Let It Bee

{{About|the Voice of the Beehive album||Let It Be (disambiguation){{!}}Let It Be}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox album | name = Let It Bee | type = Album | artist = Voice of the Beehive | cover = VOTB Let It Bee.jpg | alt = | released = 20 June 1988<ref>{{cite magazine|title=New Albums|magazine=Music Week|page=8|date=18 June 1988}}</ref> | recorded = 1987–1988 | venue = | studio = | genre = {{hlist|Alternative rock|pop}} | length = 45:03 (U.S. version) | label = London | producer = {{hlist|Pete Collins|Marvin Etzioni|Hugh Jones}} | prev_title = | prev_year = | next_title = Honey Lingers | next_year = 1991 | misc = {{Singles | name = Let It Bee | type = studio | single1 = Just a City | single1date = 1987 | single2 = I Say Nothing | single2date = 1987 | single3 = I Walk the Earth | single3date = 1988 | single4 = Don't Call Me Baby | single4date = 1988 | single5 = I Say Nothing (reissue) | single5date = 1988 | single6 = I Walk the Earth (reissue) | single6date = 1988 | single7 = Man in the Moon | single7date = 1988 }} }} {{Album ratings | rev1 = AllMusic | rev1Score = {{Rating|3.5|5}}<ref>{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r21318}}</ref> | rev2 =''Record Collector'' | rev2Score ={{rating|4|5}}<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Staunton |first=Terry |date=October 2022 |title=From The Vaults |journal=Record Collector |issue=536 |page=118}}</ref> | rev3 = ''The Village Voice'' | rev3Score = A−<ref name="Christgau">{{cite news|last=Christgau|first=Robert|author-link=Robert Christgau|date=March 14, 1989|url=http://www.robertchristgau.com/xg/cg/cgv289-89.php|title=Christgau's Consumer Guide|newspaper=The Village Voice|location=New York|accessdate=April 29, 2013}}</ref> }}

'''''Let It Bee''''' is the debut album by American alternative pop rock band Voice of the Beehive. Released in 1988 on London Records, the album earned positive reviews from music critics and was a success on U.S. college radio stations. In the UK, the album reached No. 13 on the albums chart in its debut week ending 2 July 1988.<ref name=OCC>{{cite web|url=http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/24564/voice-of-the-beehive/|title=Official Charts > Voice of the Beehive|publisher=The Official UK Charts Company|accessdate=2015-10-07}}</ref> The album peaked at No. 53 in Australia on the ARIA albums chart,<ref>{{cite web|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150716153430/http://i.imgur.com/oyPN1pW.jpg|url=http://i.imgur.com/oyPN1pW.jpg|archivedate=2015-07-16|title=Response from ARIA re: chart inquiry, received 2015-07-15|accessdate=2015-10-07|publisher=Imgur}}</ref> and No. 40 in New Zealand.<ref name=nz>{{cite web|url=https://charts.nz/showinterpret.asp?interpret=Voice+of+the+Beehive|title=charts.nz > Voice of the Beehive|publisher=charts.nz Hung Medien|accessdate=2015-10-07}}</ref>

The group had their first top 40 hit single in the UK with "Don't Call Me Baby" from the album, which reached No. 15.<ref name=OCC/> ''Let It Bee'' contained two bonus tracks on the U.S. edition (they were not listed on the CD cover, but were listed within the text on the disc).

==Track listing== #"The Beat of Love" (Tracey Bryn, Brad Nack, temptation rap by Melissa Brooke) – 4:08 #"Sorrow Floats" (Bryn) – 4:23 #"Don't Call Me Baby" (Bryn, Mike Jones) – 3:11 #"Man in the Moon" (Bryn, Brooke) – 3:16 #"What You Have Is Enough" (Bryn) – 2:38 #"Oh Love" (Brooke, Jones) – 2:59 #"I Walk the Earth" (Nack) – 3:42 #"Trust Me" (Bryn) – 3:22 #"I Say Nothing" (Bryn, Jones) – 3:32 #"There's a Barbarian in the Back of My Car" (Bryn, Zodiac Mindwarp) – 2:38 #"Just a City" (Bryn, Jones) – 4:27 #"This Weak" (Bryn, Jones) (bonus track, U.S. only) – 3:14 #"Jesus" (Lou Reed) (bonus track, U.S. only) – 3:24

== Personnel ==

=== The band === * Tracey Bryn – vocals and guitar * Melissa Brooke Belland – vocals * Mike Jones – guitars, vocals, keyboards, and keyboard programming * Martin Brett – bass guitar and piano * D. M. Woodgate – drums, percussion, triggers, and keyboard programming

=== Additional musicians === * Henrick – keyboards * Dave Swarbrick – fiddle * The Kick – horns, Ladbroke Grove Man on "The Beat of Love" intro * Marvin Etzioni – mandolin, piano

=== Production === * Pete Collins – "The Beat of Love", "Sorrow Floats", "Don't Call Me Baby", "Man in the Moon", "I Walk the Earth", "Trust Me" and "I Say Nothing" * Hugh Jones – "Just a City", "There's a Barbarian in the Back of My Car" and "What You Have Is Enough" * Marvin Etzioni – "Oh Love" * Mike Jones – "This Weak" and "Jesus"

==Charts== {| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" |- !Chart (1988) !Peak position |- !scope="row"|Australia (ARIA Charts)<ref>{{cite book|last=Ryan|first=Gavin|title=Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010|year=2011|publisher=Moonlight Publishing|location=Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia|edition=pdf}}</ref> | style="text-align:center;"|53 |- !scope="row"|New Zealand (RIANZ) | style="text-align:center;"|40 |- !scope="row"|United Kingdom (Official Charts Company) | style="text-align:center;"|13 |- ! scope="row"| European Albums (''Music & Media'')<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/80s/1988/M&M-1988-07-09.pdff |title=European Top 100 Albums |magazine=Music & Media |volume=5 |issue=28 |date=9 July 1988 |page=18 |oclc=29800226 |via=World Radio History}}</ref> | 42 |}

===2022 deluxe edition=== {| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" !scope="col"|Chart (2022) !scope="col"|Peak position |- {{album chart|Scotland|52|date=20221216|rowheader=true|access-date=December 21, 2022}} |- !scope="row"|UK Album Sales Chart (OCC)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/charts/albums-sales-chart/20221216/7511/|title=Official Album Sales Chart Top 100|publisher=Official Charts Company|date=16 December 2022|access-date=21 December 2022}}</ref> |53 |- {{album chart|UKIndependent|15|date=20221216|rowheader=true|access-date=May 5, 2024}} |}

==Singles== * 1987 "Just a City" No.154 UK * 1987 "I Say Nothing" No. 45 UK,<ref name=OCC/> No. 73 AUS<ref>{{cite book|last=Kent |first=David |author-link=David Kent (historian)|title=Australian Chart Book 1970–1992|publisher=Australian Chart Book|location = Sydney|year=1993|edition=Illustrated|pages=330|isbn=0-646-11917-6}} N.B. This chart was licensed by ARIA until they commenced producing the chart in-house from 26 June 1988.</ref> * 1988 "I Walk the Earth" No. 42 UK<ref name=OCC/> * 1988 "Don't Call Me Baby" No. 15 UK,<ref name=OCC/> No. 48 AUS,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://australian-charts.com/showinterpret.asp?interpret=Voice+of+the+Beehive|title=Australian Charts > Voice of the Beehive|publisher=australian-charts.com Hung Medien|accessdate=2015-10-07}}</ref> No. 25 NZ<ref name=nz/> * 1988 "I Say Nothing" ''(re-issue)'' No. 22 UK,<ref name=OCC/> No. 11 U.S. Modern Rock Tracks<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.billboard.com/artist/431052/voice-of-the-beehive/chart?f=377|title=Billboard Artists / Voice of the Beehive: Alternative Songs|publisher=Billboard|accessdate=2015-10-07}}</ref> * 1988 "I Walk the Earth" ''(re-issue)'' No. 46 UK<ref name=OCC/> * 1988 "Man in the Moon" No. 93 UK<ref name=OCC/>

== References == {{reflist}}

Category:1988 debut albums Category:Voice of the Beehive albums Category:Albums produced by Hugh Jones (producer) Category:London Records albums