Shake Your Money Maker
Studio album by
the Black Crowes
ReleasedFebruary 13, 1990 (1990-02-13)
Recorded1989
StudioSoundscape (Atlanta); Chapel, Paramount and Grandmaster (Los Angeles)
Genre
Length44:50
LabelDef American
ProducerGeorge Drakoulias
The Black Crowes chronology
Shake Your Money Maker
(1990)		 The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion
(1992)
Singles from Shake Your Money Maker
  1. "Jealous Again"
    Released: 1990
  2. "Hard to Handle*"
    Released: 1990
  3. "Twice As Hard"
    Released: 1990
  4. "She Talks to Angels"
    Released: 1991
  5. "Seeing Things"
    Released: 1991

Shake Your Money Maker (also stylized as The Black Crowes Present: $hake Your Money Maker[2]) is the debut studio album by American rock band the Black Crowes, released on February 13, 1990, on Def American Recordings. It is the only album by the band to feature guitarist Jeff Cease. The album is named after a classic blues song written by Elmore James. The Black Crowes have played the song live many times over the years, but it is not included on this album.

Shake Your Money Maker peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard 200, and two of its singles, "Hard to Handle" and "She Talks to Angels", reached No. 1 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. "Jealous Again", "Twice As Hard" and "Seeing Things" were also charting singles in the United States. Shake Your Money Maker is the Black Crowes' best selling album, having sold more than 5 million copies.[3]

On January 8, 2021, the Black Crowes announced that a 30th anniversary edition of the album would be released on February 26, 2021. The new version contains the original tracks remastered in addition to three previously unreleased songs, outtakes, two demos from the Mr. Crowe's Garden era, and a live performance set recorded in 1990 at Center Stage in Atlanta. Previously unreleased track "Charming Mess" was released on the same day as the announcement.[4]

Background and production

Brothers Chris and Rich Robinson had formed Mr. Crowe's Garden in 1984.[5] In 1988 George Drakoulias saw the band at a show they did in New York City and had them signed to Def American the same year; they changed their name to the Black Crowes shortly after.[6]

The recording sessions began in the summer of 1989 in Atlanta and Los Angeles, with Drakoulias producing the album. Some tracks include retained songs from the Mr. Crowe's Garden era such as "Could I've Been So Blind" and "She Talks to Angels", whose riff had been written years ago by then-17 year old Rich Robinson[7] with lyrics written by Chris, which were inspired by a heroin-addicted girl he "kinda knew" in Atlanta.[8] The band also chose to record a cover version of Otis Redding's "Hard to Handle", which would prove to be their breakthrough single.[9]

Four music videos for "Twice As Hard", "Jealous Again", "Hard to Handle" and "She Talks to Angels" were filmed to promote the band and the album,[10] and subsequently aired on MTV.

Release and reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[11]
Entertainment WeeklyB+[12]
Kerrang!5/5[13]
Melody Maker[14]
Mojo[15]
NME4/10[16]
Q[17]
Record Collector[18]
Rolling Stone[19]
Uncut9/10[20]

When the album came out in February 1990, critical reception was mostly favorable. Mark Coleman called Shake Your Money Maker "the kind of streamlined, supertight groove album that bar-band dreams are made of" in a review for Rolling Stone,[19] whose readers and critics later voted the Black Crowes "Best New American Band" at the end of 1990;[21] the band appeared on the cover of the magazine's 605th issue (May 1991) following their firing from the ZZ Top tour in March that year. The issue's interview of Chris and Rich Robinson compared the band to 1970s acts, with journalist David Fricke explicitly citing Faces and the Rolling Stones and Rich Robinson mentioning Aerosmith.[22] In Entertainment Weekly, Dave Marsh wrote, "The Black Crowes are to the early Rolling Stones what Christian Slater is to the young Jack Nicholson: a self-conscious imitation, but fine enough in its own right. Authentic bluesmen these Crowes will never be, but their sheer energy earns 'em the right to trash it up."[12] A CMJ review noted that while the band "might have studied their sonic textbooks a little too closely, if the Crowes have more songs like these in store, they could be one of the biggest bands of the new decade."[23] Retrospectively, AllMusic critic Steve Huey praised Rich Robinson's guitar playing and Chris Robinson's "appropriate vocal swagger".[11]

"Hard to Handle", "Jealous Again" and "Twice As Hard" broke into the Mainstream Rock Tracks charts, respectively reaching the first,[24] eleven and fifth position.[25] By the end of the year, Shake Your Money Maker had sold one million copies and eventually sold two million more,[5] thus receiving triple platinum certification.

In 1991, "She Talks to Angels" and "Seeing Things" respectively reached the first and second position of the Mainstream Rock Tracks charts.

Track listing

All tracks are written by Chris and Rich Robinson, except where noted.

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Twice As Hard" 4:09
2."Jealous Again" 4:35
3."Sister Luck" 5:13
4."Could I've Been So Blind" 3:44
5."Seeing Things" 5:18
6."Hard to Handle"
3:08
7."Thick n' Thin" 2:44
8."She Talks to Angels" 5:29
9."Struttin' Blues" 4:09
10."Stare It Cold" 5:13
11."Live Too Fast Blues/Mercy, Sweet Moan" (hidden track)
  • Jones
  • Bell
  • Redding
1:08
Bonus tracks (1998 reissues)
No.TitleLength
11."Don't Wake Me"3:33
12."She Talks to Angels" (Acoustic)6:19

30th Anniversary Edition

Disc 1: Original Album Remastered[26]
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Twice As Hard" 4:10
2."Jealous Again" 4:36
3."Sister Luck" 5:14
4."Could I've Been So Blind" 3:44
5."Seeing Things" 5:18
6."Hard to Handle"
  • Jones
  • Bell
  • Redding
3:08
7."Thick n' Thin" 2:42
8."She Talks to Angels" 5:30
9."Struttin' Blues" 4:10
10."Stare It Cold" 5:15
11."Mercy, Sweet Moan"
  • Jones
  • Bell
  • Redding
 
Disc 2: Outtakes and Demos[26]
No.TitleLength
1."Charming Mess"3:32
2."30 Days in the Hole"3:46
3."Don't Wake Me"3:35
4."Jealous Guy"4:57
5."Waitin' Guilty"3:04
6."Hard to Handle" (With Horns Remix)3:12
7."Jealous Again" (Acoustic Version)4:50
8."She Talks to Angels" (Acoustic Version)6:23
9."She Talks to Angels" (Mr. Crowe's Garden Demo)5:11
10."Front Porch Sermon" (Mr. Crowe's Garden Demo)3:57
Disc 3: Live at Center Stage, Atlanta (1990)[26]
No.TitleLength
1."Introduction"0:15
2."Thick n' Thin"2:42
3."You're Wrong"6:32
4."Twice As Hard"4:23
5."Could've Been So Blind"4:15
6."Seeing Things"5:51
7."She Talks to Angels"6:20
8."Sister Luck"5:36
9."Hard to Handle"3:30
10."Shake 'Em on Down"4:28
11."Get Back"4:55
12."Struttin' Blues"5:01
13."Words You Throw Away"13:44
14."Stare It Cold"5:19
15."Jealous Again"5:38

Notes

  • "Live Too Fast Blues/Mercy, Sweet Moan" follows the bonus tracks on the 1998 reissue of the album.
  • "Live Too Fast Blues/Mercy, Sweet Moan" does not appear on digital or streaming versions of the original album, thus cutting the track listing down to 10 songs.
  • The bonus tracks were originally part of the recording sessions at Soundscape Studios in Atlanta.[27]

Personnel

The Black Crowes

Additional personnel
Production
  • George Drakoulias – producer
  • Rick Rubin – executive producer (credited on the sleeve only after the album became successful)[28]
  • Pete Angelus – personal manager
  • Dave Bianco – remixing on "Twice As Hard"
  • Greg Fulginiti - original mastering
  • Alan Forbes – artwork, art direction, design
  • Tag George – assistant engineer
  • Michael Lavine – photography
  • Ruth Leitman – photography, cover photo
  • Lee Manning – assistant engineer, mixing, mixing engineer
  • Brendan O'Brien – engineer, mixing
  • Leon Zervos – mastering

Charts

Certifications

Certifications for Shake Your Money Maker
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[46] Gold 50,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[47] Platinum 15,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[48] Silver 60,000^
United States (RIAA)[49] 5× Platinum 5,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ↑ Kemp, Mark (2004). "The Black Crowes". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. pp. 75–76. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
  2. ↑ "The Black Crowes - Shake Your Money Maker". Discogs. August 1998. Retrieved March 20, 2019.
  3. ↑ Curtis, Gregory (January 30, 1997). "The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion | Album Reviews". Rolling Stone. Retrieved March 22, 2012.
  4. ↑ "'SHAKE YOUR MONEY MAKER' 30TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION BOX SET + NEW TRACK "CHARMING MESS"". The Official Website of The Black Crowes. January 8, 2021. Retrieved April 8, 2021.
  5. 1 2 Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "The Black Crowes – Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved January 12, 2011.
  6. ↑ "25 Years Ago: The Black Crowes Release Their Debut Album". ultimateclassicrock.com. January 29, 2015. Retrieved February 18, 2016.
  7. ↑ "What's So Bad About the Black Crowes?". rollingstone.com. May 30, 1991. Retrieved February 18, 2016.
  8. ↑ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: Chris Robinson (interviewee) (August 7, 2007). Moving From SYMM TO SHAMC (1992). YouTube. Event occurs at 1:54. Retrieved January 12, 2010. 'She Talks to Angels', you know, is about a girl I kind of knew in Atlanta, who was a goth girl, who was into heroin.
  9. ↑ "Rock Rewind: The Black Crowes "Hard To Handle"". recordingconnection.com. November 23, 2013. Retrieved February 18, 2016.
  10. ↑ "The Black Crowes Official Videos". theblackcrowes.com. Retrieved February 18, 2016.
  11. 1 2 Huey, Steve. "Shake Your Money Maker – The Black Crowes". AllMusic. Retrieved March 8, 2008.
  12. 1 2 Marsh, Dave (January 25, 1991). "The death of rock". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved January 26, 2013.
  13. ↑ Wall, Mick (March 3, 1990). "Shaken, not stirred". Kerrang!. No. 279. p. 20.
  14. ↑ "The Black Crowes: Shake Your Money Maker". Melody Maker. September 13–19, 2000. p. 50.
  15. ↑ McNair, James (April 2021). "The Black Crowes: Shake Your Money Maker". Mojo. No. 329. p. 96.
  16. ↑ Putterford, Mark (March 31, 1990). "The Black Crowes: Shake Your Moneymaker". NME. p. 35.
  17. ↑ Snow, Mat (June 1990). "The Black Crowes: Shake Your Money Maker". Q. No. 45.
  18. ↑ Davenport, Rich (April 2021). "The Black Crowes: Shake Your Money Maker – Super Deluxe". Record Collector. No. 517. p. 110.
  19. 1 2 Coleman, Mark (May 31, 1990). "Shake Your Money Maker". Rolling Stone. Retrieved August 19, 2011.
  20. ↑ Watts, Peter (April 2021). "The Black Crowes: Shake Your Money Maker: 30th Anniversary Edition". Uncut. No. 287. pp. 43–44.
  21. ↑ The Black Crowes at the Rolling Stone website
  22. ↑ What's So Bad About The Black Crowes? at the Rolling Stone website's archives.
  23. ↑ "Black Crowes: Shake Your Moneymaker". CMJ New Music Report. No. 188. February 2, 1990. Archived from the original on June 24, 2007. Retrieved September 30, 2008.
  24. ↑ Banister, C. Eric (May 12, 2016). Counting Down Southern Rock: The 100 Best Songs. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 978-1-4422-4540-2.
  25. ↑ Banister, C. Eric (May 12, 2016). Counting Down Southern Rock: The 100 Best Songs. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 978-1-4422-4540-2.
  26. 1 2 3 "Shake Your Money Maker (30th Anniversary Deluxe Edition) by The Black Crowes". Apple Music. Retrieved April 8, 2021.
  27. ↑ Shake Your Money Maker re-issue liner notes.
  28. ↑ "The Black Crowes And Rick Rubin "Executive Producer" Credit Fight". feelnumb.com. January 20, 2010. Retrieved February 18, 2016.
  29. ↑ "Australiancharts.com – The Black Crowes – Shake Your Money Maker". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 20, 2021.
  30. ↑ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 1491". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved July, 8 2023.
  31. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – The Black Crowes – Shake Your Money Maker" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved November 20, 2021.
  32. ↑ "Charts.nz – The Black Crowes – Shake Your Money Maker". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 20, 2021.
  33. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – The Black Crowes – Shake Your Money Maker". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 20, 2021.
  34. ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 15, 2022.
  35. ↑ "The Black Crowes Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved February 15, 2022.
  36. ↑ "Ultratop.be – The Black Crowes – Shake Your Money Maker" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved November 20, 2021.
  37. ↑ "Ultratop.be – The Black Crowes – Shake Your Money Maker" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved November 20, 2021.
  38. ↑ "Lescharts.com – The Black Crowes – Shake Your Money Maker". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 20, 2021.
  39. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – The Black Crowes – Shake Your Money Maker" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved November 20, 2021.
  40. ↑ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 20, 2021.
  41. ↑ "Spanishcharts.com – The Black Crowes – Shake Your Money Maker". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 20, 2021.
  42. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – The Black Crowes – Shake Your Money Maker". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 20, 2021.
  43. ↑ "Top Selling Albums of 1991". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved February 15, 2022.
  44. ↑ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1991". Billboard. Archived from the original on January 24, 2015. Retrieved February 15, 2022.
  45. ↑ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1992". Billboard. Archived from the original on January 24, 2015. Retrieved February 15, 2022.
  46. ↑ "Canadian album certifications – Black Crowes – Shake Your Moneymaker". Music Canada.
  47. ↑ "New Zealand album certifications – The Black Crowes – Shake Your Money Maker". Recorded Music NZ.
  48. ↑ "British album certifications – The Black Crowes". British Phonographic Industry.
  49. ↑ "American album certifications – The Black Crowes – Shake Your Money Maker". Recording Industry Association of America.
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