Tragic Kingdom
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Tragic Kingdom is the third album by third wave ska band No Doubt. It was released by Trauma Records in 1995 (see 1995 in music). Tragic Kingdom helped to initiate the ska revival of the 1990s, and it became one of the best-selling albums of the decade.
Chart performance
The album initially performed poorly and did not chart on the U.S. Billboard 200 until January 1996.[1] After nearly a year on the chart, it reached the top of the Billboard 200 in December 1996 and remained there for eight consecutive weeks.[1] The album was listed at number two on the 1997 year-end chart, behind the Spice Girls' Spice.[2] It sold over 11 million copies in the U.S.[3] and was certified diamond in February 1999.[4] At the 1997 Grammy Awards, the album was nominated for Best Rock Album. Tragic Kingdom was certified platinum in the United Kingdom in November 1997.[5] In Australia, the album was listed at number six on the 1997 end of year chart[6] and was certified quadruple platinum in Australia in 1998.[7] The album is listed at number eighty-nine on the all-time United World Chart.[8]Altogether, Tragic Kingdom sold 16 million copies worldwide.
Track listing
- "Spiderwebs" (Gwen Stefani, Tony Kanal) – 4:28
- "Excuse Me Mr." (G. Stefani, Tom Dumont) – 3:04
- "Just a Girl" (G. Stefani, Dumont) – 3:29
- "Happy Now?" (G. Stefani, Dumont, Kanal) – 3:43
- "Different People" (Eric Stefani, G. Stefani, Kanal) – 4:34
- "Hey You" (G. Stefani, Kanal) – 3:34
- "The Climb" (E. Stefani) – 6:37
- "Sixteen" (G. Stefani, Kanal) – 3:21
- "Sunday Morning" (Kanal, G. Stefani, E. Stefani) – 4:33
- "Don't Speak" (E. Stefani, G. Stefani) – 4:23
- "You Can Do It" (G. Stefani, E. Stefani, Dumont, Kanal) – 4:13
- "World Go 'Round" (Kanal, G. Stefani) – 4:09
- "End It on This" (G. Stefani, Dumont, Kanal, E. Stefani) – 3:45
- "Tragic Kingdom" (E. Stefani) – 5:31
Notes: Tragic Kingdom is a common slang term in the Anaheim area (North Orange County, CA) for Disneyland (a.k.a. the Magic Kingdom), and the Matterhorn Bobsleds disembark spiel (voice of Jack Wagner, "The Voice of Disneyland") are the intro of the song. More specifically, the song may refer to the deterioration of Disneyland during the 90s. The "king" described in the song, for example, cries icicles -- a reference to the urban legend that Walt Disney was cryonically frozen. Michael Eisner is also referenced because of the changes and negative image he brought to the company. The tragedy refers to the deaths and injuries that were allegedly covered up to keep the Disneyland image unblemished. Urban legend says that no one has ever "officially" died while in the park. A reference is also made to the Main Street Electrical Parade.
Miscellaneous
- Tragic Kingdom, mainly reflects on the failed 7-year romance of Gwen Stefani and Tony Kanal.
- The red vinyl dress worn by Gwen Stefani on the cover of Tragic Kingdom was stolen from the Fullerton Museum in Fullerton, California. The dress was on a mannequin behind a plastic glass wall, and disappeared on January 11, 2005 from "The Orange Groove: Orange County's Rock n' Roll History", an exhibit dedicated to the history of rock music in Orange County.
- Live in the Tragic Kingdom DVD is a recording of a concert filmed in Anaheim in the spring of 1997 and directed by Sophie Muller. The concert was part of the tour promoting their 1995 album.
- At the very end of the album, the saxophone can be heard playing the opening notes of the theme from Star Wars.
Personnel
No Doubt
Additional artists on tour
- Phil Jordan – trumpet
- Gabrial McNair – keyboard, trombone
- Stephen Bradley – keyboard, trumpet
Additional personnel
- Bill Bergman – saxophone
- Aloke Dasgupta – sitar
- Melissa "Missy" Hasin – cello
- Nick Lane – trombone
- Les Lovitt – trumpet
- Stephen Perkins – steel drums
- Greg Smith – baritone saxophone
- Matthew Wilder – keyboard
Former
- John Spence – co-lead vocals (1986–1987)
- Eric Stefani – keyboard (1986–1995)
- Jerry McMahon – guitar (1986–1988)
- Chris Webb – drums (1986–1989)
- Chris Leal – bass (1986–1987)
- Alan Meade – trumpet or co-lead vocals (1986–1988)
- Tony Meade – saxophone (1986–1988)
- Paul Caseley – trombone (1987–1990)
- Eric Carpenter – saxophone (1988–1994)
- Don Hammerstedt – trumpet (1990–1992)
- Alex Henderson – trombone (1991–1993)
- Gabriel Gonzalez II – trumpet (1986–1990)
Production
- Producer: Matthew Wilder
- Engineers: Ray Blair, Matt Hyde, Phil Kaffel, George Landress, Johnny Potoker
- Mixing: Paul Palmer
- Mastering: Robert Vosgien
- Director: Albhy Galuten
- Photography: Dan Arsenault, Shelly Robertson
Charts
Chart (1995) | Peak position |
---|---|
U.S. Billboard Heatseekers | 1 |
Chart (1996) | Peak position |
Canadian Albums Chart | 1 |
U.S. Billboard 200 | 1 |
References
- ^ a b Basham, David. "Got Charts? The Long Road To #1 — And Those Who Rocked It". MTV News. March 14, 2002. Retrieved April 6, 2007.
- ^ "Year End Charts - Year-end Albums - The Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved April 6, 2007.
- ^ Pareles, Jon. "POP REVIEW; Heralded by a Kingdom More Young Than Tragic". The New York Times. April 12, 2000. Retrieved April 6, 2007.
- ^ "Diamond Awards". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved April 6, 2007.
- ^ "Platinum Awards Content". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved April 14, 2007.
- ^ "End of Year Charts - Top 100 Albums 1997". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved April 14, 2007.
- ^ "Accreditations - 1998 Albums". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved April 14, 2007.
- ^ "Global Album Chart". Media Traffic. Retrieved April 6, 2007.