Picture of You (album)

Picture of You is the debut studio album by English singer-songwriter Ben Mills, who finished in third place on the third series of The X Factor in December 2006. The album was released on 12 March 2007 and entered the UK Albums Chart at number three with first week sales of 63,342,[1] before dropping to number 14 the following week.

Picture of You
Studio album by
Ben Mills
Released12 March 2007 (2007-03-12)
Recorded2007
GenreRock, pop rock
Length48:22
LabelSony BMG
ProducerBrian Rawling, Paul Meehan
Ben Mills chronology
Picture of You
(2007)		 Freedom
(2010)

Background

On 24 January 2007, six weeks after finishing in third place on the third series of The X Factor, it was announced that Mills had signed a five-album record deal with Sony BMG, who had also signed up winner Leona Lewis and runner-up Ray Quinn, and would be releasing his debut album in March of that year. The album was announced to be containing both original material and covers. In a statement, Mills said, "The X Factor was the perfect platform to gain recognition and I'm really enjoying writing and recording this album."[2]

Critical reception

The album received mostly negative reviews from music critics. Entertainment Scene 360's Eleanor O'Donnell, who voted for Mills every week on The X Factor, stated that "The flouncy new image coupled with these weak, busy yet placid songs and soulless vocal performances on his debut album makes Mills an artist I will not continue to support in the future and this an album I cannot recommend."[3] Chris Jones of BBC Music wrote that "...the relentless freak show-cum-faux 'talent' show that we love to gawp at on a Saturday night seems to have actually found someone who may survive the cruel seas of tabloid popularity and become a voice to remember."[4] In a 2.5/5 star review, Sharon Mawer of AllMusic commended Mills for his versions of "Maggie May" and "With a Little Help from My Friends" and "Somebody to Love", but admitted that his original songs "...were not of the same quality as the covers, nearly half of which he had sung on the show, thereby making his versions well known in their own right."[5]

Track listing
  1. "Beside You"
  2. "Amazed"
  3. "Nothing but the Truth"
  4. "Maggie May"
  5. "Anytime You Fall"
  6. "Love Waits for Me"
  7. "Don't Wanna Miss a Thing"
  8. "Somebody to Love"
  9. "The Last to Fall"
  10. "Bring It On Home to Me"
  11. "Picture of You"
  12. "With a Little Help from My Friends"

Credits and personnel

(Credits taken from AllMusic and Picture of You's liner notes.)

  • Dick Beetham - mastering
  • Hamish Brown - photography
  • David Daniels - cello
  • Julian Deane - guitar
  • John Lennon - composer
  • Perry Mason - leader
  • Cliff Masterson - conductor, string arrangements
  • Paul Meehan - producer
  • Freddie Mercury - composer
  • Ben Mills - piano, primary artist
  • Pino Palladino - bass
  • Martin Quittenton - composer
  • Brian Rawling - producer
  • Carmen Reece - background vocals
  • Philip Rose - string engineer
  • Jackie Shave - violin
  • Alex E. Smith - programming
  • Ian Thomas - drums
  • Andy Wallace - keyboards
  • Diane Warren - composer
  • Bruce White - viola
  • Shena Winchester - backing vocals
  • Tim Woodcock - programming

Charts and certifications

Release history
Country Date Format Label
Ireland[10] 12 March 2007 CD, digital download Sony BMG
United Kingdom[11]
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References
  1. Jones, Alan (11 November 2013). "Official Charts Analysis: Eminem LP sells 157k in week one". Music Week. Intent Media. Retrieved 18 December 2015. (subscription required)
  2. "Five-album deal for X Factor star". Newsbeat. BBC. 24 January 2007. Retrieved 5 December 2013.
  3. O'Donnell, Eleanor (30 March 2007). "Album reviews: Picture of You by Ben Mills". Entertainment Scene 360. Archived from the original on 1 July 2014. Retrieved 5 December 2013.
  4. Jones, Chris (12 March 2007). "Ben Mills Picture of You Review". BBC Music. Retrieved 5 December 2013.
  5. Mawer, Sharon (12 March 2007). "Picture of You - Ben Mills". AllMusic. Retrieved 5 December 2013.
  6. "GFK Chart-Track Albums: Week 12, 2007". Chart-Track. IRMA.
  7. "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  8. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  9. "British album certifications – Ben Mills – Picture of You". British Phonographic Industry. Select albums in the Format field. Select Gold in the Certification field. Type Picture of You in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
  10. "iTunes - Music - Picture of You by Ben Mills". iTunes Store. Apple Inc. Retrieved 5 December 2013.
  11. "iTunes - Music - Picture of You by Ben Mills". iTunes Store. Apple Inc. Retrieved 5 December 2013.
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