- Diva (Annie Lennox album)
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Diva Studio album by Annie Lennox Released 6 April 1992 Recorded Mayfair Studios, London Genre Adult Alternative
PopLength 49:55 Label RCA, Arista Producer Steve Lipson Annie Lennox chronology Diva
(1992)Medusa
(1995)Singles from Diva - "Why"
Released: March 1992 - "Precious"
Released: May 1992 - "Walking on Broken Glass"
Released: August 1992 - "Cold"
Released: October 1992 - "Little Bird"
Released: February 1993
Diva is the first solo album by Scottish singer/songwriter Annie Lennox, released in 1992. The album entered the UK album chart at no.1 and has since sold over 1.2 million copies in the UK alone, being certified quadruple platinum.[1] It was also a success in the U.S. where it was a top 30 hit and has been certified double platinum.[2]
Contents
Background and legacy
In 1993 the album was included in Q magazine's list of the "50 Best Albums Of 1992". Rolling Stone magazine (6/25/92, p. 41) described the album as "...state-of-the-art soul pop..." and it is included in Rolling Stone's (5/13/99, p. 56) "Essential Recordings of the 90's" list. Several songs from the album were released as singles with "Why", "Walking on Broken Glass" and "Little Bird" being the most successful.
The song Keep Young and Beautiful was included on the CD release as a bonus track (the original vinyl album had only ten tracks). Another bonus track, "Step by Step", appeared on the Mexican and Japanese editions of the album and was also included as the B-Side on the single "Precious". The song was later recorded by Whitney Houston for the 1996 film soundtrack The Preacher's Wife and subsequently became a hit single.
The album won Best British Album at the 1993 Brit Awards. That same year, it was also nominated for the Grammy for Album of the Year.
Critical reception
Professional ratings Review scores Source Rating Allmusic [3] Entertainment Weekly (C)[4] Los Angeles Times [5] The New York Times (Positive)[6] Q [7] Robert Christgau (C+) [8] Rolling Stone [9] Slant Magazine [10] This table needs to be expanded using prose. See the guideline for more information. The Rolling Stone commented:-
- State-of-the-art soul pop, Annie Lennox's solo debut is sonically gorgeous; it also declares her aesthetic independence. Ace sessionmen polish Diva's gloss, and producer Stephen Lipson (Pet Shop Boys, Propaganda) operates in hyperdrive, but these eleven songs are fiercely those of a sister doing things for herself. Three years after her last outing with Dave Stewart, her cohort in Eurythmics, Lennox voids any notion that he was her Svengali and she merely the MTV beauty with stunning pipes. Writing nearly all of Diva, she manages a whirlwind tour of mainstream R&B and retains her singular persona – an ice queen thirsting to be melted by love.(RS 633)[11]
Track listing
All songs written and composed by Annie Lennox, except where noted.
No. Title Length 1. "Why" 4:53 2. "Walking on Broken Glass" 4:12 3. "Precious" 5:08 4. "Legend in My Living Room" (Lennox, Peter-John Vettese) 3:45 5. "Cold" 4:20 6. "Money Can't Buy It" 4:58 7. "Little Bird" 4:48 8. "Primitive" 4:16 9. "Stay by Me" 6:26 10. "The Gift" (Lennox, The Blue Nile) 4:52 Bonus track No. Title Length 11. "Keep Young and Beautiful" (Al Dubin, Harry Warren) 2:17 Bonus tracks (Japanese edition) No. Title Length 12. "Step by Step" 4:46 Diva video album
Lennox simultaneously released a video album for Diva, featuring promotional videos for seven of the album's tracks. The video album was directed by Sophie Muller who had worked with Lennox during her years with Eurythmics. Some months after its first release, the Diva video album was reissued as Totally Diva, and featured two additional promotional videos that had been made since the original release ("Walking On Broken Glass" and "Precious"). The only omissions from the video album were "Little Bird" (the video for which had not yet been made at this time), and the album track "Stay By Me".
Information
- Director: Sophie Muller
- VHS release date: 6 April 1992
- DVD release date: 26 September 2000
- Label: Sony BMG
- Run time: 45 minutes
Track listing
- Why
- Legend In My Living Room
- Precious
- Money Can't Buy It
- Cold
- Primitive
- The Gift
- Walking On Broken Glass
- Keep Young And Beautiful
Personnel
- Annie Lennox – keyboards, vocals
- Paul Joseph Moore – keyboards
- Marius de Vries – keyboards, programming
- Peter-John Vettese – keyboards, programming, recorder
- Edward Shearmur – piano
- Kenji Jammer – guitar, programming
- Steve Lipson – guitar, keyboards, programming, producer
- Doug Wimbish – bass
- Gavyn Wright - violin
- Dave Defries – trumpet
- Keith LeBlanc – drums
- Louis Jardim – percussion
- Steve Jansen – drum programming
Production
- Produced by Stephen Lipson
- Recorded and engineered by Heff Moraes (also MIDI manager)
- Mixed by William (Bill) O'Donovan
- Ian Cooper – mastering
- Anton Corbijn – photography (inner cover)
- Satoshi – photography (front cover)
- Laurence Stevens – design
Certifications
Region Certification Sales/shipments Austria (IFPI Austria)[12] Gold 25,000x Canada (Music Canada)[13] 2× Platinum 200,000^ Germany (BVMI)[14] Gold 250,000^ Netherlands (NVPI)[15] Gold 50,000^ Sweden (IFPI Sweden)[16] Platinum 100,000^ United Kingdom (BPI)[17] 4× Platinum 1,200,000^ United States (RIAA)[18] 2× Platinum 2,000,000^ ^shipments figures based on certification alone
xunspecified figures based on certification aloneCharts
Chart positions
Chart (1992) Peak
positionAustralian ARIA Album Chart[19] 7 Austrian Albums Chart[20] 3 Canadian Albums Chart[21] 8 Dutch Albums Chart[22] 5 French SNEP Albums Chart[23] 48 German Media Control Albums Chart[24] 6 Italian Albums Chart[25] 1 Japanese Oricon Albums Chart[26] 77 New Zealand Albums Chart[27] 6 Norwegian VG-lista Albums Chart[28] 11 Swedish Albums Chart[29] 5 Swiss Albums Chart[30] 5 UK Albums Chart[31] 1 U.S. Billboard 200 [32] 23 Year-end charts
Chart (1992) Position Austrian Albums Chart[33] 36 Italian Albums Chart[25] 9 Swiss Albums Chart[34] 21 UK Albums Chart[35] 7 U.S. Billboard 200[36] 69 Chart (1993) Position UK Albums Chart[35] 35 U.S. Billboard 200[37] 70 Chart procession and succession
Preceded by
Adrenalize by Def Leppard
Walthamstow by East 17UK number one album
April 18, 1992 – April 24, 1992
March 6, 1993 – March 12, 1993Succeeded by
Up by Right Said Fred
Are You Gonna Go My Way by Lenny KravitzReferences
- ^ BPI Searchable database
- ^ RIAA Gold and Platinum Database
- ^ Parisien, Roch. Diva (Annie Lennox album) at Allmusic
- ^ Zacharek, Stephanie (1992-05-15). "Diva Review". ew.com. Entertainment Weekly. http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,310491,00.html. Retrieved 2011-08-30.
- ^ Hunt, Dennis (1992-05-24). "Record Rack: ANNIE LENNOX; "Diva" Arista". articles.latimes.com. Los Angeles Times. http://articles.latimes.com/1992-05-24/entertainment/ca-38_1_annie-lennox. Retrieved 2011-11-07.
- ^ Holden, Stephen (1992-09-11). "Critic's Notebook; For Adult Pop Music, A Quiet Sonic Boom". http://www.nytimes.com/1992/09/11/arts/critic-s-notebook-for-adult-pop-music-a-quiet-sonic-boom.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm. Retrieved 2011-11-07.
- ^ Q (5/92, p.79)
- ^ Robert Christgau review
- ^ Rolling Stone (6/25/92, p.41)
- ^ Slant Magazine review
- ^ http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/annielennox/albums/album/289831/review/5940576/diva
- ^ "Austrian album certifications – Annie Lennox – Diva" (in German). IFPI Austria. http://www.ifpi.at/?section=goldplatin. Enter Annie Lennox in the field Interpret. Enter Diva in the field Titel. Select album in the field Format. Click Suchen
- ^ "Canadian album certifications – Annie Lennox – Diva". Music Canada. http://www.musiccanada.com/GPSearchResult.aspx?st=Diva&sa=Annie+Lennox&smt=0.
- ^ "German album certifications – Annie Lennox – Diva" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. http://www.musikindustrie.de/gold_platin_datenbank/?action=suche&strTitel=Diva&strInterpret=Annie+Lennox&strTtArt=alben&strAwards=checked.
- ^ "Dutch album certifications – Annie Lennox – Diva" (in Dutch). Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld- en geluidsdragers. http://www.ifpi.nl/nvpi/pagina.asp?pagkey=60463.
- ^ "Guld- och Platinacertifikat − År 1987−1998" (in Swedish) (PDF). IFPI Sweden. http://www.ifpi.se/wp/wp-content/uploads/guld-platina-1987-1998.pdf.
- ^ "British album certifications – Annie Lennox – Diva". British Phonographic Industry. http://www.bpi.co.uk/certifiedawards/search.aspx. Enter Diva in the field Search. Select Title in the field Search by. Select album in the field By Format. Click Go
- ^ "American album certifications – Annie Lennox – Diva". Recording Industry Association of America. http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?artist=%22Diva%22. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH
- ^ "australian-charts.com Annie Lennox - Diva" (ASP). Australian Recording Industry Association. http://australian-charts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Annie+Lennox&titel=Diva&cat=a. Retrieved 2011-10-29.
- ^ "austriancharts.at Annie Lennox - Diva" (in German) (ASP). Hung Medien. http://austriancharts.at/showitem.asp?interpret=Annie+Lennox&titel=Diva&cat=a. Retrieved 2011-10-31.
- ^ Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 2011-10-31
- ^ "dutchcharts.nl Annie Lennox - Diva" (ASP). Hung Medien. MegaCharts. http://dutchcharts.nl/showitem.asp?interpret=Annie+Lennox&titel=Diva&cat=a. Retrieved 2011-10-31.
- ^ "InfoDisc : Tous les Albums classés par Artiste > Choisir Un Artiste Dans la Liste" (in French). infodisc.fr. http://infodisc.fr/Album_L.php. Retrieved 2011-10-31.
- ^ "Album Search: Annie Lennox - Diva" (in German). Media Control. http://www.charts.de/album.asp?artist=Annie+Lennox&title=Diva&cat=a&country=de. Retrieved 2011-10-31.
- ^ a b "Hit Parade Italia - Gli album più venduti del 1992" (in Italian). hitparadeitalia.it. http://www.hitparadeitalia.it/hp_yenda/lpe1992.htm. Retrieved 2011-10-12.
- ^ アニー・レノックス-リリース-ORICON STYLE-ミュージック "Highest position and charting weeks of Diva by Annie Lennox" (in Japanese). oricon.co.jp. Oricon Style. http://www.oricon.co.jp/music/release/d/55833/1/ アニー・レノックス-リリース-ORICON STYLE-ミュージック. Retrieved 2011-10-03.
- ^ "charts.org.nz Annie Lennox - Diva" (ASP). Hung Medien. Recording Industry Association of New Zealand. http://charts.org.nz/showitem.asp?interpret=Annie+Lennox&titel=Diva&cat=a. Retrieved 2011-10-31.
- ^ "norwegiancharts.com Annie Lennox - Diva" (ASP). Hung Medien. VG-lista. http://norwegiancharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Annie+Lennox&titel=Diva&cat=a. Retrieved 2011-10-31.
- ^ "swedishcharts.com Annie Lennox - Diva" (in Swedish) (ASP). http://swedishcharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Annie+Lennox&titel=Diva&cat=a. Retrieved 2011-10-31.
- ^ "Annie Lennox - Diva - hitparade.ch" (in German) (ASP). Hung Medien. Swiss Music Charts. http://hitparade.ch/showitem.asp?interpret=Annie+Lennox&titel=Diva&cat=a. Retrieved 2011-10-31.
- ^ "Chart Stats - Annie Lennox - Diva" (PHP). UK Albums Chart. http://www.chartstats.com/release.php?release=46802. Retrieved 2011-10-31.
- ^ "allmusic ((( Diva > Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums )))". allmusic.com. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r58645/charts-awards. Retrieved 2011-10-31.
- ^ "Austriancharts.at - Jahreshitparade 1992" (in German) (ASP). Hung Medien. http://austriancharts.at/1992_album.asp. Retrieved 2011-10-29.
- ^ "Hitparade.ch - Schweizer Jahreshitparade 1992" (in Swedish) (ASP). Swiss Music Charts. Hung Medien. http://hitparade.ch/year.asp?key=1992. Retrieved 2011-09-13.
- ^ a b "Complete UK Year-End Album Charts". http://chartheaven.9.forumer.com/a/complete-uk-yearend-album-charts_post21.html. Retrieved 2011-10-01.
- ^ "Billboard.BIZ - Year-end Charts - Billboard 200 - 1992". billboard.biz. http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/charts/yearendcharts/1992/the-billboard-200. Retrieved 2011-11-07.
- ^ "Billboard.BIZ - Year-end Charts - Billboard 200 - 1993". billboard.biz. http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/charts/yearendcharts/1993/the-billboard-200. Retrieved 2011-11-07.
Studio albums Compilations Singles "Put a Little Love in Your Heart" (with Al Green) · "Why" · "Precious" · "Walking on Broken Glass" · "Cold" · "Little Bird" · "Love Song for a Vampire" · "No More "I Love You's"" · "A Whiter Shade of Pale" · "Waiting in Vain" · "Something So Right" · "Pavement Cracks" · "Into the West" · "A Thousand Beautiful Things" · "Wonderful" · "Dark Road" · "Sing" · "Many Rivers to Cross" · "Shining Light" · "Pattern of My Life" · "Full Steam" (with David Gray) · "Universal Child" · "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen"Other songs Video and DVD Related articles Categories:- Albums certified gold by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry of Austria
- Albums certified double platinum by the Canadian Recording Industry Association
- Albums certified gold by the Bundesverband Musikindustrie
- Albums certified gold by the Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld- en geluidsdragers
- Albums certified platinum by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry of Sweden
- Albums certified quadruple platinum by the British Phonographic Industry
- Albums certified multi-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America
- 1992 albums
- Annie Lennox albums
- Arista Records albums
- Debut albums
- Albums produced by Stephen Lipson
- "Why"
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