Unplugged is an acoustic live album by Canadian musician Bryan Adams. The album was recorded completely on September 26, 1997, at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City. Recorded by David Hewitt and Bob Clearmountain on the Remote Recording Silver Truck. Adams was joined by Irish piper Davy Spillane and Michael Kamen who wrote orchestrations for many of the songs and brought students from the Juilliard School to play them. Three new songs were included; "Back To You", "When You Love Someone", and "A Little Love". The song "If Ya Wanna Be Bad - Ya Gotta Be Good" makes its debut on an album, originally appearing on the B-side of "Let's Make a Night to Remember" - to which it is paired on the Unplugged album. Absent from both the CD and DVD is "Hey Elvis", which is available on the single of "Back To You". A second single was released in early 1998, an acoustic reworking of the hard rock song, "I'm Ready".
The album included only thirteen of the songs recorded at the show. The MTV Unplugged DVD included a few different songs and the song order is also different from on the CD.
The record sold over 2,500,000 units worldwide.
CD track listing
Personnel
Credits adapted from the album's liner notes.
Musicians
Bryan Adams – lead vocals, guitar, dobro, harmonica
Patrick Leonard – acoustic piano, organ
Tommy Mandel – acoustic piano, organ, accordion
Keith Scott – guitar, mandolin, dobro, slide guitar, harmony vocals
Dave Taylor – bass, harmony vocals
Mickey Curry – drums, harmony vocals
Danny Cummings – percussion, harmony vocals
Davy Spillane – Uilleann pipes, low whistles
Strings
Michael Kamen – arrangements and conductor
Tom Nazelli, Douglas Quint and Scott Starrett – additional arrangements
Jesse Levy – coordinator
Students of the Juilliard School of Music: Darrett Adkins, Maria Ahn, Raphael Bell and Nina Lee – cello Pete Donovan – double bass Ed Malave, Tania Halko and Alejandra Mahave – viola Angella Ahn, Cornelius Dufallo, Ani Gregorian, Ara Gregorian, Lyris Hung, Amy Kauffman, Jennifer Newell and James Tsao – violin
Production
Bryan Adams – producer, arrangements
Patrick Leonard – producer, arrangements
Bob Clearmountain – engineer, mixing
Dave Hewitt – engineer
Phil Gitomer – assistant engineer
Dean Maher – mix assistant
Chris Potter – mix assistant
Olle Romo – mix assistant
Phil Western – mix assistant
Glen Collette – monitor mixing
Joey Perpick – live sound mix engineer
Ron Vermeulen – technical assistant
Bob Ludwig – mastering at Gateway Mastering (Portland, Maine) Val Dauksts – production manager Don "Toe" Prodaehl – tour manager Tom O'Quinn – art direction, design Glen Ross – art direction, design Sandy Brummels – art direction, design Danny Clinch – photography Bruce Allen – management Chris Chappel – tour management
Technicians
Dennis Fitzmartin (keyboards) Lance Stadnyk (Bryan Adams' guitars) Rick Salazar (Keith Scott's guitars) Lorne Wheaton (drums)