Atlantic Crossing

For TV series, see Atlantic Crossing (TV series).
See also: Transatlantic crossing

Atlantic Crossing
Studio album by
Rod Stewart
Released15 August 1975 (1975-08-15)
RecordedApril–June 1975
Studio
GenrePop rock
Length44:27
Label
ProducerTom Dowd
Rod Stewart chronology
Smiler
(1974) 		Atlantic Crossing
(1975) 		A Night on the Town
(1976)
Singles from Atlantic Crossing
  1. "Sailing"
    Released: 8 August 1975 (UK)[1]
  2. "This Old Heart of Mine"
    Released: November 1975 (UK)[2]

Atlantic Crossing is the sixth solo album by Rod Stewart. Released on 15 August 1975,[3] and recorded in five American studios including Muscle Shoals, Alabama, between April and June 1975, it was produced by Tom Dowd, and peaked at number one in the UK (his fourth solo album to do so), and number nine on the Billboard Top Pop Albums chart.[4][5] During 1975 Stewart moved to Los Angeles, switched record labels to Warner Brothers, and ended his association with Ronnie Wood, Ian McLagan and the stable of musicians who had been his core collaborators on his albums for Mercury Records.

The album was divided into a fast side and a slow side, apparently at the suggestion of Stewart's then-girlfriend, Swedish actress Britt Ekland. Stewart would repeat the format for his next two albums. The album contained two of Stewart's most popular songs, "Sailing" and "I Don't Want to Talk About It”, and classic rock favourites "Three Time Loser" and "Stone Cold Sober". The album was the 14th of Stewart's career, starting with Jeff Beck's Truth in 1968, and his sixth solo.

Recording

The album was recorded in five different American studios: A&R (New York), Criteria (Miami), Wally Heider's Studio 3 (Hollywood), Hi Recording Studio (Memphis), and Muscle Shoals (Alabama) between April and June 1975, and produced by Tom Dowd, who had been the engineer or producer for many of Stewart's heroes during Dowd's time at Atlantic Records.

With Atlantic Crossing, Stewart ended his association with Ronnie Wood, Ian McLagan and the stable of musicians who had been his core collaborators on his classic run of albums for Mercury Records, fusing soul and folk. Instead, he used a group of session musicians, including The Memphis Horns and Booker T. and the MG's. The only song performed from this album on The Faces' final US tour in autumn 1975 was "Three Time Loser", and the rest of the group heavily disliked Stewart's change in musical direction on this album. Following the success of the album, and his move to the U.S., Stewart announced his exit from the Faces by the end of the year.

Release

"Sailing" was a number one hit in the UK in September 1975, and returned to the UK Top 3 a year later when it was used as the theme for the BBC series Sailor; both acoustic and electric guitars in the song were played by Pete Carr.[6] In 1977, almost two years after the album was released, Stewart scored another UK number one from the album with the double A-side single "I Don't Want to Talk About It" and "The First Cut Is the Deepest" (from the album A Night on the Town - 1976).

In 2009, Rhino Records released a two-disc version of the album with bonus tracks.

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[7]
Christgau's Record GuideB+[8]
Rolling Stone(average)[9]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[10]

Track listing

Fast Side (Side One)

  1. "Three Time Loser" (Rod Stewart) – 4:03
  2. "Alright for an Hour" (Stewart, Jesse Ed Davis) – 4:17
  3. "All in the Name of Rock 'N' Roll" (Stewart) – 5:02
  4. "Drift Away" (Mentor Williams) – 3:43
  5. "Stone Cold Sober" (Stewart, Steve Cropper) – 4:12

Slow Side (Side Two)

  1. "I Don't Want to Talk About It" (Danny Whitten) – 4:47
  2. "It's Not the Spotlight" (Barry Goldberg, Gerry Goffin) – 4:21
  3. "This Old Heart of Mine" (Lamont Dozier, Brian Holland, Eddie Holland, Sylvia Moy) – 4:04
  4. "Still Love You" (Stewart) – 5:08
  5. "Sailing" (Gavin Sutherland) – 4:37

2009 two disc re-release

Disc one

Track 1 – 10 features the original album.
  2. "Skye Boat Song (The Atlantic Crossing Drum & Pipe Band)" (Harold Boulton, Annie MacLeod) 4:13

Disc two

  1. "To Love Somebody" (with Booker T. & The MG's) (Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb) – 4:12
  2. "Holy Cow" (with Booker T. & The MG's) (Allen Toussaint) – 3:16
  3. "Return to Sender" (with Booker T. & The MG's) (Otis Blackwell, Scott Winfield) – 3:42
  4. "Three Time Loser" [Alternate Version] (Stewart) – 4:40
  5. "Alright for an Hour" [Alternate Version] (Stewart, Davis) – 4:36
  6. "All in the Name of Rock 'n' Roll" [Alternate Version] (Stewart) – 5:00
  7. "Drift Away" [Alternate Version] (Williams) – 3:58
  8. "Too Much Noise" [Early Version of "Stone Cold Sober"] (Stewart, Cropper) – 3:24
  9. "I Don't Want to Talk About It" [Alternate Version] (Whitten) – 4:56
  10. "It's Not the Spotlight" [Alternate Version] (Goldberg, Goffin) – 4:27
  11. "This Old Heart of Mine" [Alternate Version] (with Booker T. & The MG's) (Holland-Dozier-Holland, Moy) – 3:54
  12. "Still Love You" [Alternate Version] (Stewart) 4:57
  13. "Sailing" [Alternate Version] (Sutherland) 4:39
  14. "Skye Boat Song (The Atlantic Crossing Drum & Pipe Band)" [Alternate Version] (Boulton, MacLeod) 4:20

Personnel

String arrangements by Arif Mardin and James Mitchell

Album design and art direction by John Kosh; illustration by Peter Lloyd[11]

Charts

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[32] 4× Platinum 400,000[31]
Germany (BVMI)[33] Gold 250,000^
Hong Kong (IFPI Hong Kong)[34] Gold 10,000*
Sweden (GLF)[35] Gold 200,000[36]
United Kingdom (BPI)[37] Platinum 300,000^
United States (RIAA)[38] Gold 500,000^

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ^ "BPI certifications".
  2. ^ "Rod Stewart singles".
  3. ^ "Rod Sails On". Record Mirror. 2 August 1975. p. 4.
  4. ^ "Rod Stewart > Artists > Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved 1 May 2013.
  5. ^ "AllMusic: Atlantic Crossing : Charts & Awards : Billboard Albums". AllMusic. Retrieved 1 May 2013.
  6. ^ a b from Pete Carr's official site "Index". Archived from the original on 13 February 2012. Retrieved 24 May 2012..
  7. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. Atlantic Crossing at AllMusic
  8. ^ Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: S". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved 13 March 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
  9. ^ Rolling Stone review
  10. ^ "Rolling Stone Album Guide". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 5 January 2013. Retrieved 24 August 2017.
  11. ^ "Rod Stewart Atlantic Crossing Mirror - 12 5/8" by 12 5/8" | #1887462814".
  12. ^ a b c Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  13. ^ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 4075a". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 3 November 2021.
  14. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Rod Stewart – Atlantic Crossing" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 November 2021.
  15. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Rod Stewart – Atlantic Crossing" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 3 November 2021.
  16. ^ Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970–2005. Roppongi, Tokyo: Oricon Entertainment. 2006. ISBN 4-87131-077-9.
  17. ^ "Charts.nz – Rod Stewart – Atlantic Crossing". Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 November 2021.
  18. ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Rod Stewart – Atlantic Crossing". Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 November 2021.
  19. ^ Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
  20. ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Rod Stewart – Atlantic Crossing". Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 November 2021.
  21. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 3 November 2021.
  22. ^ "Rod Stewart Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 3 November 2021.
  23. ^ "Dutch charts jaaroverzichten 1975" (ASP) (in Dutch). Retrieved 2 April 2014.
  24. ^ "Top Selling Albums of 1975 — The Official New Zealand Music Chart". Recorded Music New Zealand. Retrieved 3 November 2021.
  25. ^ "The Official UK Charts Company : ALBUM CHART HISTORY". Archived from the original on 16 December 2007. Retrieved 16 December 2007.
  26. ^ "Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. 1976. Archived from the original on 3 November 2021. Retrieved 2 April 2022.
  27. ^ "Top Selling Albums of 1976 — The Official New Zealand Music Chart". Recorded Music New Zealand. Retrieved 8 November 2021.
  28. ^ "Top 50 Albums of 1976" (PDF). Music Week. 25 December 1976. p. 14. Archived (PDF) from the original on 9 March 2021. Retrieved 30 November 2021 – via worldradiohistory.com.
  29. ^ "Top Selling Albums of 1977 — The Official New Zealand Music Chart". Recorded Music New Zealand. Retrieved 8 November 2021.
  30. ^ "Top Selling Albums of 1978 — The Official New Zealand Music Chart". Recorded Music New Zealand. Retrieved 26 January 2022.
  31. ^ Baker, Glen A. (28 May 1983). "Australia - Explosive Talent Gains Temper Year of playing Dangerously" (PDF). Billboard. p. A-3. Retrieved 31 October 2020 – via World Radio History.
  32. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 1996 Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association.
  33. ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Rod Stewart; 'Atlantic Crossing')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved 16 February 2012.
  34. ^ "IFPIHK Gold Disc Award − 1979". IFPI Hong Kong. Retrieved 17 October 2019.
  35. ^ "Night on the Town" (PDF). Cash Box. 18 December 1976. p. 47. Retrieved 11 November 2019.
  36. ^ "WEA gets foothold with Metronome purchase" (PDF). Music Week: Supplement 9. 19 April 1980. Retrieved 23 December 2021.
  37. ^ "British album certifications – Rod Stewart – Atlantic Crossing". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 16 February 2012.
  38. ^ "American album certifications – Rod Stewart – Atlantic Crossing". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 16 February 2012.