Schubert Dip Explained

Schubert Dip is the debut album by British rock band EMF, released on Parlophone Records on 7 May 1991.^[1] It features the worldwide hit single "Unbelievable" which reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100. The name of the album is a pun on the name of the popular sweet sherbet dip and the 19th-century composer Franz Schubert.

Critical reception

Alex Henderson of AllMusic gave the album three stars out of five, feeling that overall it was not as good as the standout single "Unbelievable": "The only song that comes close to packing the punch of 'Unbelievable' is the intoxicating 'Long Summer Days'. For the most part, Schubert Dip is a prime example of an album that is simply decent when it should have been excellent."

Track listing

All songs written and composed by James Atkin, Derry Brownson, Mark Decloedt, Ian Dench & Zac Foley, except where noted.

1. "Children" – 5:15
2. "Long Summer Days" – 4:00
3. "When You're Mine" (Dench) – 3:22
4. "Travelling Not Running" (Dench) – 4:20
5. "I Believe" – 3:43
6. "Unbelievable" – 3:29
7. "Girl of an Age" – 3:56
8. "Admit It" (Dench) – 3:28
9. "Lies" (Dench) – 4:27 (4:19 on reissue)
10. "Longtime" – 4:25 (original length was 8:10, as it included "EMF" as a hidden track)
11. "EMF" (Live at the Bilson) – 3:54 (hidden track on the original, later listed separately on reissue)

Note

• The track "Lies" on the first pressings of Schubert Dip originally began with a sample of the voice of John Lennon's assassin, Mark David Chapman, reciting the first two lines of the lyrics to Lennon's "Watching the Wheels". Lennon's widow, Yoko Ono, objected to this sample and as a result all subsequent pressings of the album have omitted the sample of Chapman's voice.
• The Hungarian speech at the beginning of the track "Travelling Not Running": "Hungarian: Az nem lehet, hogy az ellenzéknek is ártani lehet, ezt majd a végső eredmény eldönti..." ("It is impossible to harm the oppositionist, the final result will decide it...") was spoken by János Berecz, a Hungarian Socialist Workers' Party politician at the end of the Iron Curtain era.

Sample credits

• "Unbelievable" includes samples of US comedian Andrew Dice Clay throughout the track.
• The song "Girl of an Age" contains a sample of the character Ernie from Sesame Street speaking to his friend Bert.
• The song "Longtime" contains a sample of a reading of The Hollow Men by T. S. Eliot.

Personnel

EMF

• James Atkin – vocals, guitars
• Derry Brownson – keyboards, samples
• Mark Decloedt – drums
• Ian Dench – keyboards and guitars
• Zac Foley – bass

Additional personnel

• DJ Milf – turntables, scratching
• Claudia Fontaine – backing vocals on "Children", "I Believe", "Girl of an Age" & "Lies"
• Sindy Finn & Laurane McIntosh – backing vocals on "Travelling Not Running"
• Mastering by George Marino at Sterling Sound, NYC

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1991)!scope="col"

Peak position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[2]	44
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[3]	8
UK Albums (Official Charts Company)[4]	3
US Billboard 200[5]	12

Year-end charts

Chart (1991)!scope="col"

Position
US Billboard 200[6]	57

See also

• Doubt – the 1991 album by Jesus Jones, which had a similar style and performed well commercially as Schubert Dip

Notes and References

1. Sampled Notes . NME. London, England . 4 . 13 April 1991.
2. Web site: australian-charts.com > EMF – Schubert Dip (album). 30 October 2015.
3. Web site: charts.nz > EMF – Schubert Dip (album). 30 October 2015.
4. Web site: Official Charts > EMF (albums tab). The Official UK Charts Company. 30 October 2015.
5. Billboard > Artists / EMF > Chart History – Billboard 200. Billboard. 30 October 2015.
6. Web site: Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1991. Billboard. 30 July 2021.