White Ladder

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Untitled
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[1]
Entertainment Weekly(B)[2]
NME(6/10)[3]
Rolling Stone[4]
Sputnikmusic[5]
The Guardian[6]
The Observer(Positive)[7]

White Ladder is the multi-platinum selling[8] fourth studio album by British singer-songwriter David Gray, first released in November 1998. Worldwide sales of the album stand at 7 million.

Background

The self-financed album was recorded in Gray's London apartment.[9] To support the album, Gray toured the United States with the Dave Matthews Band, whose lead singer Dave Matthews released White Ladder in the United States on his label ATO in 2000 as the label's first release.[10] Following the album's success, he toured the US and UK extensively between 2000-01 to promote the album.[11][12]

A hidden track, "I Can't Get Through to Myself," can be found in the pregap of the original 1998 IHT Records release (by rewinding from the start of "Please Forgive Me").[13] The US CD release does not include the secret track, but instead includes the audio bonus track "Babylon II," as well as an enhanced section which includes a mini-documentary with a live performance of "Babylon," a brief biography and web links.[14] The Japanese release includes the bonus track "Over My Head," which also appears as a B-side on the 1999 "Babylon" single.[15]

Commercial reception

White Ladder was originally released on Gray's own label IHT Records in November 1998.[16] However, it was only after its re-release in 2000 on ATO Records and the hit single "Babylon" that it sold 100,000 copies in Ireland alone, making it number one for six weeks,[17] and it remains the biggest-selling album in Ireland.[18] The album was #1 on the UK Albums Chart, two years and five months after its original release,[19] spending a total of 151 weeks on the chart.[20] Aside from "Please Forgive Me," which charted at #72 on the UK Singles Chart, all other single releases charted within the Top 20:[20] the re-released "Please Forgive Me" charted at #18, and "Say Hello Wave Goodbye" and "Sail Away" peaked at #26.

In the United States, the album peaked at #35 on the Billboard 200, spending a whole year on the chart.[21] The album earned Gray a nomination in the United States at the 44th Grammy Awards for Best New Artist.[22]

Reflecting on White Ladder's success in 2010, Gray stated: "I still pinch myself when I think about it. That record will be there for ever. It just connected in such a big way with people. [...] It was the period that came after that was difficult. [...] I'm sort of seen as a pop artist. I'm dismissed as slight, I'd say, because of White Ladder."[23]

White Ladder was the fifth best selling UK album of the 2000s.[24] It sold has 2,940,575 units in the UK by July 24, 2011.[25]

Singles

A total of five singles were released from the album: "This Year's Love" in March 1999 (re-issued in March 2001), "Babylon" in July 1999 (re-issued in June 2000), "Please Forgive Me" in November 1999 (re-issued in October 2000), "Sail Away" in July 2001, and the Soft Cell cover "Say Hello Wave Goodbye" in December 2001.

Track listing

All tracks written by David Gray, unless otherwise noted.

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Please Forgive Me" 5:35
2."Babylon" 4:25
3."My Oh My"Gray, McClune4:37
4."We're Not Right"Gray, McClune, Polson3:03
5."Nightblindness" 4:23
6."Silver Lining" 6:00
7."White Ladder"Gray, McClune, Polson4:14
8."This Year's Love" 4:05
9."Sail Away" 5:15
10."Say Hello Wave Goodbye"Almond, Ball9:03
UK hidden pregap track
No.TitleLength
1."(I Can't Get) Through to Myself"1:56
US-only bonus track
No.TitleLength
11."Babylon II"3:38
Japanese version
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Please Forgive Me" 5:35
2."Babylon" 4:25
3."My Oh My"Gray, McClune4:37
4."We're Not Right"Gray, McClune, Polson3:03
5."Nightblindness" 4:23
6."Over My Head" (bonus track) 4:23
7."Silver Lining" 6:00
8."White Ladder"Gray, McClune, Polson4:14
9."This Year's Love" 4:05
10."Sail Away" 5:15
11."Say Hello Wave Goodbye"Almond, Ball9:03

Personnel

Additional musicians
  • Craig McClune – drums, vocals, keyboards, bass, producer
  • Tim Bradshaw – keyboards
  • Simon Edwards – bass
  • Colm Mac Con Iomaire – violin
Technical personnel
  • Iestyn Polson – producer, engineer, programmer
  • Marius de Vries – additional production on "Sail Away"
  • Steve Sidelnyk – additional programming on "Sail Away"
  • Dave Turner – mastering
  • Donal Dineen – photography
  • Phil Knott – photography
  • Quotations at the end of "Say Hello Wave Goodbye" are taken from "Into the Mystic" and "Madam George," written by Van Morrison.

Release history

Country Date Label Format Catalogue #
United Kingdom November 1998 IHT Records CD IHT CD001
1 May 2000 IHT/EastWest CD (re-issue) 8573-82983-2
United States 21 March 2000 RCA/ATO CD (11 tracks/enhanced) 07863 69351-2
Japan 11 October 2000 EastWest/WEA CD (11 tracks) AMCE-7198

References

  1. ^ Ikeda, Jaime. "Review: White Ladder". Macrovision Corporation. Retrieved 8 December 2009.
  2. ^ Browne, David (January 15, 2001). "Review: White Ladder (1999)". Time Inc. Retrieved 8 December 2009.
  3. ^ "Review: White Ladder". IPC Media. July 14, 2000. Retrieved 8 December 2009.
  4. ^ Walters, Barry (October 12, 2000). "Review: White Ladder". Jann Wenner. Retrieved 8 December 2009.
  5. ^ Med57 (January 14, 2005). "Review: David Gray White Ladder". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved 8 December 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  6. ^ Sweeting, Adam. "Review: David Gray White Ladder (IHT Records)". The Guardian Review (April 14, 2000). Guardian Media Group: 19.
  7. ^ Agar, Gordon. "Review: DAVID GRAY White Ladder (IHTCD001)". The Observer Review (April 23, 2000). Guardian Media Group: 9.
  8. ^ David Gray MTV bio
  9. ^ http://www.emusic.com/artist/David-Gray-MP3-Download/11892085.html
  10. ^ http://www.mtv.com/music/artist/gray_david/artist.jhtml#bio
  11. ^ http://www.davidgray.com/tour/archives/2000.aspx
  12. ^ http://www.davidgray.com/tour/archives/2001.aspx
  13. ^ http://www.eeggs.com/items/8745.html
  14. ^ http://www.discogs.com/David-Gray-White-Ladder/release/1411079
  15. ^ http://eil.com/shop/moreinfo.asp?catalogid=222673
  16. ^ http://www.nme.com/reviews/david-gray/2555
  17. ^ Perrone, Pierre (16 April 2000). "The infinite shades of Gray". The Independent. London. Retrieved 3 August 2010.
  18. ^ http://www.absoluteradio.co.uk/vip/profile/wjd8260/blog/104898/OBSCURE__LOVE__SONG_OF_THE_DAY___DAVID_GRAY.html
  19. ^ http://www.billboard.com/#/news/gray-climbs-ladder-to-no-1-in-the-u-k-999161.story
  20. ^ a b http://www.chartstats.com/artistinfo.php?id=732
  21. ^ http://new.music.yahoo.com/david-gray/news/artist-namedavid-grays-id1010747-ladder-marks-one-year-on-billboard-chart--12026402
  22. ^ http://www.roundhouse.org.uk/whats-on/productions/david-gray-3763
  23. ^ Day, Elizabeth (15 August 2010). "David Gray: 'I'm trained to wash up'". The Guardian. London.
  24. ^ James Blunt records the biggest selling album of decade
  25. ^ Alan Jones (2011). "Adele still on top but UK album sales fall to 13-year low". Music Week. Retrieved 2011-08-25.
Preceded by UK number one album
11 August 2001 – 17 August 2001
25 August 2001 – 31 August 2001 		Succeeded by
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