Big City Secrets

Big City Secrets
Studio album by Joseph Arthur
Released	March 11, 1997 (US) June 23, 1997 (UK)
Recorded	Real World Studios, England
Genre	Alternative rock
Length	55:47
Label	Real World Records
Producer	Markus Dravs
Joseph Arthur chronology
Cut and Blind EP (1996) Big City Secrets (1997) Vacancy (EP) (1999)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	link

Big City Secrets is the first studio album by Joseph Arthur, released by Real World Records on March 11, 1997. Peter Gabriel and Brian Eno contribute backing vocals on the song "Mercedes."

Track listing

All songs written and composed by Joseph Arthur. 

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Big City Secret"	4:37
2.	"Mercedes"	6:18
3.	"Mikel K"	3:54
4.	"Good About Me"	4:58
5.	"Daddy's on Prozac"	4:05
6.	"Marina"	4:03
7.	"Birthday Card"	5:36
8.	"Crying Like a Man"	6:16
9.	"Porcupine"	4:42
10.	"Dessert"	1:05
11.	"Haunted Eyes"	4:44
12.	"Bottle of You"	5:29

Album credits

1. "Big City Secret"
   • Joseph Arthur: guitar and vocals
   • Roger Beaujolais: vibes
   • Martyn Barker: treated tubular kit
   • Simon Edwards: bass
   • Markus Dravs: keyboards, desert storm & gravel percussion
2. "Mercedes"
   • Joseph Arthur: harmonica, guitar and vocals
   • Martyn Barker: drums
   • Simon Edwards: bass
   • Markus Dravs: corn horn
   • Roger Beaujolais: Venetian xylophone
   • Peter Gabriel: backing vocals
   • Brian Eno: backing vocals
3. "Mikel K"
   • Joseph Arthur: guitar and vocals
   • Nigel Eaton: hurdy gurdy
   • Martyn Barker: drums
   • Simon Edwards: bass
4. "Good About Me"
   • Joseph Arthur: guitar and vocals
   • Martyn Barker: caxixi
   • Simon Edwards: piano, bass
   • Markus Dravs: drum programming
5. "Daddy's on Prozac"
   • Joseph Arthur: vocals, highly-strung bass, guitar
   • Martyn Barker: drums
   • Simon Edwards: bass
6. "Marina"
   • Joseph Arthur: vocals
   • Martyn Barker: drums
   • Simon Edwards: bass performance and arrangement
   • Ashley Slater: trombones
7. "Birthday Card"
   • Joseph Arthur: guitar and vocals
   • Ron Aslan: drum loop
   • Markus Dravs: lesley accordion and drum programming
   • Martyn Barker: military snare
   • Simon Edwards: coal bass, additional guitars
   • Nick Plytas: mellotron
8. "Crying Like a Man"
   • Joseph Arthur: guitar and vocals
   • Ashley Slater: trombone
   • Martyn Barker: bondage snare
   • Markus Dravs: low drum and sheet percussion
   • Simon Edwards: string fossil bass
9. "Porcupine"
   • Joseph Arthur: guitars and vocals
   • Martyn Barker: live drums and scaffolphoneum
   • Simon Edwards: maze bass, sas
   • Markus Dravs: drum programming
10. "Dessert"
    • Joseph Arthur: vocals
    • Martyn Barker: drums
    • Simon Edwards: bass
11. "Haunted Eyes"
    • Joseph Arthur: guitar and vocals
    • Martyn Barker: drums, birimbau, cow gong
    • Simon Edwards: bass, birimbau, melotron and Persian fretless
12. "Bottle of You"
    • Joseph Arthur: guitar and vocals
    • Martyn Barker: percussion
    • Simon Edwards: filter bass, harmonic missiles

• Produced by Markus Dravs (c/o Fundamental Music).
• Engineered and digitally edited by Ben Findlay.
• Mixed by Markus Dravs with Ben Findlay.
• Additional engineers: Justin Griffith, Lee Phillips, Lee Fitzgerald and Mark Aubury.
• Additional editors: Crispin Murray and Paul Morris
• Recorded and mixed at Real World Studios, England.
• Additional venues: Swanyard Studios, Eascote Studios, Berwick Street Studios in England; Shelter Island Studios in New York.
• A Real World design; graphic design by Tristan Manco.
• Photography by Michele Turriani (front and back of booklet); Anna Gabriel (inlay and CD label).
• Paintings and drawings by Joseph Arthur.

External links

• Official Album Page.
• Big City Secrets at Allmusic.
• Big City Secrets at amazon.com.