A Cappella (Todd Rundgren album)
| A Cappella | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by Todd Rundgren | ||||
| Released | September 1985 | |||
| Recorded | at Utopia Sound | |||
| Genre | Pop rock | |||
| Length | 39:42 | |||
| Label | Warner Bros./Rhino | |||
| Producer | Todd Rundgren | |||
| Todd Rundgren chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from A Cappella | ||||
|
||||
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| Classic Rock | [2] |
| Rolling Stone | (favourable)[3] |
A Cappella is a 1985 album by Todd Rundgren. The album is one of Rundgren's most unusual in that every sound is the product of the artist's voice. Rundgren employed overdubbing techniques and an E-mu Emulator (an early sampler), electronically manipulating the sound of his voice in order to mimic conventional rock instruments, handclaps, and other sounds.[4] This unique approach to music making was later explored by artists such as Mike Patton and Björk.
A Cappella was finished in 1984 and slated for release on Bearsville Records later that year. But with Bearsville's slimming artist roster and lack of successful artists, Bearsville did not want to risk releasing an album that the label felt was too experimental and would not sell, so A Cappella was shelved. Bearsville filed for Bankruptcy in 1985 and all of its remaining master recordings were either released through Warner Bros. or shelved altogether.
A test pressing of A Capella's LP master was bootlegged under the title, "Runt A Cappella"(CATSVILLE TR-084), and may have influenced Warner Bros. to release the album since bootleggers were profiting from it. This same bootleg was also released as a high quality concert recording of an A Capella live concert, taken from a recording at the Bismark Theater, on October 25, 1985, that was broadcast via the King Biscuit Flower Hour. The packaging of both bootlegs were the same, so it was unknown whether it was the studio LP or live LP until it was played.
A Capella would also be Rundgren's first official album for Warner Bros. Records, following the demise of Bearsville Records, which Warner Bros. distributed. Rhino Records would subsequently acquire the rights to the album for release on CD and for online distribution.
Track listing
All songs written by Todd Rundgren, except where indicated.
- Side one
- "Blue Orpheus" – 5:02
- "Johnee Jingo" – 3:51
- "Pretending to Care" – 3:40
- "Hodja" – 3:25
- "Lost Horizon" – 4:57
- Side two
- "Something to Fall Back On" – 4:13
- "Miracle in the Bazaar" – 4:12
- "Lockjaw" – 4:01
- "Honest Work" – 2:40
- "Mighty Love" (Joseph B. Jefferson, Bruce Hawes, Charles Simmons) – 3:41
Charts
Album
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | US Billboard Pop Albums[5] | 128 |
Cover versions
- American singer Jennifer Warnes covered "Pretending to Care" on her 1992 album The Hunter, which reached #13 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart. The song was also covered by Australian singer Daryl Braithwaite on his 1988 album Edge. Both versions featured traditional instrumentation. Singer (and Manhattan Transfer member) Janis Siegel also recorded the song for her 1989 album Short Stories, a collaboration with pianist Fred Hersch.
- Guitarist Paul Gilbert covered "Blue Orpheus" on his 2010 album Fuzz Universe.
- "Honest Work" has been covered by several Irish vocal acts, including Beyond the Pale, Cloudstreet, Pat Sheridan, and Maddy Prior.
- "Hodja" was performed on the first season of the television series, Full House, and was sung by John Stamos, one of the series' starring actors.
References
- ↑ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Todd Rundgren - A Cappella review". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved 2015-09-26.
- ↑ Quantick, David (March 2012). "Todd Rundgren - Reissues". Classic Rock (168): 108.
- ↑ Fricke, David (7 November 1985). "Todd Rundgren - A Cappella". Archived from the original on 10 March 2005. Retrieved 2015-09-26.
- ↑ Kopp, Bill. "Todd Rundgren". Trouser Press. Trouser Press LLC. Archived from the original on 4 August 2007. Retrieved 2007-07-25.
- ↑ "A Cappella Billboard Albums". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved 2015-09-26.