View source for The Trinity Session

{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2017}}
{{Infobox album
| name       = The Trinity Session
| type       = studio
| artist     = [[Cowboy Junkies]]
| cover      = Cowboy Junkies-The Trinity Session (album cover).jpg
| alt        = A grainy black-and-white photo of Cowboy Junkies sitting in a semicircle, with a rust-colored logo
| released   = {{Start date|1988|11|15}}
| recorded   = {{start date|1987|11|27}}
| venue      =
| studio     = [[Church of the Holy Trinity (Toronto)|Church of the Holy Trinity]] (Toronto)
| genre      = * [[Alternative country]]
* [[country rock]]
* [[folk blues]]
| length     = {{Duration|m=52|s=36}}
| label      = * [[Latent Recordings|Latent]]
* [[RCA Records|RCA]]
| producer   = [[Peter J. Moore|Peter Moore]]
| prev_title = [[Whites Off Earth Now!!]]
| prev_year  = 1986
| next_title = [[The Caution Horses]]
| next_year  = 1990
| misc       = {{Singles
 | name        = The Trinity Session
 | type        = studio
 | single1     = [[Sweet Jane]]
 | single1date = 1989
 | single2     = Misguided Angel
 | single2date = 1989
 | single3     = [[Blue Moon (1934 song)|Blue Moon Revisited]]
 | single3date = 1989
}}
}}
{{Music ratings
| rev1       = [[AllMusic]]
| rev1score  = {{Rating|4.5|5}}<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-trinity-session-mw0000197705 |title=The Trinity Session – Cowboy Junkies |website=[[AllMusic]] |access-date=July 22, 2012 |last=Jurek |first=Thom}}</ref>
| rev2       = ''[[Chicago Sun-Times]]''
| rev2score  = {{Rating|3.5|4}}<ref>{{cite news |url=https://chicagosuntimes.newsbank.com/doc/news/0EB36E169D9CBC57 |title=Cowboy Junkies, 'The Trinity Session' (RCA) |newspaper=[[Chicago Sun-Times]] |date=November 28, 1988 |access-date=August 4, 2022 |last=McLeese |first=Don |url-access=subscription}}</ref>
| rev3       = ''[[NME]]''
| rev3score  = 8/10<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Shooting Up |magazine=[[NME]] |location=London |date=March 11, 1989 |last=O'Hagan |first=Sean |author-link=Sean O'Hagan (journalist) |page=35}}</ref>
| rev4       = ''[[Orlando Sentinel]]''
| rev4score  = {{Rating|5|5}}<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/1988/12/11/cowboy-junkies-3/ |title=Cowboy Junkies |newspaper=[[Orlando Sentinel]] |date=December 11, 1988 |access-date=August 4, 2022 |last=Henderson |first=Bill}}</ref>
| rev5       = ''[[The Philadelphia Inquirer]]''
| rev5score  = {{Rating|4|4}}<ref>{{cite news |title=It's simple, it's sparse, it works |newspaper=[[The Philadelphia Inquirer]] |date=November 27, 1988 |last=Moon |first=Tom |author-link=Tom Moon}}</ref>
| rev6       = ''[[Record Mirror]]''
| rev6score  = 4/5<ref>{{cite magazine |title=The Cowboy Junkies: The Trinity Session |magazine=[[Record Mirror]] |location=London |date=April 22, 1989 |last=Pebody |first=Roger |page=32}}</ref>
| rev7       = ''[[Rolling Stone]]''
| rev7score  = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/cowboyjunkies/albums/album/137214/review/5944827/the_trinity_session |title=Cowboy Junkies: The Trinity Session |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |location=New York |date=February 9, 1989 |access-date=July 22, 2012 |last=DeCurtis |first=Anthony |author-link=Anthony DeCurtis |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090212211039/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/cowboyjunkies/albums/album/137214/review/5944827/the_trinity_session |archive-date=February 12, 2009 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
| rev8       = ''[[The Rolling Stone Album Guide]]''
| rev8score  = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref>{{cite book |chapter=Cowboy Junkies |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=t9eocwUfoSoC&pg=PA196 |access-date=August 4, 2022 |last=Kot |first=Greg |author-link=Greg Kot |title=The New Rolling Stone Album Guide |title-link=The Rolling Stone Album Guide |editor1-last=Brackett |editor1-first=Nathan |editor1-link=Nathan Brackett |editor2-last=Hoard |editor2-first=Christian |editor2-link=Christian Hoard |publisher=[[Simon & Schuster]] |edition=4th |year=2004 |isbn=0-7432-0169-8 |page=[https://archive.org/details/newrollingstonea00brac/page/196 196]}}</ref>
| rev9       = ''[[Spin Alternative Record Guide]]''
| rev9score  = 8/10<ref>{{cite book |chapter=Cowboy Junkies |last=Hermes |first=Will |author-link=Will Hermes |title=Spin Alternative Record Guide |title-link=Spin Alternative Record Guide |editor1-last=Weisbard |editor1-first=Eric |editor1-link=Eric Weisbard |editor2-last=Marks |editor2-first=Craig |publisher=[[Vintage Books]] |year=1995 |isbn=0-679-75574-8 |pages=94–95}}</ref>
| rev10      = ''[[The Village Voice]]''
| rev10score = C+<ref>{{cite news |url=https://robertchristgau.com/xg/cg/cgv289-89.php |title=Christgau's Consumer Guide |newspaper=[[The Village Voice]] |location=New York |date=March 14, 1989 |access-date=April 29, 2013 |last=Christgau |first=Robert |author-link=Robert Christgau}}</ref>
}}

'''''The Trinity Session''''' is the second studio album by Canadian [[alternative country]] band [[Cowboy Junkies]], released in early 1988 by [[Latent Recordings]] in Canada,<ref>{{cite news |title=Toronto trio getting a Rush out of reality |newspaper=[[Toronto Star|The Toronto Star]] |date=March 4, 1988 |last=MacInnis |first=Craig |page=D12 |quote=The proof of that is in the grooves of The Trinity Session, which is the reason for the Toronto group's record party tomorrow night at the Rivoli}}</ref> and re-released worldwide later in the year on [[RCA Records]]. "[[I'm Working on a Building|Working on a Building]]" and "Blue Moon Revisited (Song for Elvis)" did not appear on the Latent Records release. "Blue Moon Revisited" was originally released on ''[[It Came from Canada, Vol. 4]]'' (1988), a compilation of Canadian independent bands.

The music was recorded inside [[Toronto]]'s [[Church of the Holy Trinity (Toronto)|Church of the Holy Trinity]] on {{start date|1987|11|27}}, with the band circled around a single microphone. The album includes a mixture of original material by the band and [[cover version|covers]] of classic [[American folk music|folk]], [[rock music|rock]] and [[country music|country]] songs. Notable among the songs is the band's most famous single, a cover of [[the Velvet Underground]]'s "[[Sweet Jane]]", based on the version found on ''[[1969: The Velvet Underground Live]]'' (1974) rather than the later studio version from ''[[Loaded (The Velvet Underground album)|Loaded]]'' (1970).<ref>{{cite book |chapter=Like a Rolling Stone |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OPOwUw5UmEEC&pg=PA27 |access-date=July 22, 2012 |title=I Wanna Be Me: Rock Music and the Politics of Identity |last=Gracyk |first=Theodore |publisher=[[Temple University Press]] |year=2001 |isbn=1-56639-903-3 |pages=27–28}}</ref> Also included is "Blue Moon Revisited (Song for Elvis)", which is both a cover and an original, combining a new song by the band with the pop standard "[[Blue Moon (1934 song)|Blue Moon]]".

In 2007, the album was performed live in its entirety as part of the [[All Tomorrow's Parties (festival)|All Tomorrow's Parties]]' [[Don't Look Back (concert series)|Don't Look Back]] series. Also that year, the band returned to the Church of the Holy Trinity to record a new version of the ''Trinity Session'' with guest musicians [[Natalie Merchant]], [[Vic Chesnutt]] and [[Ryan Adams]]. This new set of recordings was released as ''[[Trinity Revisited]]'' to commemorate the 20th anniversary of ''The Trinity Session''.

==The recording sessions==
According to the band's website,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cowboyjunkies.com/albums/trinitysession/index2.html |title=The Trinity Session |website=cowboyjunkies.com |access-date=May 12, 2008 |last=Timmins |first=Mike |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080619074617/http://www.cowboyjunkies.com/albums/trinitysession/index2.html |archive-date=June 19, 2008 |url-status=dead}}</ref> the direction of ''The Trinity Session'' was influenced by music they had heard while touring the southern United States in support of their debut studio album ''[[Whites Off Earth Now!!]]'' (1986). The album's lyrics and instrumentation were lifted from the classic [[country music|country]] groups to which the band was exposed, and the song "200 More Miles" was written in reference to the band's life on the road.

As they had done on ''Whites'', Cowboy Junkies wanted to record live with one stereo microphone direct to tape. Although it is stated on the album cover that the recording was made on two-track [[Digital Audio Tape|R-DAT]], according to recording engineer [[Peter J. Moore]], it was actually recorded on a [[Sony]] [[Betamax]] SL-2000 video cassette deck connected to a Sony PCM-F1 analog/digital converter, using one single Calrec ambisonic microphone.<ref name="Sound on Sound">{{cite web |url=https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/cowboy-junkies-sweet-jane |title=Cowboy Junkies 'Sweet Jane' |website=[[Sound on Sound]] |date=October 2015 |access-date=April 22, 2017 |last=Doyle |first=Tom}}</ref>

Moore suggested the [[Church of the Holy Trinity (Toronto)|Church of the Holy Trinity]] in [[Toronto]] for its natural reverb. To better persuade the officials of the historic church, the band claimed to be the Timmins Family Singers and said they were recording a Christmas special for radio. The session began on the morning of November 27, 1987. The group first recorded the songs with the fewest instruments and then the songs with gradually more complex arrangements. In this way, Moore and the band were able to solve acoustic problems one by one. To better balance [[Margo Timmins]]' vocals against the electric guitars and drums, she was recorded through a [[Public address system|PA system]] that had been left behind by a previous group. By making subtle changes in volume and placement relative to the microphone over six hours, Moore and the band had finally reached the distinctive sound of the album by the time the last of the guest musicians arrived at the church.<ref name="Sound on Sound"/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://nodepression.com/article/cowboy-junkies-cold-grey-light-dawn |title=Cowboy Junkies – Cold grey light of dawn |website=[[No Depression (magazine)|No Depression]] |date=April 30, 2001 |access-date=April 21, 2017 |last=Cantin |first=Paul |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170423152948/http://nodepression.com/article/cowboy-junkies-cold-grey-light-dawn |archive-date=April 23, 2017 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

The band was unable to rehearse with most of the guest musicians before the day of the session. Considering the method of recording and time constraints, this could have been disastrous for the songs that required seven or more musicians, but after paying a security guard $25 for an extra two hours of recording time,<ref name="Sound on Sound"/> the band was able to finish, recording the final song of the session, "Misguided Angel", in a single take.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://cowboyjunkies.com/a-look-back-the-trinity-session-history-part-3-of-3/ | title=A Look Back….The Trinity Session (History – part 3 of 3) – Cowboy Junkies }}</ref>

Contrary to popular myth, the album was not entirely recorded in one day. In the hustle of the first recording session, the band did not have time to record Margo Timmins' [[a cappella]] chanting on "Mining for Gold". She and Moore recorded the song a few days later during the [[Toronto Symphony Orchestra]]'s lunch break.<ref name="Sound on Sound"/>

Sleeve notes state that the recording was not mixed, overdubbed or edited in any way.

The band followed this recording with a three-day session in April 1989 at a [[Quaker]] [[meeting house]], but decided against releasing those songs until 2022, when they put out ''Sharon&nbsp;– The Lost Album''.<ref name="sharon">{{Cite web |url=https://cowboyjunkies.com/new-lost-album-sharon-available-on-vinyl/ |title=new..lost…album, Sharon, available on vinyl |last=Timmins |first=Michael |authorlink=Michael Timmins |date=2022-08-29 |accessdate=2023-02-04 |language=en-CA |publisher=[[Cowboy Junkies]]}}</ref>

==Accolades==
In 2000, it was ranked number 999 in the third edition of the book ''[[All Time Top 1000 Albums]]''.<ref>{{cite book |title=All Time Top 1000 Albums |title-link=All Time Top 1000 Albums |last=Larkin |first=Colin |author-link=Colin Larkin |publisher=[[Virgin Books]] |edition=3rd |year=2000 |isbn=0-7535-0493-6}}</ref> It was listed as the 42nd best album of the 1980s by ''[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]'' in 2002.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://pitchfork.com/features/lists-and-guides/the-top-100-albums-of-the-1980s/?page=6 |title=The Top 100 Albums of the 1980s |website=[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]] |date=November 21, 2002 |access-date=August 4, 2022 |page=6}}</ref> In [[Bob Mersereau]]'s 2007 book ''[[The Top 100 Canadian Albums]]'', ''The Trinity Session'' was included at number 62.<ref>{{cite book |chapter=62. The Trinity Session – Cowboy Junkies |title=The Top 100 Canadian Albums |title-link=The Top 100 Canadian Albums |last=Mersereau |first=Bob |author-link=Bob Mersereau |publisher=[[Goose Lane Editions]] |year=2007 |isbn=978-0-86492-500-8 |page=150}}</ref> In 2015, the album was named the winner in the 1980s category of the inaugural Slaight Family Polaris Heritage Prize, an annual Canadian music award for classic albums released prior to the creation of the [[Polaris Music Prize]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://exclaim.ca/music/article/joni_mitchell_cowboy_junkies_sloan_peaches_take_home_polaris_heritage_prizes |title=Joni Mitchell, Cowboy Junkies, Sloan and Peaches Take Home Polaris Heritage Prizes |website=[[Exclaim!]] |date=October 9, 2015 |access-date=August 4, 2022 |last=Murphy |first=Sarah}}</ref> It was also included in the book ''[[1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die]]'' (2005).<ref>{{cite book |chapter=Cowboy Junkies: The Trinity Session |last=Conrad |first=Karen |title=1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die |title-link=1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die |editor-last=Dimery |editor-first=Robert |publisher=[[Universe Publishing]] |year=2006 |isbn=978-0-7893-1371-3 |page=593}}</ref>

==Track listing==
{{Track listing
| total_length = 52:36
| title1       = Mining for Gold
| writer1      = Traditional, arranged by [[James Gordon (Canadian musician)|James Gordon]]
| length1      = 1:34
| title2       = Misguided Angel
| writer2      = {{hlist|[[Margo Timmins]]|Michael Timmins}}
| length2      = 4:58
| title3       = [[Blue Moon (1934 song)|Blue Moon Revisited (Song for Elvis)]]
| writer3      = {{hlist|Margo Timmins|Michael Timmins|[[Richard Rodgers]]|[[Lorenz Hart]]}}
| length3      = 4:31
| note3	       = Not included on the original vinyl release
| title4       = I Don't Get It
| writer4      = {{hlist|Margo Timmins|Michael Timmins}}
| length4      = 4:34
| title5       = [[I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry]]
| writer5      = [[Hank Williams]]
| length5      = 5:24
| title6       = To Love Is to Bury
| writer6      = {{hlist|Margo Timmins|Michael Timmins}}
| length6      = 4:47
| title7       = 200 More Miles
| writer7      = Michael Timmins
| length7      = 5:29
| title8       = [[Dreaming My Dreams with You]]
| writer8      = [[Allen Reynolds]]
| length8      = 4:28
| title9       = [[I'm Working on a Building|Working on a Building]]
| note9	       = Not included on the original vinyl release
| writer9      = Traditional
| length9      = 3:48
| title10      = [[Sweet Jane]]
| writer10     = [[Lou Reed]]
| length10     = 3:41
| title11      = Postcard Blues
| writer11     = Michael Timmins
| length11     = 3:28
| title12      = [[Walkin' After Midnight]]
| writer12     = {{hlist|Don Hecht|Alan Block}}
| length12     = 5:54
}}

== Personnel ==
'''Cowboy Junkies'''
*[[Margo Timmins]] – lead vocals
*Michael Timmins – guitar
*Alan Anton – bass
*Peter Timmins – drums

'''Additional musicians'''
*John Timmins – guitar, backing vocals
*Kim Deschamps – pedal steel guitar, [[dobro]], bottleneck slide guitar
*Jeff Bird – fiddle, harmonica, mandolin
*Steve Shearer – harmonica
*Jaro Czerwinec – accordion

'''Technical personnel'''
*[[Peter J. Moore|Peter Moore]] – producer, mixing engineer, mastering engineer

== Chart performance ==
{| class="wikitable"
! Chart (1988)
! Peak<br />position
|-
| Canadian ''[[RPM (magazine)|RPM]]'' Top Albums
| align="center"| 28
|-
| Canadian ''RPM'' Country Albums
| align="center"| 30
|-
| U.S. [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]]<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.billboard.com/artist/299703/cowboy-junkies/chart |title=Cowboy Junkies Chart History (''Billboard'' 200) |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |access-date=April 22, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170527063735/http://www.billboard.com/artist/299703/cowboy-junkies/chart |archive-date=May 27, 2017 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
| align="center"| 26
|}

==Sales certifications==
{| class="wikitable"
!align="left"|Organization
!align="left"|Level
!align="left"|Date
|-
|align="left"|[[Music Canada|CRIA]] – Canada
|align="left"|Gold
|align="left"|{{start date|1989|3|31}}<ref name=CRIA>{{cite web|url=http://www.cria.ca/cert_db_search.php |title=CRIA Certifications |accessdate=2008-05-28 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100501065534/http://www.cria.ca/cert_db_search.php |archivedate=May 1, 2010 }}</ref>
|-
|align="left"|[[Recording Industry Association of America|RIAA]] – U.S.
|align="left"|Gold
|align="left"|{{start date|1989|7|19}}<ref name=RIAA>{{cite web|url=https://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php |title=RIAA Gold and Platinum |website=[[Recording Industry Association of America]] |accessdate=2008-08-21 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070626174049/http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php |archivedate=June 26, 2007 }}</ref>
|-
|align="left"|CRIA – Canada
|align="left"|Platinum
|align="left"|{{start date|1989|9|27}}<ref name=CRIA />
|-
|align="left"|RIAA – U.S.
|align="left"|Platinum
|align="left"|{{start date|1996|3|15}}<ref name=RIAA />
|-
|align="left"|CRIA – Canada
|align="left"|2× Platinum
|align="left"|{{start date|1996|3|13}}<ref name=CRIA />
|-
|}

==Other media==
* "Blue Moon Revisited" is heard in the background in the bar scene near the end of the 2004 film ''[[Silver City (2004 film)|Silver City]]''.
* The album's version of Lou Reed's "Sweet Jane" is featured on the soundtrack of [[Oliver Stone]]'s 1994 movie ''[[Natural Born Killers]]''.

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
*{{cite web |url={{discogs master|68424|The Trinity Session|type=album|pure_url=yes}} |title=Cowboy Junkies - The Trinity Session |website=Discogs |accessdate=April 25, 2013}}
*{{cite web |url=http://www.junkiesfan.com/lyrics_tts.htm |title=The Trinity Session {{!}} Track lyrics |website=JunkiesFan.com  |accessdate=May 13, 2017}}

{{Cowboy Junkies}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Trinity Session}}
[[Category:1988 albums]]
[[Category:Cowboy Junkies albums]]
[[Category:RCA Records albums]]
[[Category:Latent Recordings albums]]
[[Category:Polaris Heritage Prize–winning albums]]