A Spanner in the Works

A Spanner in the Works is a studio album released by Rod Stewart on 29 May 1995. It is Stewart's seventeenth studio album and ended a four-year gap since his previous studio album. At the time it was Stewart's longest break between albums. It was released on Warner Bros. Records (WEA 9362 45867-1/2) in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Japan. Five singles were released: "You're The Star", "Leave Virginia Alone", "This", "Lady Luck", and "Purple Heather".

A Spanner in the Works
Studio album by
Rod Stewart
Released29 May 1995
Recorded1993–95
StudioWoodstock House Co. (Wicker, Ireland); A&M Studios and Ocean Way Recording (Los Angeles, CA); Herschel House (Hollywood, CA).
GenreRock, pop rock
Length57:15
LabelWarner Bros.
ProducerTrevor Horn, Rod Stewart, James Newton-Howard, Michael Ostin, Lenny Waronker, Bernard Edwards, Andy Taylor.
Rod Stewart chronology
Unplugged...and Seated
(1993)		 A Spanner in the Works
(1995)		 If We Fall in Love Tonight
(1996)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Entertainment WeeklyC+[2]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[3]

Content

The album includes covers of Bob Dylan's "Sweetheart Like You" and The Blue Nile's "The Downtown Lights". The song "Muddy, Sam and Otis" is Stewart's tribute to Muddy Waters, Sam Cooke, and Otis Redding. Track 12, later released as a single featuring the Scottish Euro '96 Football Squad, "Purple Heather" is a folk song that normally goes by the name "Wild Mountain Thyme". It is often credited as traditional, but was written by Francis McPeake. "Leave Virginia Alone" was written by Tom Petty and recorded for his album Wildflowers, but was left off the finished album and given to Stewart instead.

Track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Windy Town"Chris ReaTrevor Horn5:12
2."The Downtown Lights"Paul BuchananTrevor Horn6:33
3."Leave Virginia Alone"Tom PettyJames Newton Howard, Michael Ostin, Lenny Waronker4:07
4."Sweetheart Like You"Bob DylanHorn4:54
5."This"John Capek, Marc JordanHorn5:19
6."Lady Luck"Carmine Rojas, Jeff Golub, Kevin Savigar, Rod StewartHorn4:25
7."You're the Star"Billy Livsey, Frankie Miller, Graham LyleHorn, Bernard Edwards4:39
8."Muddy, Sam and Otis"Stewart, SavigarHorn4:42
9."Hang on St. Christopher"Tom WaitsHorn4:04
10."Delicious"Stewart, Andy Taylor, Robin LeMesurierEdwards, Andy Taylor4:43
11."Soothe Me"Sam CookeEdwards3:33
12."Purple Heather"Traditional; arranged by StewartHorn4:58

Personnel
  • Rod Stewart – lead vocals, backing vocals (5), arrangements (12)
  • Jeff Golub – guitar (1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 12), electric guitar (9)
  • Robin LeMesurier – guitar (1, 6, 7, 10, 11), guitar solo (4)
  • Tim Pierce – guitar (1, 2, 5, 8)
  • David Lindley – bouzouki (1)
  • Don Teschner – mandolin (1, 6), fiddle (6)
  • Davey Johnstone – guitar (3), mandolin (3)
  • Jim Cregan – guitar (5)
  • Dónal Lunny – bouzouki (6, 12)
  • Michael Landau – guitar (7)
  • Andy Taylor – guitar (7, 10, 11)
  • Lol Creme – electric guitar (9)
  • Kevin Savigar – keyboards (1-12), bass guitar (5, 8), string arrangements and conductor (7, 11), squeezebox (12)
  • Eric Caudieux – programming (1)
  • Mike Higham – digital manipulation (1, 2, 4, 5, 8, 9), programming (1, 2, 4, 5, 8, 9), keyboards (2, 8), bass (8)
  • Jamie Muhoberac – keyboards (2), percussion (9), piano solo (9)
  • James Newton Howard – keyboards (3)
  • Martin O'Conner – accordion (6)
  • Billy Preston – Hammond organ (11)
  • Trevor Horn – bass guitar (1), digital manipulation (1, 2, 4, 5, 8, 9), programming (1, 2, 4, 5, 8, 9), backing vocals (1)
  • Stephen Lipson – bass guitar (2, 4), guitar (4)
  • Leland Sklar – bass guitar (3)
  • Carmine Rojas – bass guitar (6, 12)
  • Bernard Edwards – bass guitar (7, 10, 11)
  • Guy Pratt – bass guitar (9), acoustic guitar (9)
  • David Palmer – drums (1, 4, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12)
  • Paul Robinson – drums (2, 5)
  • Kenny Aronoff – drums (3)
  • Frank Ricotti – drums (5)
  • Paulinho Da Costa – percussion (1)
  • Máire Ní Chathasaigh – Irish fiddle (6)
  • John McSherry – bagpipes (6)
  • Leslie Butler – harmonica (9)
  • The Kick Horns – horns and horn arrangements (9)
    • Simon Clarke, Tim Sanders – saxophone
    • Roddy Lorimer – trumpet
    • Neil Sidwell – trombone
  • Rick Braun – trumpet (11), horn arrangements (11)
  • Nick Lane – trombone (11), horn arrangements (11)
  • Lenny Pickett – saxophone (11), horn arrangements (11)
  • David Woodford – saxophone (11), horn arrangements (11)
  • Anne Dudley – string arrangements and conductor (1, 2, 4, 5, 8, 12), piano (8)
  • Gavyn Wright – orchestra leader (1, 2, 4, 5, 8, 12)
  • Susie Katayama – orchestra leader (7, 11)
  • Aleisha Irving – backing vocals (2)
  • Joe Turano – backing vocals (3, 7)
  • Joey Diggs – backing vocals (7, 8)
  • Lamont Van Hook – backing vocals (7, 8)
  • Fred White – backing vocals (7, 8)
  • Luana Jackman – choir coordinator (7)
  • Bobby Page – choir coordinator (7)
  • Josef Powell – backing vocals (10, 11)
  • Oren Waters – backing vocals (10, 11)
  • Terry Young – backing vocals (10, 11)
  • Glasgow Gaelic Music Association – choir (12)
  • Kenneth Thompson – choir leader (12)

Production Credits
  • Executive Producers – Rob Dickins and Michael Ostin
  • Recording – Tim Weidner (Tracks 1, 2 & 5); Steve MacMillan (Track 3); Le Mobile (Tracks 4-12).
  • Engineer – Charlie Bouis (Tracks 6-12)
  • Assistant Recording – Mike Baumgartner (Tracks 1)
  • Assistant Engineer – Eric Johnston (Tracks 7-12)
  • Mixed by Steve MacMillan
  • Mix Assistants – Rich Rowe (Tracks 1, 2, 4, 5, 9 & 12); Pat 59 (Track 6); Rail Rogut (Tracks 7, 8, 10 & 11) Danny Alonso (Tracks 1 & 2)
  • Mixed at Sarm Studios (London); Conway Studios (Hollywood); A&M Studios and Ocean Way Recording.
  • Mastered by Stephen Marcussen at Precision Mastering (Hollywood).
  • Design – Greg Ross
  • Photography – Herb Ritts
  • Management – Annie Challis, Randy Phillips and Arnold Stiefel at Stiefel Phillips Entertainment.

Charts

The album achieved a Gold certification in both the US and UK. In those countries it would peak at No. 35 and No. 4 respectively.

Singles
YearSongRank
1995"Leave Virginia Alone"52 (US)
1995"You're the Star"19 (UK) 53 (GER)
1995"This"119 (US)
1995"Lady Luck"39 (JP) 56 (UK) 65 (GER)
1996"Purple Heather" (with the Scottish Euro '96 Football Squad)16 (UK)

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[4] Platinum 100,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[5] Gold 7,500^
United Kingdom (BPI)[6] Gold 100,000^
United States (RIAA)[7] Gold 500,000^

^shipments figures based on certification alone

References
  1. AllMusic review
  2. Entertainment Weekly review
  3. "Rolling Stone Album Guide". Archived from the original on 5 January 2013. Retrieved 23 August 2017.
  4. "Canadian album certifications – Rod Stewart – A Spanner in the Works". Music Canada. Retrieved 5 March 2020.
  5. "New Zealand album certifications – Rod Stewart – A Spanner in the Works". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 5 March 2020.
  6. "British album certifications – Rod Stewart – A Spanner in the Works". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 5 March 2020. Select albums in the Format field. Select Gold in the Certification field. Type A Spanner in the Works in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
  7. "American album certifications – Rod Stewart – A Spanner in the Works". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 5 March 2020. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH. 
  • A Spanner in the Works album liner notes. Warner Bros. Records.
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