Sleeping with Ghosts
Encyclopedia
Sleeping with Ghosts is the fourth studio album by English alternative rock
band Placebo
, released in 2003 through Astralwerks and Hut Records
. It achieved chart success in the UK, Australia, and Europe.
, who is known to be a fan of Sonic Youth
, was notably influenced by the album Sister
while writing the lyrics for Sleeping with Ghosts; at least two of the songs – "Sleeping with Ghosts" and "Plasticine" – feature references to Sister lyrics.
During their concert in Sofia
on 12 September 2003, the band dedicated the song "Centrefolds" to Johnny Cash
who had died the same day, with Molko citing Cash as a key influence on the band.
"), power struggles in relationships ("Special Needs"), or the idea that some are meant to be eternal soulmate
s (the title track). Brian Molko told Kerrang!
magazine, "I'm looking back to what's happened in my past emotional decade, trying to understand it. Trying to exorcise the ghosts and the demons of relationships past. It's the old cliché of it being therapeutic but it does work for me in that way."
Another interview has Molko explaining:
protection system in some regions.
The special edition version of this album was released on 22 September 2003 worldwide, featuring a diverse selection of cover versions that the band had recorded in previous years. This was re-released as a download-only album in 2007 under the name Covers
.
" made the top 40 charts in the UK and Spain while "Protège-Moi" made the French charts. In the US, "Sleeping with Ghosts" reached top twenty on the Heatseeker charts in 2003.
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
band Placebo
Placebo (band)
Placebo are a British rock band from London, England, formed in 1994 by singer and guitarist Brian Molko and bass guitarist Stefan Olsdal. The band was joined by drummer Robert Schultzberg, who was later replaced by Steve Hewitt after conflicts with Molko. Hewitt left the band in October 2007 and...
, released in 2003 through Astralwerks and Hut Records
Hut Records
VC Recordings trading as Hut Records was a British record label brand which was started in 1990 as a wholly owned subsidiary of Virgin Records...
. It achieved chart success in the UK, Australia, and Europe.
Background
Singer-lyricist Brian MolkoBrian Molko
Brian Molko is a songwriter, lead vocalist, and guitarist of the band Placebo. He is known in particular for his high-pitched vocals, androgynous appearance, and unique, Sonic Youth-influenced guitar style and tuning.-Early life:Born to an American father of French-Italian heritage and a Scottish...
, who is known to be a fan of Sonic Youth
Sonic Youth
Sonic Youth is an American alternative rock band from New York City, formed in 1981. The current lineup consists of Thurston Moore , Kim Gordon , Lee Ranaldo , Steve Shelley , and Mark Ibold .In their early career, Sonic Youth was associated with the No Wave art and music scene in New York City...
, was notably influenced by the album Sister
Sister (Sonic Youth album)
Sister is the fourth album by alternative rock band Sonic Youth, released in 1987 on SST Records. It was re-released in late 1994 on DGC.The album furthers the band's move away from noise rock towards more traditional pop structures, while maintaining an aggressively experimental approach. It...
while writing the lyrics for Sleeping with Ghosts; at least two of the songs – "Sleeping with Ghosts" and "Plasticine" – feature references to Sister lyrics.
During their concert in Sofia
Sofia
Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city in the European Union with a population of 1.27 million people. It is located in western Bulgaria, at the foot of Mount Vitosha and approximately at the centre of the Balkan Peninsula.Prehistoric settlements were excavated...
on 12 September 2003, the band dedicated the song "Centrefolds" to Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash
John R. "Johnny" Cash was an American singer-songwriter, actor, and author, who has been called one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century...
who had died the same day, with Molko citing Cash as a key influence on the band.
Album meaning
The album has several songs based on a theme of relationships, such as relationships that end badly ("The Bitter EndThe Bitter End (song)
"The Bitter End" is a single by British alternative rock band Placebo from their fourth studio album, Sleeping with Ghosts, released in 2003.The song is based around the novel Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell...
"), power struggles in relationships ("Special Needs"), or the idea that some are meant to be eternal soulmate
Soulmate
A soulmate is believed by some to be the person with whom one has a feeling of deep or natural affinity, similarity, love, intimacy, sexuality, spirituality, or compatibility. A related concept is that of the twin flame or twin soul, which is thought to be the ultimate soulmate...
s (the title track). Brian Molko told Kerrang!
Kerrang!
Kerrang! is a UK-based magazine devoted to rock music published by Bauer Media Group. It was first published on June 6, 1981 as a one-off supplement in the Sounds newspaper...
magazine, "I'm looking back to what's happened in my past emotional decade, trying to understand it. Trying to exorcise the ghosts and the demons of relationships past. It's the old cliché of it being therapeutic but it does work for me in that way."
Another interview has Molko explaining:
The album title's about carrying the ghosts of your relationships with you, to the point where sometimes a smell or a situation or an item of clothing they bought brings a person back. For me it's about the relationship that you have with your memories. They inhabit your dreams sometimes. There can be a lot in the future that's gonna remind you of the ghost of relationships past. So I see the album as a collection of short stories about a handful of relationships. Most of them mine. In a way writing the songs helps me to get a lot of the nasty feelings off my chest and put them in a box, and therefore have a bit more of an objective discourse with those emotions because you've done something positive with them, you've rid yourself of them.
Track listing
Special edition bonus disc (Covers)
Release history
The album was been released with the Copy ControlCopy Control
Copy Control was the generic name of a copy prevention system, used from 2001 until 2006 on several digital audio disc releases by EMI Group and Sony BMG Music Entertainment in several regions...
protection system in some regions.
The special edition version of this album was released on 22 September 2003 worldwide, featuring a diverse selection of cover versions that the band had recorded in previous years. This was re-released as a download-only album in 2007 under the name Covers
Covers (Placebo album)
Covers is a cover album by British alternative rock band Placebo. The album was originally released as a bonus disc with the special edition version of Sleeping with Ghosts on 22 September 2003 through Hut Records and Astralwerks, which has since gone out of print. "Running Up that Hill" is mostly...
.
Chart success and positions
Sleeping with Ghosts reached the top 20 in the UK, top 40 in Australia, and sold well throughout Europe. The first single, "The Bitter End", reached number one in Portugal, went top ten in Greece and made the top twenty in the UK and Italy in early 2003. The second single, "This Picture", went top ten in Portugal and top 40 in the UK and Spain in June 2003. "Special Needs" made the UK top 40 in September 2003. In 2004, "English Summer RainEnglish Summer Rain
"English Summer Rain" is the fourth single from Placebo's fourth studio album Sleeping with Ghosts, released in 2004.In the UK, it peaked at number 23 in the UK Singles Chart. In Australia, the song was ranked number 53 on Triple J's Hottest 100 of 2004....
" made the top 40 charts in the UK and Spain while "Protège-Moi" made the French charts. In the US, "Sleeping with Ghosts" reached top twenty on the Heatseeker charts in 2003.
- #1 – France [710,600 copies sold (3x Platinum)]
- #1 – Belgium
- #2 – Germany
- #3 – Switzerland
- #4 – Portugal
- #6 – Austria
- #6 – Italy
- #10 – Poland
- #11 – UK
- #11 – Australia
- #14 – Sweden
- #14 – Finland
- #28 – Denmark
- #18 – US (Top HeatseekersTop HeatseekersTop 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...
)
Credits
- Brian MolkoBrian MolkoBrian Molko is a songwriter, lead vocalist, and guitarist of the band Placebo. He is known in particular for his high-pitched vocals, androgynous appearance, and unique, Sonic Youth-influenced guitar style and tuning.-Early life:Born to an American father of French-Italian heritage and a Scottish...
– vocals, guitar, keyboards, saxophone on "Something Rotten", drums on "English Summer Rain" - Steve HewittSteve HewittSteven James Hewitt is the singer and guitarist in Love Amongst Ruin, having previously been the drummer for Placebo between mid-1996 and October 2007.-Personal life:...
– drums, percussion - Stefan OlsdalStefan OlsdalStefan Olsdal is the bassist/guitarist of the alternative rock band Placebo and is part of the electronic dance/DJ and remix act Hotel Persona.-Biography:...
– bass guitar, guitar, keyboards, piano, backing vocals - Jim Abbiss – producer, mixing
- Barny – engineer, mixing
- Simon Breed – harmonica on "Protect Me From What I Want"
- Bill Lloyd – keyboards, engineer
- Sean Magee – mastering
- Jean Baptiste Mondino – art direction, photography
- Danny Porter – assistant engineer
- Tom Stanley – assistant engineer
- Andy Davies – assistant engineer
- Fergus Peterkin – assistant engineer