01: The Hindu Times
02: Force Of Nature
03: Hung In A Bad Place
04: Stop Crying Your Heart Out
05: Songbird
06: Little By Little
07: A Quick Peep
08: (Probably) All In The Mind
09: She Is Love
10: Born On A Different Cloud
11: Better Man
Release Date: July 1st 2002
Highest UK Chart Position: Number 1
Oasis
Liam Gallagher – vocals, tambourine , acoustic guitar
Noel Gallagher – guitar, keyboards, backing vocals, lead vocals on tracks 2, 6, 9, 13, drums on track 11
Gem Archer – guitar, keyboards, backing vocals
Andy Bell – bass guitar
Alan White – drums, percussion
Additional musicians
Paul Stacey – mellotron on track 1, piano on tracks 2–3 and 11, Hammond organ on track 6
Mike Rowe – piano on tracks 4 and 10, pump organ on track 9, Hammond organ on tracks 8–10
Johnny Marr – guitar solo on track 8, slide guitar on track 10, guitar and backing vocals on track 11
London Session Orchestra – strings on track 4
Design
Design [Cover Design] – Noel Gallagher, Simon Halfon
Photography By [Additional] – Andrew MacPherson, Jay Brooks, Pennie Smith, Simon Halfon
Heathen Chemistry is the fifth studio album by Oasis, released on July 1st 2002. It ended up in the top ten best selling albums of 2002.
Heathen Chemistry was received more warmly than the previous Oasis album, Standing On The Shoulder Of Giants, by both fans and critics alike. It spawned four singles, each of which made the top three in the UK charts: The Hindu Times, their sixth number one single in the UK, Stop Crying Your Heart Out, a song made famous as it was played on the BBC when the English football team were knocked out of the World Cup, the Double A-Side, sung by Noel — Little By Little/She Is Love and Songbird, the first single written by Liam Gallagher.
This album was the last one to feature the band's drummer, Alan White, who left in early 2004, with Noel Gallagher claiming White's commitment to the band wasn't up to scratch. He was replaced with Ringo Starr's son, Zak Starkey.
Album History
The title of the album, according to Noel, came from a t-shirt he bought in Ibiza which featured a logo reading, The Society Of Heathen Chemists. Similarly, the name of the first single, The Hindu Times, originated from a logo on a t-shirt that read the same thing, which Noel saw during a photo shoot for GQ's 100 Greatest Guitarists edition.
The album was recorded during 2001–early 2002, and was the first studio album written and recorded with the two new members, Andy Bell and Gem Archer. Bell and Archer wrote one track each, and Liam Gallagher contributed three, thus the album signalled the end of Noel Gallagher songs dominating Oasis albums (though Liam had previously contributed Little James on Standing On The Shoulder Of Giants).
The release of the album was overshadowed by an internet leak of all eleven tracks almost three months prior to release. However, listeners of the commercially released album heard slight differences to two tracks, Little By Little and Better Man.
Recording
Heathen Chemistry was recorded during 2001–early 2002 and is the first Oasis album to have significant writing contributions from members other than chief songwriter Noel Gallagher. Liam Gallagher contributed three songs, Andy Bell and Gem Archer contributed one song each as well.
The band headed into Wheeler End Studios to begin working on their fifth studio album. Noel tells the NME that Liam is delaying the process. "I was really happy with [the album] until recently, but I'm fucking livid now," he says. "I finished my bits three-and-a-half months ago, and then we handed it over to Liam, and in three-and-a-half months he's done nothing. Just concentrated on his drinking habit again. It's just drifting at the moment. All the backing tracks are done and it's a fantastic album of instrumentals. Hand it over to the singer and it just slows down and becomes this one really long, drawn-out, painful process. So, to be honest with you, I don't know when it'll come out now. It's down to him.".
Despite the setbacks during the recording process, when the album was finally complete Noel was confident that it was the group's second best album to date, behind their debut Definitely Maybe.
The length of track eleven, Better Man is 38:03; this is because of a hidden track called The Cage, which begins after 30 minutes of silence.
In the Japanese and digital versions, "Better Man" and the hidden track The Cage were separated and the 30-minute silence was removed.