About the Album
69 Love Songs is the sixth studio album by the Magnetic Fields, released on September 7, 1999 by Merge Records. As its title indicates, 69 Love Songs is a three-volume concept album composed of 69 love songs, all written by Magnetic Fields frontman Stephin Merritt.
The album was originally conceived as a music revue. Stephin Merritt was sitting in a gay piano bar in Manhattan, listening to the pianist's interpretations of Stephen Sondheim songs, when he decided he ought to get into theatre music because he felt he had an aptitude for it. "I decided I'd write one hundred love songs as a way of introducing myself to the world. Then I realized how long that would be. So I settled on sixty-nine. I'd have a theatrical revue with four drag queens. And whoever the audience liked best at the end of the night would get paid." He also found inspiration in Charles Ives' 114 Songs, about which he had read earlier in the day: "songs of all kinds, and what a monument it was, and I thought, well, I could do something like that."
Band member Claudia Gonson has claimed that Merritt wrote most of the songs hanging around in bars in New York City.
On seven occasions (five in the United States and two in London over four consecutive nights) the Magnetic Fields performed all 69 love songs, in order, over two nights. Several of the lavish orchestrations are more simply arranged when performed live, due to limited performers and/or equipment.
Merritt has said "69 Love Songs is not remotely an album about love. It's an album about love songs, which are very far away from anything to do with love." The album features songs in many different genres, including country, synth pop, free jazz, and mournful love ballads. All the songs deal with love in one form or another, but often in an ironic or off-beat fashion, exploring various sexualities and types of relationships.
The album was originally conceived as a music revue. Stephin Merritt was sitting in a gay piano bar in Manhattan, listening to the pianist's interpretations of Stephen Sondheim songs, when he decided he ought to get into theatre music because he felt he had an aptitude for it. "I decided I'd write one hundred love songs as a way of introducing myself to the world. Then I realized how long that would be. So I settled on sixty-nine. I'd have a theatrical revue with four drag queens. And whoever the audience liked best at the end of the night would get paid." He also found inspiration in Charles Ives' 114 Songs, about which he had read earlier in the day: "songs of all kinds, and what a monument it was, and I thought, well, I could do something like that."
Band member Claudia Gonson has claimed that Merritt wrote most of the songs hanging around in bars in New York City.
On seven occasions (five in the United States and two in London over four consecutive nights) the Magnetic Fields performed all 69 love songs, in order, over two nights. Several of the lavish orchestrations are more simply arranged when performed live, due to limited performers and/or equipment.
Merritt has said "69 Love Songs is not remotely an album about love. It's an album about love songs, which are very far away from anything to do with love." The album features songs in many different genres, including country, synth pop, free jazz, and mournful love ballads. All the songs deal with love in one form or another, but often in an ironic or off-beat fashion, exploring various sexualities and types of relationships.
Personnel
The Magnetic Fields
Additional musicians
Production
- Stephin Merritt – vocals, Digitech vocalist, Roland harmonizer, vocoder, ukulele, baritone ukulele, classical guitar, acoustic-electric 12-string guitar, lap steel, fado guitar, electric guitar, bass, mandolin, autoharp, marxophone, ukelin, tremoloa, violin-uke, sitar, zither, violin, musical saw, keyboards, synclavier, piano, harmonium, Wurlitzer electric piano, organ, rhythm units, recorder, ocarina, pennywhistle, Maestro wind synthe synthesizer, melodica, Paul Revere jug, rumba box, xylophone, kalimbas, drum kit, rain stick, chimes, maracas, conga, bongos, triangle, bells, tambourine, washboard, steel drum, Chicken Shakers, finger cymbals, Slinky, pipes, bamboo harp, spirit chaser, sleighbells, fingersnaps, thunder sheet, cabasas, cowbells, gong
- Sam Davol – cello, flute
- Claudia Gonson – piano, drums, percussion, vocals
- John Woo – banjo, lead guitar, mandolin, bass
Additional musicians
- LD Beghtol – harmonium, vocals
- Chris Ewen – backing tracks and arrangement on "Promises of Eternity" and "It's a Crime", theremin on "Blue You"
- Daniel Handler – accordion, keyboards
- Dudley Klute – vocals
- Ida Pearle – violin on "The Luckiest Guy on the Lower East Side"
- Shirley Simms – vocals
Production
- Jon Berman – engineering
- Chris Ewen – engineering
- Claudia Gonson – engineering
- Jeff Lipton – mastering
- Eric Masunaga – engineering
- Stephin Merritt – production, engineering
- Charles Newman – engineering
