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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
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
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
Brian Eno
Synthesizers
Robin “Radar” Rimbaud
Electronics
Nile Rodgers
Guitars
Neil Hubbard
Guitars
Jonny Greenwood
Guitars
Merlin Ferry
Guitars
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
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
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
'One of Ferry's most revealing albums to date' - NME 78
John Doe
Quotation on This Album
John Doe