Stages is the sixth studio album by English singer Melanie C, released on 7 September 2012 by Red Girl Records and Universal UK. A cover album, it features a collection of song covers from various musical theatre shows and films, which consequently makes it Chisholm's first studio album where she holds no writing credits whatsoever to any of the tracks. The album was supported by one single, a cover of "I Know Him So Well", featuring fellow English singer and Spice Girls member Emma Bunton.
| Stages | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 7 September 2012 | |||
| Recorded | 2010–2012 | |||
| Genre | Theatrical pop | |||
| Length | 45:15 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Producer | Peter-John Vettese | |||
| Melanie C chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Stages | ||||
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Background
editOn 25 June 2012 it was announced on her official website that Chisholm was in the process of putting the finishing touches on her upcoming album, to be called Stages. The record was to be produced by her longtime collaborator Peter-John Vettese,[1] and features a collection of songs from the theatre that have been important to Chisholm at various stages of her life.[2]
On 6 July 2012, after a succession of mysterious tweets between Chisholm and her former Spice Girls group mate Emma Bunton, it was revealed that the two had recorded a song together for Chisholm's upcoming album. The song "I Know Him So Well" from the musical Chess, was to be a duet featuring the two.[3]
The original artwork for the album featured Chisholm sitting in a black leather chair.[4] Alongside the album's track list, it was unveiled on 21 July 2012.[5] It was later reported that this art would serve only for digital versions of the album and a photograph of Chisholm walking down stairs would serve as the image for physical releases.[6] However, the latter image ended up being used for both physical and digital releases.[7]
Promotion
editTo increase the sales of the album, Chisholm held an album signing sessions on HMV. In September 2012 and October 2012, she visited six HMV stores to sign the copies of her album Stages.[8] Chisholm also performed the album track "I Don't Know How to Love Him" on This Morning, QVC, Superstar and The Late Late Show.[9] Chisholm also performed at "Beats at the Beach" in Abu Dhabi on 1 November 2012 as part of Yasalam 2012.[10]
Singles
edit"I Don't Know How to Love Him", a song taken from the rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar, was released on 22 July 2012 as a digital download on iTunes, serving as a special preview[11] for the album. The song peaked at number twenty[12] in the Official UK Indie Chart.
The official lead single[13] from the album, "I Know Him So Well" was released on 11 November 2012. The single features Emma Bunton, Chisholm's groupmate from the Spice Girls. Chisholm and Bunton performed the song live on various TV shows such as Loose Women, This Morning, The Alan Titchmarsh Show, and the BBC Children in Need 2012 concert.[14] The single reached #153[15] in the Official UK Top 200 singles chart. The b-side of the single is a cover of "You'll Never Walk Alone" from the musical Carousel.
Critical reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Daily Express |   [16] |
The Daily Express rated the album three out of five stars. The daily newspaper wrote: "Melanie C has become a bit of a West End Wendy [..] which makes this album of covers of mainly show tunes more than appropriate [...] It’s a great selection but perhaps the most enjoyable moment is when Emma Bunton joins her on a cover of the Elaine Paige/Barbara Dickson classic "I Know Him So Well"."[16]
Chart performance
editStages debuted and peaked at number 50 on the UK Albums Chart,[17] giving Chisholm her sixth consecutive entry in the Official Albums Chart Top 100. The album also reached the top ten on the Official UK Indie Album Chart, at number seven.[18]
Track listing
editAll tracks produced by Peter-John Vettese.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Musical | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Maybe This Time" | Kander and Ebb | Cabaret | 3:37 |
| 2. | "Another Hundred People" | Stephen Sondheim | Company | 2:47 |
| 3. | "I Know Him So Well" (featuring Emma Bunton) | Chess | 4:24 | |
| 4. | "Aren't You Kinda Glad We Did?" | The Shocking Miss Pilgrim | 3:12 | |
| 5. | "I Don't Know How to Love Him" | Jesus Christ Superstar | 5:22 | |
| 6. | "Both Sides Now" | Joni Mitchell | Priscilla, Queen of the Desert | 5:01 |
| 7. | "Ain't Got No, I Got Life" | Hair | 3:09 | |
| 8. | "I Just Don't Know What to Do With Myself" | Shout! The Mod Musical | 3:24 | |
| 9. | "I Only Have Eyes for You" | Dames | 3:20 | |
| 10. | "Tell Me It's Not True" | Willy Russell | Blood Brothers | 5:09 |
| 11. | "My Funny Valentine" | Babes in Arms | 2:57 | |
| 12. | "Something Wonderful" | The King & I | 2:52 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Musical | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13. | "Anything Goes" | Cole Porter | Anything Goes | 2:57 |
Charts
edit| Chart (2012) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Irish Albums (IRMA)[19] | 83 |
| Scottish Albums (OCC)[20] | 79 |
| UK Albums (OCC)[21] | 50 |
| UK Independent Albums (OCC)[22] | 7 |
Release history
edit| Region | Date | Format(s) | Label | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Various | 9 September 2012 | Red Girl | [23] |
References
edit- ^ "MelanieC.net - New Album 'Stages' Released This September". www.melaniec.net. Archived from the original on 29 October 2012.
- ^ "MelanieC.net - Why Melanie Chose Her 12 'Stages' Tracks". melaniec.net. Archived from the original on 15 September 2012.
- ^ "MelanieC.net - Emma & Melanie Duet On New Album 'Stages'". www.melaniec.net. Archived from the original on 6 July 2012.
- ^ "Melanie C - 'Stages' Track Listing & Artwork Revealed". www.melaniec.net. Archived from the original on 16 January 2017.
- ^ "Melanie C Unveils 'Stages' Artwork & Album Tracklisting; 'I Don't Know How to Love Him'". 21 July 2012.
- ^ "Melanie C - 'Stages' CD Artwork Revealed". www.melaniec.net. Archived from the original on 16 January 2017.
- ^ "Stages by Melanie C". iTunes. 9 September 2012.
- ^ "MelanieC.net - 'Stages' HMV Signing Sessions UK & Ireland". www.melaniec.net. Archived from the original on 15 September 2012.
- ^ "MelanieC.net - Upcoming TV Appearances". www.melaniec.net. Archived from the original on 16 September 2012.
- ^ "MelanieC.net - Melanie Live In Abu Dhabi". www.melaniec.net. Archived from the original on 3 October 2012.
- ^ Melanie C (28 July 2012). "'I DON'T KNOW HOW TO LOVE HIM' DOWNLOAD LINKS". MelanieC.net. Archived from the original on 22 October 2012. Retrieved 5 September 2016.
- ^ "Archive Chart – 29th December 2012". Official Charts Company. 17 September 2011. Retrieved 19 September 2011.
- ^ Melanie C (15 October 2012). "Melanie C featuring Emma Bunton - 'I Know Him So Well' - Out November 11". MelanieC.net. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 29 March 2014.
- ^ "BBC Radio 2 - Weekend Wogan - Weekend Wogan at the Savoy". www.bbc.co.uk. Archived from the original on 27 October 2012.
- ^ "CHART: CLUK Update 24.11.2012 (wk46)". Official Charts Company. 24 November 2012. Retrieved 5 September 2016.
- ^ a b "CD Review: Melanie C: Stages". Daily Express. Retrieved 4 November 2022.
- ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100 16 September 2012 – 22 September 2012". Official Charts Company. 22 September 2012. Retrieved 5 September 2016.
- ^ "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50 16 September 2012 – 22 September 2012". Official Charts Company. 22 September 2012. Retrieved 5 September 2016.
- ^ "Top 100 Individual Artist Albums - Week ending 18th October 2012". Irish Recorded Music Association. Archived from the original on 20 October 2012. Retrieved 19 October 2012.
- ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 4 November 2022.
- ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 4 November 2022.
- ^ "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 4 November 2022.
- ^ "Stages by Melanie C". Apple Music. Retrieved 4 November 2022.