Warpaint is a 2008 album by blues-rock band The Black Crowes. Released on March 3, 2008, it was the band's first studio album in almost seven years, and its first with new members Luther Dickinson and Adam MacDougall, as well as the first to be released on the band's own Silver Arrow Records label. Despite its predecessor selling more copies, Warpaint debuted 15 spots higher in the United States.
Writing and production
Following the departures of Marc Ford and Eddie Harsch in September 2006, The Black Crowes enlisted Paul Stacey and Rob Clores to handle lead guitar and keyboard duties, respectively. Adam MacDougall replaced Clores just before the Warpaint sessions began, and Paul Stacey returned to the producer’s chair with the hiring of Luther Dickinson of North Mississippi Allstars to play guitar. (Aside from a couple of appearances in September, Dickinson didn’t join the band on the road until the release of Warpaint, leaving Stacey to play the remainder of their concerts in 2007.)
Though the band had debuted new songs sporadically in concert since reforming in 2005, none of them were included on Warpaint, with only the intro of "Movin’ On Down the Line" having been performed for a live audience (as part of a jam in the middle of "Soul Singing"). It was a conscious decision to leave the road-tested songs behind; as Chris Robinson told Rolling Stone, "I wanted to show people where we are now." Rich Robinson wrote the music and would send CDs to Chris, who would add the lyrics and their melodies.
In July 2007, the band gathered at Allaire Studios in the Catskill Mountains of Upstate New York to record, finding that the remote setting contributed to the relative ease of recording.
According to Chris, so as not to lose "the dynamic of the group, the dynamic of music and the balance within that", the tracks were recorded live, with few overdubs. Only one take was necessary to capture "Evergreen", while "Whoa Mule" was recorded outdoors. The atmosphere and the band’s approach allowed the sessions to be completed in just three weeks.
Various band members have also spoken about the contributions of Dickinson and MacDougall. "Sometimes when new people come in it brings so many positive changes", said Rich. "Adam came in and tried out and everyone was impressed, but when we got into the studio everyone's jaws dropped."
Sven Pipien remarked, "The beauty of Luther is more than any note he's playing is the feeling behind that note. He was saying exactly what we want to say, and the same thing goes for Adam. Eddie is not the easiest guy to replace but Adam is his own man AND he fills those shoes really well."
Maxim review controversy
A review of Warpaint published by Maxim in its March 2008 issue prompted The Black Crowes' management to issue a press release denouncing the publication, as no promotional copies of the album were distributed, meaning only the single edit of "Goodbye Daughters of the Revolution" could have been heard before the review was written. The story was picked up by the Associated Press, and preceded an exchange in which Maxim apologized to its readers and The Black Crowes' management slammed the magazine's editors for not apologizing to the band. Black Crowes' manager Pete Angelus then followed up with an open letter to Maxim and its editorial director, James Kaminsky.
The writer of the review, David Peisner, claimed in an interview with the Los Angeles Times that he'd been assigned to write a preview of the album, and that his writing had been presented by Maxim as if it were a full review. With the magazine facing increased criticism over rating unheard albums, including one by rapper Nas, Kaminsky promised that future previews will be labeled as such.
Personnel
* Chris Robinson – vocals, harmonica, percussion
* Rich Robinson – guitars
* Luther Dickinson – guitar, mandolin on "Locust Street"
* Steve Gorman – drums
* Adam MacDougall – keyboards
* Sven Pipien – bass guitar
Additional personnel
* Paul Stacey – twelve string guitar on "Whoa Mule"
Production
* Paul Stacey – producer, engineer, mixing
* Justin Kessler – Pro Tools operator, second engineer (studio)
* Matt Howe, Justin Lawson – Pro Tools operator, second engineer (mix)
* Pete Angelus – manager (Angelus Entertainment)
* Amy Finkle – manager (Angelus Entertainment, East Coast)
* Joshua Marc Levy – illustrations
* Matthew Mendenhall – photography
* Chris Robinson – collage
Charts
Album
Singles
Notes
References
*
This text has been derived from Warpaint (The Black Crowes album) on Wikipedia and is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License 3.0Artist/Band Information
The Black Crowes are an American rock and roll band that has sold over 20 million albums. They were labeled by Melody Maker as "The Most Rock 'n' Roll Rock 'n' Roll Band in the World". in the In 1990, the readers of Rolling Stone voted them 'Best New American Band'. The band has opened for rock and roll bands such as Heart, Robert Plant, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, the Dave Matthews Band and The Grateful Dead. The band is listed at number 92 on VH1's "100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock".
History
Formation: 1984–89
The first incarnation of the band began in 1984 as "Mr. Crowes Garden" in Atlanta, Georgia, a revivalist band dedicated to celebrating and playing 1970s-era blues-rock."." Rolling Stone. Taken from The Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll (Simon & Schuster, 2001) Although the band has had a high turnover rate throughout their history, the driving force behind the band has always been brothers Chris and Rich Robinson. In 1989, the band, who have been heavily influenced by The Rolling Stones, Faces, Buddy Guy, Otis Redding, and Humble Pie, made a demo cassette tape that got them signed with American Recordings (then named Def American).
Height of fame: 1990–95
The band released its first studio album, Shake Your Money Maker, in 1990. On the strength of singles "Hard to Handle", "She Talks to Angels", "Jealous Again", "Twice As Hard", "Sister Luck", and "Seeing Things", their debut album received multi-platinum certification and eventually sold over three million copies. by VH1 Their cover of Otis Redding's "Hard to Handle" and their acoustic ballad "She Talks to Angels" both broke the Top 30 on the pop charts in 1991 while "Twice As Hard" and "Jealous Again" were moderate hits. The band opened for ZZ Top on a tour sponsored by Miller Beer, from which they were fired in March 1991 after Chris Robinson's verbal tirade aimed at Miller. The band launched its own tour that May and later took part in a Monsters of Rock tour in the Soviet Union, where they opened for Motley Crue and Queensrÿche, among others.RollingStone Biography
After replacing guitarist Jeff Cease with Marc Ford from retro-rock power trio Burning Tree, the band released its second album The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion in 1992. The album debuted at number 1 on Billboard's top 200 albums. The effort spawned the singles "Remedy", "Sting Me", "Sometimes Salvation" and "Hotel Illness". "Remedy" and "Thorn in My Pride" both broke the Top 100 in 1992.VH1 Biography
Because of the prevalence of studio musician, and former Allman Brother, Chuck Leavell's piano and organ parts on the first release, the band hired a keyboardist of its own, Eddie Harsch. He became a permanent member of the group beginning on the "High As the Moon" tour.
In 1994 the now six-piece offered up Amorica after scrapping the unreleased album Tall the previous year. Though Amorica failed to produce a hit single, the album still eventually reached "Gold" status, selling over 500,000 copies. The album cover featured a photo showing a woman's pubic hair. As some stores would not carry the album due to the cover, an alternate version was released simultaneously with a solid black background. While on tour to support Amorica, the band opened for the Grateful Dead in Tampa on April 7, 1995, the only time the bands performed together.
Middle era: 1996–2001
Three Snakes and One Charm was released in July 1996, with lead single "Blackberry" receiving radio airplay and video rotation on MTV. The band's support tour included a summer stint with the 1997 Furthur Festival, along with Ratdog, Bruce Hornsby and others. During this period, the band recorded a nearly complete album called Band, which was scrapped. Guitarist Marc Ford was fired and bassist Johnny Colt subsequently left the group, dissolving the Crowes lineup of the previous three albums. The unreleased tracks from Tall and Band surfaced among tape trading circles and were later officially released on The Lost Crowes (2006).
The band regrouped, adding Sven Pipien on bass prior to its next recording sessions. By Your Side was released in January 1999; the album stripped away the more adventurous sounds of Amorica and Three Snakes and One Charm in favor of leaner, soul-influenced songs ready for radio. The album's more mainstream approach spawned singles in "Kickin' My Heart Around", "Only a Fool", and "Go Faster". Guitarist Audley Freed, formerly of Cry of Love, joined prior to the recording of By Your Side but was not included in the recording sessions. Initial reception seemed promising for the album, as "Kickin' My Heart Around" reached number 3 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. The Crowes spent much of 1999 touring in support of the album, but ultimately By Your Side sold fewer than 300,000 copies.
In October 1999, the band was joined by Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page for two pairs of shows in New York and Los Angeles, yielding a live release, Live at the Greek on TVT Records. Due to contractual issues with Columbia, Live at the Greek does not feature any of the band's songs performed with Page. The collaboration led to a more extensive tour with Page and The Who in summer 2000, during which Pipien was replaced by Greg Rzab. Following the tour, singer Chris Robinson married actress Kate Hudson on December 31, 2000, before heading back to the studio for the band's sixth studio album.
In May 2001, the band released Lions on Virgin mogul Richard Branson's V2 record label. Singles "Lickin'" and "Soul Singing" had a solid presence on rock radio and Lions peaked at number 20 on the charts. The band launched its support of the album with the month-long Tour of Brotherly Love with Oasis and Spacehog in May and June 2001. Prior to the tour's two Los Angeles gigs, The Black Crowes were inducted into the Guitar Center Rockwalk, a walk of fame honoring notable musical acts and artists. Oasis guitarist Noel Gallagher and Slash were on hand for the ceremony.
Throughout the rest of 2001, the band embarked on the "Listen Massive" headlining tour in support of Lions, which spanned Europe and Japan before concluding with 36 US shows. The band effectively dissolved in January 2002 with the departure of drummer Steve Gorman and an announcement that the band was "taking a hiatus."
Hiatus and reunion: 2002–05
The Black Crowes Live at the Hammerstein Ballroom.jpgthumb275pxrightThe Black Crowes performing live at the Hammerstein Ballroom, 2005
Following the band's announcement, singer Chris Robinson revealed his plans for a solo project, a deal with Redline Entertainment that resulted in two albums, New Earth Mud in 2002 and This Magnificent Distance in 2004. Both albums were supported by tours with two different bands, the last of which included former Crowes guitarist Audley Freed. A live album (featuring touring bassist Andy Hess) pieced together from two 2001 shows performed at Boston's Orpheum Theatre was released in August 2002. In 2004, some members of the band did reunite to play "Sometimes Salvation" with Gov't Mule at the 2004 Jammy Awards. Meanwhile, Rich Robinson formed a short-lived band called Hookah Brown before releasing his own solo album, Paper, in 2004. Rich toured in support of Paper with his own three-piece band including Big Sugar guitarist Gordie Johnson on bass and Bill Dobrow on drums.
In early 2005, the Robinson brothers with Eddie Harsch reassembled the band, bringing Marc Ford and Sven Pipien back into the fold and – in the absence of founding member Steve Gorman – recruited Bill Dobrow, from Rich's solo band, on drums. Dobrow's seat at the drums was short-lived, however, as he, too, was fired when Gorman rejoined the band during a four-night stand at The Tabernacle in Atlanta.
The reinvigorated band continued to tour throughout 2005, including a summer tour opening for Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and five sold-out nights at The Fillmore in San Francisco. The second show at The Fillmore was filmed in high definition and recorded for an HDNet special called Freak 'n' Roll into the Fog, released later in 2006 on DVD, Blu-Ray and on audio CD.
Changing lineup and renewed success: 2006–present
Black crowes-Newport.jpgthumb400pxLuther Dickinson, Sven Pipien, Steve Gorman, Chris Robinson, and Rich Robinson at the 2008 Newport Folk Festival.
In fall 2006, the band fired Eddie Harsch and saw the departure of guitarist Marc Ford, who quit via fax on the verge of a fall tour. Replacing Harsch and Ford were Rob Clores and Paul Stacey, respectively. In August 2007, the band introduced keyboard player Adam MacDougall, who replaced Clores after less than a year on tour. In addition, the band invited guitar player Luther Dickinson from North Mississippi Allstars to perform on their upcoming record, entitled Warpaint. Dickinson officially replaced Stacey as guitarist in November 2007.
A live album entitled Live at the Roxy, culled from the 2006 Brothers of a Feather performances (featuring Chris and Rich Robinson performing mostly acoustic sets) was released on July 10, 2007. The album featured performances of old and new Black Crowes material mixed with covers, taken from a three-night run at The Roxy in Los Angeles in early 2006.
The band released "Goodbye Daughters of the Revolution" as a lead single for the upcoming album release. Warpaint hit retail and online stores on March 4, 2008, released independently on the band's own Silver Arrow label via Megaforce Records. Warpaint was critically-acclaimed and the album landed at number 5 on its Billboard chart, the band's best debut since The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion topped the charts. The band launched an international tour March 24 when they played the East Coast Blues & Roots Music Festival in Australia. The band continued its Australia and New Zealand tour — the first since 1992 — through April 5, before departing for a European trek in spring. A major-market, multiple-night U.S. tour began in May and concluded in December with another five-night stand at The Fillmore in San Francisco.
On March 31, 2008, the band launched a live show download website, liveblackcrowes.com. Featuring current and archived performances from the band's vast archive, the site offers mp3, FLAC and CD versions of performances. As an incentive to join, the band offered a free two-disc mp3 download, culled from the band's 2008 club tour, to the first 10,000 visitors to register on the site.
On April 28, 2009, the band released a two-disc live album entitled Warpaint Live. The first disc consists of the Warpaint album played in its entirety, while the second disc is made up of catalog classics and cover selections. The entire performance contained on the set was recorded on March 20, 2008, at the Wiltern Theater in Los Angeles. A DVD of the same performance was released on June 30, 2009.
On August 31, 2009, the band released its eighth studio album, Before the Frost...Until the Freeze A CD purchase of the album is accompanied with a download code to receive the album's companion release, ...Until the Freeze. The download portion is available in mp3 and FLAC formats. The vinyl version is a double album that includes all of the songs but in a different running order. These albums resulted from five days of recording at Levon Helm Studios, and present new material recorded live.
On April 21, 2010, the band announced an August 3 release date for the double, all acoustic album "Croweology," as well as tour dates for the "Say Good Night to the Bad Guys Tour," which will feature two 90-minute sets at the majority of shows: 1 acoustic and 1 electric. Another hiatus will follow the tour.>
Lawsuit
On July 30, 2008, The Black Crowes filed a lawsuit against country singer Gretchen Wilson, claiming that she infringed upon their copyright for the song "Jealous Again." The suit also includes claims against Sony BMG, her label, J Money Music, her publisher, and TNT, who is using the song in promotional commercials. They claim that Wilson copied the Crowes hit when she recorded "Work Hard, Play Harder." Neither artist nor a spokesperson for Wilson commented on the suit, but Black Crowes' manager Pete Angelus said, "We find the musical verses of Wilson's song to be such an obvious example of copyright infringement that I expect all parties to reach a relatively quick resolution to avoid litigation."
Discography
Tours
* Shake Your Money Maker Tour (1990–91)
* High As the Moon Tour (1992)
* Amorica or Bust Tour (1994–95)
* Three Snakes and One Charm Tour (1996–97)
* Furthur Festival (Headlining Band) (Summer 1997)
* By Your Side Tour (1998–99)
* Excess All Areas Tour (with Jimmy Page) (1999–2000)
* Tour of Brotherly Love(mid 2001)
* Listen Massive Tour (late 2001)
* All Join Hands Tour (2005–06)
* Brothers of a Feather Tour (2006)
* Summer Tour (2006)
* Fall Tour (2006)
* Untitled Tour (2007)
* Warpaint "One Night Only" Mini-Tour (early 2008)
* Euphoria or Bust Tour (2008)
* Stuck inside Utopia Tour (2009)
* Say Goodnight to the Bad Guys Tour (2010)
Members (since 1989)
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References
This text has been derived from The Black Crowes on Wikipedia and is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License 3.0
