song for the track, and it was also nominated for Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Female Rock Vocal Performance at the Grammy Awards of 1997.[9]
The song "Unsung Psalm" was originally written and recorded for this album, but was cut. It was later included on her 2000 album Telling Stories. According to Billboard magazine, the "New Beginning" single was the first disc to have a sticker printed on the back of the packaging detailing system requirements to play the multi-media footage.
The use of a didgeridoo in the "New Beginning" track was a source of controversy. Chapman was taught to play at the Didgeridoo University in Alice Springs;[10] however, the use of a didgeridoo by women is taboo in many aboriginal nations.[11] The album also featured an extensive use of backup singers, which was very rare in Chapman's earlier works.
Track listing
All songs written by Tracy Chapman.
- "Heaven's Here on Earth" – 5:23
- "New Beginning" – 5:33
- "Smoke and Ashes" – 6:39
- "Cold Feet" – 5:40
- "At This Point in My Life" – 5:09
- "The Promise" – 5:28
- "The Rape of the World" – 7:07
- "Tell It Like It Is" – 6:08
- "Give Me One Reason" – 4:31
- "Remember the Tinman" – 5:45
- "I'm Ready" – 4:56
- "Save a Place for Me" (hidden track)
Personnel
Musicians
- Tracy Chapman – organ, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, lead vocals, background vocals
- Rock Deadrick – percussion, drums, background vocals
- Lili Haydn – violin
- Steve Ferrone – drums
- Adam Levy – electric guitar, background vocals
- Eric Rigler – tin whistle, Uilleann pipes
- Scott Roewe – didgeridoo
- Glenys Rogers – percussion, background vocals
- John Philip Shenale – keyboards
- Andy Stoller – bass guitar, 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
Weekly charts
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Year-end charts
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Certifications
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Australia (ARIA)[23] | 3× Platinum | 210,000^ |
Austria (IFPI Austria)[24] | Gold | 25,000* |
Canada (Music Canada)[25] | 7× Platinum | 700,000^ |
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[26] | Gold | 10,000‡ |
Germany (BVMI)[27] | Gold | 250,000^ |
New Zealand (RMNZ)[28] | Platinum | 15,000^ |
United Kingdom (BPI)[29] | Silver | 60,000^ |
United States (RIAA)[30] | 5× Platinum | 5,000,000^ |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
Awards
Grammy Awards | |||||
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Year | Work | Award | Result | Ref | |
1997 | New Beginning | Best Pop Album | Nominated | [31] | |
"Give Me One Reason" | Song of the Year | Nominated | |||
Record of the Year | Nominated | ||||
Best Female Rock Vocal Performance | Nominated | ||||
Best Rock Song | Won | ||||
References
- Ruhlmann, William (November 14, 1995). "AllMusic review". AllMusic. Retrieved February 3, 2012.
- Baltin, Steve (December 2, 1995). "Pop Albums" (PDF). Cash Box. p. 13. Retrieved November 10, 2022.
- "Robert Christgau review". Robertchristgau.com. Retrieved February 3, 2012.
- "New Beginning". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved May 20, 2021.
- Sullivan, Caroline (November 24, 1995). "Music: This week's pop cd releases". The Guardian.
- "Rolling Stone review". July 26, 2008. Archived from the original on July 26, 2008. Retrieved February 3, 2012.
- Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian David (May 20, 2004). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 9780743201698. Retrieved May 20, 2021 – via Google Books.
- "Ask Billboard: Mariah Carey, Tracy Chapman, Jeff Bates". Billboard. January 20, 2009. Retrieved February 3, 2012.
- "Tracy Chapman". Grammy Awards. Retrieved August 8, 2021.
- "Learning to Play the Didgeridoo". Aboriginalart.com.au. Retrieved June 16, 2019.
- "The ongoing debate about women playing didgeridoo: how a musical icon can become an instrument of remembering and forgetting" (PDF). Lryb.aiatsis.gov.au. Retrieved June 16, 2019.
- "Australiancharts.com – Tracy Chapman – New Beginning". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 9, 2020.
- "Austriancharts.at – Tracy Chapman – New Beginning" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved November 9, 2020.
- "Lescharts.com – Tracy Chapman – New Beginning". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 9, 2020.
- "Offiziellecharts.de – Tracy Chapman – New Beginning" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved November 9, 2020.
- "Charts.nz – Tracy Chapman – New Beginning". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 9, 2020.
- "Swisscharts.com – Tracy Chapman – New Beginning". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 9, 2020.
- "Tracy Chapman Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved November 9, 2020.
- "ARIA Top 100 Albums for 1996". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved November 9, 2020.
- "Top Selling Albums of 1996". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved February 1, 2022.
- "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1996". Billboard. Retrieved November 9, 2020.
- "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1997". Billboard. Retrieved November 9, 2020.
- Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 54.
- "Austrian album certifications – Tracy Chapman – New Beginning" (in German). IFPI Austria. Retrieved October 15, 2012.
- "Canadian album certifications – Tracy Chapman – New Beginning". Music Canada. Retrieved October 15, 2012.
- "Danish album certifications – Tracy Chapman – New Beginning". IFPI Danmark. Retrieved June 3, 2020.
- "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Tracy Chapman; 'New Beginning')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved October 15, 2012.
- "New Zealand album certifications – Tracy Chapman – New Beginning". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved November 22, 2015.
- "British album certifications – Tracy Chapman – New Beginning". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved July 20, 2022.
- "American album certifications – Tracy Chapman – New Beginning". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved October 15, 2012.
- "Tracy Chapman". Grammy Awards. Retrieved July 21, 2019.