The Sapphires: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Explained

The Sapphires: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Type:soundtrack
Artist:Various Artists
Cover:The Sapphires soundtrack cover.jpg
Label:Sony
Producer:Bry Jones

The Sapphires: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is a soundtrack album for the film The Sapphires (2012), released on 27 July 2012 by Sony Music Australia. It features the vocals of Jessica Mauboy, Jade MacRae, Lou Bennett, Juanita Tippens and Darren Percival, with Mauboy singing in ten of the sixteen songs.[1] Produced by Bry Jones,[2] the soundtrack contains songs from the 1960s, including: "Land of a Thousand Dances", "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)", "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" and "What a Man". The track "Ngarra Burra Ferra" is a song based on the traditional Aboriginal hymn "Bura Fera" in the Yorta Yorta language of Victoria, Australia, the language spoken by the indigenous Yorta Yorta people of the Goulburn Valley and Murray River valley centred on modern-day Echuca.[3]

"Gotcha", an original song co-written by Mauboy, Ilan Kidron and Louis Schoorl was released as a single and peaked at number 43 on the ARIA Singles Chart. The album was well received by critics who praised the vocals and songs chosen to appear on the soundtrack. The Sapphires – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack peaked at number one on the ARIA Album Chart and was certified double platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). It also reached number 15 on the New Zealand Albums Chart. A deluxe edition, featuring an additional five songs, was released on 16 November 2012.

Reception

Critical response

The soundtrack received mostly positive reviews from critics who praised Mauboy's vocals on the sound tracks. Cameron Adams of News.com.au was pleased to hear Mauboy sing "old-school soul and R&B" and the songs "Land of a Thousand Dances", "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)" and "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" showcased her "pure voice". Warwick McFadyen of The Age called the soundtrack a "gem" and noted that "Land of a Thousand Dances", "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)", "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" and "What a Man", "set the standard, both in selection and execution, for the soundtrack". He also praised Mauboy's singing, and commented that the vocals of Jade MacRae, Lou Bennett and Juanita Tippens on some of the tracks added "more vocal lustre". Lynne McDonnell of TheMusic.com.au described the Yorta Yorta language song "Ngarra Burra Ferra" as "one of the many musical pillars in the album that draw you in". She ended her review, saying: "If there’s anything keeping this soundtrack from dominating other chart releases it is the sheer length, but the balance of modern and old makes for a great listen and a more than decent driving album." The Sapphires – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack was nominated for Best Original Soundtrack, Cast or Show Album at the ARIA Music Awards of 2012.[4]

Chart performance

In Australia, The Sapphires – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack debuted at number 17 on the ARIA Albums Chart.[5] Two weeks later it reached number one, where it remained for two consecutive weeks, and became the first Australian soundtrack since Moulin Rouge! (2001) to top the chart.[6] It is the forty-first soundtrack in Australian record chart history to peak at number one.[7] Additionally, the album is the 651st (since music data collection began in Australia in 1965), and the 510th (when the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) took over data collection in 1983) to peak at number one in Australia. The Sapphires – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack was certified double platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA), denoting 140,000 copies shipped in Australia. On 15 October 2012, the album debuted at number 21 on the New Zealand Albums Chart, and peaked at number 15 on 29 October 2012.[8]

Singles

An original song, "Gotcha", was released as the soundtrack's lead single on 13 July 2012.[9] Co-written by Mauboy, Ilan Kidron and Louis Schoorl,[10] [11] it was praised for "deftly manag[ing] to be modern and retro all at once", and peaked at number 43 on the ARIA Singles Chart.[12]

Track listing

Notes

Charts

Year-end charts

Chart (2012)Position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[14] 15
Australian Artist Albums (ARIA)[15] 4

Decade-end charts

Chart (2010–2019)Position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[17] 83
Australian Artist Albums (ARIA)15

Release history

RegionDateVersionFormatLabel
Australia27 July 2012Standard edition[18] [19] CD, digital downloadSony Music Australia
16 November 2012Deluxe edition[20]

Notes and References

  1. News: Staff . Jessica Mauboy has gotcha call . The Advertiser. News Limited (News Corporation). 8 July 2012 . 17 July 2012.
  2. Web site: Timing and Talent: The Secrets Behind The Sapphires' Success, with Director Wayne Blair. Rochelle. Siemienowicz. Australian Film Institute (AFI). 14 August 2012. 15 December 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20120820235135/http://blogafi.org/2012/08/14/timing-and-talent-the-secrets-behind-the-sapphires-success-with-director-wayne-blair/. 20 August 2012. dead.
  3. Web site: The lyrics to Bura Fera. towalkwithyou.com. 13 September 2013. 26 April 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140427234406/http://towalkwithyou.com/the-lyrics-to-bura-fera/. 27 April 2014. dead.
  4. Web site: 2012 ARIA Awards Winners By Year . Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) . 10 October 2012 .
  5. Web site: Soundtrack – The Sapphires (album) . Australian Charts Portal. (Hung Medien). Medien . Steffen . 10 September 2012.
  6. Web site: Guy Sebastian has sixth number one on ARIA charts with Lupe Fiasco on song Battle Scars . Adams . Cameron . News Limited (News Corporation) . 20 August 2012. 10 September 2012.
  7. News: The Sapphires Becomes First Soundtrack Since Mamma Mia To Reach No 1 . 19 August 2012 . Noise11 . Gavin. Ryan . 10 September 2012.
  8. Web site: Medien . Steffen. Soundtrack – The Sapphires (album). New Zealand Charts Portal. (Hung Medien). 8 November 2012.
  9. Web site: 'Gotcha' – Single – Jessica Mauboy . 13 July 2012 . . 17 July 2012.
  10. News: Bub . Adam . Watch: Jessica Mauboy gets sexy on the set of new clip 'Gotcha' . . Nine Entertainment Co. (Microsoft) . 12 July 2012 . 17 July 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120914074041/http://music.ninemsn.com.au/blog.aspx?blogentryid=1026135&showcomments=true . 14 September 2012 .
  11. News: 'The Sapphires' Soundtrack To Release July 27 . Staff . . 17 July 2012 . 3 July 2012 .
  12. Web site: Jessica Mauboy – Gotcha (song) . Australian Charts Portal. (Hung Medien). Medien . Steffen . 10 September 2012.
  13. Web site: The Sapphires Deluxe Edition To Be Released On November 16. https://archive.today/20121230113056/http://www.jessicamauboy.com.au/newsEvents/home.do?newsId=20030829007435. dead. 30 December 2012. Jessica Mauboy Official Website. 5 November 2012. 8 November 2012.
  14. Web site: ARIA Top 100 Albums for 2012. Australian Recording Industry Association. 3 April 2021.
  15. Web site: ARIA Charts – End Of Year Charts – Top 50 Australian Artist Albums 2012. Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). 9 January 2013.
  16. Web site: ARIA Top 100 Albums for 2013. Australian Recording Industry Association. 3 April 2021.
  17. Web site: 2019 ARIA End of Decade Albums Chart. January 2020. 17 January 2020.
  18. Web site: Sapphires, The – Ost – Soundtrack . . 10 September 2012.
  19. Web site: The Sapphires (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) - Various Artists . . 10 September 2012.
  20. Web site: Sapphires: Deluxe Edition Soundtrack. Sanity. 27 November 2012.