Natalie Merchant "Tigerlily"
Series 3 Episode 5 of 10
First broadcast: Monday 25 November 2013
John Wilson returns with a new series of Mastertapes, in which he talks to leading performers and songwriters about the album that made them or changed them. Recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios.
"Tigerlily" went on the sell over 5 million copies and continues to be Natalie Merchant's most successful album to date. Its bold and stripped down sound gave more emphasis to her powerful and often personal lyrics, including "Beloved Wife" (inspired by her grandfather's grief in the wake of her grandmother's passing) and "River" (written in response to the sudden and untimely death of her friend River Phoenix). The album also included the top-40 singles "Wonder" and "Jealousy", as well as her first top-ten hit as a solo artist, "Carnival".
Recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios. The making of "Tigerlily", her debut solo album made after leaving 10,000 Maniacs, Natalie Merchant performs live versions of some to the tracks from the album.
Producer: Paul Kobrak.