Some Things Never Change

Some Things Never Change is the tenth album by the English rock band Supertramp, released in March 1997.

Some Things Never Change
Studio album by Supertramp
Released	24 March 1997
Genre	Blues rock, progressive rock
Length	65:36
Label	EMI Oxygen (US)
Producer	Jack Douglas, Fred Mandel
Supertramp chronology
The Very Best of Supertramp 2 (1992) Some Things Never Change (1997) It Was the Best of Times (1999)
Singles from Some Things Never Change
"You Win, I Lose" Released: 1997 "Listen to Me, Please" Released: 1997

Overview

Some Things Never Change represented a deliberate return to the band's earlier sound (before Free as a Bird), using more organic recording techniques than on their previous studio album.[1] John Helliwell recounted that "we recorded the album in a way that Supertramp never had and that was by all going into the studio together and doing it as a much more live thing."[2]

The album features the single "You Win, I Lose", which was a minor hit in Germany and also received considerable airplay in Canada.[3]

The song "Live to Love You" features both the 'tackled' sound from the Coleco Electronic Quarterback handheld electronic game, as well as the Trouble "Pop-o-matic bubble" sounds from their 1979 hit "The Logical Song".

Cover art

Rick Davies explained the concept behind the album cover: "It's something to tie in with the title. In England people have tea at four o'clock and it doesn't matter where they are or what sort of social plane they're on, they will have that tea."[1]

Reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[4]

Allmusic commented that the album retains the same style and strong instrumental interplay from the band's glory years, but lacks the "ingratiatingly catchy melodies" of that era, making it of strong interest to the band's fans but much less to casual listeners.[4]

Track listing

All songs written and sung by Rick Davies except where noted.

1. "It's a Hard World" – 9:46
2. "You Win, I Lose" – 4:31
3. "Get Your Act Together" – 4:49
4. "Live to Love You" – 5:18
5. "Some Things Never Change" – 6:26
6. "Listen to Me Please" – 4:46
   • Lead vocals: Rick Davies and Mark Hart
7. "Sooner or Later" (Rick Davies/Mark Hart) – 6:50
   • Lead vocals: Mark Hart
8. "Help Me Down That Road" – 4:36
9. "And the Light" – 4:40
   • Drums: Tom Walsh
10. "Give Me a Chance" (Rick Davies/Mark Hart) – 4:24
    • Lead vocals: Mark Hart
11. "C'est What?" – 8:17
12. "Where There's a Will" – 5:36

Personnel

• Rick Davies – keyboards, vocals
• Mark Hart – guitars, keyboards, vocals
• John Helliwell – saxophones, woodwinds
• Cliff Hugo – bass
• Bob Siebenberg – drums
• Lee Thornburg – trombones, trumpets, background vocals
• Carl Verheyen – guitars
• Tom Walsh – percussion, drums on "And The Light"

Additional personnel

• Bob Danziger – Kalimbas
• Karen Lawrence – background vocals
• Kim Nail – background vocals
• Fred Mandel - guitars on "And The Light" (uncredited as a musician on the cover)

Production

• Producers: Jack Douglas, Fred Mandel
• Executive producer: Rick Davies
• Engineers: Ian Gardiner, Jay Messina
• Assistant engineers: Ian Gardiner, Mike Scotella
• Mixing assistant: Roy Clark, Brian Hargrove
• Mastering: Bob Ludwig
• Creative director: Richard Frankel
• Cover art: Dimo Safari
• Portraits: Dennis Keeley

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (1997) Position Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[5] 5 Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[6] 9 Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[7] 44 Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[8] 12 French Albums (SNEP)[9] 2 German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[10] 3 Italian Albums (FIMI)[11] 22 Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[12] 19 Spanish Albums (AFYVE)[13] 8 Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[14] 2 UK Albums (OCC)[15] 74

Year-end charts Chart (1997) Position Belgian Albums Chart (Wallonia)[16] 90 French Albums Chart[17] 46 German Albums Chart[18] 46 Italian Albums Chart[11] 96 Swiss Albums Chart[19] 49

Certifications and sales

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
France (SNEP)[20]	2× Gold	268,800[21]
Germany (BVMI)[22]	Gold	250,000^^
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[23]	Gold	50,000^^
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[24]	Platinum	50,000^^
^^shipments figures based on certification alone

References

1. Bollenberg, John "Bobo" (26 June 2000). Interview with Rick Davies, John Helliwell, Jack Douglass, and Georges Ohayon, ProgressiveWorld.net.
2. Overall, Rick (22 July 1997). Summer Tramp Archived 18 July 2012 at Archive.today, Jam! Music.
3. Stevenson, Jane (25 July 1997). Supertramp Reunion Was Logical Thing to Do Archived 10 July 2012 at Archive.today, Jam! Music.
4. Some Things Never Change at AllMusic
5. "Austriancharts.at – Supertramp – Some Things Never Change" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 1 May 20131.
6. "Ultratop.be – Supertramp – Some Things Never Change" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 1 May 20131.
7. "Top RPM Albums: Issue 3257". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
8. "Dutchcharts.nl – Supertramp – Some Things Never Change" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 1 May 2013.
9. "Lescharts.com – Supertramp – Some Things Never Change". Hung Medien. Retrieved 1 May 2013.
10. "Offiziellecharts.de – Supertramp – Some Things Never Change" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
11. "Hit Parade Italia – Gli album più venduti del 1997" (in Italian). hitparadeitalia.it. Retrieved 3 July 2013.
12. "Norwegiancharts.com – Supertramp – Some Things Never Change". Hung Medien. Retrieved 1 May 2013.
13. Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
14. "Swisscharts.com – Supertramp – Some Things Never Change". Hung Medien. Retrieved 1 May 2013.
15. "Supertramp | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved 1 May 2013.
16. "Rapports annuels 1997". Ultratop (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 1 May 2013.
17. "Les Albums (CD) de 1997 par InfoDisc" (in French). infodisc.fr. Archived from the original (PHP) on 9 February 2012. Retrieved 1 May 2013.
18. "Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 8 September 2016.
19. "Hitparade.ch - Schweizer Jahreshitparade 1997" (ASP). Swiss Music Charts (in Swedish). Hung Medien. Retrieved 1 May 2013.
20. "French album certifications – Supertramp – Some Things Never Change" (in French). InfoDisc. Retrieved 1 June 2012. Select SUPERTRAMP and click OK. 
21. "Les Albums Double Or". infodisc.fr (in French). SNEP. Archived from the original on 24 November 2011. Retrieved 31 August 2012.
22. "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Supertramp; 'Some Things Never Change')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved 1 June 2012.
23. "Solo Exitos 1959–2002 Ano A Ano: Certificados > 1995–1999". Iberautor Promociones Culturales. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
24. "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards (Supertramp; 'Some Things Never Change')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien. Retrieved 1 June 2012.