Secret Symphony

Secret Symphony is the fifth studio album by singer-songwriter Katie Melua, and was released on 5 March 2012.[1] The album was recorded at Air Studios in London in collaboration with orchestrator and conductor Mike Batt.

Secret Symphony
Studio album by
Katie Melua
Released5 March 2012
Genre
Length37:32
LabelDramatico
ProducerMike Batt
Katie Melua chronology
The House
(2010)		 Secret Symphony
(2012)		 Ketevan
(2013)
Singles from Secret Symphony
  1. "Gold in them Hills"
    Released: 11 November 2011
  2. "The Bit That I Don't Get"
    Released: 10 February 2012
  3. "Better Than a Dream"
    Released: 9 March 2012
  4. "Moonshine"
    Released: 4 June 2012
  5. "The Walls of the World"
    Released: 17 September 2012
  6. "Forgetting All My Troubles"
    Released: 3 December 2012
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating

Melua said in a statement: "This album was going to be my 'singer's album'. I had always wanted to do this one day; singing other people's songs brings something out of you and your voice that isn't perhaps where you would have gone vocally with your own material."

She added: "It stretches you. As it happened Mike and I did write a couple of new ones, but the general idea was to find songs by great writers such as Ron Sexsmith ('Gold In Them Hills') and a favourite song of mine, originally recorded by Bonnie Raitt ('Too Long At The Fair') plus some more well-known ones like Keeping The Dream Alive."

The lead single, "Better Than a Dream", and the track "Walls of the World" were both originally recorded by Melua's longtime collaborator Mike Batt, for the TV series The Dreamstone and his 1977 solo album Schizophonia[2] respectively. "The Bit That I Don't Get" music video was filmed at several locations in Farnham, Surrey including the Lion and Lamb Yard, Guitar Village and 101 Collectors' Records. Farnham being the location for Mike Batt's studio where they made demo recordings.[3][4]

The record serves as the follow-up to Melua's 2010 album The House, which reached number four on the UK album chart. Musicperk.com rated the album 9/10.[5]

A "Special Bonus Edition" of the album has also been released. It consists of the album, four extra tracks dubbed "The Secret Sessions" and a second CD containing a live album: "Live In Berlin".[6][7]

In 2012 it was awarded a diamond certification from the Independent Music Companies Association which indicated sales of at least 200,000 copies throughout Europe.[8]

Track listing
Standard listing[9]
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Gold in Them Hills"Ron Sexsmith3:31
2."Better Than a Dream"Mike Batt3:10
3."The Bit That I Don't Get"Batt3:12
4."Moonshine"Francis Healy2:41
5."Forgetting All My Troubles"Melua3:22
6."All Over the World"Françoise Hardy2:56
7."Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out"Jimmy Cox4:33
8."The Cry of the Lone Wolf"
  • Melua
  • Batt
3:59
9."Heartstrings"
  • Melua
  • Batt
2:53
10."The Walls of the World"Batt3:25
11."Secret Symphony"Batt3:51
Special Bonus Edition[10]
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Gold in them Hills"Ron Sexsmith3:31
2."Better Than a Dream"Mike Batt3:10
3."The Bit That I Don't Get"Batt3:12
4."Moonshine"Francis Healy2:41
5."Forgetting All My Troubles"Melua3:22
6."All Over the World"Françoise Hardy2:56
7."Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out"Jimmy Cox4:33
8."The Cry of the Lone Wolf"
  • Melua
  • Batt
3:59
9."Heartstrings"
  • Melua
  • Batt
2:53
10."The Walls of the World"Batt3:25
11."Secret Symphony"Batt3:51
12."Feels Like Home (The Secret Sessions)"Randy Newman4:50
13."Too Long At The Fair (The Secret Sessions)"Joel Zoss3:06
14."Love Me Tender (The Secret Sessions)"
3:14
15."It's Over (The Secret Sessions)"
3:20

Chart performance

In the United Kingdom, the album debuted at #8 with 19,071 copies sold in its first week.[11]

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[24] Gold 10,000^
Germany (BVMI)[25] Gold 100,000^
Poland (ZPAV)[26] Platinum 20,000*
United Kingdom (BPI)[27] Silver 60,000^

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References
  1. Published Thursday, Sep 8 2011, 16:41 BST (2011-09-08). "Katie Melua announces new album 'Secret Symphony' - Music News". Digital Spy. Retrieved 2012-03-09.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  2. Dave Sleger. "Schizophonia - Mike Batt | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 2016-07-29.
  3. Thomas, David (2004-02-05). "Georgia, and jazz, on her mind". Daily Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 2020-08-18.
  4. "Katie Melua on finding her soulmate, her Redhill upbringing and BRIT School". Surrey. 5 July 2012. Retrieved 2020-08-18.
  5. "Secret Symphony - Katie Melua | Musicperk - Trending news, analysis, reviews, ratings and exclusive content for music". Musicperk.com. 2016-06-04. Retrieved 2016-07-29.
  6. Katie Melua. "Secret Symphony Bonus Edition by Katie Melua". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 2016-07-29.
  7. "Katie Melua - Secret Symphony (Special Bonus Edition) (CD, Album)". Discogs.com. 2012-11-01. Retrieved 2016-07-29.
  8. "Aktuelles VUT: VUT - Verband unabhängiger Musikunternehmer*innen e. V." Vut.de. Retrieved 20 May 2021.
  9. "Secret Symphony: Katie Melua: Amazon.co.uk: Music". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 2012-03-09.
  10. "Secret Symphony (Special Bonus Edition): Katie Melua: Amazon.co.uk: Music". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 2012-03-09.
  11. "Official Chart Analysis: Springsteen album sells 74k, Gotye single shifts another 81k | News | Music Week". Archived from the original on 2014-01-11.
  12. "Katie Melua - Secret Symphony". Ultratop.be. Retrieved 2012-03-10.
  13. "CANOE - JAM! Music - SoundScan Charts". Jam.canoe.ca. 2015-04-21. Archived from the original on 2010-12-18. Retrieved 2016-07-29.
  14. "Secret Symphony by Katie Melua - Music Charts". Acharts.us. Retrieved 2016-07-29.
  15. "Official Retail Sales Chart - sales for the period 05.03.2012 - 11.03.2012". OLiS. Retrieved 2013-09-20.
  16. "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100 | Official Charts Company". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2016-07-29.
  17. "玫瑰大眾購物網". G-music.com.tw. Archived from the original on 2011-07-21. Retrieved 2016-07-29.
  18. "Official Charts Company - Katie Melua - Secret Symphony". Archive.is. Retrieved 2016-07-29.
  19. Steffen Hung. "Das österreichische Hitparaden- und Musik-Portal". Austriancharts.at. Retrieved 2016-07-29.
  20. "Ultratop Belgian Charts". Ultratop.be. Retrieved 2016-07-29.
  21. Steffen Hung. "Dutch Charts". Dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 2016-07-29.
  22. "VIVA Jahrescharts 2012 Album - Charts - VIVA". Viva.tv. Archived from the original on 2016-08-20. Retrieved 2016-07-29.
  23. Steffen Hung. "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 2012". Hitparade.ch. Retrieved 2016-07-29.
  24. "Danish album certifications – Katie Melua – Secret Symphony". IFPI Danmark. Scroll through the page-list below to obtain certification.
  25. "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Katie Melua; 'Secret Symphony')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie.
  26. "Wyróżnienia – Platynowe płyty CD - Archiwum - Przyznane w 2012 roku" (in Polish). Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 20 April 2021.
  27. "British album certifications – Katie Melua – Secret Symphony". British Phonographic Industry.
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