Neil's work on Rufus Wainwright's Release the Stars
Neil served as executive producer—a role originally described as "consulting producer"—for Rufus Wainwright's superb fifth album Release the Stars, released in May 2007. Based on statements made by Neil and/or Rufus, his overall contribution as such seems to have been primarily to listen to recorded tracks and then to make suggestions for possible improvements, which Rufus—as performer, songwriter, and self-producer—was free to take or leave. As Rufus told interviewer Gregg Sharpiro of the Bay Area Reporter (May 10, 2007):
[Neil] came into the studio a couple of times, and he was also there for mixing. He was basically my advisor. He has a really incredible take on what popular music means in today's world. He has equal respect for it as he has for high culture. He was a good sort of filter for me to bounce things off and see what went through the hole!
Neil, for his part, told Craig McLean of The Word (April 2007):
I asked [Rufus] why he thought of me…. He said, you always tell the brutal truth. So I followed that.… The songs were all very strong right from the word go. The demos were quite folky and sounded great, but it was interesting to see them transformed into a bigger orchestral sound.
Our roaming Pet Shop Boy did, however, play a larger role on several of the album's tracks, noted as follows.
Do I Disappoint You?
by Rufus Wainwright
Writers - Rufus Wainwright
First released - 2007
Original album - Release the Stars (Wainwright)
Producer - Rufus Wainwright
Subsequent albums - (none)
Other releases - (none)
This, the opening track on Rufus Wainwright's album Release the Stars, credits Neil with providing "samples" and "loops." In fact, as revealed in an interview with Ian Peel in the April 2009 issue of Record Collector, Neil is responsible for the very first sounds heard on the album. Those strange, deep "scraping" sounds at the start of the song are a didgeridoo (an Australian aboriginal wind instrument) played by Neil on a keyboard sampler.
Tiergarten
by Rufus Wainwright
Writers - Rufus Wainwright
First released - 2007
Original album - Release the Stars (Wainwright)
Producer - Rufus Wainwright
Subsequent albums - (none)
Other releases - single (didn't chart)
This is the second of the tracks on Rufus Wainwright's album Release the Stars on which Neil performs more than just the role of executive producer. The title, "Tiergarten," refers to a park by that name in Berlin. In fact, it's the oldest and largest public park in the city—not to mention a popular gay cruising area. (A Berlin city borough also takes its name from the park, but I believe Rufus is referring to the park itself, not the borough.)
Neil provides lilting, somewhat "skipping" falsetto backing vocals as well as "breathing," the latter of which surprisingly serves as the rhythmic underpinning of this lovely, thoroughly charming song. Accompanying Neil on "breathing" is frequent Rufus collaborator Marius de Vries.
Rufus had originally arranged this number as a slow, ponderous ballad. But Neil, finding it rather boring, suggested that he pick up the tempo and make it lighter—advice that Rufus followed, much to the song's benefit.
This song was released in late October 2007 as the third single from the album, following "Going to a Town" and "Rules and Regulations."
Rules and Regulations
by Rufus Wainwright
Writers - Rufus Wainwright
First released - 2007
Original album - Release the Stars (Wainwright)
Producer - Rufus Wainwright
Subsequent albums - (none)
Other releases - single (didn't chart)
The third song from Release the Stars to feature recorded support by Neil—in this case, synthesizer and, again, backing vocals. As Rufus told Q magazine, "Neil does love the sound of his own voice.… But there's intelligent stuff coming out, thank God."
Accompanied by a charming video in which Rufus mimes the song wearing long underwear—trust me, it makes total sense in the context of the video—it was released in the U.K. but not in the U.S. as the second single from the album in July 2007.
Not Ready to Love
by Rufus Wainwright
Writers - Rufus Wainwright
First released - 2007
Original album - Release the Stars (Wainwright)
Producer - Rufus Wainwright
Subsequent albums - (none)
Other releases - (none)
This is the fourth and final song on Release the Stars with audible, credited input from Neil, who supplied backup vocals, generic "keyboard" and, most interestingly, vibes—the first reference that I'm aware of to Neil playing that particular instrument, more formally known as the vibraphone, akin to an electrified marimba or xylophone.
List cross-references
- One of these songs is mentioned in the entry for Rufus Wainwright in my list of "Artists with whom PSB have collaborated."
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