Pink Elephants

For other uses, see Pink elephant (disambiguation).

Pink Elephants
Studio album by
Mick Harvey
Released27 October 1997
RecordedJanuary 1995–January 1997
StudioSing Sing and Metropolis, Melbourne; Air Motion, Sydney; Townhouse III, London
GenreRock
Length46:45
LabelMute[1]
ProducerMick Harvey with Victor Van Vugt and Tony Cohen
Mick Harvey chronology
Intoxicated Man
(1995) 		Pink Elephants
(1997) 		One Man's Treasure
(2005)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]
Entertainment WeeklyB[3]

Pink Elephants is the second studio album by Mick Harvey, released on 27 October 1997. The album is Harvey's second in his series of Serge Gainsbourg interpretations/translations, preceded by Intoxicated Man and followed by Delirium Tremens and Intoxicated Women.[4][5][6]

Reception

Entertainment Weekly wrote that "Harvey’s English versions of Gainsbourg songs maintain the latter’s lounge-lizard perversions, hilarious existential angst, and theatrical grandeur."[3] Trouser Press called "I Love You...Nor Do I", the Anita Lane and Nick Cave duet, "erotic" and "the album’s centerpiece."[7]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Serge Gainsbourg, except where noted.

No.TitleWriter(s)TranslationLength
1."Pink Elephants"Mick Harvey, Bertrand Burgalat 2:35
2."Requiem..."Gainsbourg, Michel ColombierLarry Norman, Pierre Gottfried Imhof, & Harvey2:35
3."The Javanaise" Harvey2:30
4."Black Seaweed" Norman, Imhof, & Harvey)2:21
5."Comic Strip" Bill Soly2:42
6."The Ticket Puncher" Harvey & Alain Chamberlain2:50
7."Non Affair" Norman, Imhof, & Harvey2:30
8."Scenic Railway" Norman, Imhof, & Harvey2:52
9."To All the Lucky Kids" Norman, Imhof, & Harvey3:53
10."Anthracite" Norman, Imhof, & Harvey2:20
11."Manon" Norman, Imhof, & Harvey2:20
12."I Love You...Nor Do I" Harvey4:38
13."The Ballad of Melody Nelson"Gainsbourg, Jean-Claude VannierSarah Owen & Harvey1:56
14."Torrey Canyon" Owen & Harvey3:12
15."Who Is 'In' Who Is 'Out" Harvey & Chamberlain3:14
16."Hotel Specific"Gainsbourg, Jean-Claude VannierHarvey, Katy Beale, & Chamberlain3:42
Total length:46:45

Personnel

  • Mick Harvey – vocals, guitar, bass
  • Anita Lane – vocals on "I Love You...Nor Do I" and "The Ballad of Melody Nelson"
  • Nick Cave – vocals on "I Love You...Nor Do I"
  • Chris Hughes – drums
  • Nick Burton – violin
  • Steve Bentley-Klein – violin
  • James Cruickshank – organ, vocals
  • David McClymont – bass
  • Loene Carmen – backing vocals on "Torrey Canyon" and "Who Is 'In' Who Is 'Out'"
  • Monica McMahon – backing vocals on "Torrey Canyon" and "Who Is 'In' Who Is 'Out'"
  • Abigail Trundle – cello
  • Bertrand Burgalat – string arrangements
  • Kiernan Box – accordion on "The Javanaise"
  • Eleanor Gilchrist – violin
  • Theresa Whipple – viola
  • Jeremy Morris – violin
  • Sarah Beardsley – guitar

Technical

  • P.A. Taylor – sleeve layout
  • Katy Beale – photography

References

  1. ^ Schurr, Maria (11 July 2014). "Mick Harvey: Intoxicated Man / Pink Elephants, PopMatters".
  2. ^ "Pink Elephants - Mick Harvey | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic" – via www.allmusic.com.
  3. ^ a b "Pink Elephants". EW.com.
  4. ^ Lipez, Zachary (10 July 2016). "Mick Harvey and a Conversation with a Legend". VICE. Retrieved 13 December 2024.
  5. ^ "Mick Harvey Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic.
  6. ^ Kaufman, Gil. "Bad Seeds' Mick Harvey And The Pink Elephants". MTV News. Archived from the original on 6 January 2022.
  7. ^ "Mick Harvey". Trouser Press. Retrieved 6 January 2022.