She (Harry Connick, Jr., album)
She | ||||
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Studio album by Harry Connick Jr. | ||||
Released | July 12, 1994 | |||
Recorded | New Orleans | |||
Genre | Funk | |||
Label | Sony Columbia | |||
Producer | Tracey Freeman | |||
Harry Connick Jr. chronology | ||||
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She is a funk album by Harry Connick Jr. recorded in 1994, accompanied by his newly formed funk band. Every song lies within the framework of the rootsy New Orleans style.
Reception
Professional ratings | |
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Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
Q | [1] |
The Village Voice | C+[2] |
In The Village Voice, Robert Christgau panned She, finding McLean's lyrics "dumb" and the band's style of funk lacking in "elasticity and panache".[2]
Tour
Connick's 1994 album ditched the classic crooning style he was known for – the style that garnered him Grammy Awards and million-selling albums – in favor of an exploration of his New Orleans funk roots. He took his funk music on a tour of the United Kingdom in 1994. Connick also took his funk music to the People's Republic of China in 1995, playing at the Shanghai Center Theatre.
Connick's funk albums She, and Star Turtle sold respectably, but some fans were upset with Connick's funk forays. At a 1994 concert in Cleveland, OH, disappointed fans expecting a jazz crooner began walking out from his concert in protest. Some even demanded refunds.
This happened in other cities as well and was brought to Connick's attention. "I hear about it, but I don't get too much of it firsthand. I mean, we just came back from Europe and the crowds were just out of control. I didn't get any sense that they wanted me to play anything other than what I was doing at the time," Connick said in a Boston Globe interview at the time.
Track listing
- All songs by Harry Connick Jr. and Ramsey McLean unless otherwise noted.
- "She" – 5:36
- "Between Us" – 5:57
- "Here Comes the Big Parade" – 4:11 – an ode to Mardi Gras
- "Trouble" – 2:40
- "(I Could Only) Whisper Your Name" – 4:50
- "Follow the Music" – 1:00
- "Joe Slam and the Spaceship" (Connick, Jonathan DuBose, Tony Hall) – 7:12
- "To Love the Language" – 5:01
- "Honestly Now (Safety's Just Danger...Out of Place)" – 5:31
- "She...Blessed be the One" – 1:35
- "Funky Dunky" (Connick) – 6:22
- "Follow the Music Further" – 1:19
- "That Party" – 5:12
- "Booker" – 6:26
Promo Track listing
- "(I Could Only) Whisper Your Name" – 4:50
- "To Love the Language" – 5:01
- "Here Comes the Big Parade" – 4:11
- "She" – 5:36
Various information
- "(I Could Only) Whisper Your Name" was included on Columbia Records' soundtrack from action-comedy The Mask, starring Jim Carrey. It was also Connick's only single to reach the Billboard charts, peaking at #67.
- "Booker" is a tribute to pianist James Booker, one of Connick's music teachers. On the track, Connick plays every instrument.
- The 1994 album sold to platinum.
- Music by Harry Connick Jr, lyrics by Ramsey McLean. In an interview at the time, with the Boston Globe, Connick explains "He (McLean) has a big book of poems that he'd written. I'd see one that I liked and I'd say, 'What do you guys think of this?' And I'd...pick out a melody."
Personnel
- Harry Connick Jr. – vocals, piano, organ, cymbal, fender rhodes, clavinet, dog chain, bass, drums, tambourine
- Jonathan Dubose – guitar, background vocals
- George Porter Jr. – bass, background vocals
- David Russell Batiste Jr. – drums
- Michael Ward – bongos, congas, tambourine, background vocals
- Tony Hall – bass
- Raymond Weber – drums, background vocals
- Joseph "Zigaboo" Modeliste – drums
- Tracey Freeman – producer, vocals, clap
- Leroy Jones – trumpet
- Mark Mullins – trombone
- Alonzo Bowens – saxophone
- Ramsey McLean – recitation, partyman
- Gregg Rubin – recording and mix engineer, clap
- Fieldfines Samantha Rambardi – woolen squeak trinket
References
- ↑ Q (London): 98. September 1994.
- 1 2 Christgau, Robert (November 29, 1994). "Turkey Shoot". The Village Voice (New York). Retrieved September 23, 2015.
External links
Musicvideos
- "(I Could Only) Whisper Your Name" at singingfool.com
- AOL.com: Featured Videos, "She"
- AOL.com: Featured Videos, "Here Comes the Big Parade"