The Waterboys (album)

Infobox Album | Name = The Waterboys
Type = Album
Artist = The Waterboys


Released = July 1983
Recorded = December 1981 - November 1982
Genre = Rock
Length = 43:36
Label = Ensign Records, Chrysalis Records
Producer = Mike Scott, Rupert Hine
Reviews =
*Allmusic Rating|4|5 [http://allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:hnfuxqw0ldhe link]
*"Q" Rating|4|5 [http://www.buy.com/prod/Waterboys_Bonus_Tracks/q/loc/109/60537473.html March 2002 p.140]
*"Mojo" Favourable [http://www.buy.com/prod/Waterboys_Bonus_Tracks/q/loc/109/60537473.html May 2002 p.122]
*"Rolling Stone" Rating|3|5 [http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/thewaterboys/albums/album/184405/review/5945092/the_waterboys link] | Last album =
This album = "The Waterboys"
(1983)
Next album = "A Pagan Place"
(1984)

This eponymously named debut album from The Waterboys was recorded in several studio sessions between December 1981 and November 1982.cite book | first=Mike | last=Scott | year=2002 | title=The Waterboys | chapter=Recording Notes | pages=2 | publisher=EMI ] Allmusic describes the sound of the album as "part Van Morrison, part U2".cite web | title=Allmusic review | url=http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:67jeeaw04xd7 | accessmonthday=October 22 | accessyear=2005 ]

The album cover is a photograph of lead singer Mike Scott by Panny Charrington and designed by Stephanie Nash. The Waterboys logo appears in the pale blue box in the upper right-hand corner of the original album cover (pale pink on 2002 reissue). The symbol, which symbolizes water, would continue to be used throughout the band's history. It was designed by Stephanie Nash of Island Records.cite web | title=FAQ | work=mikescottwaterboys | url=http://www.mikescottwaterboys.com/mikescottwaterboys/mainframes.asp?file=News/faq.htm | accessmonthday=October 28 | accessyear=2005 ]

Production history

In 1981 Mike Scott was working in the punk rock band Funhouse, who had recently changed their name from Another Pretty Face. Signed to the record label Ensign Records, the group had moved to London to record their music. Scott had been unsatisfied with the group's sound, which he described as "similar to a jumbo jet flying on one engine",cite web | author=Peter Anderson | title=Mike Scott/Waterboys biography | work=Record Collector magazine | url=http://web.archive.org/web/20060408073321/http://www.phpwebspace.net/waterboys/biog/pageone.htm | accessmonthday=March 25 | accessyear=2007 ] and in December of 1981 decided to use Redshop Studio to record some of his own songs solo, after prompting from Ensign Records to consider a solo career.cite book | first=Mike | last=Scott | year=2002 | title=The Waterboys | chapter=Recording Notes | pages=2 | publisher=EMI ] With the help of a drum machine, Scott sang, played the piano and guitar on each of five songs. Two recordings from this studio demo session would eventually make their way onto the first Waterboys album, "December" and "The Three Day Man".cite book | first=Mike | last=Scott | year=2002 | title=The Waterboys | chapter=Recording Notes | pages=2 | publisher=EMI ] The quality of the session convinced Scott to leave Funhouse. Scott made further series' of recordings on his own at Redshop in February, April and August 1982, which yielded the following tracks: "Save Earth Heart", "It Should Have Been You", "Gala" and "Where Are You Now When I Need You".cite book | first=Mike | last=Scott | year=2002 | title=The Waterboys | chapter=Recording Notes | pages=2 | publisher=EMI ]

In spite of his label's advice, Scott instead began forming a new band to work with. In Spring 1982 he recruited Anthony Thistlethwaite for the new project, which would soon become The Waterboys. Scott first heard Thistlethwaite on a Nikki Sudden album.cite book | first=Mike | last=Scott | year=2002 | title=The Waterboys | chapter=Recording Notes | pages=2 | publisher=EMI ] Thistlethwaite brought in a friend of his, Kevin Wilkinson, as a drummer. Sudden describes the events as Scott "stealing" the two away, but notes that Scott could afford to pay Thistlethwaite and Wilkinson, whereas Sudden could not.cite web | author=Nikki Sudden | title=A Few Mike Scott stories | work=Excerpts from Nikki Sudden's Autobiography | url=http://nikkisudden.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=269&sid=1f7d8f9c17dfc788833f6176b2c1c69e | accessmonthday=October 23 | accessyear=2005 ] Scott and Thistlethwaite recorded "A Girl Called Johnny" in Spring of 1982, and with Wilkinson and bassist Nick Linden they recorded further new tracks in November of 1982 at Redshop Studio, Islington, of which one, "I Will Not Follow", appears on this album.cite book | first=Mike | last=Scott | year=2002 | title=The Waterboys | chapter=Recording Notes | pages=2 | publisher=EMI ]

Ensign flew Scott to New York to record with Patti Smith's guitarist, Lenny Kaye, as the producer. The recording session went poorly, and the material was not released in favour of recordings from the various London sessions.cite book | first=Mike | last=Scott | year=2002 | title=The Waterboys | chapter=Recording Notes | pages=2 | publisher=EMI ] After two single releases of "A Girl Called Johnny" in March 1983, "The Waterboys" was released that July (see 1983 in music).

A remastered version of the album with a number of extra tracks was released on April 23 2002 by Capitol Records.

ongs

"A Girl Called Johnny" had been released both as a seven inch and as a twelve inch single in March of 1983, preceding the album by four months. The song, a tribute to Patti Smith, "narrowly failed" to become a hit.cite web | author=MUZE UK | title=Waterboys (The) Biography | work=Encyclopedia of Popular Music | url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/cgi-perl/music/muze/index.pl?site=radio2&action=biography&artist_id=32200 | accessmonthday=October 22 | accessyear=2005 ] The B-side on the seven-inch was "The Late Train to Heaven", the "Rockfield mix" of which was eventually released on a re-issue of "A Pagan Place", the group's next album. The twelve-inch contained "Ready for the Monkey House", the Another Pretty Face song "Out of Control" and an acoustic version of "Somebody Might Wave Back", the last of which would appear in a full studio version on "A Pagan Place".

"December" was also released as a single (for the Christmas season) in both seven-inch and twelve-inch formats, with similar commercial results. The seven-inch's B-side was "Where are You Now When I Need You?", while the twelve-inch included an alternate recording of "The Three Day Man" and "Red Army Blues", a song that would be included on "A Pagan Place".

An extended live version of "Savage Earth Heart", a song which had eventually become a "live show stopper" was re-released as a B-side on the single for "Is She Conscious?" from "A Rock in the Weary Land".

Track listing

All songs written by Mike Scott, unless otherwise noted.

Original album release

The original vinyl LP had eight tracks.

# "December"
# "A Girl Called Johnny"
# "The Three Day Man"
# "Gala"
# "I Will Not Follow"
# "It Should Have Been You"
# "The Girl in the Swing"
# "Savage Earth Heart"

Re-release track list

The 2002 re-release contained additional songs, from the original demo recordings, single releases, and other early Waterboys work.

# "December" – 6:48
# "A Girl Called Johnny" – 3:57
# "The Three Day Man" – 4:08
# "Gala" (Unedited) – 9:31
# "Where are You Now When I Need You?" – 5:06
# "I Will Not Follow" – 5:18
# "It Should Have Been You" – 4:30
# "The Girl in the Swing" – 4:27
# "Savage Earth Heart" – 6:40
# "Something Fantastic" – 3:12
# "Ready for the Monkeyhouse" – 3:59
# "Another Kind of Circus" – 4:05
# "A Boy in Black Leather" – 7:04
# "December" (Original 8-track mix) – 6:49
# "Jack of Diamonds" – 0:50

Personnel

*Delahaye - organ
*Nick Linden - bass, background vocals
*Ray Massey - drums
*Norman Rodger - bass
*Mike Scott - bass, bouzouki, guitar, mandolin, piano, vocals
*Steven W. Taylor - bass, keyboards, background vocals
*Anthony Thistlethwaite - bass, mandolin, drums
*Kevin Wilkinson - drums

Notes and References

External links

* [http://www.mikescottwaterboys.com/mikescottwaterboys/mainframes.asp?file=Lyrics/index.htm Lyrics at mikescottwaterboys.com]
* [http://forums.delphiforums.com/waterboys/messages Official forum] Chord requests are often fulfilled at "Musician's Corner"