The latest Rufus Wainwright update via NME.com

[Naughty Zoot]

Frankly .... I'm more excited about his appearance @ the Hollywood Bowl in Sep recreating Judy: Live at Carnegie Hall than I am about the new album that Neil has Executive Produced but I figured I'd share this any way:

Rufus Wainwright reveals new album details
'Release the Stars' comes out in May

Rufus Wainwright has released details of his forthcoming album, 'Release the Stars'.

The troubadour produced his fifth studio album himself, with Pet Shop Boys' Neil Tennant handling executive production duties.

The follow up to 'Want Two' is scheduled to come out in May via Geffen Records.

Wainwright, a big fan of Judy Garland, has also announced that he will recreate the actress' 1961 Carnegie Hall performance at shows in London and Paris later this month, and at the Hollywood Bowl on September 23. Wainwright is also scheduled to perform at California's Coachella Festival on April 27.

'Release the Stars' tracklisting:

'Do I Disappoint You'
'Going to a Town'
'Tiergarten'
'Nobody's Off the Hook'
'Between My Legs'
'Rules and Regulations'
'I'm Not Ready to Love'
'Slideshow'
'Tulsa'
'Leaving for Paris'
'Sanssouci'
'Release the Stars'

The tour dates are:

London Palladium (February 18)
Paris L'Olympia (20)
London Palladium (25)
Indio Coachella Festival (April 27)
Hollywood Bowl (September 23)

[!]

California's Coachella Festival

I'd like to go to that sometime. It looks like the American version of Bestival (which is something else I wanna go to!)

'Release the Stars' tracklisting:

'Do I Disappoint You'
'Going to a Town'
'Tiergarten'
'Nobody's Off the Hook'
'Between My Legs'
'Rules and Regulations'
'I'm Not Ready to Love'
'Slideshow'
'Tulsa'
'Leaving for Paris'
'Sanssouci'
'Release the Stars'

Great titles! Really looking forward to the album

[Rusty]

So what does an executive producer do exactly?

[AlfonsoPSB]

Further info from the OS:

Rufus Wainwright will release his fifth album, Release the Stars, on Geffen on May 15th. Neil Tennant was the executive producer of the album and sings backing vocals on two tracks, "Tiergarten" and "I'm not ready to love". Full details about the album can be found on Wainwright's official site.

[Bulldog]

So what does an executive producer do exactly?

He's a connection figure between artistic work on studios or sets (which for instance on movie sets is controlled by director and photography director, and on recording studios by the artist and the producer of the record) and the financing decisions.
On movies and television, his role is more defined because he properly manages the money he's been given by production, and artistic work is tightly organized by EPs on various planning and schedules. He doesn't contribute to the financing of the movie, but he's properly making the day-by-day shooting schedule, for instance. So if the production gets over budget he's in charge of the deficit in front of the producers. An even more articulate EP, on television, is called a "line producer".
On music his role is slightly less defined as artists are more often involved on both financial and artistic production of their work, and the producer is commonly found in the studio having an input on artistic direction, so decisions are more often common than on other media. So musical EP is quite important, too, because he's both a co-producer and the responsibile of schedules. Of course if the artist does not produce his own work there can be a more conventional presence of an external producer different from artistic producer, and in this case the work of EP is more similar to the movie production-control kind of thing.

[Naughty Zoot]

Further info from the OS:
Neil Tennant was the executive producer of the album and sings backing vocals on two tracks, "Tiergarten" and "I'm not ready to love". Full details about the album can be found on Wainwright's official site.

Umm ... Can I modify my earlier observation? Now that I know Neil has provided backing vocals on 2 cuts, I'm much more excited about this release.

Frankly, Neil Executive Producing this project didn't really float my boat. Especially since I recall him (Neil) saying somewhere that his Executive Producer role consisted of him telling Rufus what he thought should be adjusted & Rufus ignoring him.

I was going to get this CD anyway but now I REALLY will get this CD.
And, as soon as tickets go on sale for the Hoollywood Bowl Judy show, I'll book that too.

[trussy74]

From the new issue of Q:

"Rufus Wainwright is tired of being a cult star. The acclaim that greeted his gloriously baroque twin albums Want One and Want two failed to translate into sales. Hence, with his self-produced fifth album, Release The Stars, the flamboyant New Yorker has toned down his high-art leanings in favour of mainstream appeal.

'I'm going for the sound of cash registers,' says Wainwright from his current base of operations in East London studio The Strong Room. 'That old Rufus snobbery and sophistication is still there, but there are some very accesssible, poppy songs.'

Instrumental in this new, commercially minded approach is Pet Shop Boys frontman Neil Tennant. An old friend of Wainwright, Tennant acted as executive producer and 'sounding board'. He also co-wrote one track (Tiergarten) and sings on another (I'm Not Ready To Love).

'Neil does love the sound of his own voice,' says Wainwright laughing. 'But there's intelligent stuff coming out, thank God .'

Recorded over twelve months in London, New York and Berlin, and mixed by Madonna associate Marius De Vries, Release The Stars is a typically confessional affair. Playful opener Do I Disappoint You? was inspired by some 'winning romps in the love department'. The title track was written after his mother, folk singer Kate McGarrigle, recovered from a serious illness that left Wainwright 'extremely traumatised'.

'Making it was very intense,' he says. 'There are a lot of peaks and troughs on the record.'

Wainwright rounded up a host of musician friends to flesh the album out. His sisters Martha and Lucy add backing vocals alongside fellow singer-songwriter Teddy Thompson, while the latter's father, British folk mainstay Richard Thompson, contributes guitar to several tracks. British actress Sian Phillips narrates Between The Legs.

'This album was made to be sold,' says Wainwright. 'So fasten your seat belts.'"

Nice photo of Rufus and Neil in the studio too.

[JellyKitten]

I was just going to post about that Q article!

Scanned it in if anyone wants to see:

Clicky

[!]

I didn't know he had a sister called Lucy I knew about Martha of course, but not Lucy.

I was just going to post about that Q article!

Scanned it in if anyone wants to see:

Clicky

FanQ

[Pani]

Clicky

Hehe, 'clicky' ...

Thanx for posting the scan.

'Neil does love the sound of his
own voice.' ...
Nice snapshot btw.