Tracy Chapman is the self-titled debut album by singer-songwriter Tracy Chapman, released on April 5, 1988, by Elektra Records. The album was recorded at the Powertrax studio in Hollywood, California. In early attempts to produce the first album, many producers turned down Chapman as they did not favor her musical direction. David Kershenbaum, however, decided to produce it as he wanted to record an acoustic music album. It was recorded in Hollywood, California in only eight weeks. Most of the writing is based on political and social causes. Tracy Chapman gained critical acclaim from a wide majority of music critics, praising the simplicity, Chapman’s vocal ability, and the lyrical content. (More from Wikipedia)
Women’s music artists for the most part are not particularly political or polemic – with the exception of Holly Near, and even she is normally not focused on gay/lesbian issues – so non–lesbian-identified performers have dropped by from time to time. Tracy Chapman is perhaps the most prominent; she was at the Michigan Womyn’s Music Festival during her meteoric rise to the top of the charts with her hit album Tracy Chapman (1988). The lead single “Fast Car” was a Top 10 hit in both the U.S. and the U.K.; and Tracy Chapman won a clutch of Grammies in 1989 also. Remarkably, Michael Collings, a contestant on the television series Britain’s Got Talent performed the song in April 2011; and Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car” re-entered the U.K. charts and attained the same #4 peak as it had in 1988.
(January 2014)
