Do You Want the Truth or Something Beautiful?

Do You Want the Truth or Something Beautiful?
Studio album by Paloma Faith
Released	28 September 2009 (2009-09-28)[1]
Genre	Pop, soul, soft rock
Label	Epic
Producer	Greg Kurstin
Paloma Faith chronology
Do You Want the Truth or Something Beautiful? (2009) iTunes Festival: London 2010 (2010)
Singles from Do You Want the Truth or Something Beautiful?
"Stone Cold Sober" Released: 15 June 2009 "New York" Released: 13 September 2009 "Do You Want the Truth or Something Beautiful?" Released: 21 December 2009 "Upside Down" Released: 15 March 2010[2] "New York (re-release)" Released: 1 August 2010 "Smoke & Mirrors" Released: 31 October 2010[3]

Do You Want the Truth or Something Beautiful? is the debut album by British singer Paloma Faith. It was released on 28 September 2009 by Epic Records. The first single "Stone Cold Sober" was released on 5 June 2009. The second single "New York" was released on 13 September 2009. The album's third single to be released was the title track, "Do You Want the Truth or Something Beautiful?", released on 21 December 2009.^[4] "Upside Down" was released in March 2010.^[5][6] Since its release on 14 September 2009 it stayed in the UK top 100 albums chart for 62 weeks, in its 63rd week it fell out the top 100 albums to no. 110, however the week after charted back into the top 100.^[7] On 9 January 2011, the album made number 41. It has marked 67 weeks on the UK Albums Chart.^[7]

In just under 2 months of the album being released, it received a gold certification with sales over 100,000. It was announced on 25 June 2010 that the album had been certificated platinum with sales exceeding 300,000 copies.^[8]

Singles

• "Stone Cold Sober" was released on 15 June 2009 and entered the UK chart at number 17. The accompanying video was directed by the British music video director Sophie Muller. This song is featured in the Rimmel London commercial for the MAX lashes product, and in Castle promo on SBS 6.

• "New York" was released on the 13 September 2009. The song features a sweeping gospel chorus by the London-based Souls of Prophecy Gospel Choir. Digital Spy gave the song 3/5 stars and a less positive rating than Stone Cold Sober. To date, the video has received almost 3 million views on the video sharing site YouTube, making it Faith's highest viewed video. New York debuted on the UK Singles Chart at 21, the next week it fell to 31 and was expected to fall quickly out of the charts by most, but the next week it rose 16 places to 15, which became its peak position. It is Paloma Faith's most successful single to date, peaking within the top ten in two countries, within the top 20 in 4 countries and within the top 100 in 8 countries.

• "Do You Want the Truth or Something Beautiful?" is the title track to the album. It was released on 21 December 2009. To date, the video has received over 560,000 views on the video sharing site YouTube. Digital Spy gave the song 4/5. The single began to receive increased radio airplay throughout December 2009, and throughout January 2010. As such, the single began to receive increasing amounts of digital downloads, and after lingering in the Top 100 on the UK iTunes Chart for a matter of weeks, the song finally entered the UK Singles Chart on 2 January 2010 at number 90. The song has so far peaked at #64.

• "Upside Down" was released on 15 March 2010. The accompanying video was directed by Chris Sweeney who directed the video for her previous single, "Do You Want the Truth or Something Beautiful?". Before the single was released, the British entertainment and media website Digital Spy said that "Upside Down backs up Faith's claim to have absorbed influences from the pre-rock 'n' roll era, mixing up a '50s dance hall vibe with her ever-present soul croon". Charles Decant of Ozap called the single "the more playful title on the album". On 14 March 2010, "Upside Down" debuted on the UK Singles Chart at #89, on downloads alone. The following week, the single climbed to #58, which was followed by a further climb of 3 on 28 March 2010 to its current peak of #55.

• A new version of "New York" featuring rapper Ghostface Killah was released on 1 August. It peaked at #44 on the UK Singles Chart and received mixed responses.

• "Smoke & Mirrors". During an interview on Something for the Weekend on 15 August 2010, Faith confirmed "Smoke & Mirrors" would be the final single from the album, and that she would be filming the video "very soon". At Hylands Park, as part of the 2010 V Festival, she announced that filming for the video has been completed. The video premiered on 11 September, on Faith's official Facebook Page.^[9] It was released on 31 October 2010.^[3] The track was added to Radio 1's B Playlist.^[10] However only managed to peak at #140 in the UK.

Critical reception and reviews

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[11]
BBC	(positive)[12]
Teentoday.co.uk	[13]
The Guardian	[14]
The Independent	[15]
Sputnikmusic	[16]

On the BBC Music Review Mike Diver stated, "In the three years since Amy Winehouse’s phenomenally successful Back to Black, the UK charts have been assaulted by an array of soulful starlets chasing a little of the beehive-topped singer’s limelight. Some have been welcomed, some not – here is not the place to name names. Instead, we celebrate the best artist yet in this post-Amy (and Blake, and everything else) field: Paloma Faith."

"Faith’s voice is the first element of these sumptuous arrangements to strike, its idiosyncratic ticks and sharp inflections separating her from the pack in the same way as Duffy – but while the Welsh star's vocals can lack a sincere conveyance of the emotions behind a song, Faith’s sentiments are never in doubt, even on the surprisingly underwhelming (in context) singles "Stone Cold Sober" and "New York". The former sounds designed to soundtrack an advertisement – successfully, as it turns out – and the latter’s lamenting loses some of its edge when one’s unsure if the New York in question is a rival lover or, literally, the city that never sleeps. Whichever it is, it’s stolen our protagonist’s lover away."

"Better is the Salt-N-Pepa-recalling "Smoke & Mirrors" – it’s all in the “ooh-ahh”s – which brings a greater degree of sultry attitude to the fore, and showcases Faith’s neat wordplay – the cadence of her language is intermittently intoxicating in its breathlessness. "Broken Doll" plays rather too basic an analogy – “I’m a broken doll / and you’re the puppeteer” – but is retrieved from a descent into schmaltz by a cracking Bond-theme-worthy strings flourish in its final third. "My Legs Are Weak" is an accomplishedly bruised torch song of elegant melodrama, and "Play On"’s harpsichord stabs and dub-savvy percussion make for a sprightly rendering of elegiac expression."

"Perhaps she’s playing up, acting out the role of a superlative pop-soul singer – but whether the lines are predetermined or not, one can’t find much fault with Paloma Faith’s performance here."^[17]

Robyn Burrows from Contact Music stated, "With obvious comparisons to Amy Winehouse and even Duffy by some, Faith was always going to need to set herself apart from her contemporaries for the critics. She more than does that on this record."

"Opening with "Stone Cold Sober", a retro pop gem that puts band's like the Noisettes firmly in their place the album jumps from tempo to tempo with elements of pop and jazz but keeping that smooth soul sound throughout."

"Despite her very distinctive vocals, the album keeps your attention throughout with its varied tracks. The beautiful soaring epic "New York" with her backing singers shows a strong confident character with a voice to match. Whereas the fragile "Broken Doll", where Faith sings 'I don't seem to be perfect, I know I'm damaged goods' shows us a different side of the singer. "Upside Down" increases the tempo as it bounces along to its jazz melody for three minutes. The album ends with two longer tracks, "My Legs Are Weak" and the almost choral backing singers on "Play On", perhaps a little too long in comparison with the rest of the tracks but finishing with a lush display of Faith's vocal range."

"The only negative thing I could find with this album is its length, a little under 40 minutes. But it is a real soul pop classic, with each track earning its place. Musically diverse and well produced; it is a polished diamond. Faith's captivating vocals and huge range keep you hooked throughout and encourage you to press repeat as soon as the album ends." ()".^[18]

Tour

Main article: Do You Want the Truth or Something Beautiful Tour

Paloma Faith went on her first major tour in 2010. The UK leg of the tour was confirmed on 4 November 2009, when Faith announced that she would visit the UK and Ireland starting on 17 March 2010. The album will feature songs from Paloma Faith's Platinum album, Do You Want the Truth or Something Beautiful?. In April 2010, Faith extended her tour for throughout October and November, where she will visit a number of different venues.^[19][20] She was supported by Eliza Doolittle, Bashy, Josh Weller, LA Shark and Alan Pownell.

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Stone Cold Sober"	Paloma Faith, Patrick Byrne, Blair Mackichan	Byrne, Mackichan	2:54
2.	"Smoke & Mirrors"	Faith, Steve Robson, Alison Clarkson	Robson	3:06
3.	"Broken Doll"	Faith, Ian Barter	Barter	4:07
4.	"Do You Want the Truth or Something Beautiful?"	Faith, Ed Harcourt	Harcourt	4:35
5.	"Upside Down"	Faith, Andrew Nicholas Love, Jos Hartvig Jorgensen, Belle Sara Humble	Love, Jorgensen	3:09
6.	"Romance is Dead"	Faith, Jodi Marr	Greg Kurstin	3:04
7.	"New York"	Faith, Marr	Marr, George Noriega, Rob Wells, Stephen Fitzmaurice*	3:39
8.	"Stargazer"	Faith, Jörgen Elofsson	Elofsson, Pär Westerlund	3:45
9.	"My Legs are Weak"	Faith, Samuel Dixon	Dixon	4:48
10.	"Play On"	Faith, Robson	Robson	4:04

iTunes bonus tracks
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
11.	"Press Lightly"	Faith, Dixon	Dixon	3:33
12.	"Stone Cold Sober" (Live at the ICA) (Video)			3:27
13.	"New York" (Live at the ICA) (Video)			4:07

* - additional production.

B-sides

The following tracks were not released on the album, but have been released as a single B-side.

• "I Just Wait" (B-side to "Stone Cold Sober", also featured on the Alcohol Awareness adverts)
• "Luv Ya" (B-side to "New York")
• "Sexy Chick" (B-side to "Do You Want The Truth Or Something Beautiful?")
• "Technicolour" (B-side to "Upside Down", also featured on the Samsung Corby Commercial)

Charts

The album charted within the top 30 in Ireland, where it charted at 26. Faith's debut album, fared better in the UK peaking at number 9, and was ultimately certified Platinum. Do You Want the Truth or Something Beautiful? charted at number 3 in Scotland. In Switzerland the album charted again, within the top 40, where it charted at number 39. In the Netherlands the album also charted at number 50. In Finland, the album charted at number 46 and in Poland the album charted at number 39. As of April 2011, "Do You Want the Truth or Something Beautiful?" has sold over half-a-million copies worldwide.

Chart (2009–2010)[21]	Peak position
Irish Albums Chart	26
UK Albums Chart	9
Scottish Albums Chart	3
Swiss Albums Chart	37
Dutch Albums Chart	50
Finnish Albums Chart	46
Polish Albums Chart	39

Certifications

Chart	Certification
BPI	Platinum[22]
IRMA:	Platinum[23]

Personnel and credits

• Paloma Faith – Main Vocals, Composer, Vocals (Background), Handclapping
• Carol Riley, Dee Dee Wilde, Donna Allen, Patricia Scott, Emily McEwan, Joy Malcolm, Brian Jones, Edith Langley, Marcus Johnson, Subrina McCalla, Venessa Yeboah, Ian Pitter
• Jodi Marr – Composer, Brass Arrangement, Producer, Vocals (Background)
• Lawrence Johnson – Vocals (Background) Vocal Arrangement
• Rosie Langley – Violin, Vocals (Background), String Quartet
• Robin Bailey – Reid Vocals (Background)
• Seye Adelekan – Guitar, Vocals (Background)

• David Paul Campbell – Brass Arrangement
• Sarah Tuke – Violin
• Sato Kotono – Viola
• Úna Palliser – Viola
• Laura Stanford – Violin
• Fiona Brice – Violin
• Jesse Murphy – Violin
• Luke Potashnick – Guitar
• Amy Langley – String – Quartet
• Ruthie Phoenix – Saxophone
• Llinos Richards – Cello
• Harriet Wiltshire – Cello
• Matthew Waer – Bass (Upright)
• Steve Robson – Composer, Keyboards, String Arrangements, Instrumentation, Producer, Programming
• Jeremy Stacey – Percussion, Drums
• Andy Newmark – Drums
• Ali Friend – Bass
• Jim Hunt – Horn
• Patrick Byrne – Guitar, Keyboards, Percussion
• Blair Mackichan – Guitar, Handclapping
• George Noriega – Keyboards, Brass Arrangement
• Pete Davis – Bass, Drum Programming
• Ben Castle – Clarinet, Sax (Tenor)
• Greg Kurstin – Guitar, Keyboards
• The London Session – Orchestra Strings
• Nichol Thompson – Horn
• Samuel Dixon – Piano, Guitar (Bass), Celeste, Composer, Guitar (Electric), Toy Piano, Vibraphone
• Dominic Glover – Trumpet, Horn, Horn Arrangements
• Ed Harcourt – Guitar, Wurlitzer, Piano, Percussion
• Hadrian Garrard – Trumpet
• Leo Abrahams – Guitar
• Rob Wells – Piano, Keyboards, Brass Arrangement
• Joe Walters – Horn
• Laura Anstee – Cello
• Per Ekdahl – String Arrangements
• Karl Brazil – Drums
• Trevor Mires – Trombone
• Ryan Granville Martin – Drums
• Daniel Pherson – String and keyboard Engineer

• Darren Heelis – Assistant
• Jo Charrington – A&R
• Jamie Reddington – Producer
• Gandalf Roudette Muschamp – Engineer
• Jossip Serrano – Engineer
• Jon Bailey – Engineer
• Niall Acott – Engineer
• Andreas Unge – String Engineer
• Simon Hale – Conductor, String Arrangements
• Oliver Kraus – Strings, String Arrangements, String Engineer
• Jay Reynolds – Producer
• George Noriega – Keyboards, Producer, Brass Arrangement, Programming
• Blair Mackichan – Composer, Producer, Engineer
• Perry Mason – Orchestra Leader
• Patrick Byrne – Composer, Programming, Producer, Engineer
• Mickey Raphael – A&R
• Carlos Alvarez – Engineer
• Richard Flack – Engineer
• Steve Fitzmaurice – Arranger, Mixing
• James Stone – Assistant
• Jörgen Elofsson – Composer
• Steve Fitzmaurice – Arranger, Mixing
• Greg Kurstin – Programming, Producer, Engineer
• Samuel Dixon – Producer, Engineer, Programming
• Ed Harcourt – Producer, Composer
• Rob Wells – Producer, Programming
• Ian Barter – Composer, Producer
• Olga Fitzroy – Assistant

• Eamonn Hughes - Hair Stylist
• Moritz Junge – Stylist
• Finlay MacKay – Photography
• Petra Storrs - Set Design

Source:^[24]

References

1. ^ http://www.play.com/Music/CD/4-/9826321/Do-You-Want-The-Truth-Or-Something-Beautiful-/Product.html
2. ^ http://www.palomafaith.com/gb/news/article/radio_1_record_of_the_week_and_sun_video_exclusive/
3. ^ ^{a b} http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/music/singlereviews/
4. ^ Do You Want the Truth or Something Beautiful? Songfacts
5. ^ http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00pyqx5
6. ^ http://www.palomafaith.com/gb/
7. ^ ^{a b} http://www.theofficialcharts.com/albums-chart/
8. ^ http://www.bpi.co.uk/certifiedawards/search.aspx
9. ^ http://www.facebook.com/album.php?profile=1&id=72691320969#!/video/?oid=72691320969
10. ^ http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/playlist/
11. ^ AllMusic review
12. ^ BBC review
13. ^ Teentoday.co.uk review
14. ^ The Guardian review
15. ^ The Independent review
16. ^ Sputnikmusic review
17. ^ http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/dzgb
18. ^ http://www.contactmusic.com/new/home.nsf/albumreview/paloma-faith-do-you-want-the-truth-or-something-beautifulx15x03x10
19. ^ "UK Ireland Tour in March". http://www.palomafaith.com/gb/news/article/uk_ireland_tour_in_march/. Retrieved 1 January 2010. 
20. ^ Paton, Maureen (16 January 2010). "Paloma Faith: Sauce, sorcery and a magical voice". Daily Mail (Associated Newspapers). http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/you/article-1243216/Paloma-Faith-Sauce-sorcery-magical-voice.html#ixzz0esvVOiiZ. Retrieved 7 February 2010. 
21. ^ http://acharts.us/album/50821
22. ^ "BPI certification 2010". BPI. Retrieved March 21, 2010.
23. ^ "Certified Awards". IRMA. http://irishcharts.ie. Retrieved 4 February 2010. 
24. ^ http://www.artistdirect.com/nad/store/artist/album/0,,6154987,00.html