Tracey Thorn
Country of origin:
England
Type of music generally:
Pop, electronica
Status:
Most recent release, Record (2018)
See also:
Tracey Thorn's site
Comparisons:
Everything But the Girl
Covers/own material:
Own and co-written
General comments:
Best known for being half of Everything But the Girl, Tracey Thorn has released two solo albums, one before and one after her work with Everything But the Girl. (JoAnn Whetsell)
Recommended first album:
A Distant Shore for acoustic fans; Out of the Woods for pop/electronic fans
Recordings:
- A Distant Shore (1982)
- Out of the Woods (2007)
- Love and Its Opposite (2010)
- Extended Plays 2010–2011 (compilation, 2011)
- Tinsel And Lights (seasonal, 2012)
- Solo: Songs and Collaborations 1982—2015 (compilation, 2015)
- Songs From The Falling (soundtrack, 2015)
- Record (2018)
A Distant Shore
Release info:
1982—Cherry Red—MRED 35
Availability:
Wide
Ecto priority:
Recommended
Group members:
Tracey Thorn—guitar, vocals
Comments:
This is the solo album that Tracey made just before Everything But the Girl began. A very sparse album, just one girl with acoustic guitar, but worth it alone for 'Plain sailing', one of my favourite songs of 1982. Way back when...finally got it on cd now. The other tracks on the cd don't really capture my attention very well, but I just wanted to mention it. (Marion)Tracey Thorn's solo album A Distant Shore is worth picking up. (jjhanson@att.net)
Out of the Woods
Release info:
2007—Astralwerks/EMI—ASW 83901/0946-383901-2-1
Availability:
Wide
Ecto priority:
Highly recommended
Group members:
Tracey Thorn—harmonium, acoustic guitar, piano, electric guitar, farfisa organ, omnichord, vocals
Guest artists:
Beki Doe—violin, string arrangements (1, 7)
Oliver Kraus—cello, string arrangements (1, 7)
Tom Gandey—music programming (2); programming and keyboards (11)
Ewan Pearson—programming and keyboards, solina and rain, celeste
Darshan Jesrani—programming and keyboards (4)
Sasse Lindblad—programming and keyboards (4)
Caleb Burhans—violin and viola (4)
Leo Taylor—drums, toms
Sosumu Mukai—bass
Gabe Andruzzi—sax
Martin Wheeler—keyboards and programming (6)
Al Usher—additional programming (7)
Charles Webster—arrangement (8)
Peter Wraight—flute and flugel, additional arrangement (8)
Alex Santos—keyboards and programming (9)
Andy Hammill—bass (10)
Produced by:
Ewan Pearson (1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 10), Tom Gandey (2, 11), Darshan Jesrani (3), Sasse Lindblad (3), Martin Wheeler (6), Charles Webster (8), Alex Santos (9)
Comments:
I've been listening a lot to the new Tracey Thorn solo album, Out of the Woods, and it's quite a strong recording. I thought I might have had my fill of chilled electronica women.... But good music is good music, and this one is the perfect combination of edgy and predictable. (timjy@sbcglobal.net)Full of the sounds of late-era Everything But the Girl (Walking Wounded, Temperamental) from laid-back to dance. (JoAnn Whetsell)
a few good songs, but largely forgettable. (jjhanson@att.net)
It's totally fab! (birdies@ix.netcom.com)
I'm a big Everything But the Girl Fan, so I was excited to get some more songs with Tracey Thorn's lovely voice. I was even more excited about how GOOD this album is. It's like the best of Everything But the Girl distilled down to an amazing album. (jonwesleyhuff@gmail.com)
Love and Its Opposite
Release info:
2010—Merge Records—673855037929
Availability:
Wide
Ecto priority:
Highly recommended
Group members:
Tracey Thorn—vocals, piano, acoustic and electric guitars, Vox Continental, Yamaha CS60, celesta
Guest artists:
Oliver Kraus—cello, string arrangement (1)
Beki Doe—violin, string arrangement (1)
Leo Taylor—drums, percussion
Al Doyle—bass, electric guitar
Ewan Pearson—Disklavier piano, Farfisa, Stylophone, Moog bass, Pearl Syncussion, Memoryman, H.O.G., space rumble, Vermona E-piano, Yamaha CS15, sampled piano, Yamaha CS60, Korg Minipops 7, Electro-Harmonix DRM16, Vermona Sandy, Moog Murf
Thomas Roussel—violin, string arrangement (5)
Yannick Grandjean—cello, string arrangement (5)
Jens Lekman—vocals (7)
Jono Ma—electric guitars (7)
Pamela Thorby—recorders (9)
Kate St John—recorder arrangement (9)
Cortney Tidwell—drums, vocals (10)
Todd Tidwell—bass (10)
Produced by:
Ewan Pearson
Comments:
I really, really like this album. Musically it's got a mix of styles (some songs are laidback, some upbeat pop, some electronic). Lyrically there's little pretense as she addresses middle age with humor and grace. I don't know how to describe it particularly well, but I highly encourage folks to give it a listen. (JoAnn Whetsell)
Tinsel and Lights
Release info:
2012—Merge Records—MRG459
Availability:
Wide
Ecto priority:
Highly recommended
Group members:
Tracey Thorn—vocal, piano, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, tambourine, choir
Guest artists:
Ben Watt—electric guitar (1, 3, 4, 9); acoustic guitar, choir (1, 9); Fender Rhodes (2); piano (6, 8)
Steve Pearce—bass guitar (1-5, 9)
Ewan Pearson—VP330 (1); Omnisphere (1, 7); CS60 (2, 4, 7); clapping (4, 7); programming (5, 7, 11); Doepfer modular synth, M-Tron (5); Tundra drone (6); SE1 bass (7, 11); Polychord (7); sleigh bells (8, 12); M-Tron vibes, Prophet 8 (9, 11); Solina, Vermona Sandy (11); Microtonic drums, Moog bass, Celesta, horn sample (12)
Jean, Alfie, Blake—choir (1)
Leo Taylor—drums (2, 3, 5, 9)
Jono Ma—electric guitar (2, 7)
Gabriel Winterfield—electric guitar (2, 7)
Nick Ingman—orchestral arrangement and conducting (3, 8); brass band arrangement and conducting (10)
Perry Montague-Mason,Steve Morris, Emlyn Singleton, Pete Hanson, Mark Berrow, Liz Edwards, Patrick Kiernan, Debbie Widdup, Boguslaw Kostecki, Rita Manning, Tom Pigott-Smith, Chris Tombling—violins (3, 8)
Peter Lale, Rachel Bolt, Bruce White, Nick Barr—violas (3, 8)
Dave Daniels, Tony Lewis, Jonathan Williams, Frank Scahefer—celli (3, 8)
Mary Scully—bass (3, 8)
Caroline Drucker—clapping (4, 7)
John Barclay, Paul Beniston—cornets (10)
Kate Moore—flugelhorn (10)
Richard Bissill, John Thurgood—tenor horns (10)
Richard Edwards, Andy Wood—trombones (10)
Dave Stewart—euphonium (10)
Owen Slade—tuba (10)
Green Gartside—vocal (11)
Produced by:
Ewan Pearson
Comments:
This album is a very welcome addition to my extensive holiday collection and a breath of fresh air compared to all the well-worn, over-sugared music available each year. This is a mellow affair, in which the originals mix well with (mostly) less often covered holiday songs. Not just an excellent holiday album, but an excellent album period. (JoAnn Whetsell)
Further info:
Tracey Thorn has songs and remixes on several compilations. Collaborations with other artists include:
- "Protection" with Massive Attack on their album Protection (1994)
- "Overture" with The Unbending Trees on their album Chemically Happy (Is the New Sad) (2008)
- "Without Me" with Tevo Howard (single, 2010)
Thanks to JoAnn Whetsell for work on this entry.
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