Wandering Spirit is the third solo album by Mick Jagger, released in 1993. It became his only solo album released in the 1990s, and was co-produced by Jagger with Rick Rubin. The album was commercially successful, reaching No. 12 in the UK and No. 11 in the US, getting a gold certification from the RIAA.
Wandering Spirit | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 9 February 1993 | |||
Recorded | February–September 1992 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 54:05 | |||
Language | English | |||
Label | Atlantic | |||
Producer | Mick Jagger and Rick Rubin | |||
Mick Jagger chronology | ||||
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Singles from Wandering Spirit | ||||
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Background
editFollowing The Rolling Stones' Steel Wheels (1989), Jagger began writing new material for what would become Wandering Spirit. In January 1992, after landing Rick Rubin as co-producer, Jagger recorded the album in Los Angeles over seven months until September 1992, recording simultaneously as Keith Richards was making Main Offender.
Jagger kept the celebrity guests to a minimum on Wandering Spirit, only having Lenny Kravitz as a vocalist on his cover of Bill Withers' "Use Me" and bassist Flea from Red Hot Chili Peppers on three tracks.
Following the end of The Rolling Stones' Sony Music contract and their signing to Virgin Records, Jagger elected to sign with Atlantic Records (which had signed the Stones in the 1970s) to distribute what would be his only album with the label.
Critical reception
editReview scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [1] |
Christgau's Consumer Guide | [2] |
Entertainment Weekly | B+[3] |
Los Angeles Times | [4] |
NME | 6/10[5] |
Rolling Stone | [6] |
The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [7] |
USA Today | [8] |
Released in February 1993, Wandering Spirit was commercially successful, reaching No. 12 in the UK and No. 11 in the US, going gold there. The track "Sweet Thing" was the lead single, although it was the second single, "Don't Tear Me Up", which found moderate success, topping Billboard's Album Rock Tracks chart for one week. Critical reaction was very strong, noting Jagger's abandonment of slick synthesizers in favour of an incisive and lean guitar sound.[citation needed]
Track listing
editAll tracks are written by Mick Jagger, except where noted
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
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1. | "Wired All Night" | 4:05 | |
2. | "Sweet Thing" | 4:19 | |
3. | "Out of Focus" | 4:36 | |
4. | "Don't Tear Me Up" | 4:11 | |
5. | "Put Me in the Trash" | Jagger, Jimmy Rip | 3:35 |
6. | "Use Me" | Bill Withers | 4:28 |
7. | "Evening Gown" | 3:33 | |
8. | "Mother of a Man" | 4:18 | |
9. | "Think" | Lowman Pauling | 2:59 |
10. | "Wandering Spirit" | Jagger, Rip | 4:18 |
11. | "Hang On to Me Tonight" | 4:37 | |
12. | "I've Been Lonely for So Long" | Posie Knight, Jerry Weaver | 3:29 |
13. | "Angel in My Heart" | 3:24 | |
14. | "Handsome Molly" | Traditional | 2:06 |
Total length: | 53:58 |
Personnel
edit- Mick Jagger – vocals, guitar, clavinet, harmonica, percussion
- David Bianco – synthesizer
- Curt Bisquera – drums
- Lenny Castro – percussion
- Matt Clifford – virginal, harpsichord, string arrangements, conductor
- Flea – bass guitar on "Out of Focus", "Use Me" and "I've Been Lonely for So Long"
- Lynn Davis – backing vocals
- Jim Keltner – drums on "Evening Gown"
- Lenny Kravitz – vocals on "Use Me"
- Jay Dee Maness – pedal steel guitar
- Jean McClain – backing vocals
- Pamela Quinlan - piano, backing vocals
- Robin McKidd – fiddle
- Brendan O'Brien – guitar
- Jeff Pescetto – backing vocals
- John Pierce – bass guitar (tracks: 1, 4, 5, 7 to 11, 13, 14)
- Courtney Pine – saxophone
- Billy Preston – piano, Hammond organ, clavinet
- Jimmy Rip – lead guitar, percussion
- Frank Simes – guitar
- Benmont Tench – piano, Hammond organ
- Doug Wimbish – bass guitar on "Sweet Thing"
- Technical
- David Bianco - engineer
- Jim Champagne, Peter Lewis, Steve Holroyd, Steve Musters - assistant engineer
- Melanie Nissen - art direction
- Richard Bates - design
- Annie Leibovitz – photography
Charts
edit
Weekly chartsedit
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Year-end chartsedit
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Certifications and sales
editRegion | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Argentina (CAPIF)[23] | Platinum | 60,000^ |
Austria (IFPI Austria)[24] | Gold | 25,000* |
Canada (Music Canada)[25] | Gold | 50,000^ |
Germany (BVMI)[26] | Gold | 250,000^ |
France (SNEP)[27] | Gold | 100,000* |
Netherlands (NVPI)[28] | Gold | 50,000^ |
New Zealand (RMNZ)[29] | Gold | 7,500^ |
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[30] | Gold | 50,000^ |
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[31] | Gold | 25,000^ |
United States (RIAA)[32] | Gold | 500,000^ |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
Notes
edit- ^ Parisien, Roch. "Wandering Spirit – Mick Jagger". AllMusic. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
- ^ Christgau, Robert (2000). "Mick Jagger: Wandering Spirit". Christgau's Consumer Guide: Albums of the '90s. St. Martin's Griffin. ISBN 0-312-24560-2. Retrieved 1 January 2019.
- ^ Altman, Billy (12 February 1993). "Wandering Spirit". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 1 January 2019.
- ^ Cromelin, Richard (7 February 1993). "Mick Jagger 'Wandering Spirit' Atlantic". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
- ^ "Mick Jagger: Wandering Spirit". NME. 13 February 1993. p. 32.
- ^ Puterbaugh, Parke (18 February 1993). "Mick Jagger: Wandering Spirit / Paul McCartney: Off the Ground". Rolling Stone. p. 56.
- ^ Evans, Paul (2004). "Mick Jagger". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. pp. 415–16. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
- ^ Gundersen, Edna (9 February 1993). "Jagger keeps edge; McCartney stays safe". USA Today.
- ^ "Australiancharts.com – Mick Jagger – Wandering Spirit". Hung Medien. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
- ^ "Austriancharts.at – Mick Jagger – Wandering Spirit" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
- ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Mick Jagger – Wandering Spirit" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
- ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Mick Jagger – Wandering Spirit" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
- ^ "Charts.nz – Mick Jagger – Wandering Spirit". Hung Medien. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
- ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Mick Jagger – Wandering Spirit". Hung Medien. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
- ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Mick Jagger – Wandering Spirit". Hung Medien. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
- ^ "Swisscharts.com – Mick Jagger – Wandering Spirit". Hung Medien. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
- ^ "Mick Jagger | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
- ^ "Mick Jagger Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
- ^ "Jahreshitparade Alben 1993". austriancharts.at. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
- ^ "Jaaroverzichten – Album 1993". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
- ^ "Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts". GfK Entertainment (in German). offiziellecharts.de. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
- ^ "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 1993". hitparade.ch. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
- ^ "Discos de oro y platino" (in Spanish). Cámara Argentina de Productores de Fonogramas y Videogramas. Archived from the original on 6 July 2011. Retrieved 24 April 2018.
- ^ "Austrian album certifications – Jagger, Mick – Wandering Spirit" (in German). IFPI Austria. Retrieved 20 August 2019.
- ^ "Canadian album certifications – Mick Jagger – Wandering Spirit". Music Canada. Retrieved 20 August 2019.
- ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Mick Jagger; 'Wandering Spirit')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved 20 August 2019.
- ^ "French album certifications – Mick Jagger – Wandering Spirit" (in French). InfoDisc. Select MICK JAGGER and click OK.
- ^ "Dutch album certifications – Mick Jagger – Wandering Spirit" (in Dutch). Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld- en geluidsdragers. Retrieved 20 August 2019. Enter Wandering Spirit in the "Artiest of titel" box. Select 1993 in the drop-down menu saying "Alle jaargangen".
- ^ "New Zealand album certifications – Mick Jagger – Wandering Spirit". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 28 November 2019.
- ^ Sólo Éxitos 1959–2002 Año A Año: Certificados 1979–1990 (in Spanish). Iberautor Promociones Culturales. ISBN 8480486392.
- ^ "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards ('Wandering Spirit')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien. Retrieved 2 May 2022.
- ^ "American album certifications – Mick Jagger – Wandering Spirit". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 20 August 2019.