Bossanova is the third studio album by Pixies. It was released on August 13, 1990, by English independent record label 4AD in the United Kingdom and by Elektra Records in the United States. Because of 4AD‘s independent status, major label Elektra handled distribution in the US.
Bossanova reached number 70 on the Billboard 200. The album peaked at number three in the UK Albums Chart. Two singles were released from Bossanova: Velouria and Dig for Fire. Both charted on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart in the US, at No. 4 and No. 11, respectively.
After Pixies finished touring obligations for their second album, Doolittle (1989), in January 1990, band members Black Francis, Joey Santiago, and David Lovering moved from Boston to Los Angeles. Bassist Kim Deal stayed in the UK to record the Breeders‘ first album in January with producer Steve Albini, although she ultimately decided to travel out to Los Angeles with the rest of the group.
Lovering stated that he, Santiago, and Francis moved to Los Angeles because that’s where they intended to record their next album. The three band members lived in the Oakwood apartments, along with comic Garrett Morris and members of the band White Lion. Producer Gil Norton also moved into the apartment complex.
Pixies started recording material for Bossanova at Cherokee Studios in February 1990, where the sessions ran into problems. Norton said that nothing could be recorded after 6 p.m. because the recording desk would pick up pirate radio stations.
Norton decided to work on overdubs in another studio for a few days until the problem was corrected, but when he returned to Cherokee, he found that any time something was plugged into a guitar amplifier it would generate “this incredible hum”. Norton refused to tell 4AD owner Ivo Watts Russell about the problem until he felt he could address it.
One day while visiting a bar, Norton and Santiago met producer Rick Rubin and informed him of their situation. Rubin had his secretary find another studio for the group, and the band continued recording at Master Control.
The album was released in August 1990 on 4AD in the UK, and jointly by 4AD and Elektra in the USA. After 4AD re acquired sole distribution rights for Pixies‘ back catalog, a reissued (although not remastered) CD appeared solely on 4AD in the US in 2004. Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab released a version in 2008 that was remastered from the original analog master tapes.
Tracklist:
- Cecilia Ann The Surftones (Frosty Horton/Steve Hoffman)
- Rock Music
- Velouria
- Allison
- Is She Weird
- Ana
- All Over the World
- Dig for Fire
- Down to the Well
- The Happening
- Blown Away
- Hang Wire
- Stormy Weather
- Havalina
Pixies
Black Francis: vocals, guitar
Kim Deal: bass guitar, vocals
Joey Santiago: lead guitar, backing vocals
David Lovering: drums
Additional musicians
Robert F. Brunner: theremin (“Velouria”, “Is She Weird”)
Technical
Gil Norton: producer
Alistair Clay: engineer
Steven Haigler: mixing
Jack Benson: assistant engineer
Gregg Barrett: assistant engineer
Moses Schneider: assistant engineer
Andrew Ballard: assistant engineer
Scott Blockland: assistant engineer
Howie Weinberg: mastering
Vaughan Oliver / V23: design
Chris Bigg: design assistance
Pirate Design: artwork
Anne Garrigues: artwork
Simon Larbalestier: photography
Kevin Westenberg: photography
