Fat City (Shawn Colvin album)
Encyclopedia
Fat City, Shawn Colvin
's second full length album, was released in 1992
on Columbia Records
.
The album reached 142 on the Billboard 200
and reached #2 on Billboard's Top Heatseekers
. "Round of Blues" and "I Don't Know Why" made Billboard's Modern Rock Tracks and Adult Contemporary
single charts, respectively. "Tenderness on the Block" is a cover version
of a song released on Warren Zevon
's 1978 album Excitable Boy
.
Shawn Colvin
Shawn Colvin is an American singer-songwriter and musician.-Childhood and early career:Colvin was born in Vermillion, South Dakota. Her formative years were spent in the town of Carbondale, Illinois, where she attended Southern Illinois University Carbondale. She learned to play guitar at the age...
's second full length album, was released in 1992
1992 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1992.-January–February:*January 11**Nirvana's Nevermind album goes to #1 in the US Billboard 200 chart, establishing the widespread popularity of the Grunge movement of the 1990s....
on Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
.
The album reached 142 on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
and reached #2 on Billboard's Top Heatseekers
Top Heatseekers
Top Heatseekers refers to either of two separate "Breaking and Entering" music charts issued weekly by Billboard Magazine: the Heatseekers Albums chart or the Heatseekers Songs chart. They were introduced by Billboard in 1993 with the purpose of highlighting the sales by new and developing musical...
. "Round of Blues" and "I Don't Know Why" made Billboard's Modern Rock Tracks and Adult Contemporary
Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks
The Adult Contemporary chart is a weekly chart published in Billboard magazine that lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary and "lite-pop" radio stations in the United States...
single charts, respectively. "Tenderness on the Block" is a cover version
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of a song released on Warren Zevon
Warren Zevon
Warren William Zevon was an American rock singer-songwriter and musician noted for including his sometimes sardonic opinions of life in his musical lyrics, composing songs that were sometimes humorous and often had political or historical themes.Zevon's work has often been praised by well-known...
's 1978 album Excitable Boy
Excitable Boy
Excitable Boy is the third album by Warren Zevon, released in 1978. It includes the top 40 success "Werewolves of London". The album brought Warren to commercial attention and remains the best-selling album of his career. A remastered and expanded edition was released during 2007.The tracks...
.
Track listing
- "Polaroids" (Shawn Colvin)
- "Tennessee" (Colvin, John LeventhalJohn LeventhalJohn Leventhal is a Grammy Award-winning musician, producer, songwriter, and recording engineer who has produced albums for Michelle Branch, Rosanne Cash, Marc Cohn, Shawn Colvin, Rodney Crowell, Jim Lauderdale, Joan Osborne, Loudon Wainwright, The Wreckers and many others...
) - "Tenderness on the Block" (Jackson BrowneJackson BrowneJackson Browne is an American singer-songwriter and musician who has sold over 17 million albums in the United States alone....
, Warren ZevonWarren ZevonWarren William Zevon was an American rock singer-songwriter and musician noted for including his sometimes sardonic opinions of life in his musical lyrics, composing songs that were sometimes humorous and often had political or historical themes.Zevon's work has often been praised by well-known...
) - "Round of Blues" (Colvin, Larry KleinLarry KleinLarry Klein is a music producer, songwriter and bass guitar player, commonly known for being the frequent musical collaborator, and ex-husband, of Joni Mitchell....
) - "Monopoly" (Colvin)
- "Orion in the Sky" (Colvin, Larry Klein)
- "Climb On (A Back That's Strong)" (Colvin, John Leventhal)
- "Set the Prairie on Fire" (Elly Brown, Colvin)
- "Object of My Affection" (Colvin, John Leventhal)
- "Kill the Messenger" (Colvin)
- "I Don't Know Why" (Colvin)
Personnel
- Shawn Colvin – guitar, vocals
- Bruce HornsbyBruce HornsbyBruce Randall Hornsby is an American singer, pianist, accordion player, and songwriter. Known for the spontaneity and creativity of his live performances, Hornsby draws frequently from classical, jazz, bluegrass, folk, Motown, rock, blues, and jam band musical traditions with his songwriting and...
– piano, background vocals - David LindleyDavid Lindley (musician)David Perry Lindley is an American musician who is notable for his work with Jackson Browne, Warren Zevon, and other rock musicians. He has worked extensively in other genres as well, performing with artists as varied as Curtis Mayfield and Dolly Parton...
– Hawaiian guitar, bazouki, lap steel Guitar - Joni MitchellJoni MitchellJoni Mitchell, CC is a Canadian musician, singer songwriter, and painter. Mitchell began singing in small nightclubs in her native Saskatchewan and Western Canada and then busking in the streets and dives of Toronto...
– percussion - The Subdudes – vocals
- Richard Thompson – guitar
- Chris WhitleyChris WhitleyChristopher Becker Whitley was an American blues singer-songwriter and guitarist.Whitley changed his sound frequently, and achieved modest mainstream success while maintaining a small but devoted following...
– National Steel guitar - Tommy Malone – guitar, background vocals
- Valerie CarterValerie CarterValerie Carter to James J and Dorothy Carter, is an American singer-songwriter...
– background vocals - Jim KeltnerJim KeltnerJames Lee "Jim" Keltner is an American drummer known primarily for his session work. He has contributed to the work of many well-known artists...
– drums - Alex AcuñaAlex AcuñaAlejandro Neciosup Acuña aka Alex Acuña is a Peruvian drummer and percussionist, in the Afro-Cuban jazz style.Born in Pativilca, Peru, Acuña played in local bands from the age of ten, and moved to Lima as a teenager. At the age of eighteen he joined the band of Perez Prado, and in 1967 he moved...
– percussion - Steve Amedee – drums, background vocals
- Robin Batteau – background vocals
- Larry CampbellLarry Campbell (musician)Larry Campbell is a multi-instrumentalist who plays many stringed instruments in genres including country, folk, blues, and rock...
– fiddle, pedal steel - Mary Chapin CarpenterMary Chapin CarpenterMary Chapin Carpenter is an American folk and country music artist. Carpenter spent several years singing in Washington, D.C. clubs before signing in the late 1980s with Columbia Records, who marketed her as a country singer...
– background vocals - Vinnie ColaiutaVinnie ColaiutaVincent Colaiuta is an American drummer based in Los Angeles. Originally from Republic, Pennsylvania, he began playing drums as a child and received his first full drum kit from his parents at the age of 14...
– drums - Denny Fongheiser – drums
- Béla FleckBéla FleckBéla Anton Leoš Fleck is an American banjo player. Widely acknowledged as one of the world's most innovative and technically proficient banjo players, he is best known for his work with the bands New Grass Revival and Béla Fleck and the Flecktones.-Early life and career details:Fleck was born in...
– banjo - Milt Grayson – background vocals
- Richard Hayward – drum brushes
- Curtis King – background vocals
- Larry KleinLarry KleinLarry Klein is a music producer, songwriter and bass guitar player, commonly known for being the frequent musical collaborator, and ex-husband, of Joni Mitchell....
– bass, percussion, guitar, keyboards, drum programming - Greg LeiszGreg LeiszGreg Leisz is an American multi-instrumentalist, playing lap and pedal steel guitars, guitar, mandolin, and bass.- Biography :Leisz was influenced early on by the Byrds and Flying Burrito Brothers, especially pedal steel player "Sneaky" Pete Kleinow...
– pedal steel - John LeventhalJohn LeventhalJohn Leventhal is a Grammy Award-winning musician, producer, songwriter, and recording engineer who has produced albums for Michelle Branch, Rosanne Cash, Marc Cohn, Shawn Colvin, Rodney Crowell, Jim Lauderdale, Joan Osborne, Loudon Wainwright, The Wreckers and many others...
– guitar, bass, percussion - John Magnie – accordion, background vocals
- Bill PayneBill PayneBill Payne is a founding member of American rock band Little Feat. He is considered by many other piano rock musicians, including Elton John, to be one of the finest American piano rock and blues music artists...
– organ - Jeff PevarJeff PevarJeff Pevar is an American musician who has recorded and toured with hundreds of renowned artists and is a member of CPR with David Crosby. Although primarily a guitarist, he is also a multi-instumentalist, also playing bass, mandolin, lap steel, dobro and more...
– guitar - Steuart SmithSteuart SmithSteuart Smith is a guitarist and multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, writer and producer currently working with American rock band the Eagles. Smith is from Arlington, VA.]].-Current work:...
– guitar - Fonzi ThorntonFonzi ThorntonFonzi Thornton, is an American singer, song writer/producer, stage performer and radio personality.Thornton has provided background vocals on albums by artists which include Aretha Franklin, Luther Vandross, Diana Ross, Ray Charles, Chic, Sheena Easton, Mariah Carey, David Bowie, Michael Jackson,...
– background vocals - Ken White – keyboards, background vocals
- Vinnie Zummo – guitar
- Johnny Ray Allen – bass
- Booker T. Jones III – Hammond organ
Songwriting
In an interview with Performing Songwriter magazine, Colvin described how she co-wrote songs for Fat City:- The way that I generally co-write is that someone else writes the music or part of the music. Like on "Round of Blues" I wrote the whole song but Larry Klein said that it needed a bridge. So he wrote the bridge and I wrote the words to it. But Elly and I really shared every part of ["Set the Prairie on Fire"] equally. She wrote some of the words, I wrote some of the words, she wrote some of the music, I wrote some of the music.