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| 18 Carat Garbage | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 7 May 2001  | |||
| Recorded | 1999–2000 | |||
| Genres | ||||
| Length | 74:00 | |||
| Label | Sonnenstahl Records | |||
| Producers | Billie Ray Martin, Felix Huber, Lunatek | |||
| Billie Ray Martin chronology | ||||
| ||||
18 Carat Garbage is the second solo studio album by German singer Billie Ray Martin, released on 7 May 2001 by Sonnenstahl Records.[1] Combining Southern soul with electronic music, the album was built around rhythm tracks recorded with Memphis soul musicians and subsequently developed with electronic production in Hamburg.[1][2] It features guest vocals by Ann Peebles and Carla Thomas, with Peebles sharing lead vocals with Martin on the title track.[3]
The album followed a lengthy development period after Martin's debut solo album, Deadline for My Memories (1995), during which its material evolved through different writing and production collaborations. The basic tracks were recorded in Memphis in 1999, with Felix Huber later becoming the album's principal co-producer in Hamburg.[4][2] Released on Martin's own Sonnenstahl label, 18 Carat Garbage received generally positive reviews, with critics highlighting its combination of soul instrumentation, electronic production and Martin's songwriting.[5][6]
Background and development
[edit]Martin began developing ideas for her second solo album shortly after the release of Deadline for My Memories (1995). By 1996, she had conceived a project combining soul songs recorded live in the United States with electronic production added in Europe. She initially hoped to record in Memphis, Tennessee, but her label East West was unwilling to finance the sessions and her contract was not renewed.[7][8] Four prospective song titles for the project had been revealed by July 1996.[9]
The development of the album overlapped with several other projects Martin pursued after relocating to New York. In 1997, Billboard reported that, while without a record contract, she was simultaneously working on two different projects. One consisted of drum and bass-influenced material written with producer Fred Jorio, including "Honey" and "Why Did You Let Me Fall".[10] Martin and Jorio also recorded "Don't Believe a Word", and in 1998 Martin signed an album deal with the British independent label React Records. She described the proposed album at the time as having a "Memphis-meets-Kraftwerk" sound.[11]
During the same period, Martin developed a drum and bass project under the name Sonnenstahl with musicians including Jorio, Steve Donato, Bill Lee and Vinny Vero. Recordings from the project were issued by the New York label Finetune Recordings as the single "Pacemaker" and the EP Crime & Punishment, under the name Billie Ray Martin presents Sonnenstahl. Martin objected to the releases at the time, stating that recordings had been issued without her approval.[11] Material originating in these sessions later overlapped with 18 Carat Garbage, with several songs being re-recorded for the album.[12]
Martin and Jorio recorded demos of "Honey", "Don't Believe a Word" and "Why Did You Let Me Fall" in New York. The songs were subsequently signed to React Records, which had Dave Ball and Ingo Vauk rework their production. "Honey" was released as a single in 1999. By April that year, Martin told Billboard that the album she was developing consisted mainly of mid-tempo songs and ballads with Memphis soul influences.[13] "Honey" reached number 54 on the UK Singles Chart,[14] but the proposed React album did not materialise.
Martin was also writing with American producer and songwriter Jon Tiven and his wife Sally Tiven. Some of their songs were connected with 18 Carat Garbage, including "Captain Drag", the title track and "Taking Out the Garbage", while Martin and the Tivens separately recorded an album of traditional soul and blues material which remained unreleased for many years.[15] The latter recordings were eventually reworked and released as The Soul Tapes in 2016; contemporary accounts of that release describe the original sessions as predating 18 Carat Garbage.[16]
Martin also developed material with Caroline Mackendricks, who co-wrote "Hello, Hold On!", "Legends That Die" and "Conquer Tomorrow", and performed on and produced their early demos. The first two songs were subsequently included on 18 Carat Garbage, while "Conquer Tomorrow" was omitted from the finished album.[17]
Recording and production
[edit]In 1999, Martin travelled to Memphis, Tennessee, to record the basic tracks for the album at the House of Blues studio.[4] The sessions featured keyboardist Marvell Thomas, drummer Steve Potts, bassist Jimmi Kinard and guitarist Willie M. Toles III, with additional backing vocals by soul singers Ann Peebles and Carla Thomas. Peebles also shared lead vocals with Martin on the title track. The Memphis sessions were engineered by William C. Brown III.[2]
Initial plans called for the Memphis recordings to be completed in London by production duo Lunatek, who began adding electronic programming to the rhythm tracks.[4] By early 2000, however, the production arrangements had changed. An interim plan called for Plexiq to produce three drum-and-bass tracks alongside other producers, before Plexiq member Felix Huber became the album's principal co-producer and continued work on the recordings with Martin in Hamburg. Some of Lunatek's work was retained on the finished album: they co-produced "Captain Drag" with Martin and were credited as producers of "Bring All the Peace (Interlude)" and "Taking Out the Garbage (Outro)".[2]
Martin and Huber added electronic programming, keyboards and other production to the recordings in Hamburg, with additional recording taking place at White Noise and Luna Studios. Huber contributed piano, additional keyboards and programming, while Martin and Huber were jointly credited with producing and arranging most of the album. The finished recordings were mixed by Mike Nielsen at Soundgarden in Hamburg, except "Where Fools Rush In", which was mixed by Chris von Rautenkranz.[2]
Martin later described the intended combination of the Memphis performances and German electronic production as "Memphis meets Deutschland". She recalled that she had previously travelled to Memphis, where she met Peebles and Teenie Hodges, and discussed possible recording arrangements with Willie Mitchell and James Mitchell. According to Martin, the eventual sessions did not proceed exactly as originally planned, and different musicians from those initially envisaged took part.[2]
Music and lyrics
[edit]18 Carat Garbage combines Southern soul instrumentation with electronic production. The basic tracks recorded in Memphis drew on the sound associated with Hi Records, while Martin and Felix Huber subsequently incorporated programmed rhythms and electronic textures in Hamburg. The resulting arrangements range from soul ballads to more uptempo material, with some of the Memphis performances and duets retained at extended length and electronic and drum-and-bass elements incorporated into tracks such as "Crime of Passion".[1]
Several songs had existed in substantially different forms before the Memphis and Hamburg sessions, having emerged from different writing and demo sessions with Martin's collaborators.[17] "Where Fools Rush In", for example, originated as an electronic demo produced by Vinny Vero in New York before Martin developed the song towards a late-1960s Motown sound influenced by producer Norman Whitfield.[18]
Lyrically, "Where Fools Rush In" concerns unrequited love and repeatedly returning to an unsuccessful relationship; Martin described its underlying theme as the realisation that self-acceptance cannot be found through another person. "I've Never Been to Memphis" uses its title ironically, as Martin had already visited the city before recording the song and returned there to make the album. She later explained that its lyrics were partly a response to press coverage in which she felt journalists imposed preconceived narratives on her despite interviewing her at length.[19]
Release and promotion
[edit]After the project's earlier proposed releases through other labels did not materialise, 18 Carat Garbage was released on Martin's own Sonnenstahl Records label. The album was preceded by promotional 12-inch remix releases of "Systems of Silence" and the title track. Billboard reviewed "18 Carat Garbage" in January 2001, with Michael Paoletta describing it as a "disco-charged anthem" and praising Martin's hook-laden songwriting and distinctive vocals.[20]
"I've Never Been to Memphis" was issued as the first single from the album, followed by "Where Fools Rush In" as the second.[1][21]
18 Carat Garbage was released in Germany in May 2001 through Sonnenstahl Records and Edel Contraire.[1] A British release through Hot Records was announced but did not materialise, and the album's wider distribution was limited.[22][23]
The album was originally manufactured with a different cover depicting Martin chained to a urinal. The artwork was changed shortly before release, after the booklets had already been printed. Some copies with the withdrawn artwork nevertheless entered circulation. Martin later made copies with the withdrawn artwork available as the "Toilet Edition".[2]
Subsequent releases
[edit]In April 2002, Martin issued 18 Carat Garbage Demos, a ten-track collection of early versions of material recorded for the album, through the Stahl2 imprint. Martin later described the recordings as the original demos for her "Billie goes to Memphis" project and noted that they predated the electronic elements heard on the finished album. The collection also included three songs that were omitted from 18 Carat Garbage: "Hearts in Armour", "Your Ghost Is Right Behind Me" and "Conquer Tomorrow".[17]
The remix album Recycled Garbage followed in August 2002 on Sonnenstahl Records. Its twelve tracks comprised remixes of four songs from 18 Carat Garbage: the title track, "Where Fools Rush In", "I've Never Been to Memphis" and "Systems of Silence". The collection brought together mixes that had previously appeared on singles and promotional releases with previously unreleased mixes and edits. Among the remixers were Junior Vasquez, Matthias "Matty" Heilbronn, Oliver Moldan, Lunatek, Felix Huber, Hacienda and Zerocrop.[24] Vasquez contributed remixes of both "18 Carat Garbage" and "Systems of Silence". His remix of "18 Carat Garbage" was previously unreleased, while his "Systems of Silence" remix had already appeared on Vasquez's 2002 Earth Music compilation.[25]
Critical reception
[edit]| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Q (2001) |   [26] |
| Stern | [27] |
| ZDNet Deutschland | 4 stars[28] |
| Q (2002) | [29] |
18 Carat Garbage received generally positive reviews. Writing for Q in November 2001, John Aizlewood awarded the album four stars out of five, highlighting "Where Fools Rush In" and "I've Never Been to Memphis" and describing Martin's duet with Ann Peebles on the title track as "an exhilarating clash of two rarely heralded titans". He also praised Martin as "a wily lyricist" and concluded with the verdict "Terrific".[5] Reviewing the album again in August 2002, Q's Dan Gennoe gave it three stars out of five. He considered Martin's combination of gospel-influenced soul and electronic effects "largely [...] very successful", singling out "I've Never Been to Memphis", "Demons of Delirium" and "Systems of Silence".[30]
Adam Mattera of Attitude described the album as the culmination of Martin's "uniquely twisted stance on soul music", characterising its sound as a combination of country-influenced ballads, breakbeats and soul and comparing its musical approach to both Kruder & Dorfmeister and Al Green. He particularly noted the contributions of Peebles and Carla Thomas and Martin's unconventional lyrics.[6] Stern awarded the album four stars out of five, praising Martin's soul vocals and comparing them with those of Aretha Franklin.[31]
German reviews also focused on the contrast between the Memphis recordings and the album's electronic production. Siegessäule called the album an "acoustic jewel" and praised Martin's singing, songwriting and the Memphis musicians.[32] Oliver Tepel of Spex regarded the album as Martin's most complete expression of her musical identity to that point, describing its combination of influences as "Southern soul electronics".[33] Musikexpress was more reserved, finding the album relatively unspectacular and occasionally unconventional, while nevertheless praising its layered production, attention to detail and combination of retro influences with contemporary loops and electronic sounds.[34]
In QX International, Stewart Who? wrote that the album had left him "utterly astounded" and expressed surprise that it had not been signed by a major label, arguing that its lack of industry support reflected poorly on contemporary A&R.[35]
Track listing
[edit]| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Captain Drag" | Billie Ray Martin · Jon Tiven · Sally Tiven | Lunatek · Martin | 6:59 |
| 2 | "Where Fools Rush In" | Martin · Vinny Vero · Steve Donato | Felix Huber · Martin | 6:22 |
| 3 | "I've Never Been to Memphis" | Martin · Mark Tschanz | Huber · Martin | 7:22 |
| 4 | "Crime of Passion" | Martin · Vero · Bill Lee | Huber · Martin | 5:41 |
| 5 | "Anyone Will Do for a Heartache" | Martin · Charlie Mole | Huber · Martin | 5:19 |
| 6 | "Eighteen Carat Garbage" (featuring Ann Peebles) | Martin · Jon Tiven · Sally Tiven | Huber · Martin | 7:42 |
| 7 | "Hello, Hold On!" | Martin · Caroline MacKendricks · BJ Cole | Huber · Martin | 3:51 |
| 8 | "Bring All the Peace (Interlude)" | Martin · Andrew Fryer · Dennis Conolly | Lunatek | 2:34 |
| 9 | "Ten Minutes on a Tuesday Afternoon in Buffalo" | Martin · Fryer · Conolly | Huber · Martin | 4:44 |
| 10 | "Systems of Silence" | Martin · Fred Jorio | Huber · Martin | 4:48 |
| 11 | "Demons of Delirium" | Martin · Vero · Lee | Huber · Martin | 5:21 |
| 12 | "Legends That Die" | Martin · MacKendricks | Huber · Martin | 4:12 |
| 13 | "Taking Out the Garbage (Outro)" | Martin · Jon Tiven · Sally Tiven | Lunatek | 2:10 |
| "Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters"a (hidden track) | Elton John · Bernie Taupin | Martin (uncredited) | 5:45 |
- a "Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters" follows 55 seconds of silence after "Taking Out the Garbage (Outro)".
Personnel
[edit]Credits adapted from the liner notes of 18 Carat Garbage.[3]
Musicians
[edit]- Billie Ray Martin – lead vocals, backing vocals
- Ann Peebles – lead vocals, backing vocals
- Carla Thomas – backing vocals
- Daniel Dodd – spoken words on track 10
- Marvell Thomas – organ
- Steve Potts – drums
- Jimmi Kinard – bass
- Willie M. Toles III – guitar
- Felix Huber – piano, additional keyboards
- Nils Kacirek – bass on tracks 2, 4, 10 and 11
- Lars Deutrich – drums on tracks 2, 10 and 11
- Gerd Krueger – guitar on track 4
- Folke Jensen – guitar on track 11
- Groovebusters – horns on track 4
- Jonas Schoen Horns – horns on track 6
- B. J. Cole – pedal steel guitar on track 12
- Caroline MacKendricks – piano on "Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters" (uncredited)
Production
[edit]- Billie Ray Martin – production on tracks 1–7 and 9–12; production on "Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters" (uncredited); arrangement on tracks 2–7 and 9–12
- Felix Huber – production and arrangement on tracks 2–7 and 9–12
- Lunatek – production on tracks 1, 8 and 13
- Mike Nielsen – mixing on tracks 1 and 3–13
- Chris von Rautenkranz – mixing on track 2
- William C. Brown III – recording engineer
- Paul Brown – vocal recording engineer
- Gregg Jackman – engineer on "Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters" (uncredited)
Artwork
[edit]- Sean Delaney – design
- Karin Kohlberg – photography
- Sally Johnson – additional photo editing
- Billie Ray Martin – all concepts
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 5 "Billie Ray Martin – 18 Carat Garbage". Gaesteliste.de. 7 May 2001. Retrieved 15 September 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "18 Carat Garbage". Bandcamp. Billie Ray Martin. Retrieved 15 September 2026.
- 1 2 18 Carat Garbage (CD liner notes). Billie Ray Martin. Sonnenstahl Records. 2001. SREC104.
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - 1 2 3 Young, Harley (December 1999). "Honey". Brother Sister.
- 1 2 Aizlewood, John (November 2001). "Billie Ray Martin: 18 Carat Garbage". Q.
- 1 2 Mattera, Adam (June–July 2001). "Billie Ray Martin: 18 Carat Garbage". Attitude.
- ↑ Huston, Johnny Ray (7 October 1996). "Performance of a lifetime". San Francisco Bay Guardian.
- ↑ Jenkins, Jerry (2 March 2001). "Eis und Heiss". Die bunte Welt.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|url=(help) - ↑ "This month, 29 July 1996, sees Billie's new single release". BRM Newsletter. July 1996.
- ↑ Flick, Larry (8 March 1997). "Goin' to the Chappell" (PDF). Billboard. p. 32 – via World Radio History.
- 1 2 Flick, Larry (4 April 1998). "Minogue makes mature turn on deConstruction set" (PDF). Billboard. p. 18 – via World Radio History.
- ↑ "Billie Ray Martin presents Sonnenstahl: Crime & Punishment". Bandcamp. Retrieved 15 September 2026.
- ↑ Sexton, Paul (3 April 1999). "React inks veteran vocalists Staton, Martin" (PDF). Billboard. p. 43 – via World Radio History.
- ↑ "Honey by Billie Ray Martin". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 21 June 2026.
- ↑ "Jon Tiven Discography". Jon Tiven.
- ↑ "Interview: Billie Ray Martin". Songwriting Magazine. 2016.
- 1 2 3 "18 Carat Garbage Demos". Bandcamp. Retrieved 16 September 2026.
- ↑ "Where Fools Rush In (including original demo)". Bandcamp. Retrieved 15 September 2026.
- ↑ "I've Never Been To Memphis". Bandcamp. Retrieved 15 September 2026.
- ↑ "Dance Trax" (PDF). Billboard. 2001 – via World Radio History.
- ↑ "Where Fools Rush In". Bandcamp. Retrieved 16 September 2026.
- ↑ Who, Stewart (10 October 2001). "Billie Ray Martin". QX International (351).
- ↑ Svanfeldt, Helena (June 2002). "Billie Ray Martin interview". Lushbeats.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Recycled Garbage". Bandcamp. Retrieved 15 September 2026.
- ↑ Sukkar, Nathan (2002). "Recycled Garbage". Boyz.
- ↑ Aizlewood, John (November 2001). "Billie Ray Martin: 18 Carat Garbage". Q.
- ↑ "Billie Ray Martin: 18 Carat Garbage". Stern. May 2001.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|url=(help) - ↑ Tappert, Stephanie (2001). "Billie Ray Martin: 18 Carat Garbage". ZDNet Deutschland.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|url=(help) - ↑ Gennoe, Dan (August 2002). "Billie Ray Martin: 18 Carat Garbage". Q. No. 193.
- ↑ Gennoe, Dan (August 2002). "Billie Ray Martin: 18 Carat Garbage". Q. No. 193.
- ↑ "Billie Ray Martin: 18 Carat Garbage". Stern. May 2001.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|url=(help) - ↑ "Billie Ray Martin: 18 Carat Garbage". Siegessäule. April 2001.
- ↑ Tepel, Oliver (2001). "Billie Ray Martin: 18 Carat Garbage". Spex.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|url=(help) - ↑ AK (May 2001). "Billie Ray Martin: 18 Carat Garbage". Musikexpress.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|url=(help) - ↑ Stewart Who? (10 October 2001). "Billie Ray Martin". QX International. No. 351.