From the Choirgirl Hotel
From the Choirgirl Hotel, released in
1998, was the fifth major label album by
singer and
songwriter Tori Amos. A departure from her previous albums, it was a very radio-friendly project featuring a full
rock band sound (instead of Amos' trademark 'girl at a piano' schtick.) The album was very successful, although it did not spawn any major radio hits. The singles "Spark", "Cruel", "Raspberry Swirl" and "Jackie's Strength" were released. The album received two 1999 Grammy nominations: Female Rock Vocal Performance for "Raspberry Swirl," and the album was nominated for Alternative Music Performance.
Following the trend set by 1996's "Boys For Pele", Amos allowed several songs from the album to be remixed. Remixes of both "Raspberry Swirl" and "Jackie's Strength" were club hits. The album's theme dealt very closely with Amos' series of three miscarriages between 1995 and 1998.
The album artwork was heralded by the art community as innovative; it full-body color photocopies of Amos (in various coutoure dresses and outfits) as scanned by a human-sized photocopier. The album did moderately well, reaching multi-gold status.