''PCD'' is the debut
studio album by American
girl group
A girl group is a music act featuring several female singers who generally harmonize together. The term "girl group" is also used in a narrower sense in the United States to denote the wave of American female pop music singing groups, many of who ...
The Pussycat Dolls
The Pussycat Dolls were an American girl group and dance ensemble, founded in Los Angeles, California, by choreographer Robin Antin in 1995 as a burlesque troupe. At the suggestion of Jimmy Iovine, Antin decided to take the burlesque troupe ...
, released on September 12, 2005, by
A&M Records
A&M Records was an American record label founded as an independent company by Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss in 1962. Due to the success of the discography A&M released, the label garnered interest and was acquired by PolyGram in 1989 and began distr ...
. In 1995, the Pussycat Dolls were created as a
burlesque
A burlesque is a literary, dramatic or musical work intended to cause laughter by caricaturing the manner or spirit of serious works, or by ludicrous treatment of their subjects. troupe by choreographer
Robin Antin. After attracting media attention, Antin struck a joint venture with Interscope Records to develop the Pussycat Dolls into a brand, with
Jimmy Iovine
James Iovine ( ; ; born March 11, 1953) is an American entrepreneur, record executive, and media proprietor best known as the co-founder of Interscope Records. In 2006, Iovine and rapper-producer Dr. Dre founded Beats Electronics, which prod ...
assigning the project to
Ron Fair
Ronald Fair is an American A&R executive, record producer, record executive, musical arranger, recording engineer and conductor. In a career that has spanned over 30 years at major record labels he has produced and arranged hits for several art ...
. As one of the
executive producer
Executive producer (EP) is one of the top positions in the making of a commercial entertainment product. Depending on the medium, the executive producer may be concerned with management accounting or associated with legal issues (like copyrights ...
s Fair produced the majority of the album and collaborated with producers like
Kwamé,
Polow da Don
Jamal Fincher Jones (born October 15, 1977, or 1978), professionally known as Polow da Don, is an American record producer and rapper.
Jones has produced a variety of singles for a multitude of artists including " Anaconda" by Nicki Minaj (2014 ...
and
Rich Harrison
Richard Christopher Harrison (born 1979) is an American record producer and songwriter from Washington, D.C., specializing in R&B and hip hop music.
The winner of a Grammy Award, Harrison is well known for producing songs such as "Get Right" ...
. The music style of ''PCD'' was described as
pop
Pop or POP may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Music
* Pop music, a musical genre Artists
* POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade
* Pop!, a UK pop group
* Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band
Albums
* ''Pop'' (G ...
/
R&B and
urban dance-pop
Dance-pop is a popular music subgenre that originated in the late 1970s to early 1980s. It is generally uptempo music intended for nightclubs with the intention of being danceable but also suitable for contemporary hit radio. Developing from a ...
.
Lyrically the album incorporates sexual innuendo and explores the themes of feminism and romance. It features guest vocals from rappers
Busta Rhymes
Trevor George Smith Jr. (born May 20, 1972), known professionally as Busta Rhymes, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer and actor. Chuck D of Public Enemy gave him the moniker Busta Rhymes, after NFL and CFL wide receiver ...
,
Timbaland
Timothy Zachery Mosley (born March 10, 1972), known professionally as Timbaland, is an American record producer, rapper, singer, songwriter, and record executive. He has received widespread acclaim for his innovative production work and distinc ...
and
will.i.am.
''PCD'' received mixed reviews from
contemporary music critics who were favorable towards the selection of dance-pop songs but criticized the album's ballads and
covers, feeling it contradicted the group's sexual image. ''PCD'' exceeded
industry expectations and became a commercial success, reaching the summit in New Zealand and peaking in the top-ten in Australia, Germany, the Netherlands and Switzerland. In the United States, it peaked at number five on the
''Billboard'' 200 selling nearly three million copies and currently stands as fourth best-selling album by a girl group in the United Kingdom (with sales of 1.3 million copies) where it reached number eight on the
UK Albums Chart
The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts ...
.
The first four singles from ''PCD''—"
Don't Cha", "
Stickwitu", "
Beep" and "
Buttons"—were commercially successful topping the charts in various countries including New Zealand where all four of them reached atop the
singles chart
A record chart, in the music industry, also called a music chart, is a ranking of recorded music according to certain criteria during a given period. Many different criteria are used in worldwide charts, often in combination. These include rec ...
. Subsequent singles, "
I Don't Need a Man" and "
Wait a Minute", were less successful. Promotion includes radio appearances, print interviews, and live performances of its songs in various television shows such as the
2005 MTV Europe Music Awards
The 12th annual MTV Europe Music Awards were held at Pavilhão Atlântico,
Lisbon, Portugal.
The show was opened by Madonna, performing "Hung Up". Other performers included Pussycat Dolls, The Black Eyed Peas, Robbie Williams and Foo Fighters.
P ...
and the
American Music Awards of 2006
The 34th Annual American Music Awards were held on November 21, 2006. They were hosted by Jimmy Kimmel. The awards recognized the most popular albums and artists from the year of 2005–2006. As usual, the ceremony was broadcast by ABC.
Musical p ...
. In conjunction with these appearances, the Pussycat Dolls extensively toured the album in a combination of headlining and supporting shows until 2007.
Background and recording
The Pussycat Dolls were created by choreographer
Robin Antin and her roommate
Christina Applegate
Christina Applegate (born November 25, 1971) is an American actress. As a child actress, she gained recognition for starring as Kelly Bundy in the Fox sitcom '' Married... with Children'' (1987–1997). Applegate established a successful film a ...
in 1993 after inviting several dancers to explore Antin's idea of classic
Las Vegas
Las Vegas (; Spanish language, Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the List of United States cities by population, 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the U.S. state, state of Neva ...
-style
burlesque
A burlesque is a literary, dramatic or musical work intended to cause laughter by caricaturing the manner or spirit of serious works, or by ludicrous treatment of their subjects. and give it a more contemporary spin.
In 1995, the group began performing every Thursday at Johnny Depp's Los Angeles club, the Viper Room. In 2002,
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 ...
was invited to sing and perform with the Dolls and brought along
Interscope Geffen A&M
Interscope Geffen A&M Records (IGA), is an American umbrella label owned by Universal Music Group, consisting of record labels Interscope Records, Geffen Records, and A&M Records.
History
Interscope Geffen A&M Records was established in 199 ...
chairman
Jimmy Iovine
James Iovine ( ; ; born March 11, 1953) is an American entrepreneur, record executive, and media proprietor best known as the co-founder of Interscope Records. In 2006, Iovine and rapper-producer Dr. Dre founded Beats Electronics, which prod ...
and then-president of
A&M Records
A&M Records was an American record label founded as an independent company by Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss in 1962. Due to the success of the discography A&M released, the label garnered interest and was acquired by PolyGram in 1989 and began distr ...
; both took interest into turning it into a singing group. In 2003, Antin struck a joint venture with
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 Mu ...
to develop the Pussycat Dolls into a brand, with Iovine assigning the project to Fair.
Fair stated that he wanted to create an album which would "involve music and visuals".
[ He explained that "there's going to be some technological changes as well as creative changes in the way we go about it."] The auditions drew about 500 aspiring performers, of which two singers—Nicole Scherzinger
Nicole Scherzinger (; born Nicole Prascovia Elikolani Valiente, June 29, 1978) is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, actress, and television personality. She is best known as the lead singer of the Pussycat Dolls, one of the list of best-se ...
and Melody Thornton
Melody Thornton (born September 28, 1984) is an American singer and television personality. After graduating high school, Thornton became one the main vocalists of the pop girl group the Pussycat Dolls and released the albums '' PCD'' (2005) an ...
—were recruited, joining Carmit Bachar
Carmit Maile Bachar ( he, כרמית בכר; born September 4, 1974), known professionally as Carmit, is an American singer, dancer, model, actress and showgirl. She is a member of the Pussycat Dolls. She is married to longtime partner Kevin Wh ...
, Ashley Roberts, Jessica Sutta
Jessica Lynn Sutta (born May 15, 1982), previously known as J Sutta, is an American singer, dancer, and actress. She is best known as a former member of the American girl group the Pussycat Dolls.
Born and raised in Miami, Florida, Sutta deve ...
and Kimberly Wyatt to form a new recording group. Fair stated that even though "there were some adequate voices in the original group," Scherzinger and Thornton where needed "to bring the ability." In 2004, they recorded "We Went as Far as We Felt Like Going" for the '' Shark Tale'' soundtrack and recorded their own version of "Sway
Sway may refer to:
Places
* Sway, Hampshire, a village and civil parish in the New Forest in England
** Sway railway station, serving the village
People
* Sway (British musician) (born 1983), British hip hop/grime singer
* Sway Calloway (born 1 ...
", which was released as single to promote the movie '' Shall We Dance?''.[
At the suggestion of ]Doug Morris
Doug Morris (born November 23, 1938) is an American record executive. He is the current chairman of 12Tone Music Group. He previously served as chairman and CEO of the Universal Music Group from 1995 to 2011 and Sony Music Entertainment from 20 ...
—then chairman of Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as just Universal Music) is a Dutch– American multinational music corporation under Dutch law. UMG's corporate headquarters are located in Hilversum, Netherlands and its ...
, " Don't Cha", which was originally recorded by Tori Alamaze and became a minor success on ''Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by '' Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 ...
chart, was given to the Pussycat Dolls as the label was trying to reinvent the girl group. While "Don't Cha" became an international success worldwide, an album had not been recorded yet. Fair stated, "we scrambled, got into formation" and worked on the album within 30 days at The Record Plant
The Record Plant is a recording studio established in New York City in 1968 and currently operating in Los Angeles, California. Known for innovations in the recording artists' workspace, it has produced highly influential albums, including Blond ...
in Hollywood
Hollywood usually refers to:
* Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California
* Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States
Hollywood may also refer to:
Places United States
* Hollywood District (disambiguation)
* Hollywoo ...
, California
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the ...
. According to Scherzinger, they took the time to put out the best record possible. She further explained that they were very selective with their songs and producers. As one of the executive producer
Executive producer (EP) is one of the top positions in the making of a commercial entertainment product. Depending on the medium, the executive producer may be concerned with management accounting or associated with legal issues (like copyrights ...
s, Fair enlisted a wide range of songwriter
A songwriter is a musician who professionally composes musical compositions or writes lyrics for songs, or both. The writer of the music for a song can be called a composer, although this term tends to be used mainly in the classical music ...
s and producers for ''PCD'', including CeeLo Green
Thomas DeCarlo Callaway - Burton (born May 30, 1975), known professionally as CeeLo Green (or Cee Lo Green), is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, record producer and actor. He is known for his work in hip hop and R&B, including the Gnarl ...
, Rich Harrison
Richard Christopher Harrison (born 1979) is an American record producer and songwriter from Washington, D.C., specializing in R&B and hip hop music.
The winner of a Grammy Award, Harrison is well known for producing songs such as "Get Right" ...
, Timbaland
Timothy Zachery Mosley (born March 10, 1972), known professionally as Timbaland, is an American record producer, rapper, singer, songwriter, and record executive. He has received widespread acclaim for his innovative production work and distinc ...
, and will.i.am. While searching for songs for the album, an A&R at Interscope Records and friend of Siobhan Fahey
Siobhan Maire Fahey (; born 10 September 1958) is an Irish singer whose vocal range is a light contralto. She was a founding member of the group Bananarama, who have had ten top-10 hits including the US number one hit single "Venus". She later ...
, a founding member of the girl group Bananarama
Bananarama are an English pop duo from London, formed as a trio in 1980 by friends Sara Dallin, Siobhan Fahey and Keren Woodward. Fahey left the group in 1988 and was replaced by Jacquie O'Sullivan until 1991, when the trio became a duo. The ...
, played to Iovine the song " Bitter Pill", which was included on Shakespears Sister
Shakespears Sister is an alternative pop and rock musical duo based in the United Kingdom that was formed in 1988 by singer-songwriter Siobhan Fahey, a former member of Bananarama. Shakespears Sister was initially a solo act, but became a ...
's '' Songs from the Red Room'' (2009). After Fahey emailed the backing track to the label, it was radically altered and became "Hot Stuff (I Want You Back)", as they sampled Donna Summer
LaDonna Adrian Gaines (December 31, 1948May 17, 2012), known professionally as Donna Summer, was an American singer and songwriter. She gained prominence during the disco era of the 1970s and became known as the "Honorific nicknames in popular m ...
's " Hot Stuff" in the chorus. Although Fahey did not like the group's version, financially she was delighted as it helped her fund her recordings.
Composition
Inspired by the chorus of "Swass" by Sir Mix-a-Lot
Anthony L. Ray (born August 12, 1963), better known by his stage name Sir Mix-a-Lot, is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. He is best known for his 1992 hit song " Baby Got Back", which peaked at number one on the ''Billboard'' ...
, CeeLo Green
Thomas DeCarlo Callaway - Burton (born May 30, 1975), known professionally as CeeLo Green (or Cee Lo Green), is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, record producer and actor. He is known for his work in hip hop and R&B, including the Gnarl ...
wrote and produced the opening track, "Don't Cha"; using "controlled and competent" vocals, the Pussycat Dolls taunt a "hapless man" in the chorus because his girlfriend can't be compared to the group. "Don't Cha" also features "garrulous" rap vocals by Busta Rhymes
Trevor George Smith Jr. (born May 20, 1972), known professionally as Busta Rhymes, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer and actor. Chuck D of Public Enemy gave him the moniker Busta Rhymes, after NFL and CFL wide receiver ...
. " Beep", featuring will.i.am, veers from orchestral pop to a "loping and downplayed funk groove" with elements of 1980s pop music
Pop music is a genre of popular music that originated in its modern form during the mid-1950s in the United States and the United Kingdom. The terms ''popular music'' and ''pop music'' are often used interchangeably, although the former describ ...
. The staccato
Staccato (; Italian for "detached") is a form of musical articulation. In modern notation, it signifies a note of shortened duration, separated from the note that may follow by silence. It has been described by theorists and has appeared in music ...
-like chorus incorporates bleep censor
A bleep censor is the replacement of a profanity or classified information with a beep sound (usually a ) in television and radio. It is mainly used in the United Kingdom, Canada, the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong and Japan.
U ...
s that hides risqué lyrical parts and rejects objectification
In social philosophy, objectification is the act of treating a person, as an object or a thing. It is part of dehumanization, the act of disavowing the humanity of others. Sexual objectification, the act of treating a person as a mere object of s ...
. It interpolates the song " Evil Woman" by the British rock band Electric Light Orchestra
The Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) are an English rock band formed in Birmingham in 1970 by songwriters and multi-instrumentalists Jeff Lynne and Roy Wood with drummer Bev Bevan. Their music is characterised by a fusion of pop, classical ...
. " Wait a Minute" features the final guest of the album, Timbaland whom with the Pussycat Dolls have a "boy-girl give-and-take". It also includes "sassy handclaps". In the pop ballad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads derive from the medieval French ''chanson balladée'' or '' ballade'', which were originally "dance songs". Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and ...
"Stickwitu", the group celebrates monogamous relationships
Monogamy ( ) is a form of dyadic relationship in which an individual has only one partner during their lifetime. Alternately, only one partner at any one time (serial monogamy) — as compared to the various forms of non-monogamy (e.g., polyga ...
. "Buttons" is a hip hop-influenced pop and R&B track featuring "snaky synths" over a Middle Eastern rhythm. Its lyrics "fits right into the burlesque strip tease performances" that the Pussycat Dolls originated from. The post-disco
Post-disco (also called boogie, synth-funk, or electro-funk) is a term to describe an aftermath in popular music history circa 1979–1985, imprecisely beginning with an unprecedented backlash against disco music in the United States, leading ...
" I Don't Need a Man" sharing the same "quasi-feminism
Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social equality of the sexes. Feminism incorporates the position that society prioritizes the male po ...
" themes with "Beep", sees the group expressing disinterest in co-dependency towards a male partner. "How Many Times, How Many Lies" is a downtempo
Downtempo (or downbeat) is a broad label for electronic music that features an atmospheric sound and slower beats than would typically be found in dance music. Closely related to ambient music but with greater emphasis on rhythm, the style may ...
ballad which sees Scherzinger lamenting. The seventh track, "Hot Stuff (I Want You Back)", contains elements of " Hot Stuff" performed by Donna Summer. The song is a "throwback mock disco" with elements of electropop
Electropop is a hybrid music genre combining elements of electronic and pop genres. Writer Hollin Jones has described it as a variant of synth-pop with heavy emphasis on its electronic sound. The genre was developed in the 1980s and saw a r ...
. "Bite the Dust" uses "dramatic strings" and was compared to the works of Destiny’s Child
Destiny's Child was an American girl group whose final line-up comprised Beyoncé Knowles, Kelly Rowland, and Michelle Williams. The group began their musical career as Girl's Tyme, formed in 1990 in Houston, Texas. After years of limited s ...
. "Right Now", a big band
A big band or jazz orchestra is a type of musical ensemble of jazz music that usually consists of ten or more musicians with four sections: saxophones, trumpets, trombones, and a rhythm section. Big bands originated during the early 1910s ...
song gives the impression of Broadway musical to the listener. The track incorporates accentuated horns and congas that pay homage to Shirley Bassey
Dame Shirley Veronica Bassey (; born 8 January 1937) is a Welsh singer. Best known for her career longevity, powerful voice and recording the theme songs to three James Bond films, Bassey is widely regarded as one of the most popular vocalist ...
. Similarly like British duo Soft Cell
Soft Cell are an English synthpop duo who came to prominence in the early 1980s. The duo consists of vocalist Marc Almond and instrumentalist David Ball. The band are primarily known for their 1981 hit version of " Tainted Love" and their pla ...
, the group recorded a mashup between Gloria Jones' " Tainted Love" (1965) and The Supremes
The Supremes were an American girl group and a premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s. Founded as the Primettes in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959, the Supremes were the most commercially successful of Motown's acts and the most successf ...
' "Where Did Our Love Go
"Where Did Our Love Go" is a 1964 song recorded by American music group the Supremes for the Motown label.
Written and produced by Motown's main production team Holland–Dozier–Holland, "Where Did Our Love Go" was the first single by the Supr ...
" (1964). The song was noted for utilizing the "elements of the synth pop classic". The standard edition's closing track, a cover of Nina Simone
Eunice Kathleen Waymon (February 21, 1933 – April 21, 2003), known professionally as Nina Simone (), was an American singer, songwriter, pianist, and civil rights activist. Her music spanned styles including classical, folk, gospel, blue ...
's "Feeling Good
"Feeling Good" (also known as "Feelin' Good") is a song written by English composers Anthony Newley and Leslie Bricusse for the musical '' The Roar of the Greasepaint – The Smell of the Crowd''. It was first performed on stage in 1964 by Cy ...
" was described as a "faux-jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a majo ...
" version of the original song.
Promotion
Singles
" Don't Cha" was released as the lead single from ''PCD'' on April 19, 2005. It received positive reviews from music critics
Music journalism (or music criticism) is media criticism and reporting about music topics, including popular music, classical music, and traditional music. Journalists began writing about music in the eighteenth century, providing commentary on ...
, who praised its catchiness, energy, and, sheer attitude. The song remains the Pussycat Dolls most successful single, topping the national charts of more than ten countries and peaking within the top 10 in eight others.[Chart history for the Pussycat Dolls:]
In the United States, "Don't Cha" peaked at number two on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 for three weeks, topped the Hot Dance Club Play
Dance Club Songs is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States. It is a national look over of club disc jockeys to determine the most popular songs being played in nightclubs across the country. It was launched as ...
and Pop 100
The Pop 100 was a songs chart that debuted in February 2005 and was released weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States until its discontinuation in 2009. It ranked songs based on airplay on Mainstream Top 40 radio stations, singles s ...
charts for three and seven weeks respectively,[''Billboard'' chart history for the Pussycat Dolls:]
and was certified platinum
Platinum is a chemical element with the symbol Pt and atomic number 78. It is a dense, malleable, ductile, highly unreactive, precious, silverish-white transition metal. Its name originates from Spanish , a diminutive of "silver".
Pla ...
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/ ...
(RIAA), signifying sales of 1,000,000 certified units. An accompanying music video, directed by Paul Hunter was filmed around a week before the single's release. The video shows scenes of the group jumping on a trampoline, drag racing in an abandoned waterway, and performing "provocative dance moves" with the intent to showcase the group's confidence and fun.
" Beep" (featuring will.i.am) had been slated for release as the second single from ''PCD'' but was cancelled in favor of " Stickwitu". "Stickwitu" was serviced to US contemporary hit radio
Contemporary hit radio (also known as CHR, contemporary hits, hit list, current hits, hit music, top 40, or pop radio) is a radio format that is common in many countries that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by ...
stations on September 27, 2005, as the second single. The accompanying music video, directed by Nigel Dick
Nigel Dick (born 21 March 1953) is a British music video and film director, writer and musician from Catterick, England, now based in Los Angeles, California. He directed the Britney Spears videos " ...Baby One More Time" and " Oops!... I Did I ...
, was released on October 13, 2005. Dick describes the video as a "photographic rendition" of the group's day in the life while being on tour. "Stickwitu" attained top ten status in the United States and other 12 countries, including Australia, New Zealand, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom; in the latter two territories, the song became the Pussycat Dolls' second consecutive number one. As the third single, "Beep" was serviced to US contemporary hit radio on February 7, 2006. For further promotion, the song was accompanied by a music video directed by the Benny Boom
Benny Douglas (born July 22, 1971), professionally known as Benny Boom, is an American director who has worked in music, television, and film. His most commercially successful film was the 2017 Tupac Shakur biopic ''All Eyez on Me''.
Career
D ...
. Commercially, "Beep" became the Pussycat Dolls' third consecutive top-three single in Australia, Belgium (Flanders), New Zealand, the Netherlands, and Norway.
An alternate version of " Buttons" featuring Snoop Dogg
Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. (born October 20, 1971), known professionally as Snoop Dogg (previously Snoop Doggy Dogg and briefly Snoop Lion), is an American rapper. His fame dates back to 1992 when he featured on Dr. Dre's debut solo single, ...
was released as the album's fourth single. In the United States, the remix was released as a digital download on April 11, 2006, and was sent to contemporary hit radio stations the following month. The song was a commercial success, topping the charts of Austria and New Zealand, where it became the Pussycat Dolls' fourth consecutive number and logged their twelfth week atop. In their native country, "Buttons" peaked at number three on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart, topped the Hot Dance Club Play, and surpassed two million digital downloads following "Don't Cha" and future single " When I Grow Up, making the Pussycat Dolls the first girl group in Nielsen SoundScan history to achieve that feat. Filmmaker Francis Lawrence
Francis Lawrence (born March 26, 1971) is an Austrian-born American filmmaker and producer. After establishing himself as a director of music videos and commercials, Lawrence made his feature-length directorial debut with the superhero thrille ...
directed the song's music video and is an ode to the group's burlesque
A burlesque is a literary, dramatic or musical work intended to cause laughter by caricaturing the manner or spirit of serious works, or by ludicrous treatment of their subjects. origin.
" I Don't Need a Man" was the only song of the album not to impact US radio stations, subsequently becoming their lowest charting song on ''Billboard'' Hot 100 at number 93. The song was released as the fifth single on September 25, 2006 in the United Kingdom. Compared to their previous singles, "I Don't Need a Man" was slightly less successful, reaching top-ten in Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom and top-twenty in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland.
“ Wait a Minute" impacted contemporary hit radio stations on October 16, 2006. The single was moderately successful, reaching top 40 positions in Australia, Germany, New Zealand, and Sweden.
;Promotional single
In December 2006, National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball sports league, league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues i ...
(NBA) and American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company (ABC) is an Television in the United States, American Commercial broadcasting, commercial broadcast television network. It is the flagship property of the Disney General Entertainment Content#Current assets, ...
(ABC) selected the Pussycat Dolls' "Right Now" as the opening number for the ABC's coverage of the NBA. The song was used from Christmas
Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year ...
through the end of the season and was previewed going into and out of commercial breaks during telecasts. The TV spots features the group perform the song while wearing jerseys of different teams between NBA jump cuts. Subtitled as the "NBA Version", "Right Now" was digitally released as promotional single on January 23, 2007.
Live performances
On April 11, 2005, the Pussycat Dolls opened a lounge named after them at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas
Las Vegas (; Spanish language, Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the List of United States cities by population, 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the U.S. state, state of Neva ...
; their performance was viewed by number of celebrity guests, including Busta Rhymes
Trevor George Smith Jr. (born May 20, 1972), known professionally as Busta Rhymes, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer and actor. Chuck D of Public Enemy gave him the moniker Busta Rhymes, after NFL and CFL wide receiver ...
, who jumped on stage to perform with them. Following the release of "Don't Cha", it was reported they would appear at various radio shows across the United States, including Miami, Florida
Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a coastal metropolis and the county seat of Miami-Dade County in South Florida, United States. With a population of 442,241 at th ...
, Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix ( ; nv, Hoozdo; es, Fénix or , yuf-x-wal, Banyà:nyuwá) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona, with 1,608,139 residents as of 2020. It is the fifth-most populous city in the United States, and the o ...
and at the annual KIIS-FM
KIIS-FM (102.7 MHz) is a commercial radio station licensed to Los Angeles, California, United States, and broadcasts to the Greater Los Angeles area. The station airs a top 40 format. Owned by iHeartMedia, KIIS-FM is the origin of the conglome ...
's Wango Tango music festival. While closing their set with "Don't Cha", MTV's Brandee J. Tecson commented, "like a lot of the day's performers, the Dolls were newcomers to the Wango stage, but ended the night like veterans." On August 14, 2005, the group performed "Don't Cha" at the 2005 Teen Choice Awards. On November 4, 2005, the group appeared at the 2005 MTV Europe Music Awards
The 12th annual MTV Europe Music Awards were held at Pavilhão Atlântico,
Lisbon, Portugal.
The show was opened by Madonna, performing "Hung Up". Other performers included Pussycat Dolls, The Black Eyed Peas, Robbie Williams and Foo Fighters.
P ...
which were held at Lisbon, Portugal
Lisbon (; pt, Lisboa ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 544,851 within its administrative limits in an area of 100.05 km2. Lisbon's urban area extends beyond the city's administrative limits w ...
. Borat
''Borat! Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan'' (Kazakh / Russian: ''Борат'') (also stylized as ''BORДT'', or simply ''Borat'') is a 2006 mockumentary black comedy film directed by Larry Charl ...
(portrayed by Sacha Baron Cohen
Sacha Noam Baron Cohen (born 13 October 1971) is an English actor, comedian, producer, and screenwriter. He is best known for his creation and portrayal of the fictional satirical characters Ali G, Borat Sagdiyev, Brüno Gehard, and Admira ...
) introduced them as "international prostitutes" and performed "Don't Cha" with a house
A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air ...
remix at the end. Couple of days later, the group travelled to Sydney, Australia
Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and List of cities in Oceania by population, Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metro ...
for a three-day promotional trip that began with meeting four ''Australian Idol
''Australian Idol'' is an Australian singing competition, which began its first season in July 2003 and ended its initial run in November 2009. As part of the ''Idol'' franchise, Australian Idol originated from the reality program '' Pop Ido ...
'' finalists. This was followed with radio, television and print interviews and an appearance at a party organized by teen magazine, ''Dolly
Dolly may refer to:
Tools
*Dolly (tool), a portable anvil
* A posser, also known as a dolly, used for laundering
* A variety of wheeled tools, including:
**Dolly (trailer), for towing behind a vehicle
**Boat dolly or launching dolly, a device fo ...
''. On December 7, 2005, the Pussycat Dolls performed at the annual KIIS-FM Jingle Ball
The KIIS-FM Jingle Ball (also referred to as just Jingle Ball) is an annual concert produced by the Los Angeles radio station KIIS-FM that takes place in early-to-mid December. Since 2000, the concert series has been staged at various venues aro ...
at the Shrine Auditorium
The Shrine Auditorium is a landmark large-event venue in Los Angeles, California. It is also the headquarters of the Al Malaikah Temple, a division of the Shriners. It was designated a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument (No. 139) in 1975, and ...
in Los Angeles, California with some members wearing "festive candy-cane-striped belly shirts and red-and-green capri pants". They performed fours songs including "Don't Cha", " Stickwitu" and " Wait a Minute". Twelve days later, the group performed "Stickwitu" at the 2005 Radio Music Awards.
On January 27, 2006, the Pussycat Dolls performed "Don't Cha" and "Sway
Sway may refer to:
Places
* Sway, Hampshire, a village and civil parish in the New Forest in England
** Sway railway station, serving the village
People
* Sway (British musician) (born 1983), British hip hop/grime singer
* Sway Calloway (born 1 ...
" during the results show of ''Dancing with the Stars
''Dancing with the Stars'' is the name of various international television series based on the format of the British TV series ''Strictly Come Dancing'', which is distributed by BBC Studios, the commercial arm of the BBC. Currently the form ...
''. On May 18, 2006, they appeared on ''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by Jay Leno that first aired from May 25, 1992, to May 29, 2009. It resumed production on March 1, 2010 and ended on February 6, 2014.
The fourth incarnation of the ' ...
'' to perform " Buttons". The following month the group performed three songs on ''Good Morning America
''Good Morning America'' (often abbreviated as ''GMA'') is an American morning television program that is broadcast on ABC. It debuted on November 3, 1975, and first expanded to weekends with the debut of a Sunday edition on January 3, 1993. ...
'' as part of its ''Summer Concert Series''. "Buttons" was then performed on an episode of ''So You Think You Can Dance
''So You Think You Can Dance'' is a franchise of reality television shows in which contestants compete in dance. The first series of the franchise, created by '' Idols'' producers Simon Fuller and Nigel Lythgoe, premiered in July 2005 and has ...
'' on July 13, 2006, and at the annual charity fundraiser event Fashion Rocks with rapper Jibbs
Jovan Campbell (born November 13, 1990), better known by his stage name Jibbs, is an American rapper. He had one top ten single on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, which was his debut single "Chain Hang Low". Jibbs's only other song that charted on th ...
on September 8, 2006. Couple weeks later they travelled to Germany and performed "Sway" on '' Wetten, dass..?''. On November 21, 2006, they performed "Buttons" at the 2006 American Music Awards. On July 7, 2007, the Pussycat Dolls together with other artists performed at Live Earth
Live Earth was an event developed to increase environmental awareness through entertainment.
Background
Founded by Emmy-winning producer Kevin Wall, in partnership with former U.S. Vice President Al Gore, ''Live Earth'' was built upon the beli ...
, which was held to raise awareness of global warming
In common usage, climate change describes global warming—the ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its effects on Earth's climate system. Climate variability and change, Climate change in a broader sense also includes ...
. They performed "Buttons", "Stickwitu", and "Don't Cha".
Touring
The Pussycat Dolls extensively promoted the album either as a headliner or a support act. On January 31, 2006, it was announced that the Pussycat Dolls would support 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 ...
' Honda Civic Tour, which started on March 21, 2006, in Fresno, California
Fresno () is a major city in the San Joaquin Valley of California, United States. It is the county seat of Fresno County and the largest city in the greater Central Valley region. It covers about and had a population of 542,107 in 2020, maki ...
. The leg consisted of other 33 dates, visiting venues in the United States up until the 21st of May. Throughout June of that year, the Pussycat Dolls performed a combination of headlining and supporting shows for the Black Eyed Peas and Take That
Take That are an English pop group formed in Manchester in 1990. The group currently consists of Gary Barlow, Howard Donald and Mark Owen. The original line-up also featured Jason Orange and Robbie Williams. Barlow is the group's lead sin ...
in Ireland, the Netherlands, Portugal, and the United Kingdom. The following month, the group headlined two shows in Asia. In Kuala Lumpur
, anthem = ''Maju dan Sejahtera''
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, pushpin_map = Malaysia#Southeast Asia#Asia
, pushpin_map_caption =
, coordinates =
, sub ...
, Malaysia
Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...
the group caused controversy for failing to comply with local dress regulations and performing "sexually suggestive" routines. The Pussycat Dolls later supported ten additional Black Eyed Peas' shows in North America, which commenced on August 24, 2006, and concluded on September 8, 2006. In November of the same year, they embarked on their first headlining European tour
The European Tour (currently known as the DP World Tour for sponsorship reasons), legally the PGA European Tour is the leading men's professional golf tour in Europe. The organisation also operates the European Senior Tour (for players aged fif ...
until February 2007, visiting 21 venues in Germany, Austria, Ireland, and the United Kingdom. The set list consisted mostly songs from ''PCD'' and covers such as "Whole Lotta Love
"Whole Lotta Love" is a song by English rock band Led Zeppelin. It is the opening track on the band's second album, ''Led Zeppelin II'', and was released as a single in 1969 in several countries; as with other Led Zeppelin songs, no single was ...
". The album received further promotion in 2007 in North America, as they supported Christina Aguilera
Christina María Aguilera (; ; born December 18, 1980) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and television personality. Known for her four-octave vocal range and ability to sustain high notes, she has been referred to as the " Voice o ...
's Back to Basics Tour in 41 venues between February to May and headlined several shows in-between.
Critical reception
In his consumer guide for ''MSN Music
''MSN Music'' was a part of MSN's web services. It delivered music news, music videos, spotlights on new music, artist information, and live performances of artists. The website also served as a digital music store from 2004 to 2008.
History
I ...
'', Robert Christgau
Robert Thomas Christgau ( ; born April 18, 1942) is an American music journalist and essayist. Among the most well-known and influential music critics, he began his career in the late 1960s as one of the earliest professional rock critics and ...
gave the album a "one-star honorable mention" indicating "a worthy effort consumers attuned to its overriding aesthetic or individual vision may well like". Christgau selected "Beep" and "Wait a Minute" as highlights commenting that the group is "sexier than your average prefab sexpots, but no fabber". AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the dat ...
of Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Stephen Thomas Erlewine (; born June 18, 1973) is an American music critic and senior editor for the online music database AllMusic. He is the author of many artist biographies and record reviews for AllMusic, as well as a freelance writer, oc ...
provided a favorable review, rating it three stars out of five. Erlewine opined that the great thing about the album are the producers and songwriters who are willing to play with the group's "hyper-sexual image, creating a sleek, sexy sound ideal for both nightclubs and strip joints". However he observed the album's ballads " ndercutthe joyous carnal celebration" of dance songs that are not "quite enough to make this lbumthe camp classic". While ''Slant Magazine's'' Sal Cinquemani deemed group's image as "cartoonish", he was surprised that ''PCD's'' content wasn't filled with filler. He further noted that if the Pussycat Dolls would want to make a mark in pop music, they should avoid Diane Warren
Diane Eve Warren (born September 7, 1956) is an American songwriter. She has received several awards including a Grammy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, two Golden Globe Awards, three ''Billboard'' Music Awards and an Honorary Academy Award.
War ...
.
Writing for the ''USA Today
''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virg ...
'', Elysa Gardner acknowledged that "lead singer Nicole Scherzinger and at least a couple of her fellow Dolls have supple voices" despite their superficiality and the song's "insipid lyrics". Raymond Fiore of ''Entertainment Weekly
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cult ...
'' also noted the Pussycat Dolls' flexible vocals, but felt the songs from A-list producers cannot "arouse her interest for a whole 45 minutes. A reviewer of ''The Ledger
''The Ledger'' is a daily newspaper serving Lakeland, Florida
Lakeland is the most populous city in Polk County, Florida, part of the Tampa Bay Area, located along Interstate 4 east of Tampa. According to the 2020 U.S. Census Bureau release ...
'' wrote that the album is "essentially a solo release" from Scherzinger while noting songs like "Right Now" "make it clear that she really needs to keep around those dancing, singing/not-singing gals." ''musicOMH's'' John Murphy deemed that in ''PCD'' there is a "half-decent album struggling to get out here, but it’s rather drowned by the image and ‘brand opportunities’".
Several reviewers lamented that the inclusion of covers and ballads. Lisa Haines of the BBC lambasted the musical style of the covers noting them as "forgetful". Darryl Sterdan of ''Jam!'' called the group "glorified strippers" and mocked them for not writing any of the songs apart from Scherzinger having "token songwriting credits". He went on to describe the covers as "embarrassing" and the ballads as "overcooked". Spence D. of IGN observed that the album's lowest points come from album's ballads.
''PCD'' won the award for Best Album — International at the 2006 TMF Awards, where the group was also nominated for Best Pop — International.
Commercial performance
''PCD'' debuted and peaked at number five on the US ''Billboard'' 200 with first-week sales of 99,000 copies, according to data compiled by Nielsen SoundScan
Luminate (formerly Nielsen SoundScan, Nielsen Music Products, and MRC Data) is a provider of music sales data. Established by Mike Fine and Mike Shalett in 1991, data is collected weekly and made available every Sunday (for albums sales) and eve ...
for the chart dated October 1, 2005. It also debuted at number eight on the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a music chart published weekly by ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' magazine that ranks contemporary R&B, R&B and hip hop music, hip hop albums based on sales in the United States and is compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. Th ...
. On its 45th week the album reentered the top-ten on the chart dated July 26, 2006 and remained in the top-ten for a final time the following week at number nine. ''PCD'' was released amidst an era of stagnant album sales due to the emergence of digital and physical piracy
Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence by ship or boat-borne attackers upon another ship or a coastal area, typically with the goal of stealing cargo and other valuable goods. Those who conduct acts of piracy are called pirates, v ...
and a shift in consumer interest. The album managed to remain within the top 50 for 45 weeks due to the strength of its first four singles, earning them a reputation among the century's few breakout success. Geoff Mayfield, former analyst and director of ''Billboard'' charts, commented that this type of success does not happen often. "It's unusual for any act to get as many as four hits off an album anymore. For much of this decade, it's been a real challenge to get a third or even a second hit. And that's not just for new artists. That's for established artists too." As of September 2008, ''PCD'' has sold nearly three million copies in the US and 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/ ...
(RIAA) certified the album double platinum
Music recording certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped, sold, or streamed a certain number of units. The threshold quantity varies by type (such as album, single, music video) and by nation or territory (see ...
, which denotes shipments of two million copies.
In the United Kingdom, the album entered the UK Albums Chart
The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts ...
at number eight, as its lead single, registered its second week atop the UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
. With sales of 23,900, ''PCD'' was the second highest new entry on the chart that week. After 12 weeks of being outside the top ten, ''PCD'' reached number ten on the chart dated December 12, 2005, due to the success of "Stickwitu", which remained atop the UK Singles Chart and helped the album improve its week-to-week sales. The release of the album's fourth single "Buttons" helped the album increase sales for six consecutive weeks, setting a new peak of seven. In June 2019, The Official Charts Company
The Official Charts (legal name: The Official UK Charts Company Limited) is a British inter-professional organization that compiles various "official" record charts in the United Kingdom, Ireland and France.
In the United Kingdom, its charts inc ...
compiled a list with the 40 best-selling albums by female groups of the last 25 years. With sales surpassing 1.3 million copies, ''PCD'' is the fourth best-selling album in the UK. 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 wi ...
(BPI) certified the album four times platinum for selling 1.2 million copies. In Ireland, 42 weeks after its debut, ''PCD'' peaked at number seven in the final week of June 2006.
In mainland Europe ''PCD'' performed moderately at the beginning, debuting at number 12 in Germany, 14 in Portugal, 18 in Austria, 26 in Denmark, 35 in Norway, 39 in Finland, 43 in France, 55 in Italy and Sweden, 76 in the Netherlands, 72 in Spain, 92 in Belgium (Flanders), 97 in Belgium (Wallonia), on their respective local album charts. In 2006, ''PCD'' improved its chart positions, entering the top-10 in Belgium (Flanders), Germany, the Netherlands, and Norway, and top-twenty in Portugal, Belgium (Wallonia), and Denmark. The album was certified gold in Austria (IFPI
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 1 ...
), France ( SNEP), Norway (IFPI), and Switzerland (IFPI), and received platinum certifications in Belgium ( BEA), Germany (BVMI
The Bundesverband Musikindustrie ( English: Federal Music Industry Association), or simply BVMI, represents the music industry in Germany. The association represents the interests of nearly 280 labels and music industry related enterprises, which ...
), and the Netherlands (NVPI).
Similarly in Oceania, ''PCD'' debuted at number 16 in Australia on the ARIA Top 100 Albums Chart before reaching a new peak of eight in August 2006. 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 replac ...
(ARIA) certified it triple platinum following shipments of 210,000. In New Zealand, ''PCD'' debuted at number twenty-three on September 19, 2005. Six months later and following three consecutive number-one singles,—" Don't Cha", " Stickwitu", and " Beep"—the album peaked atop the album's chart making the Pussycat Dolls the first girl group in over six years to do so since Bardot with their debut self-titled album. ''PCD'' returned at the top spot three weeks later and received a double platinum certification by the Recorded Music NZ (RMNZ).
Track listing
Notes
* signifies an additional producer
* signifies a vocal producer
* signifies an incidental producer
* signifies a co-producer
* signifies "Tainted Love" beat producer
* signifies an additional vocal producer
* signifies a remixer
* signifies writers were retrospectively credited for writing after the album booklet had been printed.[ VV Brown is credited as having written the middle 8 of the song as seen by '']The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper
A newspaper is a periodical publication containing written information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background.
Newspapers can cover a wide ...
'' and also ASCAP
The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) () is an American not-for-profit performance-rights organization (PRO) that collectively licenses the public performance rights of its members' musical works to venues, broadca ...
—
* ''The Guardian'' interview:
* ASCAP Repertoire:
Sampling credits
* "Don't Cha" contains interpolations of "Swass" performed by Sir Mix-a-Lot
Anthony L. Ray (born August 12, 1963), better known by his stage name Sir Mix-a-Lot, is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. He is best known for his 1992 hit song " Baby Got Back", which peaked at number one on the ''Billboard'' ...
.
* "Beep" contains a sample of the recording " Evil Woman" performed by Electric Light Orchestra
The Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) are an English rock band formed in Birmingham in 1970 by songwriters and multi-instrumentalists Jeff Lynne and Roy Wood with drummer Bev Bevan. Their music is characterised by a fusion of pop, classical ...
.
* "Hot Stuff (I Want You Back)" contains elements of " Hot Stuff" performed by Donna Summer
LaDonna Adrian Gaines (December 31, 1948May 17, 2012), known professionally as Donna Summer, was an American singer and songwriter. She gained prominence during the disco era of the 1970s and became known as the "Honorific nicknames in popular m ...
.
* "Bite The Dust" samples drums of "Soul Machine", as written by Hall-Gainey-Ash-James and performed by Harvey and The Phenomenals
* "We Went as Far as We Felt Like Going" is a medley between "Far as We Felt Like Goin'" performed by Labelle and "Take Your Time (Do It Right)" performed by The S.O.S. Band
The S.O.S. Band (sometimes written as S.O.S. Band; abbreviation for Sounds of Success) is an American Contemporary R&B, R&B and Boogie (genre), electro-funk musical ensemble, group who gained fame in the 1980s. They are best known for the songs ...
.
Personnel
Credits adapted from the liner notes of ''PCD''.
Performers
*Nicole Scherzinger
Nicole Scherzinger (; born Nicole Prascovia Elikolani Valiente, June 29, 1978) is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, actress, and television personality. She is best known as the lead singer of the Pussycat Dolls, one of the list of best-se ...
– lead vocals, background vocals
*Carmit Bachar
Carmit Maile Bachar ( he, כרמית בכר; born September 4, 1974), known professionally as Carmit, is an American singer, dancer, model, actress and showgirl. She is a member of the Pussycat Dolls. She is married to longtime partner Kevin Wh ...
– vocals, backing vocals
*Melody Thornton
Melody Thornton (born September 28, 1984) is an American singer and television personality. After graduating high school, Thornton became one the main vocalists of the pop girl group the Pussycat Dolls and released the albums '' PCD'' (2005) an ...
– vocals, backing vocals
* Ashley Roberts – background vocals
* Jessica Sutta – background vocals
* Kimberly Wyatt – background vocals
*Busta Rhymes
Trevor George Smith Jr. (born May 20, 1972), known professionally as Busta Rhymes, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer and actor. Chuck D of Public Enemy gave him the moniker Busta Rhymes, after NFL and CFL wide receiver ...
– featuring artist, vocals, co-writer (track 1)
* will.i.am – featuring artist, vocals, co-writer (track 2)
*Timbaland
Timothy Zachery Mosley (born March 10, 1972), known professionally as Timbaland, is an American record producer, rapper, singer, songwriter, and record executive. He has received widespread acclaim for his innovative production work and distinc ...
– featuring artist, vocals (track 3)
*Kara DioGuardi
Kara Elizabeth DioGuardi (; born December 9, 1970) is an American songwriter, record producer, music publisher, A&R executive, and singer. She writes music primarily in the pop rock genre. DioGuardi has worked with many popular artists; sales ...
– additional background vocals (track 14)
* Kaya Jones – additional background vocals (tracks 13 & 15)
The PCD Orchestra
*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 regular ...
s – Endre Granat
Endre Granat (born August 3, 1937) is an American violinist. He is regarded as the most recorded violinist and concertmaster working in the studios today.
Early life and education
Granat studied at the Franz Liszt Academy, Jacobs School of ...
, Natalie Leggett, Bruce Dukov, Jackie Brand, Charlie Bisharat
Charlie Bisharat is an American violinist known as a member of Shadowfax and for his work in film and with other New Age Jazz artists. He was born in Inglewood, CA in 1963 to parents who immigrated to the United States from Palestine in the 1950 ...
, Joel Derouin, Sara Parkins, Mario Deleon, Josefina Vergara, Tammy Hatwan, Sid Page
Sid Page is an American violinist who has been active in many genres of music since the late 1960s. He has been a member of Dan Hicks and His Hot Licks. From 1973 to 1974, he was a member of Sly and the Family Stone and appeared on their album ...
, Roberto Cani
Roberto Salvatore Cani (born 17 October 1967) is an Italian violinist.
Roberto Cani was a prizewinner in the Paganini (Genoa, 1990), Jeunesses Musicales ( Belgrade, 1991), and Courcillon (France, 1991) International Competitions.
He also won ho ...
, Katia Popov
Katia Popov ( bg, Катя Попов; 3 March 1965 – 18 May 2018), born in Bulgaria and later living in California, was a violinist, playing as soloist, in chamber music and in orchestras; she was concertmaster of the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra. ...
, Phillip Levy, Songa Lee, Robin Olson, Anatoly Rosinsky, Armen Garabedian, Theresa Stanislov, Sarah Thornblade, Alan Grunfeld, Alyssa Park
*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 ...
s – Bryan Dembow (P), Simon Oswell, Sam Formicola, Matt Funes, Darrin McCann, Vicky Miskolczy
*Cello
The cello ( ; plural ''celli'' or ''cellos'') or violoncello ( ; ) is a Bow (music), bowed (sometimes pizzicato, plucked and occasionally col legno, hit) string instrument of the violin family. Its four strings are usually intonation (music), t ...
– Steve Erbody, Larry Corbett, David Low, Suzie Katayama, Armen Ksajikian, Cecilia Tsan
*Orchestra Contractor – Bill Hughes
*Bass
Bass or Basses may refer to:
Fish
* Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species
Music
* Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in the bass range:
** Bass (instrument), including:
** Acoustic bass gui ...
– Pino Palladino
Giuseppe Henry "Pino" Palladino (born 17 October 1957) is a Welsh musician, songwriter, and record producer. A prolific session bassist, he has played bass for acts such as The Who, the John Mayer Trio, Nine Inch Nails, Gary Numan, Jeff Beck ...
Technical
*CeeLo Green
Thomas DeCarlo Callaway - Burton (born May 30, 1975), known professionally as CeeLo Green (or Cee Lo Green), is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, record producer and actor. He is known for his work in hip hop and R&B, including the Gnarl ...
– production (track 1)
*Ethan Mates – engineering (track 1)
*Steve Baughman – mixing (track 1)
*John Goux – guitar (tracks 1, 11)
*Ray Herrman – sax (track 1)
*Nick Lane – trombone (track 1)
*Bill Churchvile – trumpet (track 1)
*Chris Tedesco – trumpet, horn (track 1)
* will.i.am – production (track 2)
*Ron Fair – vocal production (tracks 2, 5 - 7), production (tracks 2, 4, 5, 8, 10 - 13, 15), string arrangement and conduct (tracks 2, 4, 10, 12), mixing (tracks 3, 7), organ, rhodes (tracks 4, 12), incidental production (tracks 3, 6), vocal arrangement (tracks 6, 7), wurlitzer (tracks 2, 6, 8), piano (tracks 4, 6, 8, 12), glockspiel (track 6), harmonica (tracks 4, 8, 12), clavinet (track 8), additional production (track 9), additional string arrangement (track 10), keyboards (track 11)
*Tal Herzberg – additional programming (track 2), Pro Tools, engineering (tracks 2, 3, 5 - 12), co-production (tracks 4, 5, 10 - 13, 15), bass (tracks 2, 4, 6, 8, 11)
* Dave "Hard Drive" Pensado – mixing (tracks 2, 3, 5, 9)
*Charlie Bisharat – electric violin (tracks 2, 5)
*The PCD Orchestra – strings (tracks 2, 4, 7 - 12)
*JD Andrew – recording (track 2), engineering (tracks 5 - 11), vocal recording (track 11)
*Bill Schnee – strings recording (tracks 2, 7 - 12)
*Mike "Angry" Eleopoulos – additional engineering (tracks 2, 4, 9), engineering (tracks 5 - 12), vocal recording (track 11)
*Ariel Chobaz – assistant mix engineering (tracks 2 - 5, 9)
*Timbaland
Timothy Zachery Mosley (born March 10, 1972), known professionally as Timbaland, is an American record producer, rapper, singer, songwriter, and record executive. He has received widespread acclaim for his innovative production work and distinc ...
– production (track 3)
*Keri Hilson
Keri Lynn Hilson (born December 5, 1982) is an American R&B singer, songwriter and actress. She was born and raised in Decatur, Georgia and spent most of her youth working with producer Anthony Dent as a songwriter and background vocalist for ...
– production (track 3), vocal production (track 9),
*Jerry Hey
Jerry Hey (born 1950) is an American trumpeter, flugelhornist, horn arranger, string arranger, orchestrator and session musician who has played on hundreds of commercial recordings, including Michael Jackson's ''Thriller'', ''Rock with You'', ...
– horn arrangement, horns (tracks 3, 6, 9, 11), string arrangement and conduct, trumpets (track 10)
* Dan Higgins – horns (tracks 3, 6, 9, 11)
*Gary Grant – horns (tracks 3, 6, 9, 11), trumpets (track 10)
* Bill Reichenbach – horns (tracks 3, 6, 9, 11)
* Dan Higgins – horns (tracks 3, 6, 9, 11)
* Marcella Araica – recording (track 3)
*Demacio "Demo" Castellon – recording (track 3)
*Peter Mokran
Peter Mokran is an American mixer, producer, engineer and musician.
Early life
Mokran was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois. Growing up, he studied classical guitar, while also learning engineering and programming as a teen.Paul Tingen“Secr ...
– recording (tracks 4, 8)
*Robert Palmer – original drum programming (track 4)
*Cori Jacobs – rhodes (tracks 4, 12)
*Allen Sides – string recording (track 4)
*Polow Da Don
Jamal Fincher Jones (born October 15, 1977, or 1978), professionally known as Polow da Don, is an American record producer and rapper.
Jones has produced a variety of singles for a multitude of artists including " Anaconda" by Nicki Minaj (2014 ...
– production, arrangement, programming (track 5)
* Sean Garrett – production (track 5)
*Young Smoke – co-production (track 5)
*Luis Conte – percussion (tracks 5, 10)
*Rich Harrison
Richard Christopher Harrison (born 1979) is an American record producer and songwriter from Washington, D.C., specializing in R&B and hip hop music.
The winner of a Grammy Award, Harrison is well known for producing songs such as "Get Right" ...
– production, programming (track 6)
*Scotty Beats – engineering (track 6)
*Mike Hogue – assistant mix engineering (track 6)
*Siobhan Fahey
Siobhan Maire Fahey (; born 10 September 1958) is an Irish singer whose vocal range is a light contralto. She was a founding member of the group Bananarama, who have had ten top-10 hits including the US number one hit single "Venus". She later ...
– production (track 7)
*The Droyds – production (track 7)
*Steven Gallifent – production (track 7)
* Andy Chatterley – arrangement (track 7)
*Nicole Scherzinger – vocal arrangement (track 7)
*Tyler Coomes – programming (track 8)
*Tim Carmon – organ (track 8)
*Jun Ishizeki – assistant mix engineering (tracks 8, 11)
* Kwamé "K1MiL" – production (track 9)
*Anthony Kilhoffer – Pro Tools, engineering (track 9)
*Michael C Ross – mixing (track 10)
*Vinnie Colaiuta
Vincent Peter Colaiuta (born February 5, 1956) is an American drummer who has worked as a session musician in many genres. He was inducted into the '' Modern Drummer'' Hall of Fame in 1996 and the ''Classic Drummer'' Hall of Fame in 2014. Colai ...
– mixing (track 10)
*Mike Valerio – bass (track 10)
*Wayne Bergeron – trumpets (track 10)
*Larry Hall – trumpets, trombones (track 10)
*Frank Wolf – mixing (track 10)
*Andy Martin – trombones (track 10)
*Bruce Otto – trombones (track 10)
*Larry Williams – woodwinds (track 10)
*Brandon Fields – woodwinds (track 10)
*Bill Liston – woodwinds (track 10)
*Joel Peskin – woodwinds (track 10)
*Bob Zimmitti – timpani (track 10)
*Brian Vibberts
Brian Vibberts is an American audio engineer, a native of Portland, Connecticut, who has been active since 1991. He is a 7-time Grammy Award winner (6x Grammy, 1 Latin Grammy) and has participated in the making of numerous albums that have res ...
– assistant mix engineering (track 10)
*Big Tank – "Tainted Love" beat production (track 11)
*Tony Maserati
Tony Maserati is an American record producer and audio engineer specializing in mixing. He was involved in the development of the New York R&B and hip-hop scene in the 1990s, working with Mary J. Blige, Notorious B.I.G., Puff Daddy, and Que ...
– mixing (track 11)
*Jack Joseph Puig
Jack Joseph Puig is an American audio engineer, A&R executive, and record producer. He has worked with Tonic, Hole, Jellyfish, The Black Crowes, John Mayer, Weezer, Fiona Apple, Roger Hodgson, Taxiride, Green Day, Counting Crows, No Doubt, Klax ...
– mixing (track 12)
* Abe Laboriel, Jr. – drums (track 12)
*Alex Al – drums (track 12)
*Dean Nelson – drums (track 12)
*Greg Wells
Greg Wells is a Canadian musician, record producer, songwriter and audio engineer. Wells has songs on over 130 million albums sold. He has worked with John Legend, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Ariana Grande, Jazmine Sullivan, Kid Cudi, Adele, Rufus ...
– production, engineering, programming, guitar, keys (track 14)
*Kara DioGuardi – production (track 14)
*Chris Lord-Alge – mixing (track 14)
*Steve MacMillan – engineering (track 14)
*Chris Steffen – engineering (track 14)
*Fabien Waltmann – additional programming (track 14)
*Brian Gardner
Brian Knapp Gardner, also known as Brian "Big Bass" Gardner, is an American mastering engineer. He has worked on a number of recordings since the mid-1960s, including classic rock, funk, disco, alternative rock, R&B, hip hop, pop punk and danc ...
– mastering
Charts
Weekly charts
Decade-end charts
Year-end charts
Certifications and sales
Release history
See also
* List of number-one albums in 2006 (New Zealand)
* List of best-selling albums of the 2000s in the United Kingdom
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pcd
2005 debut albums
The Pussycat Dolls albums
A&M Records albums
Interscope Records albums
Interscope Geffen A&M Records albums
Albums produced by Polow da Don
Albums produced by Ron Fair
Albums produced by Sean Garrett
Albums produced by Rich Harrison
Albums produced by Jimmy Iovine
Albums produced by Timbaland
Albums produced by will.i.am
Albums produced by Greg Wells