| Voices of the W.I. | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Studio album by | |
| Released | 25 October 2010 |
| Recorded | July–September 2010 Abbey Road Studios, London |
| Genre | Pop |
| Label | Universal |
| Singles from Voices of the W.I. | |
| |
Voices of the W.I. is the debut album by Women's Institute-founded British group The Harmonies, released on 25 October 2010[1] by Universal Music. The album is a collection of covers, including the Women's Institute theme song "Jerusalem", as well as two new songs. The album's first single, "Jerusalem" was released on 12 December 2010.[2]
History
The five members of the band were picked in July 2010 and following a £1 million record deal signed with Universal,[3] work on the album began immediately in Abbey Road Studios, London.[4] The album was finished by September 2010, around the time the line-up of the band was announced.
Promotion
The group appeared on many UK TV and radio shows including Daybreak, This Morning,[5] QVC, The One Show and BBC Radio 2, to name a few, over September and October 2010. Dates for a national arena tour have yet to be announced for early 2011.
Reviews
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Express |   [6] |
The Express newspaper gave the album a favourable review of three out of five, stating that "the voices are a delight and the production sweet but it’s the song choices that make this a winner, from the WI theme tune Jerusalem through You’ve Got a Friend, Wonderful World and Annie’s Song" saying further that the album is "even more delicious than a pot of home-made jam".[7]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Original artist | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Jerusalem" | Hubert Parry | Traditional | 3:10 |
| 2. | "Wonderful World" | Bob Thiele, George David Weiss | Louis Armstrong | 3:03 |
| 3. | "You've Got a Friend" | Carole King | James Taylor | 4:22 |
| 4. | "When I Fall in Love" | Victor Young, Edward Heyman | Doris Day | 2:44 |
| 5. | "Dream a Little Dream" | Fabian Andre, Wilbur Schwandt, Gus Kahn | Ozzie Nelson | 2:55 |
| 6. | "Annie's Song" | John Denver | John Denver | 2:39 |
| 7. | "The Best That I Can Be" | Philip Tennant, John Farmer | Original | 3:25 |
| 8. | "Imagine" | John Lennon | John Lennon | 2:42 |
| 9. | "Wild Mountain Thyme" | William McPeake | Van Morrison | 4:00 |
| 10. | "Smile" | John Turner, Geoffrey Parsons | Charlie Chaplin | 2:13 |
| 11. | "Teach Your Children" | Graham Nash | Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young | 2:53 |
| 12. | "The Curve of the Earth" | ?? | ?? | 4:30 |
| 13. | "Reach Out and Touch (Somebody's Hand)" | Nickolas Ashford, Valerie Simpson | Diana Ross | 3:54 |
| 14. | "Jerusalem (Reprise)" | 2:59 |
Charts
| Chart (2010) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Albums Chart | 42[8] |
References
- ↑ Amazon.com: Voices of the Wi: Harmonies: Music
- ↑ The Harmonies for No. 1 at Christmas
- ↑ Universal sign Women's Institute group
- ↑ I joined Women's Institute for company... now I've got £1m record deal
- ↑ Gino D'Acampo and The Harmonies have a scone bake-off
- ↑ "Review: Voices of the WI". Express. Retrieved 28 October 2010.
- ↑ Express.co.uk - Home of the Daily and Sunday Express | Music :: Review: Voices of the WI: The Harmonies (Island)
- ↑ Harmonies - Voices Of The Wi - Music Charts acharts.us