Northern Star (Melanie C album)
Northern Star | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | ||||
Studio album by Melanie C | ||||
Released | 18 October 1999 | |||
Recorded | March–July 1999 | |||
Studio |
| |||
Genre | Pop[1] | |||
Length | 53:18 | |||
Label | Virgin | |||
Producer |
| |||
Melanie C chronology | ||||
| ||||
Singles from Northern Star | ||||
| ||||
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
NME | Negative[2] |
Rolling Stone | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Slant Magazine | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Northern Star is the debut solo album by the English singer Melanie C, released on 18 October 1999 by Virgin Records. Chisholm and her team recruited several producers, including William Orbit, Rick Nowels, Marius de Vries and Craig Armstrong and Rick Rubin. Chisholm co-wrote every song.
The album combines pop with elements of rock, dance, trance, electronic rock and R&B, which contrasted with the sound of Chisolm's group the Spice Girls.[1][3][5] It reached number one on the Swedish Albums Chart and the top ten in countries including Denmark, Finland, Germany, Ireland, the Netherland, and Norway. In the United Kingdom, Northern Star reached number four on the UK Albums Chart and sold almost 900,000 copies. With worldwide sales close to 2.5 million copies, it is the biggest-selling solo Spice Girl album.[6] The album was re-issued on 21 August 2000 to feature the single mixes of "Never Be the Same Again" and "I Turn to You", after the success of both singles.
Background and recording
Chisholm's first solo effort was a duet with Bryan Adams, released as a single on 30 November 1998. "When You’re Gone", originally featured on Adams' album On a Day Like Today, secured a top 3 place on the UK Singles Chart. The single spent 15 weeks in the UK top 40, with nine of these in the top 10. Bryan Adams first met Chisholm in September 1996 at London, while she was performing "Say You'll Be There" with the Spice Girls on Top of the Pops.[7] They both liked each other and Adams always had in mind a possible collaboration with her. They met again in a hotel in the Summer of 1998 when Chisholm was on tour with the Spice Girls; Adams was filming a video, and asked her to sing on his album.[8] She had not heard "When You're Gone" but said she would do it. The success of the single gave Chisholm aspirations for more solo projects. They went on to write three more songs for Chisholm's upcoming debut solo album: "Follow Me", "Angel on My Shoulder" and "You Taught Me", the first two serving as B-sides to the "Northern Star" and "Goin' Down" singles, while "You Taught Me" was released only as a promo to the media.
In early 1999, the Spice Girls took some time off, after extensively touring around the world. Mel B and Victoria Beckham announced they were both pregnant at the time, so every plan for the Spice Girls was put on hold. Chisholm decided to leave the UK and head to Los Angeles in order to work on her solo album, to be released in autumn of the same year.[9] Chisholm was planning to work with producer Rick Rubin, whom she had met a year earlier when the Spice Girls were supposed to record a track with Blackstreet for the South Park album, before legal wrangles intervened. Rubin was to be at the helm for that track, and when he heard of Chisholm's own songwriting ambitions, he offered a hand.[10] Rubin was also Red Hot Chili Peppers' main producer, whose lead singer, Anthony Kiedis was rumoured to be dating Chisholm at the time.[11] Chisholm wanted to do an indie rock album, naming Blur, Oasis, Suede and the Cardigans as her inspiration.[10] She was also very fond of Madonna's work–Ray of Light in particular–and wanted to cut her first album with help from Madonna.[12] According to her interview in July 1999 to the British edition of Cosmopolitan magazine, Madonna invited her to spend some time with her,[13] and she succeeded in having William Orbit, producer of Madonna's Ray of Light, on opening track "Go!" as a writer and producer, while Marius de Vries, Craig Armstrong and Rick Nowels, who also worked with Madonna on Ray of Light, also contributed tracks for Chisholm's solo project. Four months after Chisholm left for Los Angeles, Virgin Records executives, worried about the way the media would feel about her solo album, were given an early promo CD, named "Northern Star – Work in Progress CD",[14] to give them a premiere on her sound as a solo artist. The last tracks recorded for the album were "Go!" and "I Turn to You", both not included on the early promotional CD.
Release and promotion
Northern Star was released in the UK and Europe on 18 October 1999 and later in the United States and Canada on 2 November 1999.[15] To promote the album, Chisholm made a number of televised appearances and live performances of the album's songs. Her first gig as a solo artist took place at Leadmill Club in Sheffield, on 19 August 1999, in front of a crowd of 900 people.[16] Chisholm also performed at the V99 rock festival on 21 and 22 August, receiving mixed to negative reviews, with the BBC noting its confusion about which direction Chisholm wanted to take as a solo artist, and whether she wanted to be a pop star, a rock star or a punk star.[17][18] A special documentary entitled Northern Star[19] was aired on Channel 4 on 30 August, focusing on her life in Los Angeles during the recording of her first solo album. "Closer", "Something's Gonna Happen", "I Wonder What It Would Be Like", "Independence Day", "Northern Star" and "Why" made their debut during the documentary, and the music video of "Goin' Down" was also shown. She embarked on her first solo tour, From Liverpool to Leicester Square, in the autumn of 1999, and later the Northern Star World Tour, which started in Warsaw, Poland on 31 August 2000, and finished in Bonn, Germany on 26 August 2001.
On 23 April 2022, a limited vinyl pressing was released as part of Record Store Day. 2,500 copies were made available, marking the first time the album was released on vinyl. This version of the album featured the track "Follow Me" and the bonus tracks from the 2000 re-release. This release had 3 playable sides to the vinyl, and a fourth that included an etching of the back cover art.[20] The album reached number 32 on the UK Official Vinyl Albums Chart.[21]
Chart performance
Northern Star debuted at number 10 on the UK Albums Chart, in the issue dated 24 October 1999.[15] Album sales increased in the UK when "Never Be the Same Again" was released as a single, entering the top 10 again and moving to number five two weeks later. Northern Star kept selling steadily well during the following months, until "I Turn to You" was released in August 2000, when sales took off again and Northern Star achieved its peak position on 2 September 2000, hitting number four of the album chart, nearly a year after its release.[22] As of October 2016, Northern Star had spent 79 weeks on the official UK Albums Chart. Its last appearance on it was in January 2004, nearly 4 and a half years after its release. It has sold over 890,000 copies in the UK, as of October 2016.[23] In the United States, it failed to chart in its first week of release. The album sold 6,717 copies in its first week, missing the bottom of the chart by a few hundred.[24] In Canada, it charted at number 15.[24]
Singles
"Goin' Down" was released as Chisholm's debut single in September 1999 and reached the top ten in the United Kingdom, where it became her first top-five hit as a solo artist. It also reached the top thirty in Australia.
"Northern Star" was released as the second single in the winter of 1999 and received positive reception from music critics. The single charted at number four on the UK Singles Chart, becoming her third top-five single. It additionally reached the top 20 in Finland, Italy, and Sweden. In the United Kingdom, the single sold over 200,000 copies.[25][26][27][28][29]
"Never Be the Same Again" was released on 20 March 2000 as the third single from her first solo album. The single entered at the top of the UK Singles Chart, beating Moloko's "The Time Is Now" to the summit and it was Melanie C's first solo single to reach number one. It sold 144,936 copies in its first week[30] and was Britain's eighteenth best-selling song of 2000. The song was successful in other markets, topping the charts in seven countries and receiving positive acclaim.[31] By April 2021, the song had sold more than 477,000 copies in UK.
The fourth single from the album, "I Turn to You", was released on 7 August 2000 in the United Kingdom and became Melanie's second UK number-one single. It sold 120,000 copies in its first week, altogether selling 360,477 copies, making it the twenty-seventh best-seller of 2000 in the UK. "I Turn to You" also topped the Austrian Singles Chart, the Danish Singles Chart, the Dutch Top 40, the Swedish Singles Chart and the US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart.[32][33] The main single was released as the "Hex Hector Radio Mix", for which Hex Hector won the 2001 Grammy as Remixer of the Year.[34][35]
Selected as the album's fifth and final single, "If That Were Me" was released in November 2000. The song peaked in the UK Singles Chart at number eighteen, becoming the first of her solo singles to not reach the top five.[36] The proceeds from its sale went to the Kandu Arts charity.[37]
Track listing
Credits adapted from the liner notes of Northern Star.[38]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Go!" | Orbit | 3:39 | |
2. | "Northern Star" |
| Marius De Vries | 4:41 |
3. | "Goin' Down" |
| De Vries | 3:35 |
4. | "I Turn to You" |
| Nowels | 5:49 |
5. | "If That Were Me" |
| Nowels | 4:31 |
6. | "Never Be the Same Again" (featuring Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes) |
| Lawrence | 4:52 |
7. | "Why" |
| De Vries | 5:27 |
8. | "Suddenly Monday" |
| Rick Rubin | 2:36 |
9. | "Ga Ga" |
| Rubin | 3:50 |
10. | "Be the One" |
| Rubin | 3:35 |
11. | "Closer" |
| De Vries | 5:41 |
12. | "Feel the Sun" |
|
| 5:02 |
Total length: | 53:18 |
Charts
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
Certifications and sales
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Australia (ARIA)[64] | Gold | 35,000^ |
Canada (Music Canada)[65] | Gold | 50,000^ |
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[67] | Platinum | 57,401[66] |
Germany (BVMI)[68] | Platinum | 300,000^ |
Netherlands (NVPI)[69] | Gold | 50,000^ |
Sweden (GLF)[70] | Platinum | 80,000^ |
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[71] | Gold | 25,000^ |
United Kingdom (BPI)[72] | 3× Platinum | 890,850[23] |
United States | — | 95,000[73] |
Summaries | ||
Europe (IFPI)[74] | 2× Platinum | 2,000,000* |
Worldwide | — | 2,500,000[6] |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
References
- ^ a b c Northern Star at AllMusic
- ^ "Northern Star". NME.
- ^ a b "Rolling Stone review". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 1 March 2009.
- ^ Cinquemani, Sal (20 August 2001). "Review: Mel C, Northern Star". Slant Magazine. Retrieved 30 June 2023.
- ^ Alexis Petridis (7 March 2003). "Melanie C: Reason". The Guardian. Retrieved 18 August 2019.
Melanie C's debut solo album, 2000's Northern Star, seemed positively kaleidoscopic. It took in trance, Garbage-style techno-rock, R&B ballads and vaguely nu-metalish chest beating
- ^ a b "Spice Girls Lose Another Flavor". ABC News. 6 January 2006. Retrieved 11 September 2020.
- ^ "Bryan Adams And Mel C Talk About First Meeting, Shoot Video For Duet". MTV. Archived from the original on 9 August 2016. Retrieved 30 July 2016.
- ^ "100% Melanie C - What Bryan Adams thinks..." tornado.pair.com. Archived from the original on 23 March 2010. Retrieved 30 July 2016.
- ^ Paul. "Melanie C 2K: Archives". sample51.tripod.com. Retrieved 30 July 2016.
- ^ a b "Mel C Rocks". Q Magazine (September 1999).
- ^ "A Piece of Aphrodite". 17 February 2015. Retrieved 30 July 2016.
- ^ Paul. "Melanie C 2K: Archives". sample51.tripod.com. Retrieved 30 July 2016.
- ^ Paul. "Melanie C 2K: Archives". sample51.tripod.com. Retrieved 31 August 2016.
- ^ "Melanie C - Northern Star (work in progress cd) - DenDen". forums.denden.co.uk. Archived from the original on 20 August 2016. Retrieved 30 July 2016.
- ^ a b Paul. "Melanie C 2K: Archives". sample51.tripod.com. Retrieved 30 July 2016.
- ^ Paul. "Melanie C 2K: Archives". sample51.tripod.com. Retrieved 1 September 2016.
- ^ "SpiceNews".
- ^ "Mel C: Who do you think you are?". BBC. 23 August 1999. Retrieved 1 September 2016.
- ^ SpiceGirlsForever (9 August 2014), Melanie C - Northern Star 2000 Documentary FULL IN HD!, archived from the original on 8 September 2020, retrieved 31 August 2016
- ^ "Northern Star". Record Store Day. Retrieved 30 April 2022.
- ^ "Official Vinyl Albums Chart Top 40 | Official Charts Company". www.officialcharts.com. Retrieved 30 April 2022.
- ^ "Official Chart History". Official Charts.
- ^ a b Jones, Alan (27 October 2016). "Official Charts Analysis: Elvis tops the albums chart again". Music Week. Retrieved 27 October 2016.
- ^ a b Paul. "Melanie C 2K: Archives". sample51.tripod.com. Retrieved 30 July 2016.
- ^ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010. Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing.
- ^ "Billboard: Eurochart Hot 100". Billboard. Vol. 111, no. 51. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. 18 December 1999. ISSN 0006-2510.
- ^ "Íslenski Listinn Sætin 21 til 40 (17.2– 24.2 2000)". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). 18 February 2000. p. 12. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
- ^ "Hits of the World – Italy" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 112, no. 6. 5 February 2000. p. 88. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
- ^ "Årslista Singlar, 1999" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved 13 September 2020.
- ^ Copsey, Rob (31 March 2016). "Number 1 today in 2000: Mel C scores her first solo Number 1 with Never Been The Same Again". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 22 November 2020.
- ^ "Spice Girls Working on New Album". ABC News. Retrieved 27 April 2014.
- ^ "Top National Sellers" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 17, no. 36. 2 September 2000. p. 13. Retrieved 1 March 2020.
- ^ "Melanie C Chart History (Dance Singles Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved 18 May 2020.
- ^ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 17, no. 35. 26 August 2000. p. 7. Retrieved 8 February 2020.
- ^ "Yearly Best Selling Singles" (PDF). British Phonographic Industry. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 September 2010. Retrieved 27 June 2019.
- ^ Roberts, David (2005). Guinness World Records: British Hit Singles and Albums. Guinness World Records Limited. ISBN 978-1904994008.
- ^ Bychawski, Adam (28 November 2000). "Spice Up Your Wardrobe!". NME. Retrieved 21 March 2016.
- ^ Northern Star (liner notes). Melanie C. Virgin. 1999.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ "Australiancharts.com – Melanie C – Northern Star". Hung Medien. Retrieved 2016-08-19.
- ^ "Austriancharts.at – Melanie C – Northern Star" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 2016-08-19.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – Melanie C – Northern Star" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 2016-08-19.
- ^ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 7855". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 2016-08-19.
- ^ "Denmark Top 10 Albums" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 17, no. 44. 7 August 2018. p. 17.
- ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Melanie C – Northern Star" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 2016-08-19.
- ^ "Melanie C: Northern Star" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 2016-08-19.
- ^ "Longplay-Chartverfolgung at Musicline" (in German). Musicline.de. Phononet GmbH. Retrieved 2016-08-19.
- ^ "Album Top 40 slágerlista – {{{year}}}. {{{week}}}. hét" (in Hungarian). MAHASZ. Retrieved 2016-08-19.
- ^ "Irish-charts.com – Discography Melanie C". Hung Medien. Retrieved 2016-08-19.
- ^ "Charts.nz – Melanie C – Northern Star". Hung Medien. Retrieved 2016-08-19.
- ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Melanie C – Northern Star". Hung Medien. Retrieved 2016-08-19.
- ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2016-08-19.
- ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Melanie C – Northern Star". Hung Medien. Retrieved 2016-08-19.
- ^ "Swisscharts.com – Melanie C – Northern Star". Hung Medien. Retrieved 2016-08-19.
- ^ "Melanie C | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved 2016-08-19.
- ^ "End of Year Album Chart Top 100 (1999)". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 7 September 2016.
- ^ "Jahreshitparade Alben 2000". Austriancharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 22 October 2015.
- ^ "Jaaroverzichten 2000" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Hung Medien. Retrieved 27 August 2016.
- ^ "Års Hitlister 2000" (in Danish). IFPI Denmark. Archived from the original on 20 December 2002. Retrieved 5 June 2017.
- ^ "Jaaroverzichten 2000". MegaCharts (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 27 August 2016.
- ^ "Year End Sales Charts – European Top 100 Albums 2000" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 17, no. 52. 23 December 2000. p. 9 – via World Radio History.
- ^ "Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts (2000)". Offiziellecharts.de. Retrieved 22 November 2015.
- ^ "Jahrescharts 2000". Swisscharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 10 October 2015.
- ^ "End of Year Album Chart Top 100 (2000)". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 7 September 2016.
- ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2001 Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 28 September 2011.
- ^ "Canadian album certifications – Melanie C – Northern Star". Music Canada. Retrieved 28 September 2011.
- ^ "Hitlist 2000". Hitlisten. IFPI Denmark. Archived from the original on 20 December 2002. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
- ^ "Danish album certifications – Melanie C – Northern Star". IFPI Danmark. Scroll through the page-list below until year 2000 to obtain certification.
- ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Melanie C; 'Northern Star')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved 28 September 2011.
- ^ "Dutch album certifications – Melanie C – Northern Star" (in Dutch). Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld- en geluidsdragers. Retrieved 28 April 2022. Enter Northern Star in the "Artiest of titel" box. Select 2000 in the drop-down menu saying "Alle jaargangen".
- ^ "Guld- och Platinacertifikat − År 2000" (PDF) (in Swedish). IFPI Sweden. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 May 2011. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
- ^ "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards ('Northern Star')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien. Retrieved 28 September 2011.
- ^ "British album certifications – Melanie C – Northern Star". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 28 September 2011.
- ^ Caulfield, Keith (18 November 2006). "Ask Billboard, THE SPICE IS RIGHT". Billboard. Retrieved 5 January 2012.
{{cite magazine}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "IFPI Platinum Europe Awards – 2007". International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 28 September 2011.
External links
- Official site
- v
- t
- e
- Northern Star
- Reason
- Beautiful Intentions
- This Time
- The Sea
- Stages
- Version of Me
- Melanie C
- "Goin' Down"
- "Northern Star"
- "Never Be the Same Again"
- "I Turn to You"
- "If That Were Me"
- "Here It Comes Again"
- "On the Horizon"
- "Melt"
- "Yeh Yeh Yeh"
- "Next Best Superstar"
- "Better Alone"
- "First Day of My Life"
- "The Moment You Believe"
- "I Want Candy"
- "Carolyna"
- "This Time"
- "Understand"
- "Rock Me"
- "Think About It"
- "Weak"
- "Let There Be Love"
- "I Know Him So Well"
- "Anymore"
- "When You're Gone"
- "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother"
- "Loving You"
- "Let's Groove"
- "Around the World"
- "Follow Me
- "Let's Love"
- "I Don't Know How to Love Him"
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/96/Symbol_category_class.svg/16px-Symbol_category_class.svg.png)