Gospel Oak is an EP by Irish singer Sinéad O'Connor. The album sold 70,000 copies in the United States.[2]
| Gospel Oak | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| EP by | ||||
| Released | 3 June 1997 | |||
| Recorded | 1997 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 35:02 | |||
| Label | Chrysalis | |||
| Producer |
| |||
| Sinéad O'Connor chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   link |
| The A.V. Club | favorable link |
| Entertainment Weekly | B Gospel Oak |
| Music Week |  |
| Robert Christgau |  [1] |
| Rolling Stone | link |
The album is named after the London neighbourhood of Gospel Oak where O’Connor was living at the time.[3] The cover photograph shows the two brick skew arch bridges adjacent to Gospel Oak railway station in north London. It was dedicated to "the people of Israel, Rwanda and Northern Ireland".
Critical reception edit
British magazine Music Week rated the EP four out of five, writing, "Motherhood is treating O'Connor well, judging by this angst-free, truly beautiful EP on which the acoustic, traditional instrumentation is the perfect foil for her stunning voice. Another Chrysalis number one?"[4] David Sinclair from The Times commented, "The Gaelic avenger in a gentle, devotional mood."[5]
Track listing edit
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "This Is to Mother You" | O'Connor | 3:13 |
| 2. | "I Am Enough for Myself" | O'Connor | 4:07 |
| 3. | "Petit Poulet" | O'Connor | 3:44 |
| 4. | "4 My Love" | O'Connor | 4:06 |
| 5. | "This Is a Rebel Song" | O'Connor | 3:03 |
| 6. | "He Moved Through the Fair" | Traditional; arranged by O'Connor, Dónal Lunny and Graham Henderson | 4:22 |
| 7. | "Fire on Babylon (Eternal Recurrence Mix)" | O'Connor, Reynolds | 13:26 |
The UK release contains only the first four tracks.[6] The Japanese release contains tracks 1–4 and 7,[7] and an US release contains track 1–6 on one CD and track 7 on a bonus CD.[8]
Personnel edit
- Sinéad O'Connor – vocals, electric guitar on track 5
- John Reynolds – drums, bass guitar, programming
- Clare Kenny – bass guitar
- Justin Adams – guitar
- Caroline Dale – cello
- Carol Issacs – piano, accordion
- Ian Stanley, Graham Henderson – keyboards
- Davy Spillane – Uilleann pipes
- Ed Rockett – low and high whistle
- The Muses – backing vocals
- Jah Wobble – bass guitar on track 3
- Andy Wright – programming on track 3
- Dónal Lunny – bouzouki
Charts edit
| Chart (1997) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[9] | 118 |
| Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[10] | 49 |
| UK Albums (OCC)[11] | 28 |
| US Billboard 200[12] | 128 |
References edit
- ^ Christgau, Robert. "CG: Sinéad O'Connor". Robert Christgau.
- ^ Newman, Melinda (11 July 1998). "Sinead O'Connor Starts Anew". Billboard. p. 92. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
- ^ Norris, Chris (Aug 1998). Sinead O’Connor Not a Bad Bastard Anymore. Spin.
- ^ "Reviews: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 26 April 1997. p. 10. Retrieved 16 May 2022.
- ^ Sinclair, David (10 May 1997). "The week's top pop releases; Records". The Times.
- ^ "Sinéad O'Connor – Gospel Oak EP". Discogs. Retrieved 4 January 2013.
- ^ "Sinéad O'Connor – Gospel Oak EP". Discogs. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
- ^ "Sinéad O'Connor – Gospel Oak EP". Discogs. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
- ^ "Part of Sinéad O'Connor's ARIA chart history 1988 to 2022, received from ARIA in 2022 - note the EP appeared on the singles chart in Australia". ARIA. Retrieved 3 December 2023 – via Imgur.com.
- ^ "Austriancharts.at – Sinéad O'Connor – Gospel Oak EP" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 19 December 2018.
- ^ "Sinéad O'Connor | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved 19 December 2018.
- ^ "Sinead OConnor Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 19 December 2018.