Fumbling Towards Ecstasy

Fumbling Towards Ecstasy is the third studio album by Canadian singer-songwriter Sarah McLachlan, released on 22 October 1993 in Canada, 5 February 1994 in the United States, 24 May 1994 in Japan, and 14 August 1994 in Australia. It was produced by Pierre Marchand in Montreal; McLachlan wrote most of the album while living in a small house near Marchand's studio.

Fumbling Towards Ecstasy
Studio album by
Sarah McLachlan
Released22 October 1993
Recorded1993
StudioLe Studio (Morin Heights, Quebec)
Genre
Length57:50
Label
ProducerPierre Marchand
Sarah McLachlan chronology
Solace
(1991)		 Fumbling Towards Ecstasy
(1993)		 The Freedom Sessions
(1994)
Singles from Fumbling Towards Ecstasy
  1. "Possession"
    Released: 10 September 1993
  2. "Hold On"
    Released: 8 May 1994
  3. "Good Enough"
    Released: 12 September 1994
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Chicago Tribune[2]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music[3]
Entertainment WeeklyA[4]
Pitchfork8.2/10[5]
PopMatters8/10[6]
Rolling Stone[7]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[8]
Slant Magazine[9]

The album was an immediate hit in Canada, where McLachlan was already an established star. Over the next two years, it became her breakthrough album internationally as well. However, in some countries, most notably the US, the album was a steady seller that stayed in the middle ranges of the pop charts for almost two years. As of November 2003, the album had sold 2.8 million copies in the US.[10]

Some editions contain an album version of McLachlan's 1995 single used for The Brothers McMullen soundtrack, "I Will Remember You". The track's lyrics do not appear in the booklet, nor does the track's crediting information.

On August 5, 2008, a three-disc 15th anniversary edition of the album was released. The set includes the original remastered album, The Freedom Sessions EP and a DVD that includes live performances, music videos and more. The album was released by Legacy Recordings.

Track listing

All tracks are written by Sarah McLachlan, except where noted.

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Possession" 4:39
2."Wait" 4:09
3."Plenty" 4:05
4."Good Enough" 5:03
5."Mary" 3:55
6."Elsewhere" 4:44
7."Circle" 3:43
8."Ice" 3:54
9."Hold On" 4:09
10."Ice Cream" 2:44
11."Fear" 3:59
12."Fumbling Towards Ecstasy" (A hidden track consisting of a brief outtake snippet from "Ice" and a solo piano rendition of "Possession".)
9:49
UK and Japan bonus track
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
13."Blue"Joni Mitchell2:50
Legacy Edition bonus track
No.TitleLength
13."Possession" (Piano Version)4:30
Legacy Edition disc 2 – The Freedom Sessions
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Elsewhere" 4:33
2."Plenty" 3:20
3."Mary" 3:55
4."Good Enough" 3:20
5."Hold On" 6:43
6."Ice Cream" 2:30
7."Ice" 3:58
8."Ol' 55"Tom Waits4:12
9."Hold On" (Alternate Version) 4:42
Legacy Edition disc 3 – Fumbling Towards Ecstasy Live DVD
No.TitleLength
1."Plenty" 
2."Good Enough" 
3."Wait" 
4."Home" 
5."Ice" (Live studio) 
6."Ben's Song" 
7."Out of the Shadows" 
8."I Will Not Forget You" 
9."Path of Thorns" (Live studio) 
10."Hold On" 
11."Possession" 
12."Mary" (Live studio) 
13."Ice Cream" 
14."Fumbling Towards Ecstasy" 
15."Ol' 55" 

Personnel
  • Sarah McLachlan – vocals, acoustic and electric guitars, piano
  • Bill Dillon – acoustic and Electric Guitars, guitorgan, bass guitar, piano
  • Michel Dubeau – saxophone
  • Kharen Hill – photography
  • David Kershaw – Hammond organ
  • Pierre Marchand – bass guitar, piano, keyboards, fake Hammond B-3 organ, drum machine, percussion machine, Roland 808, shaker, found sound
  • Jerry Marotta – drums, percussion
  • Brian Minato – bass guitar
  • Guy Nadon – drums
  • Jane Scarpantoni – cello
  • Lou Shefano – drums
  • Ashwin Sood – drums, percussion

Charts

Certifications and sales
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[20] 5× Platinum 500,000^
United States (RIAA)[21] 3× Platinum 3,000,000^

^shipments figures based on certification alone

Release history
Region Date Label Format Catalogue
Canada 22 October 1993 Nettwerk CD W2-30081
United States 5 February 1994 Arista Records CD 07822-18725-2
Japan 24 May 1994 BMG Japan CD BVCA-638
Australia 14 August 1994 Arista Records CD 07822-18725-2

References
  1. Leahey, Andrew. "Fumbling Towards Ecstasy – Sarah McLachlan". AllMusic. Retrieved 12 October 2016.
  2. Kening, Dan (14 April 1994). "Sarah McLachlan: Fumbling Towards Ecstasy (Arista)". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 12 October 2016.
  3. Larkin, Colin (2011). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th concise ed.). Omnibus Press. ISBN 0-85712-595-8.
  4. Bock, David (18 February 1994). "Sarah McLachlan: Fumbling Towards Ecstasy". Entertainment Weekly.
  5. Nelson, Brad (5 November 2017). "Sarah McLachlan: Fumbling Towards Ecstasy". Pitchfork. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
  6. Gilstrap, Andrew (10 August 2008). "Sarah McLachlan: Fumbling Towards Ecstasy". PopMatters. Retrieved 12 October 2016.
  7. Gardner, Elysa (16 June 1994). "Sarah McLachlan: Fumbling Towards Ecstasy". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 17 August 2007. Retrieved 12 October 2016.
  8. Skanse, Richard (2004). "Sarah McLachlan". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. pp. 530–31. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
  9. Cinquemani, Sal (28 October 2003). "Sarah McLachlan: Fumbling Towards Ecstasy". Slant Magazine. Retrieved 12 October 2016.
  10. "Ask Billboard – FUMBLING TOWARDS SALES". Billboard. Retrieved 28 May 2009.
  11. "Top RPM Albums: Issue 2304". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
  12. "Hits of the World" (PDF). Billboard. 27 November 1993. p. 90. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
  13. "Sarah McLachlan Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
  14. "Sarah McLachlan Chart History (Top Catalog Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
  15. "The RPM Top 100 Albums of 1993". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  16. "RPM Top 100 Albums of 1994". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  17. "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1995". Billboard. Retrieved 27 January 2021.
  18. "1997: The Year in Music" (PDF). Billboard. 27 December 1997. p. 70. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
  19. "1998: The Year in Music" (PDF). Billboard. 26 December 1998. p. 82. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
  20. "Canadian album certifications – Sarah McLachlan – Fumbling Towards Ecstasy". Music Canada. Retrieved 26 October 2016.
  21. "American album certifications – Sarah Mc Lachlan – Fumbling Towards Ecstasy". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 26 October 2016. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH. 
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