New Beginning (Tracy Chapman album)


New Beginning is the fourth album by singer-songwriter Tracy Chapman, released in 1995. According to Nielsen Soundscan, it is her biggest-selling recording since 1991, with 3.8 million copies sold, and according to the RIAA, it has shipped five million copies in the United States.
The album's sound consists of Chapman's trademark acoustic folk-rock sound and is mainly made up of slow low-key tunes and a few upbeat tracks. One notable exception is the hit "Give Me One Reason", which is a blues piece. Most tracks on the album have backup singers, which was very rare in Chapman's earlier works.
Aside from the single "Give Me One Reason", all songs are at least 4:56. The song "Unsung Psalm" was originally written and recorded for this album, but didn't make it. It was later on her 2000 album Telling Stories as the sixth track out of eleven.
According to Billboard Magazine, the "New Beginning" single was the first multi-session disc to have a sticker printed on the back of the packaging detailing system requirements to play the multi-media footage.
The use of a didgeridoo in the "New Beginning" track was a source of controversy. Chapman was taught to play at the Didgeridoo University in Alice Springs however the use of a didgeridoo by women is taboo in many aboriginal nations.

Track listing

All songs written by Tracy Chapman.
  1. "Heaven's Here on Earth" – 5:23
  2. "New Beginning" – 5:33
  3. "Smoke and Ashes" – 6:39
  4. "Cold Feet" – 5:40
  5. "At This Point in My Life" – 5:09
  6. "The Promise" – 5:28
  7. "The Rape of the World" – 7:07
  8. "Tell It Like It Is" – 6:08
  9. "Give Me One Reason" – 4:31
  10. "Remember the Tinman" – 5:45
  11. "I'm Ready" – 4:56
  12. "Save a Place for Me"

    Personnel

Awards

Grammy Awards
YearWinnerCategory
1996"Give Me One Reason"Best Rock Song