From A to B (Octopus album)

From A to B
Studio album by Octopus
Released	October 1996[1]
Recorded	Sawmill, Nomis, Townhouse III, Strong Room, The Church, The Free Movement Mobile studios, London
Genre	Britpop, psychedelic pop, alternative rock
Length	51:37
Label	Food
Producer	David Francolini
Singles from From A to B
"Magazine" Released: March 1996 "Your Smile" Released: June 1996 "Saved" Released: September 1996 "Jealousy" Released: November 1996[2][3][4]

From A to B is the only album by the British alternative rock band Octopus, released in October 1996 on Food Records. The album contained four singles, all of which charted within the British Top 100 (although only one, "Saved", scraped into the Top 40).^[1]

Recording

From A to B was recorded in various sessions in six different studios. The band's producer was David Francolini (formerly the drummer with Levitation and later performing the same role for Dark Star) with Chris Sheldon assisting with several of the mixes.

During the recording, various external musicians were brought in to play core instrumental parts. Only five of the album's fifteen tracks do not feature a guest bass guitar player: the other ten tracks feature bass playing by sessions musician Dave Quinn, Francolini's former Levitation colleague Robert White (also of The Milk and Honey Band), or the original Octopus bass guitarist Steven McSeveney. In addition, Francolini plays drums on two tracks and piano on another, as well as playing Moog synthesizer on five tracks and contributing keyboards, percussion, samples and various noises throughout the album. Francolini also co-wrote six of the album's songs, including the single "Magazine".

Other contributing musicians include both core members of Blowpipe (Robin and Andrew Blick, the latter of whom was part of Octopus' live brass section), singer Katherine Blake (Mediaeval Baebes, Miranda Sex Garden), folk musician Nigel Mazlyn Jones and cellist Audrey Riley.

Package design

From a to b featured a striking CD booklet/record inner sleeve design, consisting of a specially designed board game and cut-out pieces.

Track listing

1. "Your Smile" (Marc Shearer) – 3:55
2. "Everyday Kiss" (Marc Shearer) – 2:52
3. "If You Want to Give Me More" (Marc Shearer/David Francolini) – 3:38
4. "King for a Day" (Marc Shearer) – 4:52
5. "Adrenalina" (Marc Shearer/David Francolini) – 3:26
6. "Untitled" (a.k.a. "Car") – 2:15
7. "Jealousy" (Marc Shearer/Alan McSeveney) – 2:38
8. "Magazine" (Marc Shearer/Alan McSeveney/David Francolini) – 2:37
9. "From a to b" (Marc Shearer/Alan McSeveney/David Francolini) – 3:52
10. "Untitled" (a.k.a. "Airplane") – 0:21
11. "Saved" (Marc Shearer/Alan McSeveney) – 4:04
12. "Wait and See" (Marc Shearer) – 3:50
13. "Theme from Joy Pop" (Marc Shearer/Alan McSeveney/David Francolini) – 4:05
14. "Night Song" (Marc Shearer/David Francolini) – 3:01
15. "In This World" (Marc Shearer) – 6:03

(Tracks 6 and 10 did not have printed titles, being represented by pictograms of a car and an airplane respectively. Neither track had a writer's credit.)

Personnel

Octopus

• Marc Shearer - vocals, guitar, piano, keyboards
• Alan McSeveney - guitar, piano, keyboards
• Cameron Miller - bass guitar
• Oliver Grasset - drums, percussion

Octopus live musicians

• Andrew Blick, James Donaldson (trumpets)
• Mike Servent (piano)
• Nick Reynolds (harmonica)

Additional musicians and production staff

• David Francolini - production; Moog synthesizer on "Everyday Kiss", "If You Want to Give Me More", "Jealousy", "Wait and See" & "Theme from Joy Pop", drums on "Saved" & "Wait and See", piano on "Theme from Joy Pop"; also credited with percussion, keyboards, samples, "morse code", "psychedelic diagnosis"; mixing on all tracks except "Your Smile","If You Want to Give Me More","Saved","Wait and See","Theme from Joy Pop" & "Night Song"
• Dave Quinn - bass guitar on "Your Smile", "If You Want to Give Me More", "Adrenaline", "Jealousy", & "Saved"
• Steven McSeveney - bass guitar on "Everyday Kiss", "Magazine" & "Theme from Joy Pop"
• Robert White - bass guitar on "From a to b", "Wait and See", additional piano on "Saved"
• Robin Blick - trumpet on "Everyday Kiss" & "Theme from Joy Pop"
• Nigel Mazlyn Jones - dulcimer on "Untitled" (a.k.a. "Car") & "Untitled" (a.k.a. "Airplane")
• Effie Fenton - flute on "Untitled" (a.k.a. "Car")
• The Tentaculars - percussion on "From a to b"
• Audrey Riley - cello & string arrangements on "Saved" & "Theme from Joy Pop"
• Chris Tombling, Jane Harris - violins on "Saved" & "Theme from Joy Pop"
• Sue Dench - viola on "Saved" & "Theme from Joy Pop"
• Katherine Blake - backing vocals on "Adrenaline" & "Saved"

• Chris Sheldon - mixing on "Your Smile", "If You Want to Give Me More", "Saved", "Wait and See", "Theme from Joy Pop", "Night Song"

References

1. Strong, Martin C. (2003) The Great Indie Discography, Canongate, ISBN 1-84195-335-0, p. 898-9
2. "Chart Log UK". Retrieved 8 March 2011.
3. Larkin, Colin (1998) The Virgin Encyclopedia of Indie & New Wave, Virgin Books, ISBN 0-7535-0231-3, p. 307
4. "Octopus", Chart Stats, retrieved 2010-10-30