Heidi Berry

Country of origin:

Born in U.S., and moved to England as a teenager

Type of music generally:

Smooth, moody, autumnal pop. Borderline ethereal. (neal)

Status:

No longer recording under her own name, but has a new project called Lost Girls

See also:

4AD's Heidi Berry's page

Wikipedia's entry for Heidi Berry

Comparisons:

June Tabor and All About Eve. (vickie@enteract.com)

Kindness of Strangers, Enya. (neal)

Covers/own material:

Mostly own

General comments:

Heidi Berry is one of the, who in my ears, is EXTREMELY generic ecto bland, yet for the longest time, whenever she released something, I snatched it up. I finally stopped (or maybe she stopped releasing stuff I dunno) but I know I have three or four albums, and maybe even a promo ep of hers. (iflin@speakeasy.net)

warm and cosy and wise. (bossert@suddensound.com)

Recommended first album:

Heidi Berry. (neal)

Recordings:

• below the waves (1989)
• Love (1991)
• Distant Thunder (EP, 1992)
• Heidi Berry (1993)
• The Moon and the Sun (EP, 1993)
• Miracle (1996)
• Pomegranate: An Anthology (compilation, 2001)

below the waves

rather ethereal, her voices floats beautifully over soft instrumental music. (iflin@speakeasy.net)

Love

Release info:

1991—4AD

Produced by:

Peter Walsh

Comments:

excellent. (woj@smoe.org)

it has one of my favorite heidi berry songs on it called "silver buttons". also includes a song written by bob mould, "up in the air". (iflin@speakeasy.net)

good rainy-day music. (meth@smoe.org)

Distant Thunder EP

Release info:

1992—4AD—PRO-CD-6544

Availability

Promotional ep

Produced by:

Hugh Jones, Peter Walsh ("Gloria")

Comments:

Contains 2 non-album tracks (also on The Moon and The Sun): "Zither Song" and "You Upset the Grace of Living When You Lie", and one track from Love: "Gloria". same beautiful floating music/voice. (iflin@speakeasy.net)

Heidi Berry

Release info:

1993—4AD (distributed in the USA by Warner Brothers)—9 45301-2

Guest artists:

Caroline Lavelle—cello
Christopher Berry—acoustic & electric guitar, 12 string, piano, keyboards, arranger
Jon Brookes—drums, synthesiser
Laurence O'Keeke—bass
Peter Astor—rhythm & electric guitar
Robert Lord—hammond organ, Mellotron, electric piano, celeste, synthesiser
Nick Ingham—conductor
Preston Heyman—percussion
Sonia Astor—violin
Danny Thompson—double bass
S Slany—violin
Julian Swales—guitar shimmers
Terry Bickers—electric & reverse guitar

Produced by:

Hugh Jones

Comments:

The quintessential autumnal album. Rich vocals over a layer of guitars and strings and wonderful lyrics form songs that just make you want to wrap your arms around yourself and make little contented noises. I'm giving this one to my parents for Christmas—they'll love it. (meth@smoe.org)

A wonderful warm fuzzy blue album. :) (awphili@hacktic.nl)

I got this based on ecto raves, and it's beautiful. (neal)

Ooooh, this album is a wonder to behold! It's beautiful, moody and atmospheric, in a traditional English garden at night sort-of-way. a perfect album, relax and enjoy. (vickie@enteract.com)

I liked this very much when I first listened to it...I really love it now...beautiful.... (ectophil@netlink.co.nz)

I can't believe I didn't really care for this album when I heard it last year. I *love* this! Soft, dreamy, nice harmonies in parts. (fleur)

Miracle doesn't do the same thing for me that Heidi Berry does. The McGarrigles should have had *her* on The McGarrigle Hour, after the way she pulled off "Heart Like a Wheel." Linda Ronstadt, eat your heart out. ;-) The whole album is stunning, and her rendition of the song is just lovely. (burka@jeffrey.net)

The Moon and the Sun EP

Release info:

1993—4AD—BAD 3010 CD

Group members:

Heidi Berry—zither, vocal

Guest artists:

Laurence O'Keefe—bass
Jon Brookes—drums
Christopher Berry, Peter Astor, & Terry Bickers—guitars
Robert Lord—keyboard, piano
Preston Heyman—percussion
Sonia Slany—violin

Produced by:

Hugh Jones

Comments:

Contains 3 non-album tracks: "Unholy Light", "Zither Song", and "You Upset the Grace of Living When You Lie".

This EP has three tracks that are not on either album, but they're in the same familiar style. (Marion)

Miracle

1996—4AD—9 46020-2

Availability:

Wide in U.S. and U.K.

Ecto priority:

Recommended if you like Berry's soft pop.

Group members:

Heidi Berry—voice, rhythm guitar, appalachian dulcimer, vocal harmonies

Guest artists:

Christopher Berry—acoustic and electric guitar, mandolin, bowed dulcimer, electric and acoustic piano, Hammond organ
Jon Brookes—drums, percussion
Laurence O'Keefe—bass, rhythm guitar, percussion, hand drums
Anne Wood—violin, vocal harmonies
Jay Posner—hand drums and percussion
Rocky Holman—piano
Hugh Jones—Hammond organ
Michelle Douglass, Janet Ramus—vocal harmonies

Produced by:

Hugh Jones

Comments:

minus the electronic bit, of course. it is pretty in a fades into the background sort of way. but then again, i don't think anything she's done compares to love. (clsriram@phoenix.Princeton.EDU)

She sings "Til I Gain Control Again" on the This Mortal Coil's Blood disc.

Thanks to Neal Copperman for work on this entry.

Artists commented on by clsriram @ phoenix.Princeton .EDU

	Area
	Bel Canto
	Belly
	Heidi Berry
	Bettie Serveert
	Big Hat
	Black Tape for a Blue Girl
	Chimera
	Cocteau Twins
	Dead Can Dance
	Lisa Gerrard
	The Innocence Mission
	Katell Keineg
	Lamb
	Love Spirals Downwards
	Lush
	Jane Siberry
	Siddal

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