Funky Dory
Funky Dory is the solo debut album by English singer Rachel Stevens. It was released by Polydor Records on 29 September 2003 in the United Kingdom. The album was produced by various record producers, including Bloodshy & Avant and Richard X. Funky Dory received a positive reception from music critics who complimented its surprising diversity, charm and relative depth.[1][2] It became Stevens' most successful album release, and reached number nine in the United Kingdom, where it was certified gold.[3] On 16 July 2004 the album was re-issued in the United Kingdom, including three new songs, and reached number thirteen on the UK Albums Chart.
Funky Dory | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 29 September 2003 | |||
Studio | London, England Stockholm, Sweden | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 40:00 | |||
Label | ||||
Producer |
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Rachel Stevens chronology | ||||
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Singles from Funky Dory | ||||
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Alternative cover | ||||
2004 re-issue artwork |
Critical reception
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
RTÉ | [1] |
The Observer | [2] |
The Observer critic Peter Robinson called Funky Dory "an excellent album. It's stylish, decadent and temperamental, and it's teeming with melodrama: like a Geri Halliwell album, but not crap. And there's a total absence of desperation. While Halliwell's first album was about killing off Ginger, Stevens is not lumbered with any such task since, despite having spent half a decade as one of pop's biggest names, Rachel had no personality [...] Twelve-year-olds will rightly believe they're too old for S Club 8, but they won't be very impressed with the taut New Jill Swing of "I Got the Money", while the steely "Silk" (Erotica-era Madonna with Britney's "I'm a Slave 4 U" verse melody and a sudden, magnificent James Bond flourish in the middle eight) is cool and sassy but a massive Hi-NRG overhaul away from prompting a "Reach"-style amyl nitrate moment down at G-A-Y."[2]
Chart performance
Funky Dory debuted and peaked at number nine on the UK Albums Chart.[4] The album was certified silver by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) after three days and reached gold status on 10 October 2003.[3] It descended from the top-seventy-five after six weeks.[4] The albums re-issue debuted at number thirteen on the UK Albums Chart in 2004, selling 14,600 copies in its first week, becoming the hundred and eightieth best-selling album of 2004 in the UK.[5] Together, both editions have sold over 310,000 copies in the UK.[5]
Track listing
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Sweet Dreams My LA Ex" | Bloodshy & Avant | 3:28 | |
2. | "Funky Dory" |
| 3:12 | |
3. | "Fools" | BAG & Arnthor | 3:13 | |
4. | "Breathe In, Breathe Out" |
| Stephen Lipson | 3:14 |
5. | "Glide" |
| Bloodshy & Avant | 3:38 |
6. | "Heaven Has to Wait" |
| Bloodshy & Avant | 4:10 |
7. | "Blue Afternoon" | Bondy | 4:14 | |
8. | "I Got the Money" |
|
| 4:05 |
9. | "Little Secret" |
| Eriksen | 3:28 |
10. | "Solid" |
|
| 3:47 |
11. | "Silk" |
| Peden | 3:36 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
12. | "Sweet Dreams My LA Ex" (Bimbo Jones Club Mix) |
|
| 6:46 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Some Girls" |
| 3:34 | |
2. | "Sweet Dreams My LA Ex" |
| Bloodshy & Avant | 3:28 |
3. | "Funky Dory" (single version) |
| 3:13 | |
4. | "Fools" |
| BAG & Arnthor | 3:13 |
5. | "Breathe In, Breathe Out" (SWAT-Team version) |
|
| 3:14 |
6. | "Glide" |
| Bloodshy & Avant | 3:38 |
7. | "Heaven Has to Wait" |
| Bloodshy & Avant | 4:10 |
8. | "More, More, More" | Gregg Diamond | Wild Oscar | 3:33 |
9. | "Blue Afternoon" |
| Bondy | 4:14 |
10. | "I Got the Money" |
|
| 4:05 |
11. | "Little Secret" |
| Eriksen | 3:28 |
12. | "Solid" |
|
| 3:47 |
13. | "Silk" |
| Peden | 3:36 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
14. | "Some Girls" (Rhythm Masters Vocal Mix) |
|
| 6:46 |
Notes
Charts
Certifications
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
United Kingdom (BPI)[3] | Gold | 100,000^ |
^shipments figures based on certification alone |
Release history
Region | Date | Format(s) | Label | Edition(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|
United Kingdom | 29 September 2003 |
|
Polydor | Original |
Hong Kong | 9 March 2004 | |||
Canada | 16 March 2004 | |||
United Kingdom | 16 July 2004 | Re-release | ||
United States | 26 June 2007 | Re-release |
References
- "Rachel Stevens – Funky Dory – RTÉ Ten". Raidió Teilifís Éireann. Retrieved 12 July 2012.
- "Rachel Stevens, Funky Dory: 5 stars | The Observer". The Guardian. 21 February 2011. Retrieved 12 July 2012.
- "British album certifications – Rachel Stevens – Funky Dory". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 17 October 2020. Select albums in the Format field. Select Gold in the Certification field. Type Funky Dory in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
- "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 28 October 2020.
- "2003 UK Singles Chart 2003" (PDF). UKChartsPlus. Retrieved 26 May 2015.
- "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 28 October 2020.