From the Choirgirl Hotel
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| From the Choirgirl Hotel | ||
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| Studio album by Tori Amos | ||
| Released | May 5, 1998 | |
| Recorded | September 8, 1997 - early 1998 | |
| Genre | Alternative/Dance/Jazz | |
| Length | 57:00 | |
| Label | Atlantic Records | |
| Producer(s) | Tori Amos | |
| Professional reviews | ||
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| Tori Amos chronology | ||
| Boys for Pele (1996) |
From the Choirgirl Hotel (1998) |
To Venus and Back (1999) |
From the Choirgirl Hotel, released in 1998, was the fifth major label album by singer and songwriter Tori Amos. A departure from her previous albums, it was a very radio-friendly project featuring a full rock band sound (instead of Amos' usual minimalist piano sound). The album was very successful, although it did not spawn any major radio hits, and "Spark", "Cruel", "Raspberry Swirl" and "Jackie's Strength" were released as singles. It was also Tori's strongest debut yet, selling 153,000 copies in the first week, although it's entry at #5 fell short of Boys For Pele's second place debut. From the Choirgirl Hotel received two 1999 Grammy nominations: Alternative Music Performance, and Female Rock Vocal Performance for "Raspberry Swirl." The album began recording on September 8, 1997, with mastering complete by early February 1998.
Following the trend set by 1996's Boys For Pele, Amos allowed several songs from the album to be remixed. Remixes of both "Raspberry Swirl" and "Jackie's Strength" were club hits. The album's theme dealt very closely with the first two in Amos' series of three miscarriages between 1996 and 1999.[citation needed]
Thematically and conceptually, the "choirgirl hotel" of the title refers to the fictional, imaginary place where the songs "live." Amos pointed out that although the songs are recorded, they are also alive themselves - they can be re-modeled and reshaped in concert etc. Amos imagined the songs as living their own lives, all checking into the "choirgirl hotel" (i.e. the album) but living separate lives. In the artwork, Amos included a hand-drawn map detailing the stomping ground of these songs.[citation needed]
"Pandora's Aquarium", the last song on From the Choirgirl Hotel, marked a significant change in Amos' lyrical focus. For her first three albums, Amos was widely known (both celebrated and reviled) for her uniquely confessional lyrics, exploring issues from her rape to failed relationships. "Pandora's Aquarium", with lyrics that question her relationship with her devoted fanbase, in retrospect marked a transition away from the confessional mode to an interest in exploring the world around her.
The album artwork was created by the UK-based photographer, Katerina Jebb The artwork features full-body color photocopies of Amos (in various couture outfits) as scanned by a human-sized photocopier [1].
The album did moderately well, reaching gold status and selling around two million copies worldwide.
Amos has stated that From the Choirgirl Hotel is her own favorite album.[citation needed]
[edit] Track listing
(all songs written by Amos)
- "Spark" – 4:13
- "Cruel" – 4:07
- "Black-Dove (January)" – 4:38
- "Raspberry Swirl" – 3:58
- "Jackie's Strength" – 4:26
- "i i e e e" – 4:07
- "Liquid Diamonds" – 6:21
- "She's Your Cocaine" – 3:42
- "Northern Lad" – 4:19
- "Hotel" – 5:19
- "Playboy Mommy" – 4:08
- "Pandora's Aquarium" – 4:45
[edit] Charts
Album
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Billboard 200 (U.S.) | 5 |
| 1998 | Official UK Album Chart (UK) | 6 |
| 1998 | IFOP Album Chart (France) | 30 |
| 1998 | Norway Album Chart (Norway) | 9 |
| 1998 | Official UK Album Chart (UK) | 6 |
| 1998 | Irish Album Chart (Ireland) | 10 |
| 1998 | Icelandic Album Chart (Iceland) | 2 |
| 1998 | Austrian Album Chart (Austria) | 11 |
| 1998 | ARIA Album Chart (Australia) | 8 |
| 1998 | Canadian Album Chart (Canada) | 10 |
| 1998 | German Album Chart (Germany) | 13 |
| 1998 | Rabo Album Top 100 (the Netherlands) | 34 |
Single
| Title | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| "Spark" (1998) | Billboard Modern Rock Tracks (U.S.) | 13 |
| "Spark" (1998) | Billboard Hot 100 (U.S.) | 49 |
| "Spark" (1998) | Billboard Adult Top 40 (U.S.) | 32 |
| "Spark" (1998) | Official UK Singles Chart (UK) | 16 |
| "Jackie's Strength" (1998) | Billboard Hot 100 (U.S.) | 54 |
| "Jackie's Strength/Raspberry Swirl" (1998) | Hot Dance Music/Club Play (U.S.) | 1 |
| "Jackie's Strength/Raspberry Swirl" (1998) | Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles (U.S.) | 5 |
[edit] B-sides
The album, as with most of Amos' albums, is also known for its collection of original b-sides. Amos recorded a host of songs that did not make the album, but were released as b-sides to various singles or performed live in concerts. The songs "Cooling," "Never Seen Blue," and "Beulah Land" were originally written and recorded for 1996's Boys for Pele album.
| B-side title | Single |
|---|---|
| "Purple People (Christmas in Space)" | "Spark" (1998) |
| "Bachelorette" | "Spark" (1998) |
| "Cooling" | "Spark" (1998) |
| "Never Seen Blue" | "Jackie's Strength" (1998) |
| "Beulah Land" | "Jackie's Strength" (1998) |
