You can read Joan's indie past in this 1995 major release. She is a dynamic artist who defies categorization: alternative rock or 90's soul music? Her influences include Bonnie Raitt and Aretha Franklin, but voice, poetic style, and guitar tell a story of sisterhood with PJ Harvey. This woman is exuberantly insane -- not at all shy, she sings about her panties in a wad at the bottom of her purse and asks raw questions like 'What if God is one of us/Just a slob like one of us?' Joan's approach to music and reality is decidedly compelling!

Relish is the second album by Joan Osborne, released on March 21, 1995. It is her first studio album. It was nominated for Album of the Year at the 38th Grammys.

Background

Relish is a mixture of raw styles of contemporary folk, rock, and sometimes pop-rock sounds.

Its biggest hit single, "One of Us", was used as the theme to the 2003-2005 television series Joan of Arcadia, although the show used a re-recorded version rather than the original version. The album and the song were both nominated for multiple Grammies in 1996. The song was written by the album's producer, Eric Bazilian, noted for his Christian Pop contributions to the Hooters. The song was not originally intended to be recorded but is reported to have been offered by Bazilian as filler material.

"St. Teresa" and "Spider Web" were also nominated for Grammies. "St. Teresa" was denounced by the Catholic League as typical of an attitude that included Osborne advising fans to volunteer at Planned Parenthood, seen as pro-choice.

"Right Hand Man" is based around the opening guitar riff from "Clear Spot", a song by Captain Beefheart on the 1972 album of the same name, and so is credited in part to him.

"Man in the Long Black Coat" is a cover of the Bob Dylan song from his 1989 album Oh Mercy.

The final track, "Lumina", was used on the first episode of the HBO's hit show The Sopranos.

Personnel

*Joan Osborne – vocals, percussion, acoustic guitar

*Eric Bazilian – guitar, mandolin, chant, saxophone, harmonica, electric piano

*Mark Egan – bass

*Rob Hyman – piano, organ, synthesizer, Mellotron, backing vocals, drums on 6

*Andy Kravitz – drums, percussion

Additional personnel

*Rick DiFonzo – acoustic guitar on 2 8

*Sammy Merendino – drums on 2 9, rhythm collage on 7 8

*Chris Palmaro – electric piano on 2 8, organ on 7, virtual fiddle on 8, Mellotron on 8 9

*William Wittman – electric guitar on 2, guitar on 7

*Rick Chertoff – percussion on 3 5

*Leo Osborne – backing vocals on 3

*Lee Campbell – actual fiddle on 8

*Omar Hakim – drums on 8

*Gary Lucas – guitar on 8 9

*Wade Schurman – harmonica on 8 9

*Catherine Russell – backing vocals on 8

Charts

Album

Single

Certifications

Category:Joan Osborne albums

Category:1995 albums

Category:Mercury Records albums

it:Relish

pt:Relish

sv:Relish (musikalbum)

This text has been derived from Relish (album) on Wikipedia and is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License 3.0

Artist/Band Information

Joan Elizabeth Osborne (born July 8, 1962) is an American blues singer-songwriter. She is best known for her song "One of Us". She has toured with Motown sidemen, the Funk Brothers, and was featured in the documentary film about them, Standing in the Shadows of Motown.

Biography

Originally from Anchorage, Kentucky, a suburb of Louisville, Osborne moved to New York City in the late 1980s, where she formed her own record label, Womanly Hips, to release a few independent recordings. She signed with Mercury Records, and released her first full length album, Soul Show: Live at Delta 88, in 1991. Her second (and first major label) album was Relish (1995), which became a hit on the strength of the single "One of Us". Apart from this song, the rest of the album was steeped in country, blues and folk music. "Right Hand Man" and "St. Teresa" became minor hits following the success of "One of Us".

In 2001, Osborne appeared on Austin City Limits, singing material mainly from Righteous Love. In a brief interview segment at the end of the episode, Osborne reflects on her gladness to have gotten out of the limelight of her mid-90's stardom.

She was featured in the 2002 documentary film, Standing in the Shadows of Motown, and toured with Motown sidemen the Funk Brothers. She and her band accompanied the Dixie Chicks for a national tour in the summer of 2003, during which time she also joined veteran San Francisco jam-rockers The Dead as a vocalist, and released her fourth album, titled How Sweet It Is, a collection of classic rock and soul covers.

During 2005 and 2006, Osborne performed on numerous occasions with Phil Lesh and Friends. In February 2007, she appeared on the Grand Ole Opry.

In May 2007, she issued Breakfast in Bed, a return to the soul music that she had covered on How Sweet It Is. Breakfast in Bed also featured the two songs ("Heatwave" and "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted") that she had covered for the film Standing in the Shadows of Motown.

She sang lead vocals on the cover of "Spoonful" on Vivian Campbell's solo album Two Sides Of If. She also provided some vocals for "Wayfaring Stranger" on Spearhead's 1997 album Chocolate Supa Highway. She covered Dolly Parton's "Do I Ever Cross Your Mind" on the 2003 tribute album Just Because I'm a Woman: Songs of Dolly Parton. She is featured on the Holmes Brothers 2007 collection State of Grace performing "Those Memories of You", an old Allan O'Bryant and Bill Monroe bluegrass tune.

Osborne's latest album, Little Wild One, was released in September 2008. Osborne performs as a guest vocalist on Sgt. Pepper Live, the 2009 album and DVD by Cheap Trick.

Recently her song "One of Us" was performed by the cast of Glee in the episode "Grilled Cheesus".

Personal life

Osborne is openly bisexual. In her 2006 country music-influenced album, Pretty Little Stranger, the song "After Jane" is about having a relationship with a woman.

Osborne has a daughter who was born in December 2004.

Discography

Studio albums

Live albums

Compilation albums

Holiday albums

Singles

;Notes

*A

"I've Got to Use My Imagination" peaked at number 27 on the U.S. Billboard Jazz Songs chart.

References

This text has been derived from Joan Osborne on Wikipedia and is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License 3.0