Fumbling Towards Ecstasy

Fumbling Towards Ecstasy
Studio album by
Sarah McLachlan
Released 22 October 1993
Recorded 1993
Studio Le Studio (Morin Heights, Quebec)
Genre
Length 57:50
Label
Producer Pierre Marchand
Sarah McLachlan chronology
Solace
(1991) 		Fumbling Towards Ecstasy
(1993) 		The Freedom Sessions
(1994)
Singles from Fumbling Towards Ecstasy
  1. "Possession"
    Released: 10 September 1993
  2. "Hold On"
    Released: 8 May 1994
  3. "Good Enough"
    Released: 12 September 1994
Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
AllMusic
Chicago Tribune
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music
Entertainment Weekly A
Pitchfork 8.2/10
PopMatters 8/10
Rolling Stone
The Rolling Stone Album Guide
Slant Magazine

Fumbling Towards Ecstasy is the third studio album by Canadian singer-songwriter Sarah McLachlan, released on 22 October 1993 in Canada, 15 February 1994 in the United States, 24 May 1994 in Japan, and 14 August 1994 in Australia. It was produced by Pierre Marchand in Montreal; McLachlan wrote most of the album while living in a small house near Marchand's studio.

The album was an immediate hit in Canada, where McLachlan was already an established star. It was slower to become her breakthrough album internationally, however; in some countries, most notably the US, it stayed in the middle ranges of the pop charts for almost two years. As of November 2003, the album had sold 2.8 million copies in the US.

Some editions contain an album version of McLachlan's 1995 single used for The Brothers McMullen soundtrack, "I Will Remember You". The track's lyrics do not appear in the booklet, nor does the track's crediting information.

In 2000 it was voted number 200 in Colin Larkin's All Time Top 1000 Albums. In 2022, Pitchfork ranked it number 119 on its list of the "150 Best Albums of the 1990s".

On August 5, 2008, a three-disc 15th anniversary edition of the album was released. The set includes the original remastered album, The Freedom Sessions EP and a DVD that includes live performances, music videos and more. The album was released by Legacy Recordings.

Track listing

All tracks are written by Sarah McLachlan, except "Fumbling Towards Ecstasy" co-written with Pierre Marchand.

No. Title Length
1. "Possession" 4:39
2. "Wait" 4:09
3. "Plenty" 4:05
4. "Good Enough" 5:03
5. "Mary" 3:55
6. "Elsewhere" 4:44
7. "Circle" 3:43
8. "Ice" 3:54
9. "Hold On" 4:09
10. "Ice Cream" 2:44
11. "Fear" 3:59
12. "Fumbling Towards Ecstasy"
"Ice" / "Possession" (hidden track)		 9:49
Total length: 54:57

Notes:

  • A hidden track follows "Fumbling Towards Ecstasy" which consists of a brief outtake snippet of "Ice" and a solo piano rendition of "Possession".
  • Original UK and Japanese versions of the album, along with the 2016 single-disc vinyl edition, include a cover of "Blue" by Joni Mitchell as a bonus track. These editions also do not include the hidden track appearing after "Fumbling Towards Ecstasy".

Personnel

  • Sarah McLachlan – vocals, acoustic and electric guitars, piano
  • Bill Dillon – acoustic and electric guitars, guitorgan, bass guitar, piano
  • Michel Dubeau – saxophone
  • Kharen Hill – photography
  • David Kershaw – Hammond organ
  • Pierre Marchand – bass guitar, piano, keyboards, fake Hammond B-3 organ, drum machine, percussion machine, Roland 808, shaker, found sound
  • Jerry Marotta – drums, percussion
  • Brian Minato – bass guitar
  • Guy Nadon – drums
  • Jane Scarpantoni – cello
  • Lou Shefano – drums
  • Ashwin Sood – drums, percussion

Charts

Certifications and sales

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada) 5× Platinum 500,000^
United States (RIAA) 3× Platinum 3,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Region Date Label Format Catalogue
Canada 22 October 1993 Nettwerk CD W2-30081
United States 15 February 1994 Arista Records CD 07822-18725-2
Japan 24 May 1994 BMG Japan CD BVCA-638
Australia 14 August 1994 Arista Records CD 07822-18725-2