Throwing Copper

Throwing Copper is the second studio album by American alternative rock band Live, released on April 26, 1994 on former MCA Records subsidiary Radioactive Records.[8] It was produced by Jerry Harrison of Talking Heads and was recorded at Pachyderm Recording Studio.[9] Throwing Copper has sold over 8 million copies and was certified 8× platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.[10]

Throwing Copper
Studio album by Live
Released	April 26, 1994 (1994-04-26)
Recorded	July–September 1993
Studio	Pachyderm Studio, Cannon Falls, Minnesota
Genre	Alternative rock[1]
Length	59:32
Label	Radioactive
Producer	Jerry Harrison, Live
Live chronology
Mental Jewelry (1991) Throwing Copper (1994) Secret Samadhi (1997)
Singles from Throwing Copper
"Selling the Drama" Released: February 1994 "I Alone" Released: May 22, 1994 "Lightning Crashes" Released: September 24, 1994 "All Over You" Released: December 5, 1994 "White, Discussion" Released: April 1, 1995

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[2]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music	[3]
Q	[4]
Rolling Stone	[1]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide	[5]
Spin Alternative Record Guide	7/10[6]
The Village Voice	C+[7]

Cover art

The cover art is a painting by Scottish artist Peter Howson titled Sisters of Mercy. On September 23, 2005 it was sold for $186,000 by Christie's in New York. The painting is oil on canvas and measures 243 × 182 centimeters.[11] It has been suggested that the painting explores the themes of betrayal, revenge, and fear and that it shows a group of prostitutes urging a man holding a bible to throw himself off a cliff.[12]

25th anniversary reissue

In May 2019, the band announced a 25th-anniversary reissue of Throwing Copper, which was released on July 19.[13] The reissue contains three bonus tracks: "Hold Me Up", which was recorded during the original Throwing Copper sessions and later heard in the 2008 comedy Zack and Miri Make a Porno but was not officially released;[14] "We Deal in Dreams", which had been released as a single off the band's 2004 compilation album Awake: The Best of Live; and "Susquehanna", another previously unreleased track originally recorded in 1993, though it had been written during recording sessions for the band's second studio album, Mental Jewelry.

Track listing

All lyrics are written by Ed Kowalczyk; all music is composed by Live.

No.	Title	Length
1.	"The Dam at Otter Creek"	4:43
2.	"Selling the Drama"	3:26
3.	"I Alone"	3:50
4.	"Iris"	3:59
5.	"Lightning Crashes"	5:25
6.	"Top"	2:42
7.	"All Over You"	3:59
8.	"Shit Towne"	3:48
9.	"T.B.D."	4:28
10.	"Stage"	3:08
11.	"Waitress"	2:49
12.	"Pillar of Davidson"	6:46
13.	"White, Discussion"	6:08
14.	"Horse" (hidden track)	4:16

25th anniversary reissue bonus tracks

No.	Title	Length
15.	"Hold Me Up" (from the film Zack and Miri Make a Porno, previously unreleased)
16.	"We Deal in Dreams" (previously released on Awake: The Best of Live)
17.	"Susquehanna" (previously unreleased)

25th anniversary reissue bonus disc: Live at Woodstock '94

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Iris"
2.	"Top"
3.	"The Beauty of Gray"
4.	"Selling the Drama"
5.	"Shit Towne"
6.	"Lightning Crashes"
7.	"I Alone"
8.	"Operation Spirit (The Tyranny of Tradition)"
9.	"White, Discussion"

The tracks "Pillar of Davidson" and "Horse" were not included on the original 1994 vinyl version.[15] They were, however, included on the 2012 vinyl reissue on Music on Vinyl, which also added "Horse" to the track listing. The 2019 vinyl re-release was a double album, featuring the bonus tracks and "Horse" on the D-side.

Personnel

Adapted credits from the liner notes of Throwing Copper.[9]

Live

• Ed Kowalczyk – lead vocals, rhythm guitar
• Chad Taylor – lead guitar, backing vocals
• Patrick Dahlheimer – bass
• Chad Gracey – drums, backing vocals

Technical personnel

• Jerry Harrison – production
• Lou Giordano – engineering, recording
• Ted Jensen – mastering
• Gary Kurfirst – executive production
• Tom Lord-Alge – mixing

Charts

Album

Chart (1994–97)	Peak position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[16]	1
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[17]	11
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[18]	8
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[19]	38
Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[20]	1
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[21]	5
Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)[22]	38
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[23]	28
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[24]	1
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[25]	24
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[26]	11
UK Albums (OCC)[27]	37
US Billboard 200[28]	1

Decade-end charts

Chart (1990–1999)	Position
US Billboard 200[29]	60

Singles

Song	Peak chart positions
	US (Airplay)	US (M.R.)	Australia	Ned	UK	Ger
"Selling the Drama"[30][31][32]	43	1	49	15	30	89
"I Alone"[31][33]	38	6	—	20	48	—
"Lightning Crashes"[31][34]	12	1	13	—	33	—
"All Over You"[31]	33	4	—	—	48	—
"White, Discussion"[31]	71	15	—	—	—	—
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[35]	10× Platinum	700,000
Belgium (BEA)[36]	Gold	25,000^*
Canada (Music Canada)[37]	7× Platinum	700,000^^
Netherlands (NVPI)[38]	2× Platinum	200,000^^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[39]	6× Platinum	90,000^^
Sweden (GLF)[40]	Gold	50,000^^
United Kingdom (BPI)[41]	Gold	100,000^^
United States (RIAA)[10]	8× Platinum	8,000,000^^
^*sales figures based on certification alone ^^shipments figures based on certification alone

References

1. Evans, Paul (August 11, 1994). "Live: Throwing Copper". Rolling Stone. p. 70. Archived from the original on November 13, 2008. Retrieved January 14, 2013.
2. Boldman, Gina. "Throwing Copper – Live". AllMusic. Retrieved August 30, 2015.
3. Larkin, Colin (2011). "Live". The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th concise ed.). Omnibus Press. ISBN 0-85712-595-8.
4. "Live: Throwing Copper". Q. No. 98. November 1994. p. 115.
5. Moon, Tom (2004). "Live". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. pp. 490–91. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
6. Gardner, Elysa (1995). "Live". In Weisbard, Eric; Marks, Craig (eds.). Spin Alternative Record Guide. Vintage Books. p. 226. ISBN 0-679-75574-8.
7. Christgau, Robert (November 28, 1995). "Turkey Shoot". The Village Voice. Retrieved August 30, 2015.
8. "+Live+ Today Release The Super Deluxe 25th Anniversary Edition Of Their Landmark 8x Multi-Platinum Sophomore Album 'Throwing Copper'". Universal Music Enterprises. July 19, 2019. Retrieved June 1, 2020.
9. Throwing Copper (liner notes). Live. Radioactive Records. 1994. RARD-10997.CS1 maint: others (link)
10. "American album certifications – Live – Throwing Cooper". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved September 20, 2019. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH. 
11. "Peter Howson (b. 1958) – Sisters of Mercy" Christie's
12. "Peter Howson" Barton Laboratory, Dept of Chemistry, Imperial College of Science Technology and Medicine
13. https://shop.freaks4live.com/collections/pre-order/products/super-deluxe-25th-anniversary-edition-2lp-2cd
14. Blistein, Jon (May 30, 2019). "Hear Live Rip Through Previously Unreleased Track 'Hold Me Up'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved December 31, 2019.
15. "Live - Throwing Copper, Label:Radioactive (RAR10997) Format: Vinyl, LP, Album" Discogs
16. "Australiancharts.com – Live – Throwing Copper". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 1, 2020.
17. "Austriancharts.at – Live – Throwing Copper" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved June 1, 2020.
18. "Ultratop.be – Live – Throwing Copper" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved June 1, 2020.
19. "Ultratop.be – Live – Throwing Copper" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved June 1, 2020.
20. "Top RPM Albums: Issue 9023". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved June 1, 2020.
21. "Dutchcharts.nl – Live – Throwing Copper" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved June 1, 2020.
22. "Live: Throwing Copper" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved June 1, 2020.
23. "Offiziellecharts.de – Live – Throwing Copper" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved June 1, 2020.
24. "Charts.nz – Live – Throwing Copper". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 1, 2020.
25. "Norwegiancharts.com – Live – Throwing Copper". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 1, 2020.
26. "Swedishcharts.com – Live – Throwing Copper". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 1, 2020.
27. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 1, 2020.
28. "Live Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved June 1, 2020.
29. Mayfield, Geoff (December 25, 1999). "Totally '90s: Diary of a Decade > Top Pop Albums of the '90s". Billboard. Vol. 111 no. 52. Retrieved October 15, 2010.
30. "Ultratop entry for Selling the Drama" Ultratop
31. "Throwing Copper > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles" AllMusic
32. "Chartverfolgung / LIVE / Single " Archived August 4, 2016, at the Wayback Machine Musicline.de
33. "Ultratop entry for I Alone" Ultratop
34. "Ultratop entry for Lightning Crashes" Ultratop
35. "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2019 Albums". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved September 20, 2019.
36. "Ultratop − Goud en Platina – albums 1995". Ultratop. Hung Medien. Retrieved February 9, 2019.
37. "Canadian album certifications – Live – Throwing Cooper". Music Canada. Retrieved September 20, 2019.
38. "Dutch album certifications – Live – Throwing Cooper" (in Dutch). Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld- en geluidsdragers. Retrieved September 20, 2019. Enter Throwing Cooper in the "Artiest of titel" box.
39. "New Zealand album certifications – Live – Throwing Cooper". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved September 20, 2019.
40. "Guld- och Platinacertifikat − År 1987−1998" (PDF) (in Swedish). IFPI Sweden. Retrieved September 20, 2019.
41. "British album certifications – Live – Throwing Cooper". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved September 20, 2019. Select albums in the Format field. Select Gold in the Certification field. Type Throwing Cooper in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.