"Shag Tobacco" - Friday, Gavin
Album
U2 Related Content:
- "Little Black Dress" (Studio Version) - Gavin Friday with Bono & The Edge (04:29)
Full Track Listing:
- Shag Tobacco (4:33)
- Caruso (5:33)
- Angel (4:11)
- Little Black Dress (4:29)
- The Slider (3:16)
- Dolls (4:10)
- Mr. Pussy (3:40)
- You, Me and World War III (4:39)
- Kitchen Sink Drama (5:57)
- My Twentieth Century (5:08)
- The Last Song I’ll Ever Sing (3:48)
- Le Roi D’Amour (3:53)
Background Information
Gavin Friday has been a friend of U2 since his early childhood, hanging around with Bono. He’s worked extensively with Bono on projects throughout the years, and has been a consultant on various U2 tours. He is also an artist with a solo career, after many years fronting the band The Virgin Prunes. This album, “Shag Tobacco” was his third solo album, and was released in August of 1995. The album itself was the first album which featured any appearance by a member of U2. Both Bono and The Edge are present to sing backing vocals on the song “Little Black Dress”. “Shag Tobacco” was produced by Tim Simenon, who had previously worked with Bono and Gavin Friday on the soundtrack, and single, “In the Name of the Father”. Bono and the Edge are both listed in the credits for the song, and are also listed as “Tobacconists” later in the album notes among a list of contributors.
Another song on the album has some slight U2 ties. To the keen eyed viewers of the “Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me” animated videos the name, “Mr. Pussy” might ring a bell. It is the club you see the animated members of U2 pass by. Mr. Pussy was a bit of a local celebrity in Dublin, and the hostess of Gavin’s now defunct cafe.
The packaging of this release was interesting, in that the large area that would normally be used to hold the back cover instead is used for the front cover of the album, and the booklet insert is placed so that the barcode and the track listing, as well as album credits are visible. An alternate front cover is found on the other side of the booklet.
This album would be Gavin Friday’s last full length release on Island Records, and his next album, “Catholic” would not be released until 2011 on another label.
Liner Notes
Little Black Dress:
Gavin Friday: Vocals. Maurice Seezer: Accordian, piano, keyboards, drum programming. Renaud Pion: Baritone sax, ewi, toy sax. Erik Sanko: Bass. Dave Clayton: Keyboards. Danny Cummings: Percussion. Loretta Heywood: Backing vocals. Bono ‘N’ Edge: Backing vocals. Tim Simenon: Drum programming. Written and arranged by Gavin Friday and Maurice Seezer. Produced by Tim Simenon with Gavin Friday and Maurice Seezer. Mixed by Tim Simenon. Recorded at Westside Studios, London, Eastcote Studios, London. Recording and mix engineer: Q. Programming engineer: Don Hozz. Assistant engineers: Lee Philips and Lee Boy.