I Believe
A black-and-white image of a man facing forwards
Studio album by
Tim Burgess
Released8 September 2003
RecordedLate 2002
StudioFranklin Castle, Los Angeles, California
GenrePop soul
Length36:37
Label
ProducerLinus of Hollywood
Tim Burgess chronology
I Believe
(2003)		 Oh No I Love You
(2012)
Singles from I Believe
  1. "I Believe in the Spirit"
    Released: 25 August 2003
  2. "Only a Boy"
    Released: 3 November 2003

I Believe is the debut solo album by British rock musician Tim Burgess of the Charlatans, released on 8 September 2003 through the labels PIAS Recordings and Straight Trippin. Following promotion of the Charlatans' seventh studio album Wonderland (2001), Burgess started working with Linus of Hollywood. They recorded at the latter's place in Los Angeles, dubbed Franklin Castle, in late 2002. Burgess had co-written the majority of the songs with Linus. I Believe is a pop soul album that takes inspiration from the work of the Beach Boys, Curtis Mayfield and Joe Strummer.

I Believe received generally favourable reviews from music critics, many of whom praised the songwriting. It charted at number 28 in Scotland and number 38 in the United Kingdom, while "I Believe in the Spirit" reached number 44 and 54 in the UK, respectively. Before the album's release, Burgess went on a UK tour and performed at V Festival. At the end of this, "I Believe in the Spirit" was released as the album's lead single; "Only a Boy" followed in November 2003, which was promoted with another UK tour. I Believe was released in the United States through Koch Records; this was delayed due to the Charlatans promoting their eighth studio album Up at the Lake (2004).

Background and recording

The Charlatans released their seventh studio album Wonderland in September 2001 through Universal Records.[1] Promotion started with a tour of the United Kingdom in October 2001,[2] and ended with a supporting slot for Stereophonics and three headlining club shows in August 2002.[3] Frontman Tim Burgess wanted to continue writing, but the rest of the band members wanted a break. Around this time, he taught himself how to play guitar, though felt embarrassed to play it with others present. He expressed a desire to experiment with brass and string insturmentation.[4] In October 2002, Dotmusic reported that Burgess was recording on his solo debut studio album, linking up with Linus of Hollywood. The pair shared a management team; Linus was known for his work with Lil' Kim, Puff Daddy and the Smashing Pumpkins.[5] Burgess met Linus at The Cat & Fiddle pub,[6] located on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles.[7]

Days after this, the band denied potential rumours of them breaking up, explaining that the members are working on other projects, such as Burgess on his album.[8] I Believe was recorded at the Franklin Castle,[9] which was the name for Linus' apartment between Franklin Avenue and La Brea Avenue. As Burgess lived on the hills not far from Franklin, he would work there each day.[6] The project evolved from an acoustic EP of simply Burgess and a guitar, until strings were added. He then had the urge to include a brass a section; a trumpeter was brought in initially to play on one song, but it eventually featured on four of them.[10] After basic tracks were done, they showed the songs to other musicians they wished to have contribute to the recordings.[11] When others heard it, they said he should include a single-sounding track, prompting him to compose "Only a Boy", "Oh My Corazon" and "Say Yes".[10] In November 2002, Burgess took a break to go on a DJ tour of the UK;[12] as recording continued, Burgess had planned to have it completed by the Christmas period.[13] Linus served as the producer while Michael Patterson did additional production and mixed the album at Patty's House with assistance from Gary Dean.[9]

Composition and lyrics

Musically, the sound of I Believe has been described as pop soul,[14] taking influences from the work of the Beach Boys, Curtis Mayfield and Joe Strummer.[15] Burgess said Los Angeles, where he was living, served as inspiration for the album as it had for Wonderland and its predecessor Us and Us Only (1999) previously.[16] He wrote the majority of the tracks on the ground floor of his house in the city;[17] most of them were co-written with Linus.[9] AllMusic reviewer Stephen Thomas Erlewine said it was "recognizably the work of the Charlatans' leader -- there is a similar fondness for laid-back, easy-rolling classic rock, sunny hooks, a vague infatuation with lite dance rhythms".[18] When asked about the album title, Burgess said he "believe[s] in myself. I believe I've done a good job".[17] For Mark Vischer's saxophone parts, Burgess asked him to watch Lost Highway (1997), which he said had a "pretty intense solo sax scene".[19]

The opening track, "I Believe in the Spirit", has a 1970s West Coast atmosphere, with Burgess reprising his falsetto from the Wonderland track "Love Is the Key". It is a love song to Los Angeles,[20] where he relocated to a few years prior.[18] Discussing the song, Burgess said he "fell in love with the demeanour of almost everyone who works, serves and makes the place [Los Angeles] tick".[16] Burgess described "Held in Straps" as "quite an angry song about starting something and leaving a trail behind".[21] "Only a Boy" sees Burgess have nostalgia for being innocent in his youth and finding love, accompanied by what Jack Smith of BBC Music described as a "jangly pop backdrop, which is almost Caribbean in flavour".[22] musicOMH writer David Welsh considered it to Badly Drawn Boy, circa The Hour of Bewilderbeast (2000), because of the "jangly guitar layered over some lively brass sections".[23] Burgess said it was influenced by seeing homeless kids around Los Angeles.[24] With "We All Need Love", Burgess wanted to write something with a wide appeal, akin to boy band lyrics[25] Burgess wrote the lyrics to "Oh My Corazon" outside The Cat & Fiddle; he said he first heard the Spanish word Corazon in "Spanish Bombs" (1979) by the Clash.[7]

"Be My Baby" is driven by cello and harmonica instrumentation,[15] and features Burgess singing in falsetto again,[26] in the vein of the Beach Boys and Kate Bush.[27] He made a demo of it at a studio next door to The Cat & Fiddle while his friend Randy Billings was in attendance,[28] who would receive co-writing credit.[9] "Years Ago" is a country rock song[18] that emulates the style of Bob Dylan.[14] It was written at when Charlatans guitarist Mark Collins came to visit Burgess in Los Angeles, the pair had not seen one another for some time.[29] "Say Yes" is a string-enhanced soul song[18] that RTÉ.ie writer Anne-Louise Foley called "part disco and part Motown, it's 'Going Loco in Acapulco' with a mirror ball".[15] The tack piano and horn section in "Love to Spend the Night" earned it a comparison to the work of the Band and Van Dyke Parks.[30] It was the first track written for the album, and the sole one credited to only Burgess.[31] The initial demo of it lasted over eight minutes and was done with an engineer in a studio on Sunset Sunset Boulevard.[32] "Po' Boy Soul" deals with being driven;[33] it deals with the consequences of him living in Los Angeles as the Charlatans were based in the United Kingdom.[34] Burgess felt that the closing track, "All I Ever Do", recalled the work of Josh Schwartz,[35] while the ending evoked the sound of Crazy Horse.[36]

Release

In August 2003, Burgess embarked on a short tour of the UK,[37] leading up to a performance at V Festival;[38] his backing band was dubbed the Califrnian Angels.[17] "I Believe in the Spirit" was released as the lead single from his forthcoming album on 25 August 2003.[37] I Believe was released on 8 September 2003[14] through the labels PIAS Recordings and Straight Trippin.[9] The Japanese edition included a cover of Bob Marley's "Who the Cap Fit" (1976) and a radio session version of "Years Ago" as bonus tracks, alongside the music video for "Only a Boy".[39] "Only a Boy" was released as a single on 3 November 2003.[40] That same month, Burgess went on another tour of the UK.[41]

The US edition, released by Koch Records on 26 April 2005,[42] featured "Who the Cap Fit", "Rough Time" and "I Believe in the West Coast" as bonus tracks.[43] By the time it came out, the Charlatans had released their next album, Up at the Lake (2004), a year prior;[18] two songs on it, namely "Cry Yourself to Sleep" and "I'll Sing a Hymn (You Came to Me)", continued the sound of I Believe.[44] Burgess explained that he was unable to find a label for the US market when it was originally released, and while Koch had shown interest, he was busy with making Up at the Lake. When touring in support of that album ceased, Burgess focused on the US release of I Believe.[42] He celebrated it with a one-off show in Los Angeles with members of Starsailor, who were recording in the city, as his backing band.[45]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[18]
BBC Manchester8/10[46]
Drowned in Sound7/10[14]
The Guardian[26]
No Ripcord5/10[20]
PopMatters5/10[47]
RTÉ.ie[15]

Erlewine felt that after the last few Charlatans releases, I Believe was a "nice relief, and the entire record has an appealing, relaxed vibe that makes it a good soundtrack for a sunny afternoon". Though he mentioned that none of the individual tracks were particular memorable, "but as a whole, it's a nice, friendly record that proves that it was a good idea for Burgess to go it alone this time around".[18] Foley was equally impressed with the album, despite not liking Burgess' work with the Charlatans;[15] Neil McKay of the Belfast Telegraph said that it shared nothing with the Charlatans, "which is a good start".[48] Exclaim!'s Michael Edwards, meanwhile, said the "best songs are those that don't sound too different from the Charlatans, probably because that is when he sounds most comfortable".[49]

Drowned in Sound writer Gareth Dobson worried that it would be a "hackneyed old Dylan/country affair", and was relieved that it was "actually a very good collection of white boy pop soul". He considered the album's best moments to be when it "goes all out with massive arrangements and joyful tunes", singling out "Only a Boy" and "We All Need Love".[14] Aidin Vaziri of SFGATE was surprised that Burgess created a record that successfully honoured all of his influences "without simply falling breathlessly at their Cuban boot heels".[50] The staff at BBC Manchester wrote that it was a "decent album. There are moments when Burgess maybe should have reined himself in a little, but they are few and far between".[46]

Welsh said Burgess comes across as a "man indulging himself, eventually free of his band" and the lyrics were "competent, but nothing more really"[23] The Guardian's David Peschek highlighted a lyric from "I Believe in the Spirit" and followed it by saying that if that "doesn't make you wince, then the uncomfortable falsetto of Be My Baby, the lame white 1980s funk of Say Yes and the shocking banality of the chorus to Oh My Corazon probably will".[26] Peter Mattinson of No Ripcord said that the opening song was "unfortunately the best thing to be found here by some way" as the "songwriting talent that kept the Charlatans afloat during their darker days has seemingly deserted Burgess".[20]

I Believe charted at number 28 in Scotland[51] and number 38 in the UK.[52] In 2007, he estimated that it sold around 50,000 copies in the UK.[10] "I Believe in the Spirit" reached number 44 in the UK, while "Only a Boy" peaked at number 54.[53]

Track listing

Writing credits per booklet.[9]

I Believe track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."I Believe in the Spirit"
4:05
2."Held in Straps"
  • T. Burgess
  • Linus
2:51
3."Only a Boy"
  • T. Burgess
  • Linus
3:16
4."We All Need Love"
  • T. Burgess
  • Linus
3:56
5."Oh My Corazon"
  • T. Burgess
  • Linus
3:24
6."Be My Baby"
  • T. Burgess
  • Randy Billings
4:02
7."Years Ago"
2:10
8."Say Yes"
  • T. Burgess
  • Linus
3:04
9."Love to Spend the Night"T. Burgess4:13
10."Po' Boy Soul"
  • T. Burgess
  • Linus
1:56
11."All I Ever Do"
  • T. Burgess
  • Linus
3:45

Personnel

Personnel per booklet.[9]

Charts

Chart performance for I Believe
Chart (2003) Peak
position
Scottish Albums (OCC)[51] 28
UK Albums (OCC)[52] 38

See also

References

Citations

  1. ↑ Leeds, Neil (10 September 2001). "Wonderland by The Charlatans on Universal Music". Drowned in Sound. Archived from the original on 12 November 2004. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
  2. ↑ "Winter 'Wonderland'". NME. 14 August 2001. Archived from the original on 1 February 2023. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
  3. ↑ "Charlatans Announce More Shows". NME. 16 July 2002. Archived from the original on 1 February 2023. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
  4. ↑ Donohue, Alex (24 May 2006). "King of the Road: Tim Burgess". Gigwise. Archived from the original on 11 February 2023. Retrieved 11 February 2023.
  5. ↑ "Burgess Goes Solo". Dotmusic. 21 October 2002. Archived from the original on 7 January 2003. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
  6. 1 2 Burgess, Tim [@Tim_Burgess] (6 May 2020). "I met Linus of Hollywood and he seemed like a nice guy I met him at the Cat and Fiddle pub on sunset blvd We recorded in his flat on the corner of Franklin & La Brea. I lived in the hills up from Franklin and Cahuenga. I walked to the flat everyday" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 11 May 2020. Retrieved 5 February 2023 – via Twitter.
  7. 1 2 Burgess 2019, p. 129
  8. ↑ "Charlatans Deny Split". Dotmusic. 25 October 2002. Archived from the original on 7 January 2003. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Tim Burgess (2003). I Believe (booklet). PIAS Recordings/Straight Trippin. PIASB 099CD/941.0099.020.
  10. 1 2 3 McNeill, Jonjo (7 January 2007). "Charlatans - Interview". Pennyblackmusic. Archived from the original on 25 June 2022. Retrieved 18 February 2023.
  11. ↑ Burgess, Tim [@Tim_Burgess] (6 May 2020). "We recorded all the basic tracks in Linus of Hollywood's apartment and then took the masters to other musicians we thought would be amazing to have on the album" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 11 May 2020. Retrieved 5 February 2023 – via Twitter.
  12. ↑ "Club Tim!". NME. 4 November 2002. Archived from the original on 3 July 2021. Retrieved 8 February 2023.
  13. ↑ "Songs from the West Coast". NME. 26 November 2002. Archived from the original on 3 July 2021. Retrieved 8 February 2023.
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 Dobson, Gareth (1 September 2003). "Album Review: Tim Burgess - I Believe / Releases". Drowned in Sound. Archived from the original on 18 October 2021. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
  15. 1 2 3 4 5 Foley, Anne-Louise (9 September 2005). "Tim Burgess - I Believe". RTÉ.ie. Archived from the original on 1 February 2023. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
  16. 1 2 Burgess 2019, p. 125
  17. 1 2 3 Kalbitzer, Marcus (1 October 2003). "Tim Burgess Charlies' Angel" (in German). Westzeit. Archived from the original on 1 February 2023. Retrieved 5 February 2023.
  18. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Tim Burgess - I Believe Album Reviews, Songs & More". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 1 February 2023. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
  19. ↑ Burgess, Tim [@Tim_Burgess] (6 May 2020). "Roger Manning Jnr, Adam Marcelo & Probyn Gregory played on most of the album Michael Patterson mixed at his studio Patty's House on Melrose Sax by Mark Vischer – I asked him to watch Lost Highway [there is a scene where Fred Madison - Jams a pretty intense solo sax scene]" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 11 May 2020. Retrieved 5 February 2023 – via Twitter.
  20. 1 2 3 Mattinson, Peter (21 September 2003). "Tim Burgess I Believe". No Ripcord. Archived from the original on 1 February 2023. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
  21. ↑ Burgess, Tim [@Tim_Burgess] (6 May 2020). "Held In Straps - Quite an angry song about starting something and leaving a trail behind a fire starter who starts too many fires without someone wafting the flame or indeed putting any out" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 11 May 2020. Retrieved 5 February 2023 – via Twitter.
  22. ↑ Smith, Jack (2003). "Review of Tim Burgess - I Believe". BBC Music. Archived from the original on 1 February 2023. Retrieved 5 February 2023.
  23. 1 2 Welsh, David (8 September 2003). "Tim Burgess – I Believe". musicOMH. Archived from the original on 14 May 2013. Retrieved 5 February 2023.
  24. ↑ Burgess, Tim [@Tim_Burgess] (6 May 2020). "Only A Boy: lyrics inspired by the homeless kids in Los Angeles. There are lines about regret and fairness 'if I were only a boy again I would build a new shelter for all my friends to live in and I swear it would be no less grand than the place I am in' Forgot how good it is!" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 10 May 2020. Retrieved 5 February 2023 – via Twitter.
  25. ↑ Burgess 2019, p. 131
  26. 1 2 3 Peschek, David (29 August 2003). "Tim Burgess: I Believe". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 1 February 2023. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
  27. ↑ Burgess, Tim [@Tim_Burgess] (6 May 2020). "Was trying to reach high Kate Bush with a side order of Beach Boys" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 10 May 2020. Retrieved 5 February 2023 – via Twitter.
  28. ↑ Burgess, Tim [@Tim_Burgess] (6 May 2020). "Be my Baby - Demoed this at my friends Jim Henderson's music film overdubbing studio, next door to the cat n fiddle. Was always a good place to go after hours. My friend Randy was there - as I am sure was Harry The Dog" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 10 May 2020. Retrieved 5 February 2023 – via Twitter.
  29. ↑ Burgess, Tim [@Tim_Burgess] (6 May 2020). "Years Ago @thecharlatans came to my house. Mark was the first to arrive...by about 5 hrs. We hadn't seen each other for months. After an hour or so I showed him a new idea. We finished the song before the rest of the band arrived. It's only a short one" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 11 May 2020. Retrieved 5 February 2023 – via Twitter.
  30. ↑ "Album: Tim Burgess". The Independent. 5 September 2003. Archived from the original on 1 February 2023. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
  31. ↑ Burgess, Tim [@Tim_Burgess] (6 May 2020). "Love to spend the night - The first song to be written for the album, and the only song in the album credited to me on my own" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 10 May 2020. Retrieved 5 February 2023 – via Twitter.
  32. ↑ Burgess, Tim [@Tim_Burgess] (6 May 2020). "The first demo of this was over 8mins long and I recorded it very late with an engineer called Josh The Goth in a studio on Sunset Blvd - it was my first experience of a one on one with just me on acoustic guitar it was a gorgeous studio" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 11 May 2020. Retrieved 5 February 2023 – via Twitter.
  33. ↑ Burgess, Tim [@Tim_Burgess] (6 May 2020). "Po Boy Soul 'I am just a man who is trying to achieve the impossible' It's about being driven" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 11 May 2020. Retrieved 5 February 2023 – via Twitter.
  34. ↑ Burgess, Tim [@Tim_Burgess] (6 May 2020). "Felt quite Dylan(y) at the time. My situation was that I was in a uk band and was living in LA - it definitely wasn't without its complications I had many, many conflicting feelings about my situation. I hope I explain it in this song which I feel now is about escape" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 11 May 2020. Retrieved 5 February 2023 – via Twitter.
  35. ↑ Burgess, Tim [@Tim_Burgess] (6 May 2020). "All I Ever Do - will always remind me of Josh Schwartz. Josh was the electric guitarist when we played live. One of the best guitarists I've ever seen. Sadly he passed away a couple of years ago at home in LA after a long illness" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 10 May 2020. Retrieved 5 February 2023 – via Twitter.
  36. ↑ Burgess, Tim [@Tim_Burgess] (6 May 2020). "The end section became a kind of freestyle extended [crazy horse esq] monolith and this song took on a whole new meaning - almost the meaning of life" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 10 May 2020. Retrieved 5 February 2023 – via Twitter.
  37. 1 2 "Burgess Believes!". NME. 24 June 2003. Archived from the original on 3 July 2021. Retrieved 8 February 2023.
  38. ↑ "Review: Tim Burgess, NME Stage". Daily Gazette. 18 August 2003. Archived from the original on 1 February 2023. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
  39. ↑ Tim Burgess (2003). I Believe (booklet). Victor Entertainment, Inc. VICP 62651.
  40. ↑ Anonymous, Adam (2 November 2003). "Tim Burgess Only A Boy". Drowned in Sound. Archived from the original on 24 June 2021. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
  41. ↑ "The Charlatans Are Back in the Studio". NME. 2 December 2003. Archived from the original on 3 July 2021. Retrieved 8 February 2023.
  42. 1 2 "Charlatans' Burgess Believes In Solo Set". Billboard. 13 April 2005. Archived from the original on 1 February 2023. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
  43. ↑ Tim Burgess (2005). I Believe (booklet). Koch Records. KOC-CD-9676.
  44. ↑ Worsnip, Alex (26 May 2004). "The Charlatans - Up At The Lake". God Is in the TV. Archived from the original on 22 June 2013. Retrieved 5 February 2023.
  45. ↑ "Tim Burgess Fronts Starsailor!". NME. 29 April 2005. Archived from the original on 3 July 2021. Retrieved 12 February 2023.
  46. 1 2 "Tim Burgess - I Believe". BBC Manchester. 8 September 2003. Archived from the original on 6 December 2003. Retrieved 5 February 2023.
  47. ↑ Teegarden, Lance (16 June 2005). "Tim Burgess: I Believe". PopMatters. Archived from the original on 18 June 2005. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
  48. ↑ McKay, Neil (7 September 2003). "CD review: Tim nice not dim". Belfast Telegraph. Archived from the original on 1 February 2023. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
  49. ↑ Edwards, Michael (1 June 2005). "Tim Burgess I Believe". Exclaim!. Archived from the original on 1 February 2023. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
  50. ↑ Vaziri, Aidin (24 April 2005). "CD Reviews". SFGATE. Archived from the original on 1 February 2023. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
  51. 1 2 "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 6 February 2023.
  52. 1 2 "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 6 February 2023.
  53. ↑ "Tim Burgess / full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. 6 September 2003. Archived from the original on 6 October 2022. Retrieved 6 February 2023.

Sources

  • Burgess, Tim (2019). One Two Another: Line by Line – Lyrics from the Charlatans, Solo and Beyond. London: Constable. ISBN 978-1-4721-3031-0.
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