Soul Drifter
| "Soul Drifter" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Lindsey Buckingham | ||||
| from the album Out of the Cradle | ||||
| B-side | "Say We’ll Meet Again" | |||
| Released | 1992 | |||
| Genre | Soft rock | |||
| Length | 3:27 | |||
| Label | Reprise (North America), Mercury (Europe) | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Lindsey Buckingham | |||
| Producer(s) | Lindsey Buckingham, Richard Dashut | |||
| Lindsey Buckingham singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"Soul Drifter" is a song by Lindsey Buckingham, released in 1992 from his third solo album Out of the Cradle. It was released as a single in both Europe and North America, reaching number 53 in Germany and number 31 in Canada. On the Out of the Cradle Tour, "Soul Drifter" was included as the final song of the set.[1] It was later played on Buckingham's 2021 tour promoting his self-titled album.[2]
Background[edit]
Buckingham stated that the lyrics to "Soul Drifter" were written before they were committed to tape, which contrasted with his usual approach of starting with the instrumentation first.[3] He wrote the song while Fleetwood Mac was at his house mixing Tango in the Night.[4]
Inspired by the music that his parents listened to when they were younger, Buckingham emulated the conventions of Tin Pan Alley music when he wrote "Soul Drifter". "I do think there's a lot to be looked at in that type of music. I tried to get that traditional, Tin Pan Alley sort of approach when I was writing 'Soul Drifter'. So I think there's a lot of validity, just looking at that stuff and appreciating it. Especially if it's part of your background."[5] Several of the guitars were treated with a vari-speed oscillator (VSO), particularly during the intro, which features two guitars playing an ascending line in octaves and another guitar playing a figure in triple meter.[6]
Critical reception[edit]
BAM highlighted the song's commercial appeal, saying that it "wouldn't sound out of place on any radio format".[5] Timothy White of Billboard said that the “contrasting layers of Lindsey's multitracked vocals are interwoven with various metronomic riff-sounds that constantly supplant each other before their essential sameness can be detected."[7] The New York Times characterized "Soul Drifter" as "a gorgeous folk-cowboy song" that "ends with quotes from The Tokens' "Lion Sleeps Tonight."[8]
Personnel[edit]
- Lindsey Buckingham – all instruments and vocals
Chart performance[edit]
| Chart (1992-1993) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada Top Singles (RPM)[9] | 31 |
| Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)[10] | 15 |
| Germany (Official German Charts)[11] | 53 |
| US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[12] | 38 |
References[edit]
- ^ Snyder, Michael (March 12, 1993). "Buckingham Goes His Own Way: Ex-Fleetwood Mac Guitarist On His First Solo Tour". The Blue Letter Archives. Archived from the original on December 30, 2015. Retrieved January 21, 2024.
- ^ Hernandez, Stephanie (December 23, 2021). "Lindsey Buckingham Hits the Holiday Road in Houston". Rock and Roll Globe. Retrieved January 21, 2024.
- ^ "Songwriters On Songwriting, Expanded Edition (1997), (Book Excerpt)". The Blue Letter Archives. 1997. Archived from the original on December 30, 2015. Retrieved January 21, 2024.
- ^ Boehm, Mike (December 10, 1992). "LIFE AFTER MAC : At the Coach House, Lindsey Buckingham Will Be Playing His First Concert Since His Old Band Broke Up". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on November 30, 2022. Retrieved January 21, 2024.
- ^ a b Holdship, Bill (May 1992). "BAM Magazine, Number 384 (05/1992), Out of the Cradle...And Into The Blue". The Blue Letter Archives. Archived from the original on December 30, 2015. Retrieved January 21, 2024.
- ^ di Perna, Alan (August 1992). "Musician Magazine (08/1992), The Speed of Sound: Lindsey Buckingham Gets Tight with Tone". The Blue Letter Archives. Archived from the original on December 30, 2015. Retrieved January 21, 2024.
- ^ White, Timothy (May 23, 1992). "Out of the Cradle (Billboard) Lindsey Rocks the Cradle". The Blue Letter Archives. Archived from the original on December 30, 2015. Retrieved January 21, 2024.
- ^ Holden, Stephen (June 21, 1992). "Recordings View: A Studio Wizard Takes a Psychic Journey". The New York Times. Archived from the original on January 16, 2018. Retrieved January 13, 2024.
- ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 1106." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved January 21, 2024.
- ^ "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 1277." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved January 21, 2024.
- ^ "Lindsey Buckingham – Countdown" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved October 8, 2023.
- ^ "Lindsey Buckingham Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved January 21, 2024.
