Affirmation
Australian cover
Studio album by
Savage Garden
Released9 November 1999
Recorded1998–1999
GenreSoft rock[1]
Length53:42 (International edition)
63:37 (Australian edition)
LabelColumbia
ProducerWalter Afanasieff, Darren Hayes, Daniel Jones
Savage Garden chronology
Savage Garden
(1997)		 Affirmation
(1999)		 Truly Madly Completely: The Best of Savage Garden
(2005)
Singles from Affirmation
  1. "The Animal Song"
    Released: 23 February 1999
  2. "I Knew I Loved You"
    Released: 28 September 1999
  3. "Affirmation"
    Released: 10 January 2000
  4. "Crash and Burn"
    Released: 20 March 2000
  5. "Chained to You"
    Released: 2 October 2000
  6. "Hold Me"
    Released: 13 November 2000
  7. "The Best Thing"
    Released: 19 March 2001
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]
Entertainment WeeklyC+[3]
PopMatters[4]
Q[5]
Robert Christgau(choice cut)[6]
Rolling Stone[7]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[8]
Sputnikmusic[9]

Affirmation is the second and final studio album by Australian pop duo Savage Garden. The album was released on 9 November 1999 by Columbia Records. It won the 2000 ARIA Music Award for Highest Selling Album. Alongside this it was nominated for Best Group and Best Pop Release but lost.

Background

The band recorded their second studio album after they recorded "The Animal Song" for the soundtrack to the film The Other Sister. The majority of the album was written by Hayes in New York in September 1999 or slightly earlier that year. The exception was 'You Can Still Be Free', a much older song that dated back to at least 1995 - a demo recording appeared on their 1995 demo tape, then titled 'Free'. The track was written in tribute to a friend of the band who had committed suicide some years previously, and was revisited after said friends' family explained they loved the song and wanted to see it released on an album. Preceded by the second single "I Knew I Loved You", the album was released on 9 November 1999 to worldwide success. The album spawned a further five singles, one of which was exclusive to the Australian market ("Chained to You"), and one of which was exclusive to the British market ("The Best Thing").

Following the success of the Superstars and Cannonballs video album, the album was reissued in November 2000, containing a bonus live album, Declaration, featuring recordings from the concert at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre on 21 May 2000. Including sales of the re-issue, the album has sold more than 8 million copies worldwide, being certified platinum in a number of countries.[10] It became the band's last studio album after Daniel decided to leave in 2001.

Similarly to Savage Garden, the album's track listing varied internationally. The Australian version of the album features a bonus remix of "The Animal Song", a CD-ROM featuring video footage and bonus material, and the uncut version of "Gunning Down Romance". The International version removes the remix, CD-ROM and features a cut version of "Gunning Down Romance", due to a manufacturing error where six seconds of music are cut between 4:36 and 4:42, causing the music to stop abruptly.

Track listing

Standard edition
No.TitleLength
1."Affirmation"4:56
2."Hold Me"4:50
3."I Knew I Loved You"4:10
4."The Best Thing"4:19
5."Crash and Burn"4:41
6."Chained to You"4:08
7."The Animal Song"4:39
8."The Lover After Me"4:50
9."Two Beds and a Coffee Machine"3:27
10."You Can Still Be Free"4:18
11."Gunning Down Romance"5:34
12."I Don't Know You Anymore"3:50
Australian special edition
No.TitleLength
13."The Animal Song" (Hex Hector Club Mix)9:55
14."The Animal Song" (Making of the Video)3:00
Declaration live bonus disc
No.TitleLength
1."The Best Thing"5:24
2."The Lover After Me"4:38
3."I Don't Know You Anymore"3:37
4."Two Beds and a Coffee Machine"4:46
5."You Can Still Be Free"4:58
6."Hold Me"4:52
7."Gunning Down Romance"6:36
8."Crash and Burn"5:13
9."Chained to You"6:33
10."I Knew I Loved You"8:05
11."Affirmation"6:17
Expanded Edition 2015 (Disc 2)
No.TitleLength
1."Hold Me" (Live at London Radio) 
2."Crash & Burn" (Live at London Radio) 
3."I Knew I Loved You" (Live at Paris Radio) 
4."The Lover After Me" (Live at Paris Radio) 
5."I Don't Know You Anymore" (Live from The Panel) 
6."I Knew I Loved You" (Eddie¹s Rhythm Radio Mix) 
7."Affirmation 2004" (Almighty Mix) 
8."Chained To You" (Justin Shave Remix) 
9."Crash & Burn" (Eddie¹s Bumped Up Dance Mix) 
10."Hold Me 2004" (Almighty Mix) 

Credits

Savage Garden

Additional personnel

Production

  • Arranged and produced by Savage Garden and Walter Afanasieff
  • Recorded and engineered by Jay Healy (vocals), Kent Matcke (basic tracking), David Frazer (guitars, strings on track 9), David Reitzas (guitars) and David Gleeson (drums, Fairlight, vocals and piano)
  • Assistant engineers – Brian Vibberts, Pete Krawiec, Tony Rambo, Dave Ashton, Ethan Schofer, Dave Ashton, Luis Quine, Mark Gregory, Ryan Hewitt
  • Mixed by Dave Way (tracks 1–6 and 8–12) and Chris Lord-Alge (track 7)
  • Mastered by Vlado Meller

Charts and certifications

Certifications and sales

Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[38] 8× Platinum 560,000^
Canada (Music Canada)[39] 2× Platinum 200,000^
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[40] 2× Platinum 100,000^
Finland (Musiikkituottajat)[41] Gold 31,905[41]
Germany (BVMI)[42] Gold 150,000^
Japan (RIAJ)[43] Gold 100,000^
Mexico (AMPROFON)[44] Platinum+Gold 225,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[45] Platinum 15,000^
Sweden (GLF)[46] 2× Platinum 160,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[47] 3× Platinum 900,000^
United States (RIAA)[48] 3× Platinum 3,000,000^
Summaries
Europe (IFPI)[49] Platinum 1,000,000*

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ↑ "Affirmation - Savage Garden | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic.
  2. ↑ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. Affirmation at AllMusic. Retrieved 2011-06-27.
  3. ↑ Morgan, Laura (12 November 1999). "Affirmation Review". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 25 April 2009. Retrieved 4 September 2013.
  4. ↑ Angotti, Chris. "Savage Garden: Affirmation". PopMatters. Retrieved 4 September 2013.
  5. ↑ "Savage Garden - Affirmation CD Album". CD Universe. Retrieved 4 September 2013.
  6. ↑ Christgau, Robert. "CG: Savage Garden". RobertChristgau.com. Retrieved 4 September 2013.
  7. ↑ Walters, Barry (9 December 1999). "Savage Garden: Affirmation : Music Review". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 25 July 2008. Retrieved 4 September 2013.
  8. ↑ Cross, Charles R. (2004). "Savage Garden". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. pp. 718. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
  9. ↑ Med57 (19 June 2006). "Savage Garden - Affirmation (album review)". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved 3 November 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  10. ↑ "Savage Garden Confirms Split". Billboard. 5 October 2001. Retrieved 6 January 2014.
  11. ↑ "Australiancharts.com – Savage Garden – Affirmation". Hung Medien. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
  12. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Savage Garden – Affirmation" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
  13. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Savage Garden – Affirmation" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
  14. ↑ "Savage Garden Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
  15. ↑ "Danishcharts.dk – Savage Garden – Affirmation". Hung Medien. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
  16. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Savage Garden – Affirmation" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
  17. ↑ "Savage Garden: Affirmation" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
  18. ↑ "Lescharts.com – Savage Garden – Affirmation". Hung Medien. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
  19. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Savage Garden – Affirmation" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
  20. ↑ "Irish-charts.com – Discography Savage Garden". Hung Medien. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
  21. ↑ "サヴェージ・ガーデンのリリース一覧" [A Look at Savage Garden's Releases]. Oricon. Retrieved 17 January 2014.
  22. ↑ "Charts.nz – Savage Garden – Affirmation". Hung Medien. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
  23. ↑ "Norwegiancharts.com – Savage Garden – Affirmation". Hung Medien. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
  24. ↑ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
  25. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Savage Garden – Affirmation". Hung Medien. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
  26. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Savage Garden – Affirmation". Hung Medien. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
  27. ↑ "Savage Garden | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
  28. ↑ "Savage Garden Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
  29. ↑ "ARIA Charts - End Of Year Charts - Top 100 Albums 1999". ARIA. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
  30. ↑ "End of Year Album Chart Top 100 – 1999". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 8 September 2021.
  31. ↑ "ARIA Charts - End Of Year Charts - Top 100 Albums 2000". ARIA. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
  32. ↑ "Canada's Top 200 Albums of 2000". Jam!. Archived from the original on 12 August 2004. Retrieved 24 March 2022.
  33. ↑ "Top Selling Albums of 2000". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 27 January 2022.
  34. ↑ "End of Year Album Chart Top 100 – 2000". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 8 September 2021.
  35. ↑ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2000". Billboard. Archived from the original on 6 October 2021. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
  36. ↑ "ARIA Charts - End Of Year Charts - Top 100 Albums 2001". ARIA. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
  37. ↑ "2009 ARIA End of Decade Albums Chart". ARIA. January 2010. Retrieved 16 January 2020.
  38. ↑ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2001 Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association.
  39. ↑ "Canadian album certifications – Savage Garden – Affirmation". Music Canada.
  40. ↑ "Danish album certifications – Savage Garden – Affirmation". IFPI Danmark. Retrieved 6 November 2016.
  41. 1 2 "Savage Garden" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland.
  42. ↑ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Savage Garden; 'Affirmation')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie.
  43. ↑ "GOLD ALBUM 他認定作品 1999年11月度" [Gold Albums, and other certified works. November 1999 Edition] (PDF). The Record (Bulletin) (in Japanese). Chūō, Tokyo: Recording Industry Association of Japan. 482: 9. 10 January 2000. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 January 2014. Retrieved 17 January 2014.
  44. ↑ "Certificaciones" (in Spanish). Asociación Mexicana de Productores de Fonogramas y Videogramas. Type Savage Garden in the box under the ARTISTA column heading and Affirmation in the box under the TÍTULO column heading.
  45. ↑ "New Zealand album certifications – Savage Garden – Affirmation". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 13 June 2013.
  46. ↑ "Guld- och Platinacertifikat − År 2000" (PDF) (in Swedish). IFPI Sweden. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 May 2011.
  47. ↑ "British album certifications – Savage Garden – Affirmation". British Phonographic Industry.
  48. ↑ "American album certifications – Savage Garden – Affirmation". Recording Industry Association of America.
  49. ↑ "IFPI Platinum Europe Awards – 2000". International Federation of the Phonographic Industry.
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