Has Been
Has Been | ||||
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Shout! Factory | ||||
Producer | Ben Folds | |||
William Shatner chronology | ||||
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Singles from Has Been | ||||
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Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
Pitchfork Media | 7.5/10[4] |
Has Been is
History
Joe Jackson explained his involvement in an interview, saying, "That came through Ben Folds, who's a big fan of mine. You’d have to ask him how he got hooked up with Bill Shatner, I don't remember. But I think he did a really great job of putting an album behind Shatner that is fun and not completely cheesy, though when it is too cheesy, it's deliberately so. (laughs) It's just a very musically satisfying record, and when he asked me to be a part of it, why would I not? How could I refuse? I went to Nashville for a few days and hung out with the two of them, and we created a couple of masterpieces."[5] He ultimately said about working with Shatner, "He's wonderful, very musical, and very funny, because he's so obviously in on the joke".[6]
Originally, Weezer and former U.S. President Bill Clinton were set to be featured on the album but by the time Weezer responded, Clinton had already backed out.[7][8]
In 2007, a ballet called Common People, set to Has Been, was created by Margo Sappington (of Oh! Calcutta! fame) and performed by the Milwaukee Ballet.[9] Shatner attended the première and had the event filmed. This footage became William Shatner's Gonzo Ballet, a feature film which premiered at the Nashville Film Festival on April 17, 2009. The documentary also features interviews with Shatner, Folds, and Henry Rollins.
Track listing
- ") – 4:40
- "It Hasn't Happened Yet" (Ben Folds, William Shatner) – 3:49
- "You'll Have Time" (Folds, W. Shatner) – 5:18
- "That's Me Trying" (Folds, Nick Hornby) – 3:48
- "What Have You Done" (W. Shatner) – 1:46
- "Together" (Lemon Jelly, Elizabeth Shatner, W. Shatner) – 5:39
- "Familiar Love" (Folds, W. Shatner) – 4:00
- "Ideal Woman" (Folds, W. Shatner) – 2:23
- "Has Been" (Folds, W. Shatner) – 2:18
- "I Can't Get Behind That" (Folds, Henry Rollins, W. Shatner) – 3:00
- "Real" (Brad Paisley) – 3:08
Personnel
Musicians
- William Shatner – vocals
- Joe Jackson – guest vocals (1), piano (3), cowboy vocals (9)
- Lindsay Jamieson – drums (1)
- Ben Folds – bass guitar (1), synthesizer (1), piano (2, 4, 7), Wurlitzer granny organ (3, 8), guest vocals (4), background ahhs (4), electric piano (8, 11), tack piano (9), drums (11)
- John Mark Painter – guitars (1, 3, 7), bass guitar (2, 4, 8), background ahhs (4), cowboy vocals (9), baritone guitar (9), trumpets (9), bass guitar (11)
- Louisville Common People's Choir – background vocals (1)
- Jon Auer – guitars (2, 4, 8–9), background ahhs (4), electric guitars (7), cowboy vocals (9)
- Matt Chamberlain – drums (2–4, 7–8, 10), percussion (9–10)
- Fleming McWilliams– Goddess of Yosemite (2)
- Kim Richey – gospel choir (3)
- Webb Wilder – gospel choir (3)
- John Davis – gospel choir (3)
- Jared Reynolds – gospel choir (3)
- Carmella Ramsey – gospel choir (3)
- Sebastian Steinberg – bass guitar (3), upright bass (5, 7, 10), cowboy vocals (9)
- Aimee Mann – guest vocals (4)
- Lemon Jelly – programming (6), all instruments (6)
- Benita Hill – choir (7)
- Laurie Wheeler – choir (7)
- Nick Wheeler – choir (7)
- Curt Bol – choir (7)
- Henry Rollins – guest vocals (10)
- Adrian Belew – guitar (10)
- Brad Paisley – guest vocals (11), guitar (11)
Technical
- Ben Folds – producer, arranger, mixing, art direction
- Joe Costa – engineer, mixing
- Ted Jensen – mastering
- Alan Wolmark – executive producer
- Smog Design, Inc. – art design
- Jeri Heiden – package design, photography
- Ryan Corey – package design
- John Heiden – package design
- Frally Folds – photography
Charts
Album
Chart (2004) | Position |
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Billboard Top Heatseekers[10] | 22 |
Song
Song | Chart (2004) | Position |
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" Common People "
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Triple J Hottest 100, 2004 | 21 |
See also
- William Shatner's musical career
References
- ^ "William Shatner - Common People". Discogs. Retrieved 1 August 2017.
- AllMusic
- ^ Wyse, Pascal (1 October 2004). "William Shatner, Has Been". The Guardian. London.
- ^ "William Shatner - Has Been". Pitchfork.
- ^ Ragogna, Mike (July 2011). "Chatting With Joe Jackson And Earl Klugh, Plus Mick Harvey's "The Ballad Of Jay Givens" Video". Huffington Post. Retrieved 9 November 2019.
- ^ Quill, Greg (30 March 2008). "First he loved Manhattan - now he loves Berlin". Toronto Star. Retrieved 9 November 2019.
- TheGuardian.com. 18 August 2015.
- ^ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: "Ben Folds on Getting William Shatner, Bill Clinton & Weezer on the Same Stage | The Rich Eisen Show". YouTube.
- ^ "The William Shatner Ballet". Milwaukee Ballet. Archived from the original on 2015-04-04.
- ^ Has Been Billboard chart history, Billboard.com. Retrieved November 18, 2011.
External links
- Has Been at Metacritic
- Has Been at AllMusic. Retrieved Nov 15, 2019.