Based on a True Story (Kimberley Locke album)
Based on a True Story is the second studio album by American Idol finalist Kimberley Locke. The album was released on May 1, 2007, by Curb Records. Locke chose this title because the songs on the album, eight of which were co-written by her, tell the story of the emotions she dealt with during and after her relationship with her ex-fiancé. She found that when she sat and talked with her collaborators about the issues she was working through, the songs began to write themselves.
Background and recording
Locke co-wrote ten of the album's songs, which she described as a "very personal and confessional" process.Composition
According to AllMusic's Andy Kellman, Based on a True Story is a pop album with influences from country, rock, and adult contemporary. Kellman cited the track "Doin' It Tonight" as an example of "urban-oriented dance-pop". Jonathan Bernstein of Entertainment Weekly the songs "Any Which Way" and "Everyday Angels" as a "lurching rocker" and an "Oprah-ready anthem of gratitude", respectively. He described the single "Change" as a "cathartic country ballad". Locke covers Freda Payne's 1970 single "Band of Gold" as a bonus track; she performed the song as a contestant on American Idol, along with Frenchie Davis. Bernstein wrote that Locke provides "a reverent cover of a chestnut".Critical reception
Gordon Ely of Billboard praised it as "powerfully performed and perfectly presented", and referred to Locke as "a major new artist in the making". Kellman praised the album as a "polished, professional set", though he felt the songs were "samey and not all that memorable". Despite his positive response to Locke's experimentation with musical genres, Bernstein wrote that she "fails to inject personality into these songs".Track listing
Cut tracks
Only a month before the release of the album, a decision was made for Kimberley to record her versions of "Fall" and "Band of Gold". The label was so impressed by these recordings that two songs that had previously been recorded, "What I Gotta Do" and "Hey DJ ", were cut from the album. They remain unreleased.Personnel
- Kimberley Locke – vocals, backing vocals
- Dan Muckala – keyboards, acoustic piano, drum programming
- Mark J. Feist – keyboards, acoustic piano, synthesizers, Moog bass, MIDI programming, live drums, synthesizer programming, live bass
- Jim Cox – keyboards
- Michael Lloyd – keyboards
- John D'Andrea – programming
- Matthew Gerrard – keyboards, guitars, bass
- Marco Luciani – keyboards
- Chuck Butler – guitars
- Adam Lester – guitars
- Emerson Swinford – guitars
- Laurence Juber – guitars
- Tim Pierce – guitars
- Sergio Ponzo – guitars
- Brent Milligan – bass
- Adam Anders – bass
- Matt Bissonette – bass
- Dan Needham – drums
- John Ferraro – drums
- Randy Cooke – drums
- Lisa Cochran – backing vocals
- Julia Waters Tillman – backing vocals
- Maxine Waters Willard – backing vocals
- Oren Waters – backing vocals
- Bridget Benenate – backing vocals
- Shadz of U – choir
Production
- Kimberley Locke – executive producer
- Jerry J. Sharell – executive producer, management for Sharell Management
- Bryan Stewart – executive producer, A&R
- Dan Muckala – producer
- Mark J. Feist – producer, rhythm and vocal arrangements
- Damon Sharpe – producer, vocal arrangements
- Mike Curb – producer
- Michael Lloyd – producer, arrangements
- Matthew Gerrard – producer
- John D'Andrea – arrangements
- Mike Lloyd II – production assistant
- John Ozier – A&R coordinator
- Glenn Sweitzer for Fresh Design – art direction, design
- Roman White – cover photography
- Roberto D'Este – all other photography
- Dean Banowetz – hair
- Ryan Randall – hair
- Justin Henry – make-up
- Neil Robison – make-up
- Neil Rogers – stylist
- Gavin Lurssen – mastering at Lurssen Mastering
- Steve Bishir – recording
- Dan Muckala – recording
- Jeremy Luzier – mixing
- Jon Gass – recording, mixing
- Mark J. Feist – recording
- Damon Sharpe – recording
- Bob Kearney – engineer, mix engineer
- F. Reid Shippen – mixing
- Michael Lloyd – mixing
- Michael Head – recording assistant
Charts