Open (Shaznay Lewis album)
| Open | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Studio album by Shaznay Lewis | |
| Released | July 19, 2004 |
| Recorded | The Pierce Rooms, The Chill Building, RAK studios etc. |
| Genre | R&B, soul |
| Length | 40:42 |
| Label | London Records |
| Producer | Karl Gordon, Rick Nowels, Kevin Bacon, Jonathan Quarmby, Wayne Rodiques, Basement Jaxx |
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Andrew Lynch | 3/4 link |
| BBC | "spirited, playful album" link |
Open is Shaznay Lewis' debut album as a solo artist and it was released on July 19, 2004. Shaznay is part of and the major songwriter of All Saints.
About the album
The title Open was Shaznay's decision during the time she was recording in the studio because she was 'opened' to many new ideas at the time.
It features two singles: "Never Felt Like This Before" and "You". Shaznay was reportedly set to release her third single "Nasty Boy" in March 2005, but this was a rumour.
It is worth noting that track #3 was originally called "Never Felt Like This Before" and the single and video has been released under that name as well, however on the album the spelling has been changed to "I Never Felt Like This Before"; nevertheless, it is the same song.
There was also an additional track called "Don't Know What to Say", however it was removed from the album before it was confirmed. The song was removed as it was said to have been a weak song in reference to its title. The album (without any promotion) seems to have been re-released, as "Don't Know What to Say" is now an added track on the album. This change can be seen on the HMV website. When the album was first released, this song was not included.[1]
The final track "Now You're Gone" was originally called "Crying" but was changed before the album was confirmed. The song has been released on the Shaznay Lewis Album Sampler which features 5 songs taken from Open; however, "Mr. Dawg" and "You" are both rough demos different from the album versions (both vocally and melodically).
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Intro / Open" | Shaznay Lewis, Karl Gordon, Andy Watkins, Paul Wilson | Karl Gordon | 1:13 |
| 2. | "Dance" | Shaznay Lewis, Rick Nowels, Wayne Rodiques | Rick Nowels, Wayne Rodiques | 3:29 |
| 3. | "I Never Felt Like This Before" | Shaznay Lewis, Rick Nowels | Rick Nowels | 4:20 |
| 4. | "Mr. Dawg" | Buxton, Ratcliffe, Swaby | Basement Jaxx | 3:43 |
| 5. | "Heart Made Me a Fool" | Shaznay Lewis, Bob Marley | Karl Gordon | 4:30 |
| 6. | "You" | Shaznay Lewis, Rick Nowels | Rick Nowels | 3:59 |
| 7. | "Mr. Weatherman" | Shaznay Lewis, Andy Watkins, Paul Wilson | Kevin Bacon, Jonathan Quarmby | 4:23 |
| 8. | "Butterflies" | Shaznay Lewis, Karl Gordon, Jofin Hamilton | Karl Gordon | 3:36 |
| 9. | "Nasty Boy" | Shaznay Lewis, Karl Gordon, Felix Howard | Karl Gordon | 4:47 |
| 10. | "Radio" | Shaznay Lewis, Sigvardt, Bafincke, Tiomborg | Kevin Bacon, Jonathan Quarmby | 2:51 |
| 11. | "Now You're Gone" | Shaznay Lewis, Rick Nowels | Kevin Bacon, Jonathan Quarmby | 3:43 |
Singles
| Name | Released | Recorded | Writer | Producer | Chart position |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Never Felt Like This Before" | July 5, 2004 | Chill Building, Santa Monica | Shaznay Lewis and Rick Nowels | Rick Nowels | |
| "Never Felt Like This Before" was Lewis' first single from Open and was released in 2004. It peaked in the UK charts at #8.
The video for "Never Felt Like This Before" is set in a nightclub setting with Lewis performing and with episodes of her love affairs intermixed with the performance. In the video for "Never Felt Like This Before", Lewis felt uncomfortable performing intimate moments with the male in the video because she felt she would be cheating on her partner, Christian Storm. They originally planned to have Lewis's partner in the video, but he was unavailable at the time, so they had to find a look-alike. | |||||
| "You" | October 18, 2004 | Chill Building, Santa Monica | Shaznay Lewis and Rick Nowels | Rick Nowels | #56 UK[4] |
| "You" was Lewis' second and final single from Open.
The "You" video consists of Lewis walking on the beach on a full moon night thinking of her boyfriend and has an overall dreamy feeling. In the video for "You" Lewis encounters several images that are sculptures into a face, e.g., the clouds and the cliffs. The face is Lewis's husband, Christian Storm. | |||||
Charts
| Country | Date | Position |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom[2] | July 2004 | 22 |
References
- ↑ hmv.com: albums: Open (2004)
- 1 2 EveryHit.co.uk UK Top 40 database Accessed: November 2, 2006
- ↑ Top40-charts.com New Zealand singles chart 1 November 2004 Accessed: November 2, 2006
- ↑ Zobbel.de Chart log Shaznay Lewis Accessed October 15, 2006