Émigré (album)


Émigré is the debut solo studio album by Australian singer-songwriter Wendy Matthews released by rooArt in Australia in November 1990. It was produced by Ricky Fataar and reached No. 11 on the Australian Albums Chart. It yielded three singles: "Token Angels", "Woman's Gotta Have It" and "Let's Kiss ". Matthews won the 'Best Female Artist' award at the ARIA Music Awards of 1991, and "Token Angels" won 'Breakthrough Artist – Single'.

Background

Wendy Matthews completed her touring commitments for the new wave group Absent Friends in mid-1990. She went into the studio with producer Ricky Fataar to record her debut solo album, Émigré. Her session musicians included Absent Friends' members Garry Gary Beers on bass guitar, Andrew Duffield on keyboards, Sean Kelly on guitar, Roger Mason on keyboards, James Valentine on saxophone, and Mick King on guitar. She also enlisted Tim Finn and Peter Blakeley on backing vocals. The album peaked at No. 11 on the Australian Recording Industry Association Albums Charts. It spawned the hit singles "Token Angels", Bobby Womack's "Woman's Gotta Have It" and "Let's Kiss ". Matthews won 'Best Female Artist' and 'Breakthrough Artist – Single' at the ARIA Music Awards of 1991. Matthews was also voted 'Best Female Singer' in the 1990 Australian Rolling Stone readers poll.
For touring in support of the album, Matthews used Paul Abrahams on bass guitar, Amanda Brown on oboe, violin, Robbie James on guitar , King on guitar, Lisa Maxwell on backing vocals, Mark Meyer on drums, Mark O'Connor on keyboards and Valentine on saxophone. In October 1991, she issued a live mini-album The Way It Has to Be and toured as support to US R&B group, The Neville Brothers. At the end of 1991, Matthews recorded her second full-length album Lily, which was produced by T-Bone Burnett and released in late 1992.

Track listing

All songwriters as listed.
  1. "Token Angels" – 4:53
  2. "As We Speak" – 4:17
  3. "Won't Let Me Be " – 5:01
  4. "Taking My Heart Around" – 4:35
  5. "Square Moon" – 3:53
  6. "Woman's Gotta Have It" – 4:19
  7. "State of Mind" – 4:25
  8. "Doomsday Lullaby" – 4:38
  9. "Goin' Back to My Roots" – 6:04
  10. "Long Way from Home" – 3:12
  11. "Let's Kiss " – 3:29
Note, track 10 "Long Way from Home" appears to be a cover of the Sandy Denny song "The Music Weaver" but Denny is not credited.

Personnel