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Singles (soundtrack)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Singles: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Soundtrack album by
various artists
ReleasedJune 30, 1992
Recorded1967, 1988, 1991–1992
GenreGrunge, alternative rock, heavy metal, alternative metal
Length65:27
LabelEpic Soundtrax
Producervarious
Singles from Singles: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
  1. "Would?"
    Released: June 7, 1992
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Kerrang![2]
Pitchfork8.7/10[3]

Singles is the soundtrack album of the 1992 film Singles, released on June 30, 1992, almost three months before the film. It is primarily focused on the ascendant Seattle grunge scene of the early 1990s, but also features contributions from past Seattle artists Jimi Hendrix and The Lovemongers (Heart's Ann and Nancy Wilson, the latter of whom was the wife of the film's director Cameron Crowe at the time), Chicago's The Smashing Pumpkins, and the first solo material from Minneapolis' Paul Westerberg after the breakup of The Replacements.

The album peaked at number 6 on the Billboard 200 on the week of October 10, 1992[4] and has been certified two times platinum by the RIAA, indicating sales of at least two million copies in the United States. In April 2019, it was ranked No. 19 on Rolling Stone's "50 Greatest Grunge Albums" list.[5]

A Deluxe Edition of the album featuring a bonus disc with 18 additional tracks was released on May 19, 2017, one day after the death of Soundgarden frontman Chris Cornell, whose music is featured prominently on the soundtrack and who has a cameo in the film; this was only a coincidence, as the album's release date had been announced in January.[6] Songs used in the movie, but not included on either edition of the soundtrack, are: "Three Days" by Jane's Addiction, "Little Girl" by Muddy Waters, "Dig for Fire" by the Pixies, "Radio Song" by R.E.M., "Blue Train" by John Coltrane, "Family Affair" by Sly & The Family Stone, "She Sells Sanctuary" by The Cult, and "Jinx" by Tad.

Impact

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The soundtrack is considered to have helped open the door to the explosive popularity of Seattle grunge in the early 1990s. According to Steve Huey of AllMusic, "Singles helped crystallize the idea of the 'Seattle scene' in the mainstream public's mind, and it was also one of the first big-selling '90s movie soundtracks (it went platinum and reached the Top Ten) to feature largely new work from contemporary artists ... it's a milestone in the breakthrough of alternative rock into mainstream popular culture, neatly and effectively packaging the Seattle phenomenon for the wider national consciousness."

Deluxe Edition

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On May 19, 2017, a remastered Deluxe Edition of the album was released to commemorate the original album's 25th anniversary. In addition to the original 13-song soundtrack on either one CD or two LPs, this release included new liner notes and track-by-track descriptions by Cameron Crowe and a bonus CD consisting of 18 additional tracks. The bonus material included a track each from Truly and Blood Circus, live tracks by Alice in Chains and Soundgarden that were recorded during their performances in the film, and demos and instrumentals by Mudhoney, Paul Westerberg, Chris Cornell, and members of Pearl Jam. Of these tracks, seven were previously-unreleased, and five had never been released on CD. Also included is "Touch Me I'm Dick" by Matt Dillon’s fictional band in the film, Citizen Dick, which was recorded by Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder, Stone Gossard, and Jeff Ament.[6]

Track listing

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2017 Deluxe Edition – Disc 2
No.TitleWriter(s)ArtistLength
1."Touch Me I'm Dick" (parody of "Touch Me I'm Sick" by Mudhoney)MudhoneyCitizen Dick (Eddie Vedder, Stone Gossard, Jeff Ament)3:00
2."Nowhere But You" (from the "Poncier" tape)CornellChris Cornell5:10
3."Spoon Man" (from the "Poncier" tape)CornellChris Cornell3:35
4."Flutter Girl" (from the "Poncier" tape)CornellChris Cornell6:23
5."Missing" (from the "Poncier" tape)CornellChris Cornell5:33
6."Would? (live)"CantrellAlice in Chains3:58
7."It Ain't Like That (live)"Alice in Chains4:44
8."Birth Ritual (live)"
  • Cornell
  • Cameron
  • Thayil
Soundgarden5:27
9."Dyslexic Heart (acoustic)"WesterbergPaul Westerberg3:42
10."Waiting for Somebody (score acoustic)"WesterbergPaul Westerberg1:40
11."Overblown (demo)"MudhoneyMudhoney2:56
12."Heart and Lungs"Truly (Robert Roth, Chris Quinn, Hiro Yamamoto, Mark Pickerel)Truly4:20
13."Six Foot Under"
  • Michael Anderson
  • Doug Day
  • Geoff Robinson
  • Tracy Simmons
Blood Circus3:51
14."Singles Blues I" (instrumental)McCreadyMike McCready1:54
15."Blue Heart" (instrumental version of "Dyslexic Heart")WesterbergPaul Westerberg3:27
16."Lost in Emily's Woods" (instrumental)WesterbergPaul Westerberg1:44
17."Ferry Boat #3"CornellChris Cornell4:59
18."Score Piece #4" (instrumental)CornellChris Cornell2:05
Total length:68:28

Certifications

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[7] 2× Platinum 2,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

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  1. ^ Huey, Steve. "Singles (Original Soundtrack) review". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 2011-11-15.
  2. ^ Gitter, Mike (25 July 1992). "Various 'Singles Soundtrack'". Kerrang!. Vol. 402. London, UK: EMAP.
  3. ^ Eric Harvey (May 23, 2017). "Various Artists: Singles: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack-Deluxe Edition Album Review". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved July 6, 2021.
  4. ^ "Billboard 200". Billboard. October 10, 1992.
  5. ^ "50 Greatest Grunge Albums". Rolling Stone. April 1, 2019.
  6. ^ a b "Singles soundtrack to be reissued in May with 18 bonus tracks, new liner notes from Cameron Crowe". Consequence of Sound. January 26, 2017. Retrieved May 30, 2017.
  7. ^ "American album certifications – SOUNDTRACK – Singles". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 2016-07-06.
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