White Ladder

White Ladder
Studio album by David Gray
Released	November, 1998 (See release history)
Recorded	1997
Genre	Folk rock
Length	52:37
Label	IHT
Producer	David Gray, Iestyn Polson, Craig McClune
Professional reviews
Allmusic [1] Entertainment Weekly (B)[2] NME (6/10)[3] Rolling Stone [4] Sputnikmusic (4/5)[5] The Guardian [6] The Observer (Positive)[7]
David Gray chronology
Sell, Sell, Sell (1996) White Ladder (1998) Lost Songs 95–98 (2000) Singles from White Ladder "This Year's Love" Released: 8 March 1999 "Babylon" Released: 12 July 1999 "Please Forgive Me" Released: 22 November 1999 "Babylon" Released: 12 June 2000 (re-issue) "Please Forgive Me" Released: 16 October 2000 (re-issue) "This Year's Love" Released: 5 March 2001 (re-issue) "Sail Away" Released: 16 July 2001 "Say Hello Wave Goodbye" Released: 17 December 2001

White Ladder is the multi-platinum selling^[8] fourth studio album by British singer-songwriter David Gray, first released in November 1998.

Background

The self-financed album was recorded in Gray's London apartment.^[9] To support the album, Gray toured the United States with the Dave Matthews Band, whose lead singer Dave Matthews released White Ladder in the US on his label ATO in 2000 as the label's first release.^[10] Following the album's success, he toured the US and UK extensively between 2000-01 to promote the album.^[11][12]

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").^[13] 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.^[14] The Japanese release includes the bonus track "Over My Head," which also appears as a B-side on the 1999 "Babylon" single.^[15]

Commercial reception

White Ladder was originally released on Gray's own label IHT Records in November 1998.^[16] However, it was only after its re-release in 2000 on ATO Records and the hit single "Babylon" did it sell 100,000 copies in Ireland alone, making it number one for six weeks^[17], and it remains the biggest selling album in Ireland.^[18] The album was #1 on the UK Albums Chart, two years and five months after its original release^[19], spending a total of 151 weeks on the chart.^[20] Aside from "Please Forgive Me," which charted at #72 on the UK Singles Chart, all other single releases charted within the Top 20:^[21] the re-released "Please Forgive Me" charted at #18, and "Say Hello Wave Goodbye" and "Sail Away" peaked at #26.

In the US, the album peaked at #35 on the Billboard 200, spending one whole year on the chart.^[22] The album earned Gray a nomination in the US at the 44th Grammy Awards for Best New Artist.^[23]

Singles

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

Track listing

All tracks written by Gray, unless otherwise noted.

Personnel

• David Gray – vocals, guitar, piano, keyboards, producer

Additional musicians

• Craig McClune – drums, vocals, keyboards, bass, producer
• Tim Bradshaw – keyboards
• Simon Edwards – bass
• Colm Mac Con Iomaire – violin

Technical personnel

• Iestyn Polson – producer, engineer, programmer
• Marius de Vries – additional production on "Sail Away"
• Steve Sidelnyk – additional programming on "Sail Away"
• Dave Turner – 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

References