Dive Deep

Dive Deep is the sixth studio album by the British band Morcheeba, released on 4 February 2008 in the United Kingdom. It is also the second studio album recorded without the former lead singer Skye Edwards. It has a number of vocalists, and several songs can be heard on the band's MySpace page.[2] The first single released was "Enjoy the Ride" which features Judie Tzuke. The second single, "Gained the World", featuring Manda Zamolo, was released on 28 April 2008.[3]

For the album by Quintessence, see Dive Deep (Quintessence album).

Dive Deep
Studio album by
Morcheeba
Released4 February 2008
Recorded2007
GenreTrip hop, downtempo,[1]
adult contemporary music
Length40:27
LabelEcho, Ultra
ProducerPaul Godfrey
Morcheeba chronology
The Antidote
(2005)		 Dive Deep
(2008)		 Blood Like Lemonade
(2010)
Singles from Dive Deep
  1. "Enjoy the Ride"
    Released: 28 January 2008
  2. "Gained the World"
    Released: 26 May 2008

The group embarked on a North American tour to promote the album on 24 March that started in Washington DC and ended on 13 April 2008 in Los Angeles.[4]

Production

Ross Godfrey discussed the making of album in an interview:

We used an incredible amount of new technology for this album, but it's all new-old stuff – ancient keyboards, like claviolines. It's all very organic. The technology came into play in the way that we edited it and put it together.[5]

Morcheeba is dedicated to the preservation of the marine environment and is using the release of Dive Deep as an opportunity to raise awareness.

Critical reception
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[1]
BBC Music(positive)[6]
Billboard(positive)[7]
Daily Express[8]
The Independent[9]
Okayplayer[10]
PopMatters[11]
The Times[12]
Virgin Media[13]
Q[14]

Professional reviews were mainly favourable and positive. Billboard described the album as a "gorgeous collection of folk- and blues-inflected electro-pop ballads". The Independent gave the album five stars, describing it as "A stirring return to form."

Guests

Dive Deep includes many guest vocalists, such as the acclaimed singer-songwriter Judie Tzuke and relative newcomers Thomas Dybdahl from Norway, the rapper Cool Calm Pete and Manda Zamolo, a French singer. Reviewing the album, BBC Music noted that guests "appear chosen less for who they are than what they can bring, sweet and soulful voices that supply an emotional backbone to the Godfreys' languid, slo-mo funk grooves."

Track listing

US Release
No.TitleWriter(s)VocalsLength
1."Enjoy the Ride"P. Godfrey, R. Godfrey, TzukeJudie Tzuke4:04
2."Riverbed"P. Godfrey, R. Godfrey, DybdahlThomas Dybdahl5:24
3."Thumbnails"P. Godfrey, R. Godfreyinstrumental2:35
4."Run Honey Run"John MartynBradley Burgess3:44
5."Gained the World"P. Godfrey, R. GodfreyManda Zamolo2:56
6."One Love Karma"P. Godfrey, R. Godfrey, Goldman, Pete ChungCool Calm Pete3:32
7."Au-delà"P. Godfrey, R. Godfrey, ZamoloManda Zamolo2:15
8."Blue Chair"P. Godfrey, R. Godfrey, Goldman, TzukeJudie Tzuke4:07
9."Sleep on It"P. Godfrey, R. Godfrey, DybdahlThomas Dybdahl5:34
10."The Ledge Beyond the Edge"P. Godfrey, R. Godfrey 2:03
11."Washed Away"P. Godfrey, R. Godfrey, DybdahlThomas Dybdahl4:23

Alternative Promo Release
Disc I - Dive Deep
No.TitleWriter(s)VocalsLength
1."Enjoy the Ride"P. Godfrey, R. Godfrey, TzukeJudie Tzuke4:04
2."Riverbed"P. Godfrey, R. Godfrey, DybdahlThomas Dybdahl5:24
3."Thumbnails"P. Godfrey, R. Godfreyinstrumental2:35
4."Run Honey Run"John MartynBradley Burgess3:44
5."Gained the World"P. Godfrey, R. GodfreyManda Zamolo2:56
6."One Love Karma"P. Godfrey, R. Godfrey, Goldman, Pete ChungCool Calm Pete3:32
7."Au-delà"P. Godfrey, R. Godfrey, ZamoloManda Zamolo2:15
8."Blue Chair"P. Godfrey, R. Godfrey, Goldman, TzukeJudie Tzuke4:07
9."Sleep on It"P. Godfrey, R. Godfrey, DybdahlThomas Dybdahl5:34
10."Hemphasis"P. Godfrey, R. Godfrey 2:05
11."Flowers"P. Godfrey, R. GodfreyManda Zamolo4:06
12."Washed Away"P. Godfrey, R. Godfrey, DybdahlThomas Dybdahl4:23
13."The Ledge Beyond the Edge"P. Godfrey, R. Godfrey 5:27
Disc II - Instrumental Versions
No.TitleLength
1."Enjoy the Ride (Instrumental Version)"4:11
2."Riverbed (Instrumental Version)"5:44
3."Thumbnails (Instrumental Version)"2:35
4."Run Honey Run (Instrumental Version)"3:44
5."Gained the World (Instrumental Version)"3:04
6."One Love Karma (Instrumental Version)"3:31
7."Au-delà (Instrumental Version)"2:17
8."Blue Chair (Instrumental Version)"4:28
9."Sleep on It (Instrumental Version)"6:36
10."Hemphasis (Instrumental Version)"2:08
11."Flowers (Instrumental Version)"4:10
12."Washed Away (Instrumental Version)"4:23
13."The Ledge Beyond the Edge (Instrumental Version)"6:21

Charts

Dive Deep entered the UK Albums Chart in the second week of February at position 59, the band's lowest charting album in the United Kingdom. It was more successful on the Swiss Album Charts which it entered at number 8 a week later. On 9 February, Dive Deep entered the French Albums Chart at number 15.[15] Since its release on iTunes, the album has had a big success throughout Europe, with many entries under Top 10.

Chart (2008) Peak
position
Austrian Album Chart[16] 42
Dutch Album Chart[16] 82
French Album Chart[16] 15
German Album Chart[16][17] 39
Italian Album Chart[16] 50
Swiss Album Chart[16][18] 8
UK Albums Chart[16] 59

As of 2008 it has sold 43,230 copies in France.[19] It was awarded a gold certification from the Independent Music Companies Association which indicated sales of at least 100,000 copies throughout Europe.[20]

Personnel
  • Ross Godfrey (acoustic guitar, electric guitar, lap steel guitar, banjo, piano, Fender Rhodes, clavinet, Hammond B-3 organ, Wurlitzer organ, synthesizer, bass guitar)
  • Paul Godfrey (drums, drum machine, sound effects, scratches)
  • Thomas Dybdahl (vocals, acoustic guitar, piano, bass guitar)
  • Bradley Burgess (vocals, guitars, bass guitar)
  • Judie Tzuke, Cool Calm Pete (vocals)
  • The Mak of All Trades (flute)
  • Dan Goldman (Fender Rhodes piano, synthesizer, bass guitar)
  • Martin Carling (drums)
  • Amanda Zamolo (vocals, background vocals)

Release history
Region Date Label Catalog
France 3 February 2008 (2008-02-03) PIAS France
United Kingdom 4 February 2008 (2008-02-04) Echo ECHCD77
United States 19 February 2008 (2008-02-19) Ultra
Canada 4 March 2008 (2008-03-04) Ultra

Singles
"Enjoy the Ride"
Single by Morcheeba
from the album Dive Deep
Released 28 January 2008 (digital)[21]
24 March 2008 (EP)[22]
Recorded2007
GenreElectronica, trip hop
Length4:02
LabelEcho, Ultra
Songwriter(s)Judie Tzuke, Ross Godfrey
Producer(s)Paul Godfrey
Morcheeba singles chronology
"Everybody Loves a Loser"
(2005)		 "Enjoy the Ride"
(2008)		 "Gained the World"
(2008)
Music video
"Enjoy the Ride" on YouTube

"Enjoy the Ride" is the first single from the album. It was produced by Paul Godfrey and features vocals from Judie Tzuke who also co-wrote the song. Godfrey said, "It's a beautiful song, one of our very best, and it's about accepting who you are in the moment and not trying to distract yourself with everything else – gaining a new understanding of yourself and life."

Critical reception

Professional reviews were mainly positive. The BBC website gave a positive review for the song, saying it is "...a melancholy, slightly bluesy Tzuke-sung number accompanied by weaving guitar and haunting strings".[23] The Daily Mirror rated the song four stars out of five. "It's a brooding brew that captures the mood of dark LA paranoia conjured up by The Eagles and Fleetwood Mac, putting it in a 21st century context".[24] Allmusic described "Enjoy the Ride", along with the "Blue Chair" as "the mellow highlight to curl up with."[25]

A screenshot from the music video

ZME Music claimed the song as "...a beautiful, soothing synth pop ballad, in which Judie Tzuke's R&B vocals resemble those of Beth Ross, to a extended; it feels however as the track is over-produced and over-polished."[26] However, Orange UK gave a negative review and rated "Enjoy the Ride" only one star out of five saying "It is no sort of ride at all, all tasteful styling and a rhythm so mid-paced you barely notice it's moving."[27]

Music video

The music video for "Enjoy the Ride" was produced by the cartoon animator Joel Trussell and is an animated tale of bringing the dead back to life.

References
  1. Allmusic review
  2. Morcheeba myspace
  3. PIAS B2B Archived 8 March 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  4. Morcheeba announce North American dates | News | NME.COM
  5. "Morcheeba discuss the journey to Dive Deep", IndieLondon
  6. BBC Music review
  7. Billboard review
  8. Daily Express review
  9. The Independent review Archived 15 April 2009 at the Wayback Machine
  10. Okayplayer review Archived 19 March 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  11. PopMatters review
  12. The Times review
  13. Virgin Media review
  14. Aizlewood, John (March 2008). "Morcheeba – Dive Deep". Q (260): 107.
  15. Classement officiel des meilleures ventes de disques Albums en France
  16. "Morcheeba – Dive Deep worldwide chart positions and trajectories". aCharts.us. Retrieved 11 February 2008.
  17. laut.de | WOM Album Top 50 (KW 8/2008) Archived 7 March 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  18. Morcheeba – Dive Deep – swisscharts.com Archived 18 March 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  19. https://web.archive.org/web/20131015093549/http://infodisc.fr/Ventes_Album08.php
  20. http://www.impalamusic.org/arc_static/docum/04-press/2008/PR%20-%2020080910.htm
  21. "Morcheeba – Enjoy The Ride – 7digital". Archived from the original on 3 March 2008. Retrieved 2 April 2008.
  22. "Morcheeba on Ultra Records". Archived from the original on 26 April 2008. Retrieved 14 May 2008.
  23. "BBC – Dance Review – Morcheeba, Dive Deep". Retrieved 4 February 2008.
  24. "Review: Morcheeba – Enjoy The Ride – Mirror.co.uk". Retrieved 4 February 2008.
  25. "Allmusic – Dive Deep Overview". Retrieved 4 September 2008.
  26. "ZME Music Dive Deep Review". Retrieved 13 May 2008.
  27. "Orange UK Singles Review". Retrieved 5 February 2008.
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