Olympia

Released 25th October 2010

REDUCED

You Can Dance
Alphaville
Heartache by Numbers
Me Oh My
Shameless
Song to the Siren
No Face, No Name, No Number
BF Bass (Ode to Olympia)
Reason or Rhyme
Tender Is The Night

Musicians

Bryan Ferry
Vocals, Keyboards, Acoustic Piano

Babydaddy
Keyboards, Guitars, Bass

Chris Mullings
Electronics

Oliver Thompson
Guitars

David A. Stewart
Guitars

Phil Manzanera
Guitars

Flea
Bass

Guy Pratt
Bass

Andy Newmark
Drums

Frank Ricotti
Percussion

Perry Montague-Mason
1st Violin

Alice Retif
Chorus Vocals

Me’Sha Bryan
Chorus Vocals

Aleysha Gordon
Chorus Vocals

Tallulah Harlech
Voice

Colin Good
Keyboards, Synthesizers

Steve Nieve
Acoustic Piano

John Monkman
Electronics

David Williams
Guitars

David Gilmour
Guitars

Chris Spedding
Guitars

 Gary “Mani” Mounfield
Bass

Andy Cato
Bass

Emily Dolan Davies
Drums

Anthony Pleeth
Cello

Emlyn Singleton
2nd Violin

Katie Turner
Chorus Vocals

Thomas Fetherstonhaugh
Treble Vocals

Hannah Khemoh
Chorus Vocals
 
 
 
 

Brian Eno
Synthesizers

Robin “Radar” Rimbaud
Electronics

Nile Rodgers
Guitars

Neil Hubbard
Guitars

Jonny Greenwood
Guitars

Merlin Ferry
Guitars

Marcus Miller
Bass

Tara Ferry
Drums

Steve Ferrone
Drums

Vicci Wardman
Viola

Andy Mackay
Oboe

Ruby Turner
Chorus Vocals

Sewuese Abwa
Chorus Vocals 

Shar White
Chorus Vocals

Jhelisa Anderson
Chorus Vocals

Musicians

Bryan Ferry
Producer

Rick Marotta
Producer

Steve Nye
Producer / Engineer

Simon Puxley
Producer

Waddy Wachtel
Producer

Jimmy Douglas
Engineer

Lew Hahn
Engineer

Dave Richards
Assistant Engineer

Randy Mason
Assistant Engineer

Martin Pearson
Assistant Engineer

Cream
Artwork

Antony Price
Design

 

John Swannell
Photography

Brian Harris
Typography

Ahmet Ertegun
‘Counsel’

Barbara Allen
Cover Star

Anthony Clavet
Make-up

Yvonne Gold
Make-up

Olympia

There’s no winning over some people. Criticised in many quarters of the rock press during the reign of sincere Californian troubadours for the aloof, detached persona he had cultivated with Roxy Music, Bryan Ferry delivered his most emotionally unfettered album only to find himself derided by the same faces, now in thrall to safety pins and brash attitudes.

Mature, urbane, intellectual and vulnerable, this iteration of the Ferry persona was simply not compliant with the mainstream narrative of the time: young, loud and snotty. As a result, The Bride Stripped Bare easily qualifies as the most underrated LP in the Ferry canon, and is certainly ripe for a fresh appraisal by modern ears.

The album itself was the product of a difficult personal period for the singer. After his high-profile relationship with Jerry Hall came to an end at the end of 1977, Ferry decamped to Montreux, Switzerland to begin work on his fifth solo album. Ferry eschewed most of his regular session associates, instead using a fixed core consisting of new faces (Waddy Wachtel, Alan Spenner and Rick Marotta) with a few of his In Your Mind touring group (Ann Odell, Nei Hubbard); Bass legend Herbie Flowers even drops by to add a sumptuous heft to the magnificently morose ‘When She Walks In The Room’. 

The result is a dark, wonderful album that departs from the warm productions of previous releases to create a stark and lovelorn suite of songs in which Bryan Ferry lets the mask of languor slip to reveal his unfettered emotional truth. In this environment, even the refrain in the Sam & Dave barnstormer ‘Hold On (I’m Coming)’ is twisted into a sombre paean filled with pathos.

A late night classic, The Bride Stripped Bare is a crepuscular treat for the ears and is an absolute must for Bryan Ferry fans old and new.

Hal Norman – 2010

Lady in yellow dress, the set; The Bride Stripped Bare artwork

'One of Ferry's most revealing albums to date' - NME 78

LYRICS

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Quotation on This Album