Wandering Spirit (album)
1993 studio album by Mick Jagger
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Wandering Spirit is the third solo album by Mick Jagger, released in 1993. It became his only solo album released in the 1990s, and was co-produced by Jagger with Rick Rubin. The album was commercially successful, reaching No. 12 in the UK and No. 11 in the US, getting a gold certification from the RIAA.
| Wandering Spirit | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 8 February 1993 | |||
| Recorded | February–September 1992 | |||
| Genres | ||||
| Length | 54:05 | |||
| Label | Atlantic | |||
| Producers | Mick Jagger and Rick Rubin | |||
| Mick Jagger chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Wandering Spirit | ||||
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Background
Following The Rolling Stones' Steel Wheels (1989), Jagger began writing new material for what would become Wandering Spirit. In January 1992, after landing Rick Rubin as co-producer, Jagger recorded the album in Los Angeles over seven months until September 1992, recording simultaneously as Keith Richards was making Main Offender.
Jagger kept the celebrity guests to a minimum on Wandering Spirit, only having Lenny Kravitz as a vocalist on his cover of Bill Withers' "Use Me" and bassist Flea from Red Hot Chili Peppers on three tracks.
Following the end of The Rolling Stones' Sony Music contract and their signing to Virgin Records, Jagger elected to sign with Atlantic Records (which had signed the Stones in the 1970s) to distribute what would be his only album with the label.
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [5] |
| Christgau's Consumer Guide |  [6] |
| Entertainment Weekly | B+[7] |
| Los Angeles Times |  [8] |
| NME | 6/10[9] |
| Rolling Stone | [10] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [11] |
| Select |   [12] |
| USA Today | [13] |
Released in February 1993, Wandering Spirit was commercially successful, reaching No. 12 in the UK and No. 11 in the US, going gold there. The track "Sweet Thing" was the lead single, although it was the second single, "Don't Tear Me Up", which found moderate success, topping Billboard's Album Rock Tracks chart for one week. Critical reaction was very strong, noting Jagger's abandonment of slick synthesizers in favour of an incisive and lean guitar sound.[citation needed]
Track listing
All tracks are written by Mick Jagger, except where noted.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Wired All Night" | 4:05 | |
| 2. | "Sweet Thing" | 4:19 | |
| 3. | "Out of Focus" | 4:36 | |
| 4. | "Don't Tear Me Up" | 4:11 | |
| 5. | "Put Me in the Trash" | Jagger, Jimmy Rip | 3:35 |
| 6. | "Use Me" | Bill Withers | 4:28 |
| 7. | "Evening Gown" | 3:33 | |
| 8. | "Mother of a Man" | 4:18 | |
| 9. | "Think" | Lowman Pauling | 2:59 |
| 10. | "Wandering Spirit" | Jagger, Rip | 4:18 |
| 11. | "Hang On to Me Tonight" | 4:37 | |
| 12. | "I've Been Lonely for So Long" | Posie Knight, Jerry Weaver | 3:29 |
| 13. | "Angel in My Heart" | 3:24 | |
| 14. | "Handsome Molly" | Traditional | 2:06 |
| Total length: | 53:58 | ||
Personnel
- Mick Jagger – vocals, clavinet, guitars, harmonica, percussion, arrangements (14)
- David Bianco – Moog synthesizer
- Billy Preston – acoustic piano, organ, clavinet
- Benmont Tench – acoustic piano, organ
- Matt Clifford – harpsichord, virginal, string arrangements and conductor
- Brendan O'Brien – guitars
- Jimmy Rip – guitars, percussion, arrangements, music director
- Frank Simes – guitars
- Jay Dee Maness – pedal steel guitar
- John Pierce – bass guitar (1, 4, 5, 7–11, 13, 14)
- Doug Wimbish – bass guitar (2)
- Flea – bass guitar (3, 6, 12)
- Curt Bisquera – drums (1–6, 8–14)
- Jim Keltner – drums (7)
- Lenny Castro – percussion
- Courtney Pine – saxophones
- Robin McKidd – fiddle
- Lynn Davis – backing vocals
- Jean McClain – backing vocals
- Jeff Pescetto – backing vocals
- Sweet Singing Cava-Leers – backing vocals
- Lenny Kravitz – vocals (6)
Production
- Mick Jagger – producer
- Rick Rubin – producer
- David Bianco – engineer (1–12), mixing
- Manu Guiot – engineer (13)
- John Brough – engineer (14)
- Jim Champagne – assistant engineer
- Steve Holroyd – assistant engineer
- Peter Lewis – assistant engineer
- Steve Musters – assistant engineer
- Dave Rouze – technical assistance
- Stephen Marcussen – mastering at Precision Mastering (Los Angeles, California)
- Janice Crotch – album coordinator
- Arnold Dunn – musician and studio liaison
- Melanie Nissen – art direction
- Richard Bates – design
- Valerie Wagner – design assistant
- Annie Leibovitz – photography
Charts
Weekly charts
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Year-end charts
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Certifications and sales
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Argentina (CAPIF)[29] | Platinum | 60,000^ |
| Austria (IFPI Austria)[30] | Gold | 25,000* |
| Canada (Music Canada)[31] | Gold | 50,000^ |
| Germany (BVMI)[32] | Gold | 250,000^ |
| France (SNEP)[33] | Gold | 100,000* |
| Netherlands (NVPI)[34] | Gold | 50,000^ |
| New Zealand (RMNZ)[35] | Gold | 7,500^ |
| Spain (Promusicae)[36] | Gold | 50,000^ |
| Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[37] | Gold | 25,000^ |
| United States (RIAA)[38] | Gold | 500,000^ |
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* Sales figures based on certification alone. | ||