Let It Bee Explained

Let It Bee
Type:	Album
Artist:	Voice of the Beehive
Cover:	VOTB Let It Bee.jpg
Released:	20 June 1988^[1]
Recorded:	1987–1988
Length:	45:03 (U.S. version)
Label:	London
Next Title:	Honey Lingers
Next Year:	1991

Let It Bee is the debut album by alternative rock band Voice of the Beehive. Released in 1988 on London Records, the album earned positive reviews from music critics and was a success on U.S. college radio stations. In the UK, the album reached No. 13 on the albums chart in its debut week ending 2 July 1988.^[2] The album peaked at No. 53 in Australia on the ARIA albums chart,^[3] and No. 40 in New Zealand.^[4]

The group had their first top 40 hit single in the UK with "Don't Call Me Baby" from the album, which reached No. 15.^[2] Let It Bee contained two bonus tracks on the U.S. edition (they were not listed on the CD cover, but were listed within the text on the disc).

Track listing

1. "The Beat of Love" (Tracey Bryn, Brad Nack, temptation rap by Melissa Brooke) – 4:08
2. "Sorrow Floats" (Bryn) – 4:23
3. "Don't Call Me Baby" (Bryn, Mike Jones) – 3:11
4. "Man in the Moon" (Bryn, Brooke) – 3:16
5. "What You Have Is Enough" (Bryn) – 2:38
6. "Oh Love" (Brooke, Jones) – 2:59
7. "I Walk the Earth" (Nack) – 3:42
8. "Trust Me" (Bryn) – 3:22
9. "I Say Nothing" (Bryn, Jones) – 3:32
10. "There's a Barbarian in the Back of My Car" (Bryn, Zodiac Mindwarp) – 2:38
11. "Just a City" (Bryn, Jones) – 4:27
12. "This Weak" (Bryn, Jones) (bonus track, U.S. only) – 3:14
13. "Jesus" (Lou Reed) (bonus track, U.S. only) – 3:24

Personnel

The band

• Tracey Bryn – vocals and guitar
• Melissa Brooke Belland – vocals
• Mike Jones – guitars, vocals, keyboards, and keyboard programming
• Martin Brett – bass guitar and piano
• D. M. Woodgate – drums, percussion, triggers, and keyboard programming

Additional musicians

• Henrick – keyboards
• Dave Swarbrick – fiddle
• The Kick – horns, Ladbroke Grove Man on "The Beat of Love" intro
• Marvin Etzioni – mandolin, piano

Production

• Pete Collins – "The Beat of Love", "Sorrow Floats", "Don't Call Me Baby", "Man in the Moon", "I Walk the Earth", "Trust Me" and "I Say Nothing"
• Hugh Jones – "Just a City", "There's a Barbarian in the Back of My Car" and "What You Have Is Enough"
• Marvin Etzioni – "Oh Love"
• Mike Jones – "This Weak" and "Jesus"

Charts

Chart (1988)	Peak position
Australia (ARIA Charts)^[5]	53
New Zealand (RIANZ)	40
United Kingdom (Official Charts Company)	13

2022 deluxe edition

Singles

• 1987 "Just a City"
• 1987 "I Say Nothing" No. 45 UK,^[2] No. 73 AUS^[7]
• 1988 "I Walk the Earth" No. 42 UK^[2]
• 1988 "Don't Call Me Baby" No. 15 UK,^[2] No. 48 AUS,^[8] No. 25 NZ^[4]
• 1988 "I Say Nothing" (re-issue) No. 22 UK,^[2] No. 11 U.S. Modern Rock Tracks^[9]
• 1988 "I Walk the Earth" (re-issue) No. 46 UK^[2]
• 1988 "Man in the Moon" No. 93 UK^[2]

Notes and References

1. New Albums. Music Week. 8. 18 June 1988.
2. Web site: Official Charts > Voice of the Beehive. The Official UK Charts Company. 2015-10-07.
3. Web site: https://web.archive.org/web/20150716153430/http://i.imgur.com/oyPN1pW.jpg. Response from ARIA re: chart inquiry, received 2015-07-15. 2015-07-16. 2015-10-07. Imgur.
4. Web site: charts.nz > Voice of the Beehive. charts.nz Hung Medien. 2015-10-07.
5. Book: Ryan, Gavin. Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010. 2011. Moonlight Publishing. Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia. pdf.
6. Web site: Official Album Sales Chart Top 100. Official Charts Company. 16 December 2022. 21 December 2022.
7. Book: Kent, David . David Kent (historian). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. Australian Chart Book. Sydney. 1993. Illustrated. 330. 0-646-11917-6. N.B. This chart was licensed by ARIA until they commenced producing the chart in-house from 26 June 1988.
8. Web site: Australian Charts > Voice of the Beehive. australian-charts.com Hung Medien. 2015-10-07.
9. Web site: Billboard Artists / Voice of the Beehive: Alternative Songs. Billboard. 2015-10-07.