Grand Prix (album) explained

Grand Prix
Type:	studio
Artist:	Teenage Fanclub
Cover:	Grandprixfanclubalbum.jpg
Released:	^[1]
Recorded:	5 September–9 October 1994
Studio:	The Manor, Shipton-on-Cherwell
Genre:	Power pop^[2] jangle pop^[3] Britpop^[4] ^[5] folk rock^[6] country rock^[7] ^[8]
Length:	42:09
Label:	Creation DGC
Producer:	David Bianco Teenage Fanclub
Prev Title:	Deep Fried Fanclub
Prev Year:	1995
Next Title:	Songs from Northern Britain
Next Year:	1997

Grand Prix is the fifth album by Scottish alternative rock band Teenage Fanclub, released in May 1995 via Creation Records.

Album cover

The now-defunct Formula One racing team Simtek provided the car that appears on the front cover.^[9]

Reception

Upon release, Grand Prix received almost unanimous critical acclaim. Writing for The Independent, Andy Gill called it "winsome and reflective",^[10] while Angela Lewis of the same publication described Grand Prix as a "breathtakingly superb (album) with finely honed dynamics, nagging harmonies and deceptively simple lyrics".^[11] In 2018, Q placed Grand Prix at number 72 in its list of the "100 Greatest British Albums Ever".^[12] It was voted number 624 in the 3rd edition of Colin Larkin's All Time Top 1000 Albums (2018).^[13] In 2022, it made number 72 on The Observer Music Monthlys top 100 British albums list.^[14] In 2013, NME ranked it at number 282 in its list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.^[15]

Track listing

Notes

• All bonus tracks produced by Teenage Fanclub. Tracks 1 and 2 recorded at Protocol Studios, London, engineered by Giles Hall, assisted by Delphine Carrier. Track 3 recorded at Protocol Studios, London, engineered by Giles Hall, and at The Greenhouse, London, engineered by Nick Wollage. Track 4 recorded at Riverside Studios, Glasgow, engineered by Duncan Cameron. Track 5 recorded at home by Norman Blake.

Grand Prix bonus 7" single

Note

• First vinyl pressing with limited edition bonus 7".

Personnel

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Teenage Fanclub Norman Blake – vocals, guitar Gerard Love – vocals, bass guitar Raymond McGinley – vocals, guitar Paul Quinn – drums

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Additional musicians David Bianco – occasional guitar, piano and vocals Nigel Hitchcock – alto saxophone on "About You" Jamie Talbot – tenor saxophone on "About You" Chris White – baritone saxophone on "About You" Steve Sidwell – trumpet on "About You" and "Tears" Dinah Beamish – cello on "Tears" Jules Singleton – violin on "Tears" Sonia Slany – violin and string arrangement on "Tears" Jocelyn Pook – viola on "Tears" Dave Barker – handclaps on "Sparky's Dream" Chas Banks – handclaps on "Mellow Doubt" Jim Parsons – handclaps on "Mellow Doubt"

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Technical personnel David Bianco – producer, engineer, mixing (at Larrabee North, Los Angeles) Teenage Fanclub – producer, sleeve design Julie Gardner – assistant engineer (at The Manor) Jamie Seyberth – assistant engineer (at Larrabee North) Stephen Marcussen – mastering (at Precision Mastering, Los Angeles) Marcus Tomlinson – front cover photography John Andrews – cover shoot co-ordinator Robert Fisher – "Grand Prix" logo designer Toby Egeinick – sleeve layout

Charts

Chart (1995)! scope="col"

Peak position
Australian Albums (ARIA)^[16]	57

Notes and References

1. New Releases: Singles. Music Week. 14. 20 May 1995. 10 March 2024.
2. Web site: Iai. 9 August 2007. Teenage Fanclub - Grand Prix (album review). 1 November 2021. Sputnikmusic.
3. Web site: Hyden. Steven. 1 May 2020. The Oral History Of Guided By Voices' '90s Indie Classic 'Alien Lanes'. 24 October 2021. Uproxx.
4. Web site: 29 March 2017. The 50 Best Britpop Albums. 24 October 2021. Pitchfork. 2.
5. Web site: Teenage Fanclub share "In Our Dreams" from upcoming album. Bill. Pearis. 13 April 2021.
6. Web site: Collar. Matt. Teenage Fanclub Biography, Songs, & Albums. 24 October 2021. AllMusic.
7. 28 June 1997. Hiatus From Hype Benefits Columbia's Teenage Fanclub. Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc.. 109. 26. 28. 12 February 2022.
8. Web site: Robbins. Ira. Kaplan. Matthew. Teenage Fanclub. 12 February 2022. Trouser Press.
9. Grand Prix sleeve notes
10. News: Review: Teenage Fanclub, Grand Prix . . 26 May 1995 . 18 June 2009 . Gill . Andy.
11. News: Feature: Teenage Fanclub Preview . . 2 June 1995 . 18 June 2009 . Lewis . Angela . https://web.archive.org/web/20121103061319/http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/pop-1584607.html . 3 November 2012 . dead.
12. 100 Greatest British Albums Ever . . 165 . June 2000 . 64.
13. Book: All Time Top 1000 Albums . All Time Top 1000 Albums . Larkin . Colin . Colin Larkin . . 3rd . 2000 . 0-7535-0493-6 . 206.
14. News: Observer Music Monthly's top 100 British albums . . 20 June 2004 . 18 June 2009.
15. Web site: Barker. Emily. 24 October 2013. The 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time: 300-201. 24 October 2021. NME.
16. 276.