''Hotel Paper'' is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter
Michelle Branch
Michelle Jacquet Branch (born July 2, 1983) is an American singer, songwriter and guitarist. She won a Grammy Award for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals with Santana for their 2002 single, " The Game of Love".
As a solo recording artist, Bran ...
. It was released on June 24, 2003 through Maverick. The production on the album was handled by a variety of record producers such as
Josh Abraham
Josh Abraham is an American record producer, songwriter, and music executive. He has worked with artists including P!nk, Thirty Seconds to Mars, Kelly Clarkson, Shakira, Weezer, Linkin Park, Velvet Revolver, Carly Rae Jepsen, Adam Lambert, Alk ...
, Rick Depofi,
John Leventhal
John Leventhal (born December 18, 1952) is an American musician, producer, songwriter, and recording engineer who has produced albums for William Bell, The Blind Boys of Alabama, Michelle Branch, Rosanne Cash, Marc Cohn, Shawn Colvin, Sarah ...
,
John Shanks
John Matthew Shanks (born December 18, 1964) is an American songwriter, record producer and guitarist. He has been a longtime session and touring member of the rock band Bon Jovi.
Early life and education
Shanks was born in New York City and m ...
&
Greg Wells
William Gregory Wells (born 1968) is a Canadian record producer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and mix engineer. He has worked with Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Quincy Jones, J*Davey, Burt Bacharach, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Missy Elliott, ...
.
''Hotel Paper'' was supported by three
singles
Singles are people not in a committed relationship.
Singles may also refer to:
Film and television
* ''Singles'' (miniseries), a 1984 Australian television series
* ''Singles'' (1992 film), written and directed by Cameron Crowe
* ''Singles'' ...
: " Are You Happy Now?", " Breathe" and "'Til I Get over You". The album received mixed critical reviews and debuted at number two on the US ''Billboard'' 200, selling 157,000 copies in its first week. The album was certified
platinum
Platinum is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Pt and atomic number 78. It is a density, dense, malleable, ductility, ductile, highly unreactive, precious metal, precious, silverish-white transition metal. Its name origina ...
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 ...
(RIAA) in December 2003.
Background
Some of the major themes on ''Hotel Paper'' are leaving things behind, constantly being on the move, independence, the mysteries of bus stations and
spirituality
The meaning of ''spirituality'' has developed and expanded over time, and various meanings can be found alongside each other. Traditionally, spirituality referred to a religious process of re-formation which "aims to recover the original shape o ...
. The album's cover is a photograph of Branch by Sheryl Nields.
Grammy Award
The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...
for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance, Branch's third nomination. The second single was " Breathe", which reached number 36 on the Hot 100 and became a top five club hit. A third single, "'Til I Get over You", was released with no music video and failed to chart.
Commercial performance
''Hotel Paper'' debuted at number two on US ''Billboard'' 200 chart, selling 157,000 copies in its first week. This became Branch's first US top-ten debut and highest first-week sales to date. In its second week, the album dropped to number four on the chart, selling an additional 85,000 copies. In its third week, the album dropped to number six on the chart, selling 65,000 more copies. The album spent a total of 33 weeks on the US ''Billboard'' 200 chart. On December 9, 2003, the album was certified
platinum
Platinum is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Pt and atomic number 78. It is a density, dense, malleable, ductility, ductile, highly unreactive, precious metal, precious, silverish-white transition metal. Its name origina ...
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 ...
(RIAA) for shipments of over a million copies. As of March 2009, the album had sold 1,116,000 copies in the United States.
In Canada, the album peaked at number four on the Canadian Album Chart and was certified gold for shipments of over 50,000 copies."Search Certification Database" .
Canadian Recording Industry Association
Music Canada is a non-profit trade organization that was founded 9 April 1963 in Toronto to represent the interests of companies that record, manufacture, produce, and distribute music in Canada. It also offers benefits to some of Canada's leadin ...
.
Track listing
Personnel
Musicians
*
Michelle Branch
Michelle Jacquet Branch (born July 2, 1983) is an American singer, songwriter and guitarist. She won a Grammy Award for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals with Santana for their 2002 single, " The Game of Love".
As a solo recording artist, Bran ...
Jamie Muhoberac
Benjamin Edward "Jamie" Muhoberac (born September 11, 1965) is an American session keyboardist with numerous credits. He is best known for his work with Seal and Was (Not Was). He is a touring member of New Jersey rock band My Chemical Romance. ...
Josh Abraham
Josh Abraham is an American record producer, songwriter, and music executive. He has worked with artists including P!nk, Thirty Seconds to Mars, Kelly Clarkson, Shakira, Weezer, Linkin Park, Velvet Revolver, Carly Rae Jepsen, Adam Lambert, Alk ...
– keyboards (6), programming (6)
*
Oliver Goldstein
Oliver was an American electronic music production and DJ duo consisting of Vaughn Oliver and Oliver Goldstein, based in Los Angeles.
Career
Vaughn (also known as U-Tern) and Goldstein (also known as Oligee), were hip hop and scratch DJs in t ...
– acoustic piano (6), keyboards (6), programming (6)
*
Greg Wells
William Gregory Wells (born 1968) is a Canadian record producer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and mix engineer. He has worked with Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Quincy Jones, J*Davey, Burt Bacharach, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Missy Elliott, ...
– acoustic piano (8, 10),
organ
Organ and organs may refer to:
Biology
* Organ (biology), a group of tissues organized to serve a common function
* Organ system, a collection of organs that function together to carry out specific functions within the body.
Musical instruments
...
(8, 10), guitars (8), bass (8),
Wurlitzer electric piano
The Wurlitzer electronic piano is an electric piano manufactured and marketed by Wurlitzer from 1954 to 1983. Sound is generated by striking a metal reed with a hammer, which induces an electric current in a pickup. It is conceptually similar to ...
(10)
*
John Leventhal
John Leventhal (born December 18, 1952) is an American musician, producer, songwriter, and recording engineer who has produced albums for William Bell, The Blind Boys of Alabama, Michelle Branch, Rosanne Cash, Marc Cohn, Shawn Colvin, Sarah ...
– keyboards (11), guitars (11), bass (11)
* Lars Fox – programming (13)
*
Rick Nowels
Richard Wright Nowels Jr. (born March 16, 1954) is an American songwriter and record producer. He has co-written and co-produced over 90 hit singles with multiple artists,Chester D. Thompson – acoustic piano (14),
organ
Organ and organs may refer to:
Biology
* Organ (biology), a group of tissues organized to serve a common function
* Organ system, a collection of organs that function together to carry out specific functions within the body.
Musical instruments
...
(14)
*
Dave Navarro
David Michael Navarro (born June 7, 1967) is an American guitarist. He is best known as a member of the rock band Jane's Addiction, with whom he has recorded four studio albums. Between 1993 and 1998, Navarro was the guitarist of Red Hot Chili ...
– guitars (2)
*
John Shanks
John Matthew Shanks (born December 18, 1964) is an American songwriter, record producer and guitarist. He has been a longtime session and touring member of the rock band Bon Jovi.
Early life and education
Shanks was born in New York City and m ...
– guitars (2–5, 7, 9, 12, 13), bass (3, 9, 13), programming (13)
* Stuart Smith –
mandolin
A mandolin (, ; literally "small mandola") is a Chordophone, stringed musical instrument in the lute family and is generally Plucked string instrument, plucked with a plectrum, pick. It most commonly has four Course (music), courses of doubled St ...
(7)
*
Carlos Santana
Carlos Humberto Santana Barragán (; born July 20, 1947) is an American guitarist, best known as a founding member of the Rock music, rock band Santana (band), Santana. Born and raised in Mexico where he developed his musical background, he r ...
– electric lead guitar (14), horn arrangements (14)
* Rusty Anderson – additional electric guitar (14)
* Paul Bushnell – bass (2)
*
Chris Chaney
Christopher A. Chaney (born June 14, 1970) is an American musician. He is best known as the former bassist of the alternative rock band Jane's Addiction, with whom he recorded two studio albums. He is the touring bassist for AC/DC, replacing lo ...
– bass (4, 5, 7, 9, 12)
*
Mike Elizondo
Michael A. Elizondo Jr. (born October 22, 1972) is an American producer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. A protégé of Dr. Dre, Elizondo has worked with 50 Cent, Eminem, Linkin Park, Carrie Underwood, Fiona Apple, Mastodon, Ry Cooder ...
Kenny Aronoff
Kenneth D. Aronoff (born March 7, 1953) is an American drummer, best known for his work as a session and touring musician. He has toured and recorded with a wide range of artists throughout his career, including the Rolling Stones, the Smashing ...
Vinnie Colaiuta
Vincent Peter Colaiuta (born February 5, 1956) is an American drummer known for his technical mastery 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 Drumme ...
– drums (13)
* Brian Collier – drums (14)
* Wayne Rodrigues – drum programming (14)
*
Luis Conte
Luis Conte (born 16 November 1954) is a Cuban percussionist best known for his performances in the bands of artists including James Taylor, Madonna, Pat Metheny Group, Eric Clapton, Carlos Santana, Phil Collins, Rod Stewart and Shakira. He began ...
– percussion (8), additional percussion (14)
* Chris Reynolds – percussion (10)
* Rick Depofi – percussion (11)
* Karl Perazzo – percussion (14)
* Raul Rekow –
conga
The conga, also known as tumbadora, is a tall, narrow, single-headed drum from Cuba. Congas are staved like barrels and classified into three types: quinto (lead drum, highest), tres dos or tres golpes (middle), and tumba or salidor (lowest ...
s (14)
* Jeff Cressman – trombone (14), horn arrangements (14)
* Marty Wehner – trombone (14)
* Julius Melendez – trumpet (14)
* Bill Ortiz – trumpet (14), horn arrangements (14)
* David Campbell – string arrangements (4)
*
Sheryl Crow
Sheryl Suzanne Crow (born February 11, 1962) is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and actress. She is noted for her Optimism, optimistic and Idealism, idealistic subject matter, and incorporation of genres including Rock music, rock, Po ...
Siedah Garrett
Deborah Christine "Siedah" Garrett (born June 24, 1960) is an American singer and songwriter who has written songs and performed backing vocals for many recording artists in the music industry, such as Michael Jackson, the Pointer Sisters, Brand ...
– backing vocals (14)
* Niki Haris – backing vocals (14)
* Tony Lindsay – additional vocals (14)
* Andy Vargas – additional vocals (14)
Production
* Danny Strick – A&R
* John Shanks – producer (1–5, 7, 9, 12, 13)
* Josh Abraham – producer (6), mixing (6)
* Greg Wells – producer (8, 10)
* John Leventhal – producer (11, 15)
* Rick Depofi – co-producer (11), engineer (11)
* Alex Anders – producer (14)
* Rick Nowels – producer (14)
* Dan Chase – recording (2–5, 7, 9, 12)
* Marc DeSisto – recording (2–5, 7, 9, 12, 13)
* Lars Fox – recording (2–5, 7, 9, 12, 13), Pro Tools editing (13)
* Jeff Rothschild – recording (2–5, 7, 9, 12)
* Ryan Williams – engineer (6)
* Brian Scheuble – engineer (8, 10)
* Greg Collins – engineer (14)
* Chris Garcia – engineer (14)
* Jim Gaines – engineer (14)
* Michael Rosen – engineer (14)
* Randy Wine – engineer (14)
* Brian Humphrey – assistant engineer (2–5, 7, 9, 12)
* Eric Reichers – assistant engineer (2–5, 7, 9, 12)
* Mark Valentine – assistant engineer (2–5, 7, 9, 12)
* Mark J. Ciccula – assistant engineer (6)
* Chris Reynolds – second engineer (8, 10)
* Jorge Velez – assistant engineer (11)
* Ben Conrad – assistant engineer (14)
* Scott Holderby – assistant engineer (14)
* Kieron Menzies – assistant engineer (14)
* Alec Veucasovic – assistant engineer (14)
*
Chris Lord-Alge
Chris Lord-Alge is an American mix engineer. He is the brother of both Tom Lord-Alge and Jeff Lord-Alge, both of whom are also audio engineers. Chris and Tom are known for their abundant use of dynamic range compression for molding mixes that ...
– mixing (2–5, 7, 9, 12, 13)
* Jim Scott – mixing (8, 10)
* Roger Moutenot – mixing (11)
* Manny Marroquin – mixing (14)
* Jesse Gorman – mix assistant (6)
* Chris Holmes – mix assistant (10)
* Rob Clark – mix assistant (11)
* Josh "Tone" Weaver – Pro Tools editing (14)
* Brian Gardner – mastering at
Bernie Grundman Mastering
Bernie Grundman (born 16 December 1943, Minneapolis) is an American audio engineer.
He is most known for his mastering work and his studio, Bernie Grundman Mastering, which he opened in 1984 in Hollywood. The studio, which includes engineers Chri ...
(Hollywood, California)
* Jill Dell'Abate – production coordinator (11)
* Robert Cappadona – project coordinator (14)
* Kirsten Johnson – project coordinator (14)
* Frank "Flem" Maddocks – art direction, design
* Sheryl Nields – photography
* Jeff Rabhan – management