Sympathique is the first studio album by the American band Pink Martini. It was released on November 11, 1997, by the band's own record label, Heinz Records. As of 2013, it had sold over one million copies worldwide.
The first single, "Sympathique", was released in 1997 and was nominated as "Song of the Year" at the Victoires de la Musique Awards in France. The album has been certified Platinum in France and Greece and Gold in Canada, Switzerland, and Turkey.
20th Anniversary Edition In 2018, Sympathique: 20th Anniversary Edition was released by Heinz Records and its global licensees. Pink Martini's arrangement of Maurice Ravel's "Boléro" had been on the original release of "Sympathique" (track 9), but was removed from the album in subsequent reissues due to a legal dispute with the Ravel estate. With the work now in the public domain, the song was added back to the album for the 20th Anniversary Edition.
There are some name changes for the 20th Anniversary Edition. "Sympathique" (track 3) was renamed "Sympathique (Je ne veux pas travailler)". "Never on Sunday" was renamed "Children of the Piraeus". "Brazil" was renamed "Brasil".
Track listing
Some pressings of the album include "Donde Estas, Yolanda?" as performed by China Forbes instead of Pepe Raphael. "Bolero" is only available on the first pressing and the 20th Anniversary Edition. There are some name changes for the 20th Anniversary Edition. "Sympathique" (track 3) was renamed "Sympathique (Je ne veux pas travailler)". "Never on Sunday" was renamed "Children of the Piraeus". "Brazil" was renamed "Brasil".
Lyrics The first and second lines of the first verse and the first line of the chorus (″Je ne veux pas travailler″) of the song Sympathique are taken from Guillaume Apollinaire's poem ″Hôtel″ from Le guetteur mélancolique. The French composer Francis Poulenc used that poem as part of the lyrics for his 1940 composition Banalités, FP 107.
Personnel
China Forbes, vocals Pepe Raphael, vocals Gavin Bondy, trumpet Robert Taylor, trombone Aaron Meyer, violin David Eby, cello John Wager, bass Dan Faehnle, guitar Maureen Love, harp Doug Smith, vibes and percussion Richard Rothfus, bongos, drums, and percussion Brian Davis, congas, timbales & percussion Derek Rieth, congas & percussion Thomas Lauderdale, piano
Certifications and sales
References
External links Sympathique! – official album page, with audio samples