City of Angels: Music from the Motion Picture is the soundtrack album for the film City of Angels, released by Warner Bros. Records on March 31, 1998.
Reception
Yahoo! Music's Craig Rosen, who called the album "a stroke of marketing genius", speculated that executive producer Rob Cavallo, who was head of Alanis Morissette and the Goo Goo Dolls' management firm, "was instrumental in making sure the soundtrack provided a nice set-up for the forthcoming Morissette and Goo Goo Dolls albums [Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie and Dizzy Up the Girl, respectively] ... Record executives and managers love big hits from soundtracks, especially when they dovetail into a new release by one of their artists. That's the case with both Morissette and the Goo Goo Dolls and it's not a mere coincidence." Bob Bell, a new release buyer for the Wherehouse Entertainment chain of stores in Torrance, California, said the marketing of the album was "amazing" and attributed its early strong sales to Morissette's "Uninvited". He said of the Goo Goo Dolls that the soundtrack "helped to re-establish them ... [it] brought them back into our minds". Robert Scally wrote of "Uninvited", "Placing exclusives on soundtracks ... has been a successful tactic for creating a buzz around the album while highlighting the musical artist".
Commercial performance The City of Angels soundtrack debuted at number 23 on the Billboard 200 chart on the issue dated 18 April 1998. The following week it entered the top ten at number seven and eventually reached the runner-up position for three weeks until it topped the charts in early June, selling 165,000 copies. City of Angels finished the year as the seventh highest-selling album of 1998. To date the soundtrack has sold 5.5 million units in the United States and has been certified five times Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.Searchable database of U.S. certifications. Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved on 24 January 2014. Additionally, it peaked at number three on the Canadian charts and has sold over 700,000 copies in the country.[ "City of Angels (Original Soundtrack) - Billboard Albums"]. Allmusic and Billboard. Retrieved on 28 January 2014.
Elsewhere, the soundtrack also performed well, reaching number one in Australia, Germany, New Zealand and Switzerland. It has been certified Platinum in Japan and multi-Platinum in Australia.
Singles Its two singles, the Goo Goo Dolls' "Iris" and Alanis Morissette's "Uninvited", were released to U.S. radio in March and were still receiving substantial radio airplay by the following August.Rosen, Craig. "'City' A Set-Up For New Alanis, Goo Goo Dolls Albums". Yahoo! Music. August 27, 1998. Retrieved November 11, 2006. An internet and radio leak of "Uninvited" in early March forced Warner Bros. to release the entire soundtrack to radio before it became available in stores. According to a publicity manager for Warner Music Canada, the measure was "an inconvenience" taken to stop radio stations from playing low-quality versions of the song downloaded from the internet.Cairney, Richard. "Cover Story" . SEE Magazine. March 19, 1998. Retrieved November 11, 2006. "Iris" reached number one on Billboard's Modern Rock Tracks, Top 40 Mainstream and Adult Top 40 charts in the U.S., and it spent a record amount of time atop the Hot 100 Airplay chart.Feniak, Jenny. "Dolls still dancing". Edmonton Sun. November 6, 2006. Retrieved November 11, 2006. "Uninvited" reached number one on the Top 40 Mainstream and peaked inside the top five on the Adult Top 40.
Track listing
Personnel
George Acogny – consultant Howie B – engineer and mixing James Barton – mixing Tony Berg – feedback John Bell – orchestration Dario Rossetti Bonell – acoustic guitar solo Carlos Bonnell – acoustic guitar solo Danny Bramson – soundtrack producer, music supervisor Francis Buckley – engineer Greg Burns – second engineer David Campbell – string arrangements Rob Cavallo – acoustic guitar Chris Chaney – bass Dickie Chappell – engineer and programming Jude Christodal – vocals and acoustic guitar Jason Cienkus – soundtrack coordinator Alan Coleman – assistant engineer Katherine Delaney – package design Meabh Flynn – assistant engineer Doug Frank – executive in charge of music for Warner Sunset Peter Gabriel – programming, bass, keyboards, and sampling Ben Georgiades – engineer Keith Grant – engineer Steve Griffen – additional engineering Isobel Griffiths – orchestra contractor Steve Hall – mastering Chris Haynes – second engineer Ben Hillier – mixing assistant Chris Hughes – feedback Paul Hulme – engineer Alan Jenkins – synthesizer programming Carl Kaller – film music editor Manu Katché – drums Paul Kimble – Chamberlin Rob Kirwan – assistant engineer Carys Lane – vocal soloist Nick Lashley – acoustic guitar Dave Lawson – synthesizer programming Gary LeMel – executive in charge of music for Warner Sunset Tony Levin – bass Jolie Levine-Aller – project coordinator Ling Ling Li – assistant music editor Brian MacLeod – drums Pat Magnarella – executive producer Clif Magness – electric guitar Dominique Mahut – percussion Mike Malinin – drums and percussion Pierre Marchand – engineer and mixing Conal Markey – assistant engineer and mixing assistant Metro Voices – choir Alanis Morissette – vocals Roger Moutenot – engineer and mixing Jamie Muhoberac – keyboards , piano Gary Novak – drums and percussion Jennie O'Grady – choir director Steve Osborne – mixing Matt Palmer – assistant engineer Tim Pierce – mandolin and electric guitar Damir Prcic – Chamberlin Jack Joseph Puig – mixing Harry Rabinowitz – conductor Robert Randles – music editor David Rhodes – guitar and feedback Carmen Rizzo – programming Georges Rodi – synthesizer programming Charles Roven – executive producer John Rzeznik – guitar and vocals Rafa Sardina – second engineer Bill Sewell – upright bass Allen Sides – engineer , mixing Kenneth Sillito – orchestra leader and violin soloist Ian Silvester – technical coordinator Mark "Spike" Stent – engineer and mixing Alex Swift – programming Robby Takac – bass Scott Welch – executive producer Kirsty Whalley – synthesizer programming Will White – percussion Rolf Wilson – orchestra leader and violin soloist Nick Wollage – assistant engineer Gabriel Yared – orchestration
Charts
Weekly charts Chart (1998)Peakpositionscope="row"scope="row"scope="row"scope="row"scope="row"scope="row" European Albums (Billboard) 2scope="row"scope="row" Irish Albums (IRMA) 9 Malaysian Albums (RIM) 4scope="row"scope="row"scope="row"scope="row"scope="row"scope="row"scope="row"Chart (2003)Peakposition
Year-end charts Chart (1998)PositionGerman Albums Chart25
End of decade charts Chart (1990–1999)Position U.S. Billboard 20049
Sales and certifications
See also Best-selling albums in the United States since Nielsen SoundScan tracking began Number-one albums of 1998 (U.S.)
References