55-528: Ophelia is the second studio album by the American singer-songwriter Natalie Merchant , released on May 19, 1998, by Elektra Records . The album was supported by the singles " Kind & Generous " and "Break Your Heart", with the former being the most successful single of the album, reaching the top 20 of the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay Chart . "Break Your Heart" also received single and video treatment. These and
110-453: A 48-bar guitar solo at the end, that girl can shred like Eddie Van Halen , no kidding." Garbage used social media to raise awareness of the release, and to Record Store Day in general. The band shot a video where they professed their love for independent stores, and stated their earliest memories of shopping in them, while Manson wrote a statement about the importance of the continued existence of these stores, and of vinyl records: "In
165-621: A Levee " and "Tell Yourself". Merchant embarked on a year-and-a-half-long world tour to promote Motherland . The first leg of the tour started in Minneapolis, Minnesota on October 17, 2001, with performances across the United States, and heading to Europe with some special acoustic shows in Europe. Merchant also participated in the Rock am Ring Festival and Rock im Park in 2002. In the summer of 2002, she
220-460: A big opening of a Eurodance explosion in the 1990s. The song received favorable reviews from music critics. Larry Flick from Billboard wrote that it "gets a rave / pop treatment" and "urgent vocals by Tarlisa swerve around a looped sample from Depeche Mode's "Master & Servant"." He stated that it "ultimately works well and is better than many of the other covers". Alan Jones from Music Week gave it three out of five. He complimented
275-528: A cover of "Because the Night" for an exclusive vinyl release on that year's Record Store Day ; an annual celebration of independent record stores . Garbage had released two singles (" Blood for Poppies " and " Battle in Me " ) to mark the 2012 event, and were keen to release "something special" for the following year. The band decided to record "Because the Night" with Screaming Females following some well-received duets of
330-423: A hit with Patti, that she deserved one. He agreed. As he had no immediate plans to put 'Because the Night' on an album, I said why not give it to Patti. Bruce replied, 'If she can do it, she can have it.'" Smith later recorded the song two months after Springsteen's original version was recorded. Springsteen later admitted he was not satisfied with the song, and he already knew he was not going to finish it since it
385-446: A jazz musician, so that's the kind of music I was into. I never really had friends who sat around and listened to the stereo and said 'hey, listen to this one', so I'd never even heard of who Bob Dylan was until I was 18." Merchant says she did not have a television set between 1988 and 1989: "I grew up in a house where no one watched the news on television and no one read the paper. I've been discovering these things as I get older, and
440-522: A lack of creative control over the music she wrote with the band. Her last recording with the band, a cover of Bruce Springsteen's and Patti Smith's " Because the Night " at the 10,000 Maniacs MTV Unplugged performance, reached #11 on the Hot 100 chart on February 18, 1994; becoming the band's highest-charting song in the U.S. After her split with 10,000 Maniacs, Merchant was so eager to begin writing her own material that she went home that very day and composed
495-585: A screening of the film at the Old Dutch Church in Kingston, New York , on the day of One Billion Rising for Justice. Merchant, an outspoken critic of then- President-elect Donald Trump , participated in an anti-Trump protest organized by Ruffalo and Michael Moore , held outside Trump International Hotel and Tower in New York City on January 19, 2017. Merchant performed her single "Motherland". She concluded
550-444: A short 2013 documentary titled Shelter: A Concert Film to Benefit Victims of Domestic Violence , that shone light on a group of women living in the mid-Hudson region of New York State responding to the crisis of domestic violence in their community with compassion and creativity. It was inspired by an event for One Billion Rising, a global campaign calling for an end to violence against women, held on February 14, 2013. Merchant presented
605-765: A version that sold over 660,000 copies. It also samples the Depeche Mode song " Master and Servant " and was a hit in Europe, becoming gold record in France and reaching number-one in Spain. Additionally the single peaked within the top 10 in Belgium, France, Greece and Italy. On the Eurochart Hot 100 , "Because the Night" reached number 15 in February 1993. It was also successful in Brazil, and became
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#1732934293570660-611: A world like ours, where we live increasingly isolated lives behind the lonely glow of our computer screens, Record Store Day reminds us all that an independent record store is worth protecting and fighting for. They are a haven and a harbour for all curious and wandering souls." Manson also tipped her hat to Patti Smith in the run-up to RSD 2013: "She is absolutely, without a doubt, one of my greatest inspirations. When I think I can't do things, I think about her and what she's achieved and what she continues to achieve on her own terms—always. That really inspires me. I don't know if she's aware of
715-427: Is not a concept record in the traditional sense, the name of the album and the title track are a literary reference to Shakespeare 's Ophelia . The first single off the album was a happy and uncharacteristically simple song called " Kind and Generous ", which received massive airplay on VH1 and which solidified Merchant's role as a bona fide solo artist. That summer, Sarah McLachlan invited Merchant to co-headline
770-493: The Billboard Hot 100, making it the highest charting version of the song in the U.S. The song also became 10,000 Maniacs highest charting single in the U.S. and Canada. In 1987, the song was ranked No. 116 on NME magazine's list of "The Top 150 Singles of All Time". It remains the best-known song of Smith's catalog. In 2021, Rolling Stone ranked it No. 358 on "Top 500 Greatest Songs of All Time". The Independent listed
825-473: The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame , and on late-night talk shows. The media's immediate and critical effect on culture and cultural icons was of particular interest to Merchant. In "River", a song from Tigerlily , Merchant defends River Phoenix as she castigates the media for systematically dissecting the child actor after his death. Three years passed before Merchant released her second solo effort, Ophelia . While Tigerlily contained sparse instrumentation,
880-567: The Billboard charts after debuting at No. 30 on the Billboard 200 and No. 13 on the Top Internet Albums of 2001, respectively. Rolling Stone favored this album with 3 + 1 ⁄ 2 stars, and also noticed a difference in Merchant's voice, which was more deep and gritty like that of Sade than her previous albums. Singles that were released from Motherland were " Just Can't Last ", " Build
935-530: The Night" in the United Kingdom was delayed due to problems with the record's distributor. The band made a statement via social media the evening before Record Store Day: "We are so pissed off and disappointed about this. And so sad that on Record Store Day in the UK our little jewel will not be available for sale." The UK release of "Because the Night" was rescheduled to May 13, 2013. The single debuted at number 100 on
990-609: The Patti Smith Group album Easter , which was released in 1978. On March 2, 1978, the song was released as a single, and was commercially successful, reaching No. 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and No. 5 in the United Kingdom , which helped propel Easter to mainstream success. The song has been covered by several artists. In 1993, a live acoustic version was recorded by 10,000 Maniacs , featuring Natalie Merchant , for MTV Unplugged . This version reached No. 11 on
1045-619: The Physical Singles chart, before shooting up to number 4 the following week. On May 7, 2013, Garbage issued a digital single of "Because the Night" in the United States, which was followed a week later by an international digital release. "Because the Night" would later be included on the deluxe edition bonus disc of Garbage's seventh album, No Gods No Masters and Screaming Females compilation album Singles Too . While Garbage and Screaming Females recorded at EastWest Studios, Sophie Muller shot black and white footage to document
1100-480: The album Natalie Merchant: Live in Concert with a companion video of the same name. The performance was notable in that it featured numerous covers including songs by David Bowie , Neil Young , and Katell Keineg . In 1998, Merchant collaborated on the making of the album Mermaid Avenue with Billy Bragg and Wilco , which set previously unreleased Guthrie lyrics to music by Bragg. She provided lead vocals for
1155-418: The audio equipment in 2022. All songs were written by Natalie Merchant . Credits for "Ophelia" and "Ophelia (Reprise)" Technical personnel Shipments figures based on certification alone. Natalie Merchant Natalie Anne Merchant (born October 26, 1963) is an American singer-songwriter. She joined the band 10,000 Maniacs in 1981 and was lead vocalist and primary lyricist for
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#17329342935701210-509: The cover we're releasing, or if she's aware that I covered " Kimberly " with Angelfish ." "Because the Night" was pressed to a " Coke bottle -green" 10-inch vinyl and backed with "Love Like Suicide" and a fan remix of the album's opening track " Automatic Systematic Habit ". An original Garbage song, "Love Like Suicide" had been previously released as a bonus track exclusive to the Japan pressing of Not Your Kind of People . Manson explained
1265-459: The event with a group sing-along of Woody Guthrie's " This Land Is Your Land ". The event was covered by CNN and broadcast live. Merchant is a member of the Canadian charity Artists Against Racism and has worked with them in the past on awareness campaigns. Because the Night " Because the Night " is a rock song from 1977 written by Bruce Springsteen and Patti Smith that appears on
1320-473: The film Message in a Bottle . Tigerlily was a critical and commercial success, spawning her first top-ten hit in the single " Carnival ", and achieving top-40 success with subsequent singles " Wonder " and "Jealousy". The album would go on to sell over five million copies, and continues to be Merchant's most successful album to date. She did extensive touring for it and made numerous television appearances, including performances on Saturday Night Live , at
1375-492: The group. She remained with the group for their first seven albums before leaving to begin her solo career in 1993. She has since released nine studio albums as a solo artist. Natalie Merchant was born October 26, 1963, in Jamestown, New York , the third of four children of Anthony and Anne Merchant. Her paternal grandfather, who played the accordion , mandolin and guitar, emigrated to the United States from Sicily ; his surname
1430-457: The late Eighties." In 2003, Merchant married Daniel de la Calle and had a daughter named Lucia. In an interview in 2012, she indicated that she was divorced. Merchant enjoys gardening and painting. Some of her paintings can be seen on her website. She has been a vegetarian since 1980, except for the duration of her pregnancy, when she temporarily resumed eating meat. In 1997, she said: The '60s aesthetic has never really appealed to me,
1485-515: The music on Ophelia had lusher arrangements. The reprise at the close of the album featured a symphonic arrangement composed and conducted by British composer Gavin Bryars with whom she would collaborate nine years later to put Shakespeare's sonnets to music. Merchant treated the recording of Ophelia as a series of workshops, where she would invite various musicians she had met over the years into her home studio to collaborate and record. While Ophelia
1540-418: The news has affected me more than it ever has before." Merchant started working in a health food store at 16. She considered a career in special education after taking part in a summer program for disabled children, but in 1981, she started singing for a band, Still Life, which became 10,000 Maniacs . Merchant was lead singer and primary lyricist for 10,000 Maniacs, joining in its infancy in 1981 while she
1595-482: The other videos from the album, plus three from Tigerlily , were gathered on a Warner Music Vision home video, also entitled Ophelia . "I love the opportunity to flex my thespian muscle," Merchant quips on it. The album became Merchant's only top ten hit on the Billboard 200 , where it peaked at number eight. Merchant built Talking Dwarf Studio in her home and this was the sole recording made in her home studio; she sold
1650-456: The posterior longitudinal ligament in 2019, Merchant received surgery for the condition, leaving her unable to sing for several months. In 2012, Merchant, along with actor and writer Mark Ruffalo , organized a concert to protest oil and gas fracking in New York state. A documentary, written and directed by Jon Bowermaster , was made of the event and titled Dear Governor Cuomo . She directed
1705-493: The sessions. On March 4, 2013, a teaser video was released to YouTube featuring clips of the band members. The full music video was subsequently released on April 17; ahead of Record Store Day. The cover version of "Because the Night" was positively received by contemporary music critics in advance of Record Store Day. Billboard magazine's Hilary Hughes stated, "...the Garbage/Screaming Females release embodies
Ophelia (album) - Misplaced Pages Continue
1760-421: The shifts brought on by Record Store Day that impact the music industry across the board-and the shaping trends that have fueled Record Store Day's meteoric rise from a community experiment to an international movement," referencing the pairing of artists and the independent label of release. Chris Martins of Spin wrote, "...the bands gel awesomely. The highlight comes when Paternoster starts to shred. We have
1815-625: The song "Birds and Ships" and backing vocals for "Way Over Yonder in the Minor Key", and returned for the second volume of the album, 2000s Mermaid Avenue Vol. II , providing vocals on the song "I Was Born". In 2000, Merchant embarked on a folk tour in the United States with many shows being supported by alt-country band Wilco . Merchant's next studio album on the Elektra label was Motherland , released in 2001. Motherland saw Merchant at her most experimental musically. Motherland achieved Gold on
1870-503: The song "I May Know the Word", which was originally meant to appear on the soundtrack to the Tom Hanks movie Philadelphia . The song was eventually cut from the soundtrack, but it would go on to appear on Merchant's debut solo album, Tigerlily , which was released on the Elektra label in 1995. The third song on the album, "Beloved Wife", was featured as the first song in the trailer for
1925-409: The song as "actually quite endearing", adding that it combines DM samples with "a maverick bassline and a Smith soundalike. It could click." CD single – Europe (1992) An acoustic version was recorded by 10,000 Maniacs in 1993 for MTV Unplugged , with a few lyrical alterations. The recording gained considerable radio airplay and reached No. 11 on the Billboard Hot 100. The cover reached
1980-549: The song as one of the ten best new wave singles of 1978. Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band recorded "Because the Night" at Atlantic Studios in New York City on June 1, 1977, the first day of recording sessions for Darkness on the Edge of Town , though the lyrics only consisted of the song title and some mumbling. Springsteen struggled with the song for almost four months until his engineer, Jimmy Iovine , got involved. At
2035-673: The song with his own lyrics. The only two commercially released recordings of a Springsteen version of the song were in the 1986 box set Live/1975–85 , in which Smith is listed as co-writer; and the 2010 compilation album The Promise (using the original recording from the Darkness on the Edge of Town sessions with Smith's lyrics). In September 2023, the song was featured in the trailer for Season 2 of HBO Max 's Our Flag Means Death . Shipments figures based on certification alone. Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. In 1992, Italian dance act CO.RO released
2090-510: The song's inclusion to MySpace : "We're releasing it now because we wanted to give a nice gift for the fans." The remix of "Automatic..." was produced by Garbage fan Konstantin Khazev and won first prize in an amateur remix competition held through the Beatport website in 2012. The RSD package was limited to 5,000 units, with the sleeve artwork created by Marissa Paternoster. The release of "Because
2145-459: The tie-dyed Deadhead running barefoot through the forest on LSD . I don't think that's really me. But I've been a vegetarian for 17 years, and I consider myself an environmentalist inasmuch as I can be, considering the job that I have. I prefer living in the countryside rather than the city—I find it more sane and sustaining for myself. She now teaches arts and crafts to underprivileged children in New York state. After suffering ossification of
2200-510: The time, Iovine was also producing the album Easter for Patti Smith at the Record Plant in New York City, where Darkness was being recorded. Iovine says, "Now, Bruce was very understanding and very flexible, because he realized that this was my first real break as a producer. Anyway, one night whilst we were lounging around the Hotel Navarro in New York I told Bruce I desperately wanted
2255-664: The top 10 in Canada and Iceland, reaching No. 10 and No. 7, respectively. A live version with lead vocalist Mary Ramsey was also included on their 2016 album Playing Favorites . CD single – US (1993) In 2008, Cascada recorded a version which appears on their second album Perfect Day . The music video for the single premiered on YouTube on May 28, 2008. The single was released on July 18, 2008, in Germany. CD single – Germany (2008) CD single - UK (2008) In early 2013, Garbage and Screaming Females recorded
Ophelia (album) - Misplaced Pages Continue
2310-509: The track at live dates during their North American tour . Marissa Paternoster of Screaming Females originally suggested covering "Because the Night" live. "We thought it'd be the perfect opportunity to solidify a recording and do something really special for the fans and for all the independent record stores," Garbage frontwoman Shirley Manson told Billboard . Screaming Females flew from their base in New Jersey to Los Angeles to record
2365-464: The track with Garbage, who had set up two complete sets of instruments in EastWest Studios for the session. Garbage drummer Butch Vig told NME : "We did it old-school style. They came out to Hollywood and we went into a big tracking room and recorded Phil Spector style... We cut it live and did very few overdubs , did everything in a day and it came out pretty great. Marissa plays, I think,
2420-480: The tracks with strings and stripped others bare. She says, "The distance this music traveled once it left my hands is humbling, and I am moved by how many lives it has touched along the way." In 2017, Merchant released Butterfly , a collection of new songs and orchestral versions of previously recorded songs. On November 29, 2022, Merchant announced that she will release her eighth studio album, Keep Your Courage , on April 14, 2023 via Nonesuch Records. The album
2475-475: The websites of Nonesuch Records and Natalie Merchant announced that she had signed with the label. Leave Your Sleep was released on April 13, 2010 and is a compilation of five years of inspiration from a "conversation" with her daughter over the "first 6 years of her life". The album debuted on the Billboard Top 200 at No. 17, Billboard Folk Albums at No. 1, Amazon.com at No.1, and iTunes , No. 3. The album
2530-501: The year's biggest music festival with her, Lilith Fair . The exposure from the tour helped the album reach Platinum status in just under a year, with subsequent singles " Break Your Heart " and "Life Is Sweet" receiving moderate airplay on adult contemporary stations. No video was filmed for the latter, however, with a clip from Merchant's appearance on VH1 Storytellers being used instead. She would also go on to appear on PBS ' Sessions at West 54th and VH1's Hard Rock Live before
2585-502: The year's end. In 1998, Merchant also recorded George Gershwin 's " But Not for Me " for the Red Hot Organization 's compilation album Red Hot + Rhapsody , a tribute to George Gershwin , which raised money for various charities devoted to increasing AIDS awareness and fighting the disease. The Ophelia tour ended in 1999 with the final few shows being performed and recorded on Broadway . The performance would be released as
2640-488: Was "Mercante" before it was anglicized . As stated during a performance for N.P.R., Natalie is Roman Catholic. When Merchant was a child, her mother listened to music (primarily Petula Clark but also the Beatles , Al Green , Aretha Franklin ) and encouraged her children to study music, but would not allow television after Merchant was 12. "I was taken to the symphony a lot because my mother loved classical music. But I
2695-515: Was "a[nother] love song". Iovine brought Smith the last recording by Springsteen, from September 27, 1977. Smith added her own lyrics, recorded it, and scored her biggest hit single. The song was first performed live at a Patti Smith concert at CBGB in New York City on December 30, 1977 (Smith's 31st birthday), with Springsteen joining on vocals and guitar. Though it was never released on any of Springsteen's studio albums, in concert beginning with his Darkness Tour Springsteen would often perform
2750-407: Was Merchant's first of new material since her 2014 eponymous album Natalie Merchant . Merchant met Michael Stipe of the band R.E.M. in 1983. The two became close friends and eventually had a romantic relationship. They credit each other as inspirations for some of their songwriting. In an interview with The Independent , Stipe said, "Natalie was really the reason my work became politicised in
2805-525: Was a student at Jamestown Community College . The group recorded their first album Human Conflict Number Five , and recorded a corresponding music video at the Hotel Franklin and at Group W Westinghouse studios in Jamestown, New York, in 1982. Merchant sang lead vocals, and later played the piano as well on seven studio albums with 10,000 Maniacs. In 1993 she announced that she was leaving the group, citing
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#17329342935702860-471: Was co-produced by Andres Levin . Merchant contributed a cover of Buddy Holly 's "Learning the Game" to the tribute album Listen to Me: Buddy Holly , released September 6, 2011. In February 2014, Merchant announced her eponymous album. The album consists of new works. It is her first collection of original material since 2001's Motherland . Natalie Merchant was released May 6, 2014, on Nonesuch Records and
2915-458: Was dragged to see Styx when I was 12. We had to drive 100 miles to Buffalo, New York . Someone threw up next to me and people were smoking pot. It was terrifying. I remember Styx had a white piano which rose out of the stage. It was awe-inspiring and inspirational." "She [her mother] had show tunes, she had the soundtrack from West Side Story and South Pacific . And then eventually... she'd always liked classical music and then she married
2970-607: Was named Album of the Week by The Daily Telegraph. The album debuted at #20 on Billboard ' s Top 200 albums and #2 on Billboard ' s Folk Albums charts for the week of May 24, 2014. She toured from July 3, 2014, kicking off in Kingston, New York, concluding at the Pabst Theater in Milwaukee on July 25, 2014. In 2015, Merchant released an album of new recordings of the songs from her multi-platinum solo album. She enhanced many of
3025-504: Was paired with Chris Isaak and played at stadiums and arenas. After her contract with Elektra expired in August 2002, Merchant decided not to sign with them again, or any other major label. Her next studio album, The House Carpenter's Daughter , was released in September 2003 on her own label, Myth America Records. To date this has been the only release on Myth America. In October 2009,
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