Change Giver
Change Giver | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 5 September 1994 | |||
Recorded | Late 1993–early 1994 | |||
Studio | Greenhouse (Old Street, London) | |||
Genre | Rock, Britpop | |||
Length | 46:09 | |||
Label | Polydor | |||
Producer | Jessica Corcoran | |||
Shed Seven chronology | ||||
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Singles from Change Giver | ||||
Change Giver is the debut album by British rock band Shed Seven, released via Polydor Records on 5 September 1994.[5] It was produced by Jessica Corcoran and was issued during the formative year of the Britpop movement—a scene that dominated British alternative music in the mid-1990s.
The album was a moderate chart success in the UK, peaking at number 16 in the UK Albums Chart upon release, while three of the four singles taken from the album charted in the UK Top 40.[6]
Background
Unsigned
Formed in 1990,
Scene associations
"We've had shit for signing to Polydor when everyone else does the same but on fake indies like Hi-Rise or whatever. We chose to put Polydor on the middle of our records – like The Who and The Jam, two of the best British bands ever. That's what we aspire to, not to some crap indie credibility."
Paul Banks, October, 1994[13]
Following the positive response to the band's In the City showcase performance, Shed Seven found themselves amid a record label
Praise and criticism
Shed Seven enjoyed a copious amount of praise for their music in the run up to the release of Change Giver. In March 1994, NME claimed that they were "worthy carriers of the baton that's passed through the hands of the Buzzcocks, The Smiths and The Stone Roses",[12] and The Guardian named them "this week's Next Big Things" in late-October,[23] highlighting the group as an alternative to the "musical thuggery" of other bands.[24] Melody Maker, many of whose writers had championed the band's cause from an early stage,[25] declared them one of "the UK's brightest hopes",[19] whilst The Independent claimed that they were "perhaps the spunkiest new British band".[5] Along with further positive reviews of their live shows,[24][26][27][28] much of the press attention received by the band drew musical comparisons with The Smiths,[12][19][25][29] a band who both Witter and Banks cited as making a "big influence" on them in their youth.[15]
Although they were seen to be musically relevant, Shed Seven were not beyond reproach as they were also met with a certain amount of discord in the British music press. Alongside the praise heaped on their live performances, came a wave of non-musical criticism aimed at the "foolish" things they said,[23] their haircuts and unfashionable dress sense,[13][24] through to their band and singer's names.[23][30] In a piece titled "Pretenders to the throne", charting British rock music's challengers to the crown then-held by Blur, The Guardian posed the question: "do they really expect to make it big with a singer called Rick Witter?".[30] By the time the record was finally issued in the UK in early September, both critical and public opinion on the band was somewhat divisive. As noted in Change Giver's Melody Maker review; "Everybody has an opinion on Shed Seven (...) It's love 'em or hate 'em time!".[25]
Feud with Oasis
"Change Giver is already receiving innumerable comparisons with Oasis' Definitely Maybe, with the band being tagged, rather patronisingly, as some sort of 'Oasis Jr.' The comparisons have done little to stop what is fast becoming a feud between the bands, culminating in Noel Gallagher's recent boast in MM that, 'If we're The Beatles, where are The Rolling Stones... it's not f***ing Shed Seven'."
Dave Simpson writing for Melody Maker, September 1994[27]
As the release of Change Giver grew nearer, animosity between
Recording
Having signed a record deal with Polydor in late 1993, just six weeks later the band members had left their regular jobs and headed to London's Greenhouse Studio to begin recording sessions for their debut release.
We'd been signed in October 1993 and it was all a bit of a shock really. We were in a studio called the Greenhouse in London, just recording for the first time. We didn't really have a clue, we were a bit mesmerised. Looking back at it now, we were quite young and naive.
The first song completed during the initial sessions in late 1993 was the band's debut single "Mark", with what would be the follow-up single, "Dolphin", recorded in early 1994.[15] "Dolphin" was the earliest song written by the band to be included on the album and, when issued as a single in June 1994, it would be the only single release from Change Giver that Banks was not involved in writing.[15] Although the band's third single, "Speakeasy", went on to become their highest-charting release from the album,[6] it was initially composed with the intention for it to be included as a b-side on a future single release.[15] The song was written in-studio towards the end of the album sessions over the course of a day, and recorded the day after.[15] Noting the group's decision to record the track so quickly after it was written, Banks explained that this was done "just to get it down straight away without thinking about whether it was good or not".[15]
Critical reception
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
Volume | (Positive)[29] |
Vox | (7/10)[38] |
Change Giver received mixed to positive reviews upon release, with some critics finding it to be a respectable debut album for a young, upcoming band, but that it mainly served as an indication that the group were capable of bettering it in future releases.
Accolades
Publication | Country | Accolade | Year | Rank |
---|---|---|---|---|
Melody Maker | United Kingdom | Best 40 Albums of the Year[40] | 1994 | 38 |
NME | United Kingdom | Top 50 Albums of the Year[41] | 1994 | 29 |
Rocksound | France | Best 50 Albums of the Year[42] | 1994 | 46 |
Select | United Kingdom | Best 50 Albums of the Year[43] | 1994 | 48 |
Promotion
Tours and festivals
Shed Seven undertook four UK tours throughout 1994 in support of the album and its singles,[44] including a student-organised gig at St. Cuthbert's Roman Catholic School in Rochdale on 16 May.[28] On 9 June, they played at the Heineken Music Festival at Avenham Park, Preston, along with Inspiral Carpets and Baby Chaos.[45] They featured on the bill of 1994's Reading music festival on 27 August, performing a set on the Melody Maker Stage headlined by Madder Rose.[46] In November 1994, they embarked on a seven-date tour of France, beginning in Lille at the Aeronef on 2 November and ending at the Festival Be Bop'n Roll in Le Mans on 10 November. The tour was part of a small series of shows organised by Les Inrockuptibles magazine, and featured a number of other British acts, including Echobelly and Gene.[26] In February 1995, they returned to France to perform an eight-date tour with support from Dodgy,[47] and the following Summer they appeared at some of the UK's largest music festivals, including Glastonbury, where they played on the NME Stage on 23 June,[48] T in the Park on 6 August,[49] and again at Reading, where they performed on the Main Stage on 26 August.[50]
TV and radio
Following the release of the album's second single "Dolphin"—which sold 15,000 copies in its first week[7]—the band made their debut appearance at Top of the Pops on 23 June 1994.[51] On 27 September, they returned to BBC Radio where they had first featured as an unsigned band a year earlier, this time performing a full band four-song set as part of The Mark Radcliffe Show.[52] On 23 June 1995, highlights of the band's performance at Glastonbury Festival, along with Sinéad O'Connor and Dodgy, were shown as part of Channel 4's coverage of the event.[53]
Aftermath
Following the release of Change Giver, Shed Seven spent much of 1995 out of the media spotlight. Between November 1994 and January 1996, they released just one single – "Where Have You Been Tonight?" in April 1995. By 1996, the band, and the album, were retrospectively seen to have lost out to Oasis in the race for britpop supremacy.[31] Writing for The Guardian G2 in November 1996, Caroline Sullivan remarked, "a couple of years ago, when the outcome of the Britpop race was uncertain, the Sheds certainly gave the Gallaghers a run for their money. Noel was troubled enough to ask in late 1994, 'If we're the new Beatles, where are The Rolling Stones? It's not going to be fucking Shed Seven.' It indisputably wasn't Shed Seven."[31] In a 1996 issue of Guitarist magazine, Paul Banks also conceded that although the two bands' careers had run parallel during the months running up to and following the release of their respective debut albums, when the Oasis "phenomenon" took off, ultimately, Shed Seven were unable to compete.[54]
Track listing
All tracks written by Rick Witter (words)/Shed Seven (music), unless otherwise noted.
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Dirty Soul" | Shed Seven/Johnson | 3:37 |
2. | "Speakeasy" | 3:19 | |
3. | "Long Time Dead" | 3:50 | |
4. | "Head and Hands" | Shed Seven/Johnson | 3:58 |
5. | "Casino Girl" | 3:56 | |
6. | "Missing Out" | Shed Seven/Johnson | 3:12 |
7. | "Dolphin" | Shed Seven/Johnson | 3:36 |
8. | "Stars in Your Eyes" | 4:06 | |
9. | "Mark" | 3:41 | |
10. | "Ocean Pie" | 4:39 | |
11. | "On an Island with You" | Shed Seven/Johnson | 8:13 |
- Tracks 5 and 9 are alternate versions to the single release issued in March 1994.
All tracks below written by Rick Witter/Tom Gladwin/Joe Johnson/Alan Leach unless otherwise stated
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Immobilise" (B-side to Dolphin) | ||
2. | "Around Your House" (B-side to Speakeasy) | ||
3. | "Sleep Easy" (B-side to Ocean Pie) | Rick Witter/Tom Gladwin/Alan Leach/Paul Banks | |
4. | "Sensitive" (B-side to Ocean Pie) | ||
5. | "Your Guess Is As Good As Mine" (full band version 1999, B-side to Disco Down, incorrectly listed as B-side to Speakeasy) | Rick Witter/Paul Banks | |
6. | "Head and Hands" (BBC Radio 1 Session 1994) | ||
7. | "Long Time Dead" (live at Brighton Zap 1994) | Rick Witter/Tom Gladwin/Alan Leach/Paul Banks | |
8. | "Dolphin" (demo version 1992) | ||
9. | "Swing My Wave" (demo version 1992) | ||
10. | "Immobilise" (demo version 1992) | ||
11. | "Barracuda" (demo version 1991) | ||
12. | "Kennel" (demo version 1991) | ||
13. | "Missing Out" (Parr Street session version 1999) |
2014 Remaster released 4 August 2014
Personnel
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Chart performance
Album
Change Giver spent a total of two weeks in the UK Albums Chart in its release year, peaking at number 16 on 17 September 1994.[55] The album re-entered the chart in 1998, this time peaking at number 124 and remaining there for a sole week.[56]
Chart (1994) | Peak position |
---|---|
UK Albums Chart[56] | 16 |
Chart (1998) | Peak position |
UK Albums Chart[56] | 124 |
Singles
Shed Seven's debut single, "Mark" / "Casino Girl", occupied the lower reaches of the
Year | Title | Chart | Peak position |
---|---|---|---|
1994 | "Mark" / "Casino Girl" | UK Singles Chart[14] | 77 |
1994 | "Dolphin" | UK Singles Chart[56] | 28 |
1994 | "Speakeasy" | UK Singles Chart[56] | 24 |
1994 | "Ocean Pie" | UK Singles Chart[56] | 33 |
Release history
Region | Date | Label | Format | Catalog No. |
---|---|---|---|---|
UK[57] | 5 September 1994 | Polydor Records | 523615-1 523615-2 523615-4 | |
Japan | 26 October 1994 | Polydor K.K. | CD | POCP-1455 |
US[33] | 29 August 1995 | Polydor Records | Promo CD CD |
69712 4063 2 ADV 124063 |
References
- ^ "Single Releases". Music Week. 5 March 1994. p. 21.
- ^ "Single Releases". Music Week. 11 June 1994. p. 25.
- ^ "Single Releases". Music Week. 13 August 1994. p. 25.
- ^ "Single Releases". Music Week. 29 October 1994. p. 23.
- ^ Independent News & Media. Retrieved 16 July 2009.
- ^ a b c d "Shed Seven at OfficialCharts.com". Official Charts. Retrieved 17 July 2009.
- ^ a b c d "Seven Up". Archived from the original on 28 September 2007. Retrieved 28 July 2009.
- ^ a b "Press Release: Shed Seven". Bad Moon. February 1994: 2.
{{cite journal}}
: Cite journal requires|journal=
(help) - ^ a b c "Press Release: Shed Seven". Bad Moon. February 1994: 3.
{{cite journal}}
: Cite journal requires|journal=
(help) - ^ Moody, Paul. "Live review: Some Like It Hut (Live at London Marquee)". NME (23 October 1993).
- ^ Cameron, Keith. "Live review: Shed Seven, Norwich Arts Centre". NME (19 March 1994).
- ^ a b c d e Harris, John. "Feature: Shed Men Don't Wear Plaid". NME (5 March 1994): 22.
- ^ a b c Cigarettes, Johnny. "Feature: 'More Heroin Pie Vicar?' ". NME (29 October 1994): 12–13.
- ^ United Newspapers: 13.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Hamlyn, Nick. "Feature: Focus: Shed Seven". Record Mart & Buyer (12: July 1999). Tony Phelps: 36–41.
- ^ a b "Press Release: Shed Seven". Bad Moon. February 1994: 1.
{{cite journal}}
: Cite journal requires|journal=
(help) - ^ a b c "Feature: Arts & Entertainment: Rock/Jazz, Shed Seven". The Guide (26 March – 1 April 1994): 7.
- ^ Sullivan, Caroline. "Feature: Highlights: Pop, S*M*A*S*H". The Guide (9–15 July 1994): 3.
- ^ a b c Simpson, Dave. "Feature: The Newest Wave". Melody Maker (26 March 1994): 34.
- ^ Youngs, Ian (15 August 2005). "Feature: Looking back at the birth of Britpop". BBC. Retrieved 28 July 2009.
- ^ Poole, Lawrence (27 May 2009). "News: Shed Seven happy to ride reunion train". M.E.N. Media. Retrieved 28 July 2009.
- ^ Sullivan, Caroline. "Feature: Highlights: Pop, Shed Seven". The Guide (8–14 October 1994): 3.
- ^ a b c Sullivan, Caroline. "Feature: Preview: Pop, Shed Seven, Astoria 2". The Guide (22–28 October 1994): 7.
- ^ a b c Bradley, LLoyd. "Review: Shed Seven, London Astoria 2". The Guardian G2 (Tuesday 1 November 1994): 6.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Gittins, Ian. "Review: SHED SEVEN – CHANGE GIVER". Melody Maker (3 September 1994): 45.
- ^ a b c d Kessler, Ted. "Live review: Shed Seven Headline at Paris' La Cigale". NME (19 November 1994).
- ^ a b c d Simpson, Dave. "Feature: More Songs About Puberty And Power". Melody Maker (10 September 1994): 32–34.
- ^ a b Cigarettes, Johnny. "Live review: The Shed Master Ritual". NME (21 May 1994).
- ^ a b c Robb, John. "Review: 'CHANGE GIVER' (POLYDOR)". Volume (Volume Eleven, Autumn '94): 179.
- ^ a b Sullivan, Caroline. "Feature: Blurred Vision". The Guardian G2 (Thursday 10 November 1994): 5.
- ^ a b c Sullivan, Caroline. "Live review: Pop: Shed Seven, The Forum". The Guardian G2 (20 November 1996): 14.
- ^ Gittins, Ian. "Review: Travis: Ode To J. Smith". Virgin Media. Retrieved 28 July 2009.
- ^ a b Frey, Tracy. "Review: Change Giver". AllMusic. Retrieved 12 December 2009.
- ^ United Newspapers: 18.
- ^ Dee, Johnny. "'Change' Is As Good As the Rest". NME (3 September 1994).
- ^ EMAP Metro Ltd: 126.
- ^ EMAP Metro: 103.
- ^ a b c McLean, Craig. "Review: Shed Seven – Change Giver (Polydor 523615-2)". Vox (VOX49, October 1994): 101.
- ^ Independent News & Media. Retrieved 16 July 2009.
- ^ "Melody Maker End of Year Lists, 1994". rocklistmusic.co.uk. Retrieved 18 July 2009.
- ^ "NME End of Year Lists, 1994". rocklistmusic.co.uk. Retrieved 18 July 2009.
- ^ "Rocksound End of Year Lists, 1994". rocklistmusic.co.uk. Retrieved 18 July 2009.
- ^ "Select End of Year Lists, 1994". rocklistmusic.co.uk. Retrieved 18 July 2009.
- Independent News & Media. 17 December 1994. Archived from the originalon 3 November 2012. Retrieved 16 July 2009.
- ^ "Entertainment, Rock/Jazz". The Guide (4–10 June 1994): 6.
- ^ "Carling Festival 1994 Lineup". carlingfesty.com. Archived from the original on 25 May 2008. Retrieved 8 August 2009.
- ^ Sullivan, Caroline. "Feature: On The Road: Dodgy in France". ...Friday (10 February 1995): 10.
- ^ "Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts '95". efestivals.co.uk. Retrieved 8 August 2009.
- ^ "T in the Park 1995". tinthepark.com. Archived from the original on 30 August 2009. Retrieved 8 August 2009.
- ^ "Carling Festival 1995 Lineup". carlingfesty.com. Archived from the original on 17 May 2008. Retrieved 8 August 2009.
- ^ ""Top of the Pops" Episode dated 23 June 1994 (1994)". IMDb. Retrieved 24 January 2010.
- Live at the BBC (CD booklet). Shed Seven. United Kingdom: Shed Seven Recordings. 5303436.
- ^ "Preview: Artificial disorientation". The Guide (17–23 June 1995): 6.
- ^ Hudson, Jeffrey. "Feature: Kelly's Heroes". Guitarist (June 1996). Music Maker Publications: 66–72.
- ^ "Change Giver at OfficialCharts.com". Official Charts. Retrieved 12 August 2009.
- ^ a b c d e f "Chart Log UK 1994–2008, DJ S – The System of Life". zobbel.de. Retrieved 9 August 2009.
- ^ "Shed Seven – Change Giver". discogs. Retrieved 18 July 2009.
External links
- Change Giver at MusicBrainz (list of releases)
- Change Giver at YouTube (streamed copy where licensed)