The Freedom Sessions

The Freedom Sessions
Remix album by Sarah McLachlan
Released	6 December 1994 (Canada) 28 March 1995 (US)
Recorded	1994
Genre	Pop rock
Length	32:31
Label	Nettwerk (Canada) Arista (US)
Producer	Pierre Marchand
Sarah McLachlan chronology
Fumbling Towards Ecstasy (1993) The Freedom Sessions (1994) Rarities, B-Sides and Other Stuff (1996)

The Freedom Sessions is an album by Sarah McLachlan which was released on 6 December 1994 on Nettwerk in Canada and on 28 March 1995 on Arista Records in the United States. The album contains previously unreleased alternative versions and remixes of seven songs that had appeared on McLachlan's 1993 album Fumbling Towards Ecstasy, as well as a cover version of "Ol' '55" by Tom Waits. Many of the tracks were recorded during the same sessions as Fumbling. In subsequent live performances, some of these songs (most notably "Ice Cream" and "Hold On") were reworked to match the style in which they were played on this album.

The album was released in two versions: a standard CD, and an enhanced CD containing CD-ROM bonus material including interviews and music videos. The album was one of the first major enhanced CD releases, and sold more than 200,000 units.^[1] As Toronto Star writer Peter Howell describes, The Freedom Sessions has "the distinction of being the first CD-ROM disc ever to chart on the influential Billboard Top 200 Albums chart".^[2]

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	link
Rolling Stone	link

Track listing

All songs by McLachlan, unless otherwise noted.

CD: Standard release

1. "Elsewhere" – 4:33
2. "Plenty" – 3:20
3. "Mary" – 3:55
4. "Good Enough" – 3:20
5. "Hold On" – 6:43
6. "Ice Cream" – 2:30
7. "Ice" – 3:58
8. "Ol' '55" (Tom Waits) – 4:12

CD: Nettwerk / W2-36321 (Canada)

1. Data Track
2. "Elsewhere" – 4:33
3. "Plenty" – 3:20
4. "Mary" – 3:55
5. "Good Enough" – 3:20
6. "Hold On" – 6:43
7. "Ice Cream" – 2:30
8. "Ice" – 3:58
9. "Ol' '55" (Tom Waits) – 9:33

• Enhanced v2.0 release
• "Ol' '55" is followed by a second version of "Hold On" 4:52 which starts at 4:41

Personnel

• Sarah McLachlan - Vocals, Acoustic & Electric Guitars, Piano, Keyboards
• Luke Doucet - Slide Acoustic Guitar
• David Sinclair - Acoustic Guitar
• Pierre Marchand - Bass, Orchestra, Drum Programming, Percussion, Background Vocals
• Brian Minato - Bass
• David Kershaw - Bass, Piano, Hammond Organ
• Camille Henderson - Background Vocals
• Ashwin Sood - Drums, Djembe'

Charts

Chart (1994–95)	Peak position
Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[3]	36
US Billboard 200[4]	78

Certifications and sales

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[5]	Platinum	100,000^^
United States (RIAA)[6]	Gold	500,000^^
^^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

1. "Denver Web Design | Digital Marketing Agency | SEO, PPC, Social Media". Archived from the original on 14 July 1997.
2. Havarnek, Carrie, ed. (2008). Women Icons of Popular Music. Westport, Connecticut, United States: Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 280. ISBN 9781573567831. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
3. "Top RPM Albums: Issue 2714". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
4. "Sarah McLachlan Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
5. "Canadian album certifications – Sarah McLachlan – The Freedom Sessions". Music Canada. Retrieved 26 October 2016.
6. "American album certifications – Sarah Mc Lachlan – The Freedom Sessions". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 26 October 2016.