Grave Dancers Union is the sixth studio album by American alternative rock band Soul Asylum, released on October 6, 1992, by Columbia Records. The album features the single "Runaway Train", which reached number five on the US Billboard Hot 100 and is the biggest hit of Soul Asylum's career. The album is certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America for sales of two million copies in the United States.
Overview During recording of Grave Dancers Union, producer Michael Beinhorn grew dissatisfied with drummer Grant Young's performance and brought in Sterling Campbell. He and Campbell would each wind up playing on half the record. Due to the band's reluctance to admit that a session musician was involved in the album's recording, Campbell was credited as "percussionist." Young would continue as the band's drummer for touring duties after the album was released, until he was dismissed and officially replaced by Campbell prior to the recording of their next album, Let Your Dim Light Shine.
The single "Runaway Train", released in June 1993, reached number five on the Billboard Hot 100 and won a Grammy Award for best rock song in 1994. Though the album had sold moderately well to that point, the breakout success of that single was a major factor in the album's eventual multi-platinum sales figures.
The album cover features a photograph by Czech photographer Jan Saudek titled "Fate Descends Towards the River Leading Two Innocent Children", which was taken in 1970.
The album's title comes from the line "I tried to dance at a funeral, New Orleans style, I joined the Grave Dancers Union, I had to file", from the song "Without a Trace".
Track listing
Personnel
Soul Asylum
Dave Pirner – lead vocals, rhythm guitar Dan Murphy – lead guitar, backing vocals Karl Mueller – bass Grant Young – drums
Additional musicians Sterling Campbell – percussion Booker T. Jones III – Hammond organ Kraig Johnson, Gary Louris – backing vocals Meridian String Quartet – strings Sonny Kompanek – arranger, conductor
Production Michael Beinhorn – arranger, celeste, glockenspiel, producer, horn arrangements Chris Shaw - engineer Eric Anderson, Bruce Ross – additional engineering David Michael Dill, Dan Gellert, Bill Smith – assistant engineers Andy Wallace – mixing David Leonard – mixing of "The Sun Maid" Steve Sisco – mixing assistant Wally Traugott – mastering Francesca Restrepo – art direction, design Jan Saudek – photography
Charts
Weekly charts + Weekly chart performance for Grave Dancers Union Chart (1992–1994) Peakposition Australian Albums (ARIA) 63
Year-end charts + Year-end chart performance for Grave Dancers Union Chart (1993) Position Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria) 22 German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) 49 Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) 27 US Billboard 200 35
Singles + Chart performance for singles from Grave Dancers Union Year Single Chart Position 1992 "Somebody to Shove" Modern Rock Tracks 1 1993 "Black Gold" Mainstream Rock Tracks 4 Modern Rock Tracks 6 "Runaway Train" Adult Contemporary 15 Mainstream Rock Tracks 3 Modern Rock Tracks 13 The Billboard Hot 100 5 Top 40 Mainstream 2 "Somebody to Shove" Mainstream Rock Tracks 9 "Without a Trace" 6 Modern Rock Tracks 27
Certifications
References