Coverdale • Page "Coverdale • Page"

Coverdale–Page (stylised as Coverdale • Page) is a collaborative studio album by English singer David Coverdale and guitarist Jimmy Page. It was released on 15 March 1993 by EMI in Europe, 16 March by Geffen Records in North America and 18 March by Sony Music Entertainment in Japan. The album's production was handled by Coverdale, Page and Mike Fraser. Following the disbandment of Coverdale's band Whitesnake and a failed reunion attempt by Page's band Led Zeppelin, John Kalodner proposed the idea of the musicians working together. After meeting each other, they began writing songs, which were then recorded over the course of 1991 and 1992.

Critical reception towards Coverdale–Page was generally mixed; some music critics praised Coverdale and Page's partnership as a successful blend of both their respective bands. However, others viewed the collaboration as a second-rate Led Zeppelin, with many drawing unfavourable comparisons between Coverdale and Robert Plant. The album charted in 12 countries, including reaching number four in the UK and number five in the US. It was certified platinum in the US and Canada, respectively. Following a short Japanese tour in December 1993, Coverdale and Page parted ways. A reissue is tentatively scheduled for 2023, while Coverdale and Page have also discussed a potential reunion.

After completing the Liquor & Poker World Tour in September 1990, vocalist David Coverdale decided to put his band Whitesnake on indefinite hold, wanting to take a break from the music industry. Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page, meanwhile, had been working on the Led Zeppelin Remasters, which led to discussion with singer Robert Plant and bassist John Paul Jones about a potential reunion. Though initially interested, Plant decided to back out, feeling that a reunion might "put his solo career at risk". Wanting to work on new music, Page then began looking for a new collaborator. As both he and Coverdale were signed to Geffen Records, A&R executive John Kalodner suggested them working together. The idea was submitted to Coverdale and Page in January 1991. While the two had met many times in passing, they did not know each other well. Still, both parties were interested, thus a meeting was scheduled.

Coverdale and Page met at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in New York at the end of March 1991. The two got along well with one another and while on a walk in Manhattan, they apparently stopped traffic with onlookers asking if a collaboration was in the works. Coverdale and Page agreed to take the project slowly, first making sure they could actually write songs together. The two then met up for a writing session at Lake Tahoe, Coverdale's residence. Within the first day they had written "Absolution Blues" together. From there, Coverdale and Page continued writing, eventually relocating to Barbados at Page's suggestion. The two were later joined by drummer Denny Carmassi and bassist Ricky Phillips to flesh out the songs; these rehearsals lasted for several months. Coverdale and Page made their first public appearance together in May 1991, when they joined Poison onstage in Reno for a rendition of Led Zeppelin's "Rock and Roll" (1971).

Recording for Coverdale–Page began at Little Mountain Sound Studios in Vancouver, where all the rhythm tracks were recorded. From there, recording was moved to Criteria Studios in Miami, Florida, where the vocals and overdubs were done. Coverdale and Page also employed several local session musicians while in Miami. Additional recording was also done at Abbey Road Studios in London, and Highbrow Productions, Coverdale's home studio in Nevada. The recording process lasted from late 1991 to early 1992. According to Phillips, however, it took Page approximately a year to record his guitar parts. The album was recorded using analog equipment as opposed to digital, as Coverdale and Page felt analog suited their style of music better. Initially, Coverdale and Page were set to be credited as the sole producers, but they eventually decided to give recording and mixing engineer Mike Fraser a co-production credit for his extensive work on Coverdale–Page. Mastering was handled by George Marino at Sterling Sound, while the cover art was designed by Hugh Syme. Aside from Coverdale and Page, the album features performances from Carmassi, Phillips, keyboardist Lester Mendez and backing vocalist Johnne Sambataro, among others.

Despite their project's short lifespan, both Coverdale and Page have reflected positively on the experience. Assessing the collaboration in retrospect, Page stated: "There was no [bullshit] in any respect or in how we executed. I wanted to show that I was still alive and kicking, and in that regard it was a total success." In 2004, Page noted: "David was really good to work with. It was very short-lived, but I enjoyed working with him, believe it or not." Coverdale later commented in 2011: "If I got a call from [Page], asking if I'd work with him on a solo album or anything, I'd be there in a heartbeat." VH1's Greg Prato put forth the idea that the whole Coverdale–Page project was just a way for Page to spite Plant, who had been reluctant to reunite Led Zeppelin. Page denied this outright, calling the entire notion "pathetic".

In 2019, The New York Times listed Coverdale–Page among hundreds of artists whose material was reportedly destroyed in the 2008 Universal fire. In 2021, Coverdale revealed plans for a tentative reissue in 2023 to celebrate the album's 30th anniversary. Having procured the rights to the record from Universal, Coverdale told SiriusXM's Eddie Trunk that the reissue will potentially feature remastered and remixed versions of Coverdale–Page, four unreleased tracks, live material, as well as other bonus content. He also stated that he and Page had discussed the possibility of writing and recording together again, though their plans were delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Track listing

All tracks are written by David Coverdale and Jimmy Page.

Coverdale–Page track listing

1. "Shake My Tree" 4:54
2. "Waiting on You" 5:16
3. "Take Me for a Little While" 6:17
4. "Pride and Joy" 3:32
5. "Over Now" 5:24
6. "Feeling Hot" 4:11
7. "Easy Does It" 5:53
8. "Take a Look at Yourself" 5:02
9. "Don't Leave Me This Way" 7:53
10. "Absolution Blues" 6:00
11. "Whisper a Prayer for the Dying" 6:54

Total length: 61:05

Classix Nouveaux "Night People"

Night People is the debut studio album by English new wave band Classix Nouveaux, released in 1981 by record label Liberty. It reached number 66 in the UK Albums Chart. It peaked at number 85 in Australia.

Track listing

1. "Foreward" (instrumental) Sal Solo, Mik Sweeney 3:25
2. "Guilty" Solo 4:42
3. "Run Away" Solo 2:42
4. "No Sympathy No Violins" Solo, Sweeney 4:07
5. "Inside Outside" Solo, Sweeney 4:21
6. "623 Degrees" (instrumental) Classix Nouveaux 2:30
7. "Every Home Should Have One" Solo, Sweeney 3:55
8. "Tokyo" Solo, Sweeney 2:39
9. "Or a Movie" Solo 4:32
10. "Soldier" Solo, Sweeney 3:46
11. "The Protector of Night" Solo 5:23

Bonus tracks on 2003 CD release

1. "Robot's Dance" Solo 3:56
2. "Nasty Little Green Men" Solo 3:16
3. "Test Tube Babies" Solo 2:47
4. "Night People" Solo 3:54
5. "Old World for Sale" Solo 2:37
6. "627" Solo 2:31
7. "We Don't Bite" Solo 3:24

Rob Arenstein - engineer

Falcon Stuart - management

John Pasche - sleeve design

Ron Mercer - watch illustration

Christina Aguilera "Candyman (Single & Video)"

"Candyman" is a song by American singer Christina Aguilera from the second disc of her fifth studio album, Back to Basics (2006). "Candyman" was planned to be released as the second single from Back to Basics; however, RCA Records decided to release "Hurt" instead. Subsequently, the track was released on February 20, 2007, as the third single from the album. "Candyman" is described as a pop and jazz song that imitates swing music whose lyrics are about sexual intercourse.

"Candyman" received praise for its musical style while some criticized its sexual content. Commercially, the single peaked within the top 10 in Australia, Canada, Hungary, New Zealand and Romania, as well as the top 20 in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. In the United States, it peaked at number 25 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America for selling one million copies in the country. "Candyman" is also certified Gold in seven additional countries.

A music video for the song was co-directed by Matthew Rolston and Aguilera herself. The video received an MTV Video Music Award nomination for Best Direction at the 2007 award ceremony. The single achieved a Grammy Award nomination for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance at the 2008 ceremony. The song was on the setlist of Aguilera's Back to Basics Tour (2006–2008) and has been covered by Alexandra Burke and the Glee cast.

"Candyman" was described as a pop song by Leah Greenblatt from Entertainment Weekly; Stylus Magazine's Thomas Inskeep opined that it imitated swing music, while Joan Anderman from The Boston Globe commented that Perry and Aguilera attempted to modernize early 20th century pop and blues "only to end up imitating the Andrews Sisters," and Slant Magazine's Sal Cinquemani characterized the song as standard jazz and blues. "Candyman" is composed on the key of E major. The song has a moderate tempo of 172 beats per minute. Aguilera's vocals on the song span two octaves from the low-note of G3 to the high-note of G5. The song opens and concludes with the lyrics, "Tarzan and Jane were swingin' on a vine / Sippin' from a bottle of vodka double-wine", which was credited as a sample used from "Tarzan & Jane Swingin' on a Vine" from Run To Cadence With U.S. Marines. Lyrically, "Candyman" talks about sexual intercourse; Jenny Eliscu for Rolling Stone quoted the lyrics "He's a one-stop shop / Makes the panties drop" and deemed it "nasty". Sputnikmusic's Amanda Murray described its lyrics as "dumb and cheekily vulgar".

Jim McMillen played the trombone, while Ray Herrmann and Glen Berger performed the saxophone, and Chris Tedesco played the trumpet. Perry also played the piano, mellotron, bass, and served as the musical director. Nathan Wetherington played the drums. According to Aguilera and Perry, the song was a tribute to the Andrews Sisters' song, "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy".

The music video for "Candyman" was filmed on January 28, 2007, in an airport hangar in Southern California. It was directed by Matthew Rolston and co-directed by Aguilera. The video is based on the 1940s World War II theme. In most of the music video, she dances and sings in three different hair colors: red, blonde and brown, as if she were in a singing trio, a tribute to The Andrews Sisters. In other shots she appears as the famous biceps-flexing factory worker from Westinghouse's "We Can Do It!" poster and as pin-up girls Judy Garland, Betty Grable and Rita Hayworth. The video also features product placement for Campari. Benji Schwimmer, 2006 winner of the American dancing competition So You Think You Can Dance, makes a cameo appearance as Aguilera's GI dance partner. Benji's sister Lacey Schwimmer also appears in the video as a jitterbugger. Aguilera asked Rolston to co-direct the video with her after he worked with her for a photo shoot for the cover of Rolling Stone. Shooting the sequences of Aguilera as a singing trio took the longest since they had to be shot for each hair color and camera angle, which was computer-controlled for precision. Choreography was carefully arranged so that none of the versions overlapped and the takes could be spliced together. The clip's color scheme is based on Technicolor films, focusing on primary colors and bright secondary colors.

Sal Cinquemani for Slant Magazine praised it as the best video for a song from Back to Basics. John Montgomery for MTV News commented on Aguilera's "bad girl" image, writing "though Aguilera's mostly going for glam here, she's also plenty bad, too, swinging her way into some servicemen's heart, coyly sipping on a milkshake and shaking it so hard your even your grandpa had to notice." The video brought Aguilera and Rolston an MTV Video Music Award nomination for Best Direction at the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards, but lost to Justin Timberlake's "What Goes Around... Comes Around".

Track listings and formats

Digital download

1. "Candyman" – 3:14

CD single

1. "Candyman" – 3:14
2. "Hurt" (Snowflake Mix) – 4:05

France maxi single

1. "Candyman" – 3:14
2. "Hurt" (Snowflake Radio Mix) – 4:05

Christina Aguilera "Back To Basics"

Back to Basics is the fifth studio album by American singer Christina Aguilera. It was released on August 9, 2006, in the United States through RCA Records as a double album. Serving as executive producer, she enlisted a wide range of producers, including DJ Premier, Rich Harrison, Rob Lewis, Mark Ronson, and Linda Perry. Recording sessions took place between 2005 and 2006 at several studios in the United States and the United Kingdom.

Inspired by Aguilera's 1920s–1950s idols, including Billie Holiday, Otis Redding, Etta James, and Ella Fitzgerald, Back to Basics was described by Aguilera herself as a fusion of old-school jazz and soul inspirations with a modernized style. Primarily a pop and R&B record, its first disc juxtaposes rhythm and blues with hip hop and urban elements with most songs employing samples, while the second contains all original tracks with the exception of "Candyman", which samples "Tarzan & Jane Swingin' on a Vine". Lyrically, the album is inspired by Aguilera's previous life events including her marriage with Jordan Bratman in 2005.

To portray a new persona, Aguilera adopted her new alter ego Baby Jane and made several changes to her public appearance, inspired by classic Hollywood actresses. She promoted the album by performing at events like the 2006 MTV Movie Awards, the 2006 MTV Video Music Awards and the 49th Annual Grammy Awards. It was further promoted with Back to Basics Tour, which visited countries in North America, Asia, Europe, Australia and Middle East from late 2006 until late 2008. Back to Basics spawned three international singles: "Ain't No Other Man", "Hurt" and "Candyman"; "Slow Down Baby" was only released as a single in Australia, while "Oh Mother" was only released as a single in several European countries.

Back to Basics received favorable reviews from music critics, who complimented its musical diversity from Aguilera's previous albums while there were others who criticized its length. The album received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Pop Vocal Album, and its lead single "Ain't No Other Man" won Best Female Pop Vocal Performance at the 49th Annual Grammy Awards (2007). It debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 346,000 copies. Back to Basics achieved similar success internationally, reaching the top of the charts in over fifteen countries including Australia, Canada, Germany, Ireland, Switzerland and United Kingdom. The album has sold 1.7 million copies in the United States, and over five million worldwide, as of November 2013.

At the 46th Annual Grammy Awards on February 8, 2004, Aguilera announced that she was going to work on a follow-up album to Stripped (2002). She stated her main idea for the project was to "evolve as an artist and a visionary", which was taken from a poem she wrote during The Stripped Tour (2003). In an interview with Billboard magazine, Aguilera expressed dissatisfaction with contemporary music, as technology "has advanced itself so anybody can be a singer". Thus, Aguilera took musical inspirations from old-school jazz, blues and soul records performed by her 1920s–1950s idols, including Billie Holiday, Otis Redding, Etta James and Ella Fitzgerald, which she viewed as "music that really had heart". The singer stated that her love for retro music was born when she was a child—her mother and grandmother took her to the old vinyl stores in Pittsburgh. According to Aguilera, Back to Basics was meant to pay "homage and utmost respect" to some of her favorite musicians.

For Back to Basics, Aguilera decided to portray her different image and persona from her previous stage name Xtina by adopting a new alter ego called Baby Jane, named after a character of the film What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962). She also changed her public appearance as she removed her piercings, and dyed her hair platinum blonde, inspired by classic Hollywood movie stars such as Marilyn Monroe, Marlene Dietrich, Carole Lombard and Greta Garbo.

The album's cover artwork was taken by German photographer Ellen von Unwerth during three days; on the first and second days, the photos were shot at the Hollywood Dell hotel. Aguilera and von Unwerth moved to Forty Deuce in Hollywood to take images inspired by 1920s burlesque clubs on the last day of the session. The album's cover artwork was revealed in late June 2006, featuring Aguilera with bright red lipstick and curly blonde hair dressed in white and lounging on a bed. Greg Kot from The Baltimore Sun labelled the cover artwork as "a classy retro look, a sign that [Aguilera] is ready for her close-up as the leading lady of the teen brat pack that emerged in the late '90s". It also received criticism for being too similar to the artwork of Madonna's sixth studio album, Bedtime Stories (1994).

In mid-2006, Virgin Media reported that Back to Basics would be released on August 14, 2006. TMZ later reported that Back to Basics was planned to be released on August 15, 2006 in the United States. The album was leaked in full on August 3.

Track listing

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Back to Basics.

Back to Basics – Standard edition (disc one)

1. "Intro (Back to Basics)" 1:47
2. "Makes Me Wanna Pray" (featuring Steve Winwood) 4:10
3. "Back in the Day" 4:13
4. "Ain't No Other Man" 3:49
5. "Understand" 3:46
6. "Slow Down Baby" 3:29
7. "Oh Mother" 3:47
8. "F.U.S.S." (Interlude) 2:21
9. "On Our Way"   3:37
10. "Without You" 3:57
11. "Still Dirrty" 3:46
12. "Here to Stay"    3:20
13. "Thank You (Dedication to Fans...)" 4:59

Total length: 46:55

Back to Basics – Standard edition (disc two)

1. "Enter the Circus" 1:42
2. "Welcome" 2:43
3. "Candyman" 3:14
4. "Nasty Naughty Boy" 4:45
5. "I Got Trouble" 3:42
6. "Hurt" 4:03
7. "Mercy on Me" 4:33
8. "Save Me from Myself" 3:13
9. "The Right Man" 3:51

Total length: 31:47

Back to Basics – Physical edition (bonus video)

1. "Back to Basics" 10:07

Total length: 41:54

Sampling credits

• "Intro (Back to Basics)" contains a sample of "The Thrill Is Gone (Live)", as performed by B.B. King, The Crusaders and The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
• "Makes Me Wanna Pray" contains a sample from "Glad", as performed by Traffic.
• "Back in the Day" contains samples from "Charley", as performed by Don Costa Orchestra, and "Troglodyte", as performed by The Jimmy Castor Bunch.
• "Ain't No Other Man" contains samples from "Happy Skippy Moon Strut", as performed by Moon People, and "The Cissy's Thang", as performed by The Soul Seven.
• "Understand" contains a sample from "Nearer to You", as performed by Betty Harris.
• "Slow Down Baby" contains samples from "Window Raisin' Granny", as performed by Gladys Knight & the Pips and "So Seductive", as performed by Tony Yayo.
• "Oh Mother" contains a sample from "Vois Sur Ton Chemin", written by Bruno Coulais and Christopher Barratler.
• "On Our Way" contains a sample from "Sentimentale", as performed by Claude Bolling.
• "Here to Stay" contains a sample from "The Best Thing You Ever Had", as performed by Candi Staton.
• "Thank You (Dedication to Fans...)" contains samples from "Can't Hold Us Down" and "Genie in a Bottle", as performed by Aguilera, and "Think Big", as performed by Pudgie the Fat Bastard featuring The Notorious B.I.G. The track also features fan club recordings by Shane Burrows, Jessica Cavanaugh, She-Tara Franklin, Michael Holmin, Warren Keller, Antoinette Litte, Gustavo Medina, Sarah Anne Moore, Joshua Pospisil, Cory Steale, Durant Searcy, Samantha Silver, Tammy Simpson and Shanna Nicole Wiles.
• "Candyman" contains a sample from "Tarzan & Jane Swingin' on a Vine" from Run to Cadence with U.S. Marines.

Jordan Laws – mixing assistant

Brian Gardner – mastering

Oscar Ramirez – engineer

Charles Martin Roane – engineer

Kristofer Kaufman – assistant engineer

Alan Mason – assistant engineer

Chris Wonzer – assistant engineer

Kwamé – management of production of sound

Rich Harrison – management of production of sound

Mark Ronson – management of production of sound, engineer

Big Tank – management of production of sound

Q – management of production of sound

Ellen von Unwerth – photography

Christina Aguilera "Mi Reflejo"

Mi Reflejo (English: My Reflection) is the second studio album and first Spanish-language album by American singer Christina Aguilera. It was released on September 12, 2000, as a joint effort between RCA Records and BMG U.S. Latin. After the commercial success of her debut studio album effort, Christina Aguilera (1999), Aguilera recorded her follow-up project during 2000. It includes five Spanish-language versions of tracks from her previous album, in addition to four original compositions and two cover songs. The tracks were adapted and composed by Rudy Pérez who also produced the album.

In the United States, Mi Reflejo peaked at number-one on the Billboard Top Latin Albums and Latin Pop Albums charts where it spent 19 weeks at the top of both charts, becoming one of the longest albums to chart at number one. The album was the best-selling Latin pop album of 2000 and was certified 6× Platinum (Latin field) by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). It reached number two in Argentina and Uruguay, as well as number five in Mexico, and has sold 2.2 million copies worldwide.

Upon its release, Mi Reflejo received generally mixed reviews from music critics, who noted musical similarities to Christina Aguilera. Despite this, the album achieved success, with Aguilera receiving the Latin Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Album and two Billboard Latin Music Awards. Three singles were released from the album: "Ven Conmigo (Solamente Tú)", "Pero Me Acuerdo de Ti" and "Falsas Esperanzas". To promote the album, Aguilera extended her tour, Christina Aguilera in Concert, into 2001 for eight more dates and performed at the 43rd Annual Grammy Awards.

According to her manager Steve Kurtz, Aguilera expressed interest in recording a Spanish-language album before she recorded her debut studio album Christina Aguilera.[6] At the time, Aguilera was simultaneously touring to promote her debut album and recording a Christmas album My Kind of Christmas, released later in 2000. Mi Reflejo was intended to be titled Latin Lover Girl; the title's origin came from the Spanish version of the song "Reflection", which Aguilera recorded for the soundtrack to Mulan.

"My message, as in all my music, stands for being fearless to explore who you are. It's never too late to open a new door. Although it's scary to dive into territory that isn't your first language, it still doesn't erase who I am and how I want to express myself in all aspects of what intrigues and inspires me."

— Aguilera about embracing her Ecuadorian roots with Mi Reflejo

In 1999, she began recording in Miami with Cuban-American producer Rudy Pérez. He co-wrote the songs "Si No Te Hubiera Conocido", "Cuando No es Contigo", and "El Beso Del Final". He also composed the Spanish versions of "Come On Over Baby (All I Want Is You)" ("Ven Conmigo (Solamente Tú)"), "Genie in a Bottle" ("Genio Atrapado"), "I Turn to You" ("Por Siempre Tú"), "What a Girl Wants" ("Una Mujer"), and "Reflection" ("Mi Reflejo"). Aguilera covers Perez's song "Pero Me Acuerdo de Ti", which was originally performed by Puerto Rican singer Lourdes Robles on her album Definitivamente (1991). Pérez stated that Aguilera did not know any Spanish while recording; he remedied the problem by phonetically writing out lyrics and included a system that allowed Aguilera to pronounce the "r's" in the songs. Mi Reflejo features a cover of César Portillo de la Luz's bolero "Contigo En La Distancia". Additionally, Aguilera made a duet with Puerto Rican singer Luis Fonsi on the ballad "Si No Te Hubiera Conocido". Aguilera wanted Fonsi to perform a duet with her because she felt that she could relate to him as they "grew up listening to the same things". "Cuando No es Contigo" is an uptempo salsa song which was arranged by Sergio George. "Falsas Esperanzas" is another uptempo song in the album which features Cuban musician Paquito Hechevarria performing the piano.

Track listing

1. "Genio Atrapado" 3:37
2. "Falsas Esperanzas" 2:57
3. "El Beso del Final" 4:41
4. "Pero Me Acuerdo de Ti" 4:26
5. "Ven Conmigo (Solamente Tú)" 3:11
6. "Si No Te Hubiera Conocido" (duet with Luis Fonsi) 4:50
7. "Contigo en la Distancia" 3:44
8. "Cuando No es Contigo"  4:10
9. "Por Siempre Tú" 4:05
10. "Una Mujer" 3:14
11. "Mi Reflejo" 3:33

Total length: 42:35

Producer: Rudy Pérez

Executive producers: Ron Fair, Diane Warren

Engineers: Paul Arnold, Bob Brockman, Mario DeJesús, Mike Greene, Mario Lucy, Joel Numa, Paul Rein, Michael C. Ross, Bruce Weeden

Assistant engineers: Tom Bender, Michael Huff

Mixing: Mike Couzzi, Mick Guzauski, Peter Mokran, Dave Way, Bruce Weeden

Programming: Rudy Perez, Guy Roche, Michael C. Ross

Drum programming: Rudy Perez

Percussion programming: Rudy Pérez

Arrangers: Rudy Perez, Ed Calle, David Frank, Sergio George, Ron Harris

vocal arrangement: Ron Fair

String arrangements: Gary Lindsay, Rudy Pérez

Vocal arrangement: Rudy Pérez

Orchestration: Matthew Wilder, Aaron Zigman