Pieces of You
Pieces of You is the debut studio album by American singer-songwriter Jewel, released on February 28, 1995, by Atlantic Records. It was produced by Ben Keith, who has also produced works for artists such as Neil Young and Patsy Cline. Featuring acoustic guitar-based songs written when Jewel was a teenager, the album is composed of both live recordings from 1994 at the Innerchange, a coffeehouse in San Diego, and studio recordings completed at Neil Young's personal studio in Redwood City, California.
This article is about the Jewel album. For the book by Tablo, see Pieces of You (book).
After its release in February 1995, the album initially failed to chart. Two years later, in 1997, Bob Dylan invited Jewel to tour with him as his opening act, which gave the album widespread public exposure. The single "Who Will Save Your Soul" eventually received airplay, and the album peaked at number four on the US Billboard 200, almost exactly two years after its release. Other hits included were "Foolish Games" and "You Were Meant for Me", as well as the UK single "Morning Song". After two years, the album was re-released featuring the re-recorded versions of "You Were Meant for Me" and "Foolish Games". Despite a mixed critical response, the album is listed at number 64 of the "Definitive 200" by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.[2]
Pieces of You was certified 12-times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on January 30, 2006, denoting shipments in excess of 12 million copies in the United States.[3] As of June 2010, the album had sold over 7.3 million copies in the US,[4] becoming one of the best-selling debut albums of all time.[5]
On September 28, 2020, Jewel announced that the album would be re-released in celebration of the 25th anniversary of the album's release. It was released through Craft Recordings in multiple formats including the original album remastered, alongside a four-disc box set containing B-sides, demos, outtakes, and live performances of the album's songs.[6]
Background[edit]
The bulk of the songs featured on Pieces of You were written by Jewel between the ages of 16 and 19; she has said that "Who Will Save Your Soul" specifically was written while she was busking during a hitchhiking trip she took by herself over spring break from the Interlochen Center for the Arts, where she had been studying on a vocal scholarship.[7]
While living in San Diego, California, Jewel managed to amass a local following while performing in coffee houses and local bars, which resulted in a bootleg being broadcast on 91X FM.[7] Jewel then became subject of a bidding war between labels, eventually signing with Atlantic Records.[7]