''Harajuku Lovers Live'' is the first
live
Live may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Films
* ''Live!'' (2007 film), 2007 American film
* ''Live'' (2014 film), a 2014 Japanese film
*'' ''Live'' (Apocalyptica DVD)
Music
*Live (band), American alternative rock band
* List of albums ...
long-form video by American recording artist
Gwen Stefani
Gwen Renée Stefani (; born October 3, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter, fashion designer and actress. She is a co-founder, lead vocalist, and the primary songwriter of the band No Doubt, whose singles include "Just a Girl", "Spiderwebs ...
. It was released on DVD on December 4, 2006, by
Interscope Records
Interscope Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group through its Interscope Geffen A&M imprint. Founded in late 1990 by Jimmy Iovine and Ted Field as a $20 million joint venture with Atlantic Records of Warner Mus ...
. The DVD was directed by Sophie Muller and produced by Oil Factory Productions. It is a recording of one of Stefani's concerts during her
Harajuku Lovers Tour 2005
The Harajuku Lovers Tour was the first solo concert tour of American recording artist Gwen Stefani. The tour began through October to December 2005, to support of her debut studio album '' Love. Angel. Music. Baby.'' (2004). Although Stefani emb ...
in late 2005 to promote her first album, ''
Love. Angel. Music. Baby.'', released in November 2004. The performance was recorded in November 2005, in
Anaheim, California
Anaheim ( ) is a city in northern Orange County, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States Census, the city had a population of 346,824, making it the most populous city in Orange County, the 10th-most p ...
. The concert features performances of all twelve songs from ''Love. Angel. Music. Baby.'' and two new songs from her second studio album, ''
The Sweet Escape
''The Sweet Escape'' is the second studio album by American singer Gwen Stefani. It was released on December 1, 2006, by Interscope Records. Having originally intended to return to No Doubt after her debut solo album, '' Love. Angel. Music. Baby. ...
'', as well as interviews with the musicians and dancers and a documentary of tour preparation.
''Harajuku Lovers Live'' was released in conjunction with the promotion for ''The Sweet Escape'', which was also released on December 5, 2006. The DVD received mixed reviews, with reviewers praising Stefani's musical performances and stage presence, but criticizing the lack of material and the long costume changes. The DVD was certified gold in Australia by the
Australian Recording Industry Association
The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) is a trade association representing the Australian recording industry which was established in the 1970s by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing th ...
and platinum in Canada by the
Canadian Recording Industry Association
Music Canada (formerly Canadian Recording Industry Association (CRIA)) is a non-profit trade organization that was founded 9 April 1963 to represent the interests of companies that record, manufacture, produce, and distribute music in Canada. It a ...
.
Background
During her hiatus from the band
No Doubt
No Doubt is an American rock band from Anaheim, California, formed in 1986. For most of their career, the band has consisted of vocalist Gwen Stefani, guitarist Tom Dumont, bassist Tony Kanal, and drummer Adrian Young. Since the mid-1990s, they ...
, Gwen Stefani recorded and released her first solo
studio album
An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...
, ''
Love. Angel. Music. Baby.'' on November 23, 2004.
[ Between September 2004 and January 2006, Stefani released six of the album's twelve tracks as singles: "]What You Waiting For?
"What You Waiting For?" is a song by American singer Gwen Stefani from her debut solo studio album, '' Love. Angel. Music. Baby.'' (2004). Written by Stefani and Linda Perry, the song is the album's opening track and was released as Stefani's ...
", " Rich Girl", "Hollaback Girl
"Hollaback Girl" is a song by American singer-songwriter Gwen Stefani from her debut solo studio album, ''Love. Angel. Music. Baby.'' (2004). It is a Hip hop music, hip-hop song that draws influence from 1980s in music, 1980s hip hop, hip-hop a ...
", "Cool
Cool commonly refers to:
* Cool, a moderately low temperature
* Cool (aesthetic), an aesthetic of attitude, behavior, and style
Cool or COOL may also refer to:
Economics
* Country of origin labelling
* mCOOL - US consumer legislation to enforc ...
", "Luxurious
"Luxurious" is a song by American singer and songwriter Gwen Stefani from her debut solo studio album, '' Love. Angel. Music. Baby.'' (2004). Written by Stefani and fellow No Doubt bandmate Tony Kanal, the track contains a sample of the Isley ...
" and "Crash
Crash or CRASH may refer to:
Common meanings
* Collision, an impact between two or more objects
* Crash (computing), a condition where a program ceases to respond
* Cardiac arrest, a medical condition in which the heart stops beating
* Couch su ...
". The album was a commercial success, selling seven million copies worldwide; it was certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
,[ Note: User must use the search function to search for "Gwen Stefani" to determine that ''Love. Angel. Music. Baby.'' was certified triple platinum, that ''Harajuku Lovers Live'' was not certified and that "Hollaback Girl" was certified five times platinum and was the most commercially successful single from ''Love. Angel. Music. Baby.''.] triple platinum by the British Phonographic Industry
British Phonographic Industry (BPI) is the British recorded music industry's Trade association. It runs the BRIT Awards, the Classic BRIT Awards, National Album Day, is home to the Mercury Prize, and co-owns the Official Charts Company with th ...
,[ Note: User must use search function to search for "Gwen Stefani" to determine that ''Love. Angel. Music. Baby.'' was certified triple platinum and that ''Harajuku Lovers Live'' was not certified.] five times platinum by the Canadian Recording Industry Association
Music Canada (formerly Canadian Recording Industry Association (CRIA)) is a non-profit trade organization that was founded 9 April 1963 to represent the interests of companies that record, manufacture, produce, and distribute music in Canada. It a ...
and four times platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association
The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) is a trade association representing the Australian recording industry which was established in the 1970s by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing th ...
. The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry
The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) is the organisation that represents the interests of the recording industry worldwide. It is a non-profit members' organisation registered in Switzerland and founded in Italy in 19 ...
certified ''Love. Angel. Music. Baby.'' platinum at the May 2005 Platinum Europe Awards.
Between October and December 2005, Stefani toured North America in her Harajuku Lovers Tour 2005
The Harajuku Lovers Tour was the first solo concert tour of American recording artist Gwen Stefani. The tour began through October to December 2005, to support of her debut studio album '' Love. Angel. Music. Baby.'' (2004). Although Stefani emb ...
to promote ''Love. Angel. Music. Baby.'', performing 37 shows in the United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
and five in Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
.[ ] Her opening acts included Ciara
Ciara Princess Wilson ( ; Harris; born October 25, 1985) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, model and entrepreneur. She released her debut studio album, '' Goodies'' in 2004, which spawned four singles: " Goodies" (featuring Petey Pa ...
, M.I.A. and The Black Eyed Peas
Black Eyed Peas (also known as The Black Eyed Peas) is an American musical group consisting of rappers will.i.am, apl.de.ap, Taboo. The group's line-up during the height of their popularity in the 2000s featured Fergie, who replaced Kim Hil ...
.[ Her performances received mixed reviews from critics, with criticism about her lack of musical material, frequent costume changes and perceived inability to dance, but praise for her stage presence and elaborate costumes.][ Article is archived at JAM!] Stefani finished the recording of her second album, ''The Sweet Escape
''The Sweet Escape'' is the second studio album by American singer Gwen Stefani. It was released on December 1, 2006, by Interscope Records. Having originally intended to return to No Doubt after her debut solo album, '' Love. Angel. Music. Baby. ...
'', in late 2006, having recorded some of the material in 2005, suspended the project due to pregnancy, and resumed recording in summer 2006.[
]
Content and release
''Harajuku Lovers Live'' was released on December 5, 2006, the same day as the release of Stefani's second album, ''The Sweet Escape
''The Sweet Escape'' is the second studio album by American singer Gwen Stefani. It was released on December 1, 2006, by Interscope Records. Having originally intended to return to No Doubt after her debut solo album, '' Love. Angel. Music. Baby. ...
''. Both ''Harajuku Lovers Live'' and ''The Sweet Escape'' were released a day early in the United Kingdom, on December 4, 2006.[ The DVD carries a ]Parental Advisory
Advisory (abbreviated PAL) is a warning label introduced by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in 1985 and adopted by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) in 2011. It is placed on audio recordings in recognition of profan ...
sticker for profanity,[ although a clean version of the DVD is also available.] The cover image of Stefani sitting in a throne imitates the cover image of ''Love. Angel. Music. Baby.''; both images were photographed by Nick Knight.[ It was directed by Sophie Muller, who has also produced music videos for Stefani's singles "Cool", "Luxurious" and "Crash" from ''Love. Angel. Music. Baby.''] and would later produce music videos for "Wind It Up", "4 in the Morning
"4 in the Morning" is a song by American singer Gwen Stefani from her second studio album ''The Sweet Escape'' (2006). It was written by Stefani and co-written and produced by Tony Kanal, with additional production by Mark "Spike" Stent. Inte ...
" and "Early Winter
"Early Winter" is a song by American singer Gwen Stefani from her second solo studio album, '' The Sweet Escape'' (2006). Written by Stefani and English pianist Tim Rice-Oxley, the song was released in Europe as the album's fifth and final sing ...
" from ''The Sweet Escape''. The DVD was produced by Oil Factory Productions.
The DVD contains a recording of one of the concerts in Stefani's "Harajuku Lovers Tour 2005". The concert was performed in late November 2005 in the Honda Centre
The Honda Center (formerly known as the Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim) is an indoor arena located in Anaheim, California. The arena is home to the Anaheim Ducks of the National Hockey League.
Originally named the Anaheim Arena during construction, ...
in Anaheim, California
Anaheim ( ) is a city in northern Orange County, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States Census, the city had a population of 346,824, making it the most populous city in Orange County, the 10th-most p ...
, where Gwen Stefani was raised. The concert's set list
A set list, or setlist, is typically a handwritten or printed document created as an ordered list of songs, jokes, stories and other elements an artist intends to present during a specific performance.
A setlist can be made of nearly any materi ...
includes all twelve of the songs from ''Love. Angel. Music. Baby.'', plus two new tracks, " Wind It Up" and "Orange County Girl", from ''The Sweet Escape''. "Wind It Up" and "Orange County Girl" were two of the four songs written and recorded in summer 2005 by Stefani during her sessions with Pharrell Williams
Pharrell Lanscilo Williams (; born April 5, 1973) is an American record producer, rapper, singer, and songwriter. Alongside close colleague Chad Hugo, he formed the hip hop and R&B production duo the Neptunes in the early 1990s, with whom he ...
and had been previewed at the finale of New York's Olympus Fashion Week for the 2006 collection of Stefani's line of clothing, L.A.M.B, in September 2005. "Wind It Up" was later released as the lead single from ''The Sweet Escape''.
The DVD includes extra features: a "Countdown to Tour" documentary of behind-the-scenes preparation footage with Stefani, a series of interviews with Stefani's five band members and eight dancers (including the four Harajuku Girls
The Harajuku Girls are four Japanese and Japanese-American backup dancers featured in stage shows and music videos for Gwen Stefani during her solo pop/ dance-record career. The women also act as an entourage at Stefani's public appearances.
The ...
) called "Meet the Band and Dancers", a photo gallery of images from the concert and a video of an alternative performance of the song "The Real Thing", called "The Real Thing Camera Remix". "Countdown to Tour" was described by one reviewer as "boring",[ but by another as "fascinating for anyone interested in how massive stadium tours develop", praising how Stefani "shares how she works her strengths".][
]
Reception
Sales and accreditations
The DVD was certified gold in Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
by the Australian Recording Industry Association, indicating sales of at least 7,500 copies; and platinum in Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
by the Canadian Recording Industry Association, indicating sales of over 10,000 copies.
Critical reception
Chart Attack
''Chart Attack'' was a Canadian online music publication. Formerly a monthly print magazine called ''Chart'', it was published from 1991 to 2009. While the web version appears to be available online, the domain is now used as a popular media outle ...
reviewer Jodi Goulart gave ''Harajuku Lovers Live'' two out of five stars, criticising the DVD for being "no frills" and an "essentially word-for-word, dance-move-for-dance-move" copy of a performance fans saw a year earlier. Goulart comments that "concert experience doesn't translate well", notes the long gaps for costume changes and calls the extra features "boring". Shawn Revelle, in the Mid-Atlantic Edition of ''EXP'' magazine, gave ''Harajuku Lovers Live'' four stars, describing the DVD as "spectacular" and Stefani's performance as "energetic". He complimented the performances of "Rich Girl", "Long Way to Go" and "Hollaback Girl", calling them "steller" and the "highlights" of the DVD.[ Note: The source contains a scanned copy of the review in ''EXP Magazine'' at villagelighthouse.com.]
''Manchester Evening News
The ''Manchester Evening News'' (''MEN'') is a regional daily newspaper covering Greater Manchester in North West England, founded in 1868. It is published Monday–Saturday; a Sunday edition, the ''MEN on Sunday'', was launched in February 201 ...
'' reviewer Glenn Meads gave the DVD three out of five stars and compared Stefani to Madonna
Madonna Louise Ciccone (; ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Widely dubbed the " Queen of Pop", Madonna has been noted for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, a ...
. Meads described the show as "stunning" and "polished to perfection", praising Stefani for " nvolvingthe audience on every level" and "ringing
Ringing may mean:
Vibrations
* Ringing (signal), unwanted oscillation of a signal, leading to ringing artifacts
* Vibration of a harmonic oscillator
** Bell ringing
* Ringing (telephony), the sound of a telephone bell
* Ringing (medicine), a ri ...
an assertiveness back to pop music". He compliments the performances of the songs "What You Waiting For?
"What You Waiting For?" is a song by American singer Gwen Stefani from her debut solo studio album, '' Love. Angel. Music. Baby.'' (2004). Written by Stefani and Linda Perry, the song is the album's opening track and was released as Stefani's ...
", "Crash
Crash or CRASH may refer to:
Common meanings
* Collision, an impact between two or more objects
* Crash (computing), a condition where a program ceases to respond
* Cardiac arrest, a medical condition in which the heart stops beating
* Couch su ...
", "Hollaback Girl
"Hollaback Girl" is a song by American singer-songwriter Gwen Stefani from her debut solo studio album, ''Love. Angel. Music. Baby.'' (2004). It is a Hip hop music, hip-hop song that draws influence from 1980s in music, 1980s hip hop, hip-hop a ...
" and "The Real Thing", calling the former the "strongest" of all the songs and its performance "infectious". However, he criticised Stefani's wide variety of musical styles and the long gaps between songs needed for costume changes. DJ Pusspuss Benji of the ''San Francisco Bay Times
The San Francisco Bay Times, the first LGBTQ newspaper founded jointly and equally by gay men and women, launched in 1978 and remains one of the largest and oldest LGBTQ newspapers in Northern California. The business includes the 24/7 live-stream ...
'' reviewed the DVD, calling it a "wet-dream to any Gwen fan" and describing Stefani as "a fashion icon, a blond threat and visionary artist" and her music as "delicious dance" and full of "pop insta-classics".
Track listing
Bonus content
#"Meet the Band and Dancers"
#Photo gallery
#"Countdown to Tour" documentary
#"The Real Thing" camera remix
Personnel
* Gwen Stefani – vocals
* Gail Ann Dorsey, Warren Fitzgerald, Gabrial McNair, Kristopher Pooley – backing vocals
* Zachary Alford
Zachary "Zack" Alford is a professional drummer, known for his work with the B-52's, Bruce Springsteen, David Bowie and Tomoyasu Hotei. Alford was brought in by Danny Kortchmar to drum on Billy Joel's ''River of Dreams'' album.
Alford contrib ...
Discogs - ''Zachary Alford'' - (profile & discography)
/ref> – drums
* Gail Ann Dorsey, Warren Fitzgerald – guitar
* Gabrial McNair, Kristopher Pooley – keyboard
* Director – Sophie Muller
* Producer – Oil Factory Productions
* Programming – Kristopher Pooley
* Cover image – Nick Knight
* Back cover – Pete Black
[
]
Certifications
References
{{Good article
Gwen Stefani video albums
2006 live albums
2006 video albums
Live video albums