White Ladder

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Biography

White Ladder is the multi-platinum selling fourth studio album by United Kingdom|British singer-songwriter David Gray (musician)|David Gray , first released in November 1998. Worldwide sales of the album stand at 7 million.

Background

The self-financed album was recorded in Gray's London apartment. To support the album, Gray toured the United States with the Dave Matthews Band , whose lead singer Dave Matthews released White Ladder in the United States on his label ATO Records|ATO in 2000 as the label's first release. Following the album's success, he toured the US and UK extensively between 2000-01 to promote the album.

A hidden track , "I Can't Get Through to Myself," can be found in the pregap of the original 1998 IHT Records release (by rewinding from the start of "Please Forgive Me"). The US CD release does not include the secret track, but instead includes the audio bonus track "Babylon II," as well as an enhanced section which includes a mini-documentary with a live performance of "Babylon," a brief biography and web links. The Japanese release includes the bonus track "Over My Head," which also appears as a B-side on the 1999 "Babylon" single.

Commercial reception

White Ladder was originally released on Gray's own label IHT Records in November 1998. However, it was only after its re-release in 2000 on ATO Records and the hit single "Babylon" that it sold 100,000 copies in Ireland alone, making it number one for six weeks, and it remains the biggest-selling album in Ireland. The album was #1 on the UK Albums Chart , two years and five months after its original release, http://www.billboard.com/#/news/gray-climbs-ladder-to-no-1-in-the-u-k-999161.story spending a total of 151 weeks on the chart. Aside from "Please Forgive Me," which charted at #72 on the UK Singles Chart , all other single releases charted within the Top 20: the re-released "Please Forgive Me" charted at #18, and "Say Hello Wave Goodbye" and "Sail Away" peaked at #26.

In the United States, the album peaked at #35 on the Billboard 200 , spending a whole year on the chart. The album earned Gray a nomination in the United States at the 44th Grammy Awards for Best New Artist.

Reflecting on White Ladder 's success in 2010, Gray stated: "I still pinch myself when I think about it. That record will be there for ever. It just connected in such a big way with people. It was the period that came after that was difficult. I'm sort of seen as a pop artist. I'm dismissed as slight, I'd say, because of White Ladder ."

White Ladder was the fifth best selling UK album of the 2000s. It sold has 2,940,575 units in the UK by July 24, 2011.

Singles

A total of five singles were released from the album: " This Year's Love (song)|This Year's Love " in March 1999 (re-issued in March 2001), " Babylon (David Gray song)|Babylon " in July 1999 (re-issued in June 2000), " Please Forgive Me (David Gray song)|Please Forgive Me " in November 1999 (re-issued in October 2000), " Sail Away (David Gray song)|Sail Away " in July 2001, and the Soft Cell cover " Say Hello, Wave Goodbye|Say Hello Wave Goodbye " in December 2001.

Track listing

All tracks written by David Gray (musician)|David Gray , unless otherwise noted.

Personnel

David Gray - vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, hi-strung guitar, piano, organ, synthesizers, Mellotron

;Additional musicians

Craig McClune – drums, tambourine, shakers, bass, organ, synthesizers, Mellotron, backing vocals

Tim Bradshaw – Fender Rhodes on track 2, synthesizers on tracks 3, 6 and 10, Mellotron on track 8

Simon Edwards – bass on tracks 3, 6 and 10

Colm Mac Con Iomaire – violin on track 6

Terry Edwards - string arrangements on track 11

;Technical personnel

Iestyn Polson – producer, Audio engineering|engineer , Programming (music)|programmer

Marius de Vries – additional production on "Sail Away"

Steve Sidelnyk – additional programming on "Sail Away"

Dave Turner – Audio mastering|mastering

Donal Dineen – photography

Phil Knott – photography

Quotations at the end of "Say Hello Wave Goodbye" are taken from "Into the Mystic" and "Madam George," written by Van Morrison .

Release history

Country	Date	Label	Format	Catalogue #
United Kingdom	November 1998	IHT Records	CD	IHT CD001
United Kingdom	1 May 2000	East West Records>EastWest	CD (re-issue)	8573-82983-2
United States	21 March 2000	ATO	CD (11 tracks/ enhanced)	07863 69351-2
Japan	11 October 2000	EastWest/ WEA	CD (11 tracks)	AMCE-7198

Copyright Citations

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1. Lost Songs 95-98 2. Gray, David

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