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* {{cite book|last=Cavanagh|first=David|author-link=David Cavanagh|title=The Creation Records Story: My Magpie Eyes are Hungry for the Prize|date=2000|publisher=[[Virgin Books|Virgin Publishing]]|location=London|isbn=1-85227-775-0}}
* {{cite book|last=Cavanagh|first=David|author-link=David Cavanagh|title=The Creation Records Story: My Magpie Eyes are Hungry for the Prize|date=2000|publisher=[[Virgin Books|Virgin Publishing]]|location=London|isbn=1-85227-775-0}}
* {{cite book|last=McGee|first=Alan|author-link=Alan McGee|title=Creation Stories: Riots, Raves and Running a Label|date=2014|publisher=[[Pan Books]]|location=London|isbn=978-1-4472-2591-1}}
* {{cite book|last=McGee|first=Alan|author-link=Alan McGee|title=Creation Stories: Riots, Raves and Running a Label|date=2014|publisher=[[Pan Books]]|location=London|isbn=978-1-4472-2591-1}}
* {{cite journal|editor-last=Ross|editor-first=Sean|title=Modern Rock|journal=Rock Airplay Monitor|date=1 September 1995|volume=2|issue=36|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/Billboard-Rock-Airplay/1995/Airplay-Monitor-Rock-1995-09-01.pdf}}
{{refend}}
{{refend}}


Revision as of 09:33, 4 October 2023

Wake Up!
Studio album by
the Boo Radleys
Released27 March 1995
RecordedSeptember–October 1994
StudioRockfield, Rockfield, Monmouthshire, Wales
GenreAlternative rock, Britpop, baroque pop
Length51:29
LabelCreation
ProducerThe Boo Radleys
The Boo Radleys chronology
Giant Steps
(1993) 		Wake Up!
(1995) 		C'mon Kids
(1996)
Singles from Wake Up!
  1. "Wake Up Boo!"
    Released: 27 February 1995
  2. "Find the Answer Within"
    Released: 1 May 1995
  3. "It's Lulu"
    Released: 17 July 1995

Wake Up! is the fourth album by British alternative rock band the Boo Radleys, released by Creation Records in 1995.

Background

In August and September 1994, the band toured the US as part of Lollapalooza.[1] Wake Up! was recorded at Rockfield Studios in Rockfield, Monmouthshire, Wales in September and October 1994 with the band served as producers. Andy Wilkinson acted as engineer with assistance from Paul Read. The recordings were then mixed at The Church Studios in London in November 1994 by Al Clay with assistance from Matt Sime.[2]

Composition

In addition to their regular roles in the band, some of the members played additional instruments: Bassist Tim Brown played piano and keyboard; guitarist Martin Carr played glockenspiel, keyboard, harmonica and percussion; and drummer Rob Cieka played keyboard and a bell.[2] The album opens with the sunshine pop track "Wake Up Boo!", and is followed by the acoustic song "Fairfax Scene", which evokes the sound of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. "It's Lulu" starts with an a cappella intro, before leading into upbeat, horn-centric indie pop. "Joel", another acoustic song, is done in the style of traditional English folk, with Beatlesque backwards guitarwork and ambient sections. "Find the Answer Within" touches on psychedelia; "Charles Bukowsi Is Dead" alludes to Camden Town and includes a homage to "Parklife" (1994) by Blur. "4am Conversation" displays the band's use of vocal harmonies and is followed by the guitar pop of "Twinside". The album ends with "Wilder", which consists of piano, percussion and Sice's vocals.[3]

Release and promotion

Following the success of Definitely Maybe (1994) by Oasis, Creation Records' owner Sony Music Entertainment wanted more chart success from the label.[4] After the departure of marketing consultant Tim Abbot, John Andrews became his successor in November 1994.[5] While Abbot had previously tried to market the label in his own image, Andrews was more concerned with simply selling records. Andrews was tasked with achieving commercial success for Teenage Fanclub and the Boo Radleys. Guitarist Martin Carr said upon meeting Andrews for the first time, he was "scaring me with all this talk about marketing. It was the first time we'd ever been asked to participate alongside marketing and take an interest in it".[4] Upon hearing the album's final mixes in November 1994, staff from the label argued over the first choice of a single. Assistant press officer Andy Saunders, along with Carr, proposed "Wake Up Boo!", while co-founder Dick Green wanted the less commercial-sounding "It's Lulu".[6]

Saunders chalked this up to the old-school way of thinking at the label, not wanting to seem like the band sold-out. Three other staff members agreed with Green, which resulted in Saunders exclaiming, "You are insane. This ['Wake Up Boo!'] is a smash".[7] Creation Records used the emerging Britpop movement to help push promotion for Wake Up!.[8] To tie in with scene, Andrews organized a retail campaign with Our Price and Virgin Megastores, which included releases from the Boo Radleys, Blur and Elastica.[9] Despite the album's success, founder Alan McGee said the band were approaching them for money to help fund touring.[10] Alongside this, McGee mentioned that said they had "indie bands doing stuff that wasn't indie at all – the Boo Radleys being interviewed by Richard and Judy, doing children's programmes".[8] As Carr was a driven-kind of person, he agreed to any opportunity in this vein, while Sice became unenthusiastic with this type of promotion. Following an interview with SKY Magazine, Sice and Saunders got into an argument that saw the latter being fired as the band's publicist.[11]

"Wake Up Boo!" was released as the album's lead single on 27 February 1995.[12] Two versions were released on CD: the first with an edit of "Wake Up Boo!", "Janus", "Blues for George Michael" and "Friendship Song", while the second included an alternative version of "Wake Up Boo!", "...And Tomorrow the World" and "The History of Creation Parts 17 & 36".[13][14] As an important element of Andrews' marketing campaign for the single, he wanted it to be priced at £1.99, and increase by two pounds the week after its release, which was in line with what major labels did for their single release. Green and business manager James Kyllo were hesitant about this, while Andrews was adamant about it being key to the song's potential success.[7]

"Find the Answer Within" was released as the album's second single on 1 May 1995.[15] Two versions were released on CD: the first with "Don't Take Your Gun to Town" and "Wallpaper", while the other featured a remix of "Find the Answer Within", "The Only Word I Can Find" and "Very Together".[16][17] When "Find the Answer Within" was added to BBC Radio 1's playlist, "Wake Up Boo!" was not removed.[11] This resulted in a situation where the radio presenter would plug "Find the Answers Within", but play "Wake Up Boo!" instead.[18] "It's Lulu" was released as a single on 17 July 1995.[19] Two versions were released on CD: the first with the single version of "It's Lulu", "This Is Not About Me" and remixes of "Reaching Out from Here" and "Martin, Doom! It's Seven O'Clock", while the second included the single version of "It's Lulu", a remix of "Joel", "Tambo" and "Donkey".[20][21]

Cherry Red Records released a three-CD edition of the album that featured all of the related B-sides in 2010.[3] Wake Up! was re-pressed on vinyl in 2019 by the label Music on Vinyl.[22] "Joel", "Find the Answer Within" and "Reaching Out from Here" were included on the band's second compilation album Find the Way Out (2005).[23] "Wake Up Boo!", "It's Lulu", "Find the Answer Within", "Reaching Out from Here", "Stuck on Amber" and "4am Conversation" were featured on the band's third compilation album The Best of the Boo Radleys (2007).[24]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[25]
The Guardian[26]
Select5/5[27]
Uncut[28]

Although the band had received critical acclaim with their previous album, Giant Steps, Wake Up! was their first true commercial success, reaching number one in the UK album charts.[29] This was due in large part to two factors: the emergence of Britpop as a driving force in mid-1990s British music, and a Top 10 single, "Wake Up Boo!". Journalist David Cavanagh said the song would become one of defining songs of the genres, and in the ensuing years, it "floated off into the world of classic pop radio programming," alongside "Walking on Sunshine" (1985) by Katrina and the Waves and "Lovely Day" (1977) by Bill Withers.[7]

Two further singles were released from the album: "Find The Answer Within" (with two versions available, one an early fade of the album version, the other a remix by The High Llamas) and "It's Lulu". Both reached the UK Top 40 but were unable to repeat the popularity of "Wake Up Boo!".

"Wake Up Boo!" was ranked at number 67 on Spin's "The 95 Best Alternative Rock Songs of 1995" list.[30]

Track listing

All songs written by Martin Carr.[2]

  1. "Wake Up Boo!" – 3:37
  2. "Fairfax Scene" – 2:14
  3. "It's Lulu" – 3:04
  4. "Joel" – 6:10
  5. "Find the Answer Within" – 4:34
  6. "Reaching Out from Here" – 3:02
  7. "Martin, Doom! It's Seven O'Clock" – 6:21
  8. "Stuck on Amber" – 5:24
  9. "Charles Bukowski Is Dead" – 2:39
  10. "4am Conversation" – 2:43
  11. "Twinside" – 4:45
  12. "Wilder" – 6:56

Personnel

Personnel per booklet.[2]

References

Citations

  1. ^ "Tour Dates". Consumable Online. 24 July 1994. Archived from the original on 6 June 2001. Retrieved 27 October 2022.
  2. ^ a b c d Wake Up! (booklet). The Boo Radleys. Creation Records. 1995. CRECD179/SCR 478509 2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  3. ^ a b Claudius, Barrington (2010). Wake Up! (booklet). The Boo Radleys. Cherry Red Records. CDTRED448.
  4. ^ a b Cavanagh 2000, p. 456
  5. ^ Cavanagh 2000, p. 455
  6. ^ Cavanagh 2000, pp. 460–1
  7. ^ a b c Cavanagh 2000, p. 461
  8. ^ a b McGee 2014, p. 208
  9. ^ Cavanagh 2000, p. 466
  10. ^ McGee 2014, p. 209
  11. ^ a b Cavanagh 2000, p. 464
  12. ^ "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 25 February 1995. p. 43.
  13. ^ "Wake Up Boo!" (sleeve). The Boo Radleys. Creation Records. 1995. CRESCD191.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  14. ^ "Wake Up Boo!" (sleeve). The Boo Radleys. Creation Records. 1995. CRESCD191X.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  15. ^ "Advertisement". Select. June 1995. p. 83.
  16. ^ "Find the Answer Within" (sleeve). The Boo Radleys. Creation Records. 1995. CRESCD202.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  17. ^ "Find the Answer Within" (sleeve). The Boo Radleys. Creation Records. 1995. CRESCD202X.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  18. ^ Cavanagh 2000, p. 465
  19. ^ "It's Lulu" (sleeve). The Boo Radleys. Creation Records. 1995. CRESCD211P.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  20. ^ "It's Lulu" (sleeve). The Boo Radleys. Creation Records. 1995. CRESCD211.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  21. ^ "It's Lulu" (sleeve). The Boo Radleys. Creation Records. 1995. CRESCD211X.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  22. ^ Wake Up! (sleeve). The Boo Radleys. Music on Vinyl. 2019. MOVLP2306.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  23. ^ Find the Way Out (booklet). The Boo Radleys. Castle Music/Creation Records. 2005. CMEDD1112.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  24. ^ The Best of the Boo Radleys (booklet). The Boo Radleys. Sony BMG Music Entertainment. 2007. 88697092852.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  25. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Wake Up! – The Boo Radleys". AllMusic. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
  26. ^ Sullivan, Caroline (31 March 1995). "CD of the week: The Boo Radleys". The Guardian.
  27. ^ Morris, Gina (April 1995). "The Boo Radleys: Wake Up!". Select. No. 58. p. 98.
  28. ^ "The Boo Radleys: Wake Up!". Uncut. p. 77. 'It's Lulu' boasts the adolescent heart-skipping rush of vintage Buzzcocks, with added horns.
  29. ^ "Wake Up". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 8 September 2011.
  30. ^ A.Z. (6 August 2015). "The 95 Best Alternative Rock Songs of 1995". Spin. p. 2. Retrieved 7 August 2015.

Sources

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