First Band on the Moon

Template:Use dmy dates {{safesubst:#invoke:Unsubst-infobox||$params=italic_title,name,type,longtype,artist,cover,border,alt,caption,released,recorded,venue,studio,genre,length,language,label,director,producer,compiler,chronology,prev_title,prev_year,year,next_title,next_year,misc|$extra=italic_title,longtype,border,caption,language,director,compiler,chronology,year,misc|$aliases=italic title>italic_title,Italic title>italic_title,Name>name,Type>type,image>cover,Cover>cover,Border>border,Alt>alt,Caption>caption,Longtype>longtype,Artist>artist,Released>released,Recorded>recorded,Venue>venue,Studio>studio,Genre>genre,Length>length,Language>language,Label>label,Director>director,Producer>producer,Compiler>compiler,Chronology>chronology,Misc>misc|$flags=override|$B={{#ifeq:{{#invoke:Is infobox in lead|main|[Ii]nfobox [Aa]lbum}}|true|{{#if:Template:Has short description | |Template:Short description|noreplace}}}}{{#invoke:Infobox|infobox}}Template:Template other Template:Category handler Template:Main other{{#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=Template:Main other|preview=Page using Template:Infobox album with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y|italic_title |type |name |image |cover |border |alt |caption |longtype |artist |released |recorded |venue |studio |genre |length |language |label |director |producer |compiler |prev_title|prev_year|next_title|next_year|chronology|year|misc}}{{#if:{{#invoke:String|match|error_category=Music infoboxes with Module:String errors|A|1=Life1995The Other Side of the Moon1997studioFirst Band on the MoonFirstBandOnTheMoon.jpgAlbum cover: a photo of people at a concert with the album and band name superimposed at the topthe Cardigans Template:Start dateSeptember 1995 – June 1996Tambourine Studios (Malmö, Sweden)<ref name="SOSMar1999">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>Template:Hlist39:01Stockholm·Mercury Tore Johanssonx|2=</?t[drh][ >]|nomatch=}}|Template:Main other}}Template:Main other}} First Band on the Moon is the third studio album by the Cardigans. It features the international single "Lovefool". It was first released on 12 August 1996 and internationally on 6 September 1996.

The album was a major breakthrough for the band, both in their native Sweden and internationally. It is their best-selling album in the United States, having sold around 664,000 copies there as of September 2010.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Critical receptionEdit

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AllMusic critic John Bush viewed First Band on the Moon as a return to the "mood and feel" of the Cardigans' 1994 debut album Emmerdale, with a new lyrical focus on "unfaithful lovers" and, in the case of "Lovefool", "unrequited affection". He noted that while its stylistic shift from its 1995 predecessor Life may confuse listeners, the album is buoyed by Nina Persson's vocals and Peter Svensson's arrangements, "the Cardigans' core strengths".<ref name="AllMusic"/>

Track listingEdit

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"Happy Meal II" is a re-recording of "Happy Meal", a song that was originally a bonus track on the US edition of Life, with some minor lyric changes.

Black Sabbath connectionsEdit

At least two songs on the album directly reference Black Sabbath material. In addition to the cover "Iron Man", "Heartbreaker" begins and ends with a quotation of the primary material from the song "Black Sabbath", the first track on Black Sabbath's debut album.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

PersonnelEdit

Credits adapted from the liner notes of First Band On The Moon.<ref name="liner notes">Template:Cite AV media notes</ref> Template:Col-begin Template:Col-break The Cardigans

Lars-Olof Johansson – keyboards, piano
Bengt Lagerberg – drums, percussion
Nina Persson – lead vocals
Magnus Sveningsson – bass, vocals
Peter Svensson – guitar, vocals

"Your New Cuckoo"

Åva Håkansson – violin
Inga Zeppezauer – violin
Mattias Svensson – violin
Maria Holm – violin
David Wilczewski – flute
Lynette Koyana – background vocals

Template:Col-break "Heartbreaker"

Petter Lindgård – trumpet
Patrik Bartosch – clavinet
Ulf Thuresson – background vocals

"Never Recover"

David Wilczewski – flute

"Losers"

Annette Helmers – cello

"Great Divide"

Ronnie Weber – violin
Gabriele Freese – violin
Anna Berström – violin
Ivan Bakran – cello, double bass

"Choke"

Jens Lindgård – trombone
Sven Andersson – saxophone

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SinglesEdit

"Lovefool" (9 September 1996, #21 UK)
"Been It" (25 November 1996, #56 UK)
"Lovefool" (re-release 24 February 1997, #2 UK)
"Your New Cuckoo" (25 August 1997, #35 UK)

Release dates refer to UK single releases. In Europe and Japan, "Your New Cuckoo" was released much earlier than in the UK, where the release was delayed due to the continued success of "Lovefool" and also to commission new remixes for the single release.

"Been It" and "Your New Cuckoo" were both slightly shortened for single release; the former also had the word "whore" obscured by a guitar lick to make it more palatable for radio play.

ChartsEdit

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Weekly chartsEdit

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Chart (1996–97)	Template:Unbulleted list
Australian Albums (ARIA Charts)<ref name=ryan>Template:Cite book</ref>	52
Canadian Albums (RPM)<ref name="Canada">{{#invoke:citation/CS1\|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	41
Japanese Albums (Oricon)<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>	4
US Top Heatseekers (Billboard)<ref name=ushs>Template:Cite magazine</ref>	3