''MTV Unplugged'' is a 1993

live album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th century as individual 78 rpm records c ...

and video by American

alternative rock Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from mainstream or commercial ...

band

10,000 Maniacs 10,000 Maniacs is an American alternative rock band that was founded in 1981. They have released nine studio albums, six EPs, and five live albums. They achieved their most significant success between 1987 and 1993, when they released four album ...

, recorded for the ''

MTV Unplugged ''MTV Unplugged'' is an American television series on MTV showcasing musical artists usually playing acoustic instruments. The show aired regularly from 1989 to 1999 and less frequently from 2000 to 2009, when it was usually billed as ''MTV Un ...

'' series. The album 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/ ...

and spawned the hit single "

Because the Night "Because the Night" is a rock song written by Bruce Springsteen and Patti Smith that was first released in 1978 as a single from the Patti Smith Group album, ''Easter''. This version rose to No. 13 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart, as we ...

", a cover of the song written by

Patti Smith Patricia Lee Smith (born December 30, 1946) is an American singer, songwriter, poet, painter and author who became an influential component of the New York City punk rock movement with her 1975 debut album ''Horses''. Called the "punk poet ...

and

Bruce Springsteen Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American singer and songwriter. He has released 21 studio albums, most of which feature his backing band, the E Street Band. Originally from the Jersey Shore, he is an originato ...

. Between the recording and release of the album, vocalist

Natalie Merchant Natalie Anne Merchant (born October 26, 1963) is an American alternative rock singer-songwriter. She joined the band 10,000 Maniacs in 1981 and was lead vocalist and primary lyricist for the group. She remained with the group for their first se ...

left the band to pursue a solo career.

Outtakes

Many songs were recorded during the performance that were not included on the album. These included four takes of "How You've Grown" and a brief take of " Puff the Magic Dragon". In addition, three songs were performed with

David Byrne David Byrne (; born 14 May 1952) is a Scottish-American singer, songwriter, record producer, actor, writer, music theorist, visual artist and filmmaker. He was a founding member and the principal songwriter, lead singer, and guitarist of ...

as a guest singer: two takes of "Let the Mystery Be" (one of which was released as a

B-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph records and cassettes; these terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record compan ...

to "Few and Far Between" and reissued on '' Campfire Songs: The Popular, Obscure and Unknown Recordings of 10,000 Maniacs''),

Dolly Parton Dolly Rebecca Parton (born January 19, 1946) is an American singer-songwriter, actress, philanthropist, and businesswoman, known primarily for her work in country music. After achieving success as a songwriter for others, Parton made her album ...

's " Jolene" and "Dallas".

Reception

The album debuted at its No. 13 peak and spent 45 weeks on the ''Billboard'' charts. In December 1997, it was certified 3× Platinum by the

RIAA 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/ ...

. The single release "

" reached No. 11 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart, two positions higher than

's original version in 1978. It remains the band's biggest hit.

Track listing

Cassette/CD #" These Are Days" ( Rob Buck,

) – 4:22 #"Eat for Two" (Merchant) – 4:12 #"

Candy Everybody Wants "Candy Everybody Wants" is the second single by alternative rock group 10,000 Maniacs from their 1992 album, ''Our Time in Eden''. The song was written by Dennis Drew and Natalie Merchant, the band's keyboardist and lead singer respectively. ''Rol ...

" ( Dennis Drew, Merchant) – 3:19 #"I'm Not the Man" (Merchant) – 3:46 #" Don't Talk" (Drew, Merchant) – 5:22 #"Hey Jack Kerouac" (Buck, Merchant) – 3:29 #" What's the Matter Here?" (Buck, Merchant) – 4:50 #"Gold Rush Brides" (Buck, Merchant) – 4:12 #" Like the Weather" (Merchant) – 4:15 #" Trouble Me" (Drew, Merchant) – 3:40 #"Jezebel" (Merchant) – 4:20 #"

" (

) – 3:44 #"Stockton Gala Days" (

Jerome Augustyniak Jerome Stanley Augustyniak (born September 2, 1958) is the drummer for the American alternative rock band 10,000 Maniacs. Augustyniak joined the band in March 1983, two years after the group formed. Augustyniak continues to perform with the band ...

, Buck, Drew,

Steve Gustafson Steven E. "Steve" Gustafson (born April 10, 1957) is the bass guitarist for the American alternative rock band 10,000 Maniacs. He, Dennis Drew and John Lombardo are the only remaining founding members of the group. Drummer Jerome Augustyniak has ...

, Merchant) – 5:25 #"Noah's Dove" (Merchant) – 5:07 LaserDisc/VHS #"Noah's Dove" (Merchant) #"These Are Days" (Buck, Merchant) #"Eat for Two" (Merchant) #"Candy Everybody Wants" (Drew, Merchant) #"I'm Not the Man" (Merchant) #"Don't Talk" (Drew, Merchant) #"Hey Jack Kerouac" (Buck, Merchant) #"What's the Matter Here?" (Buck, Merchant) #"Gold Rush Brides" (Buck, Merchant) #"Like the Weather" (Merchant) #"Trouble Me" (Drew, Merchant) #"Jezebel" (Merchant) #"Stockton Gala Days" (Augustyniak, Buck, Drew, Gustafson, Merchant) #"Because the Night" (Springsteen, Smith) #"Let the Mystery Be" ( Iris DeMent) (with

) #" Jolene" (

) (with David Byrne) #"Dallas" (

Jimmie Dale Gilmore Jimmie Dale Gilmore (born May 6, 1945) is an American country singer, songwriter, actor, recording artist and producer, currently living in Austin, Texas. Life and career Gilmore is a native of the Texas Panhandle, having been born in Amari ...

) (with David Byrne) / End Credits *During the introduction to "Hey Jack Kerouac", Merchant reads a passage from ''

On the Road ''On the Road'' is a 1957 novel by American writer Jack Kerouac, based on the travels of Kerouac and his friends across the United States. It is considered a defining work of the postwar Beat and Counterculture generations, with its protagonis ...

'' by

Jack Kerouac Jean-Louis Lebris de Kérouac (; March 12, 1922 – October 21, 1969), known as Jack Kerouac, was an American novelist and poet who, alongside William S. Burroughs and Allen Ginsberg, was a pioneer of the Beat Generation. Of French-Canadian an ...

. During the introduction to "Gold Rush Brides", she reads a passage from ''Women's Diaries of the Westward Journey'' by Lillian Schlissel.Review & Lyrics
/ref>

Personnel

10,000 Maniacs *

– lead vocals, piano *

– drums, percussion * Rob Buck – acoustic guitar * Dennis Drew – piano,

Hammond organ The Hammond organ is an electric organ invented by Laurens Hammond and John M. Hanert and first manufactured in 1935. Multiple models have been produced, most of which use sliding drawbars to vary sounds. Until 1975, Hammond organs generated ...

pump organ The pump organ is a type of free-reed organ that generates sound as air flows past a vibrating piece of thin metal in a frame. The piece of metal is called a reed. Specific types of pump organ include the reed organ, harmonium, and melodeon. Th ...

* Steven Gustafson – acoustic bass guitar Additional musicians *Bill Dillon – acoustic guitar,

mandolin A mandolin ( it, mandolino ; literally "small mandola") is a stringed musical instrument in the lute family and is generally plucked with a pick. It most commonly has four courses of doubled strings tuned in unison, thus giving a total of ...

slide guitar Slide guitar is a technique for playing the guitar that is often used in blues music. It involves playing a guitar while holding a hard object (a slide) against the strings, creating the opportunity for glissando effects and deep vibratos t ...

* Amanda Kramer – piano, pump organ *

Jerry Marotta Jerome David Marotta (born February 6, 1956, in Cleveland, Ohio) is an American drummer who resides in Woodstock, New York. He is the younger brother of Rick Marotta, who is also a drummer and composer. Career Marotta was a member of the bands ...

– percussion *Morgan Fichter –

violin The violin, sometimes known as a '' fiddle'', is a wooden chordophone ( string instrument) in the violin family. Most violins have a hollow wooden body. It is the smallest and thus highest-pitched instrument ( soprano) in the family in regu ...

, background vocals *

Mary Ramsey Mary Ramsey (born December 24, 1963) is a member of folk rock duo John & Mary and lead singer and violinist for the American alternative rock band 10,000 Maniacs. Ramsey has also worked with other well-known artists such as Jackson Browne, Goo Go ...

–

viola ; german: Bratsche , alt=Viola shown from the front and the side , image=Bratsche.jpg , caption= , background=string , hornbostel_sachs=321.322-71 , hornbostel_sachs_desc=Composite chordophone sounded by a bow , range= , related= *Violin family ...

, background vocals * Jane Scarpantoni –

cello The cello ( ; plural ''celli'' or ''cellos'') or violoncello ( ; ) is a bowed (sometimes plucked and occasionally hit) string instrument of the violin family. Its four strings are usually tuned in perfect fifths: from low to high, C2, G2, ...

* Richie Stearns –

banjo The banjo is a stringed instrument with a thin membrane stretched over a frame or cavity to form a resonator. The membrane is typically circular, and usually made of plastic, or occasionally animal skin. Early forms of the instrument were fashi ...

*Atsuko Sato –

bassoon The bassoon is a woodwind instrument in the double reed family, which plays in the tenor and bass ranges. It is composed of six pieces, and is usually made of wood. It is known for its distinctive tone color, wide range, versatility, and virtuos ...

*Kim Laskowski – bassoon *

– guest vocals, guitar (video) Technical * Paul Fox – producer *Ed Thacker – engineer, mixing *Jay Vicari – engineer *Mike Scott – engineer *Chris Laidlaw – mixing assistant *

Stephen Marcussen Stephen Marcussen is the founder and chief mastering engineer at Marcussen Mastering in Hollywood, California, United States. He has been mastering music since 1979. Biography Marcussen's introduction to music recording happened in 1976 when, at ...

– mastering (audio) *Ebet Roberts – photography *Frank Olinsky – package design (audio) *Natalie Merchant – package design *Barbara Lambert – package design (video) *George Reisz – digital remastering (video) *Francis Milano – digital remastering (video) For MTV * Alex Coletti – producer *Milton Lage – director *John Vesey – editor

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

References

External links

Lyrics
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mtv Unplugged 10,000 Maniacs video albums 1993 live albums 1993 video albums Albums produced by Paul Fox (record producer) Elektra Records live albums Elektra Records video albums Live video albums MTV Unplugged albums 10,000 Maniacs live albums