I'm Not Ashamed (song)

"I'm Not Ashamed" is a song by Scottish rock band Big Country, released in 1995 as the lead single from their seventh studio album Why the Long Face. It was written by Stuart Adamson, and produced by Big Country and Chris Sheldon.[2] "I'm Not Ashamed" reached No. 69 on the UK Singles Chart.[3]

"I'm Not Ashamed"
Single by Big Country
from the album Why the Long Face
Released30 May 1995[1]
Length3:44 (single version)
4:12 (album version)
LabelTransatlantic
Songwriter(s)Stuart Adamson
Producer(s)Big Country
Chris Sheldon
Big Country singles chronology
"The One I Love"
(1993)		 "I'm Not Ashamed"
(1995)		 "You Dreamer"
(1995)

A music video was filmed to promote the single. It was directed by Desmond Webb and produced by Marc Wilkinson for Frontline Films.[4]

Background

Speaking to the Weekly Post & Free Press Recorder in 1995, Adamson said of the song: "Lyrics come to you at the most bizarre times. I was out for a run in Lincolnshire, and all of a sudden I'd got this lyric. I ran back to the studio where we were recording and wrote the entire lyric for "I'm Not Ashamed"."[5]

The single's release date had to be postponed a number of times. Approximately 2,000 copies of the single reached the shops a week before the finalised 30 May release date due to an administrative error, which resulted in the first week of sales not counting towards the single's chart position. It also resulted in both editions of the CD single being released at the same time, rather than one a week after the other.[1][6] On its release, "I'm Not Ashamed" received limited airplay on national radio but was more successful in generating plays on regional stations.[1]

In 2006, Tony Butler described "I'm Not Ashamed" as a "great anthemic track" and added: "I always felt that the lyrics were too sophisticated to be a single but it does have some of my favourite chord progressions in the intro section."[7]

Critical reception

In a review of Why the Long Face, Jerry Ewing of Metal Hammer wrote: "Why the Long Face is all muscular riffs, rock solid rhythms and singalong chorus[es]. The opening salvo of "You Dreamer", "Message of Love" and "I'm Not Ashamed" set out the band's agenda perfectly; rousing hard rock in the finest British tradition that remains evergreen and peerless."[8] Allan Glen, in his 2011 book Stuart Adamson: In a Big Country, considered the song "lyrically very dark and introspective" which was "completely at odds with the British music press who were "preoccupied with the loud, brash and life-affirming sounds of Britpop".[9]

In a review of the 2018 deluxe edition of Why the Long Face, the Hartlepool Mail commented: "The singles, "I'm Not Ashamed" and "You Dreamer", are the equal of most of their more celebrated back catalogue, but made little impact [at the time]."[10] Peter Roche of AXS noted the song's "reflections on personal triumphs and private travails".[11] John Bergstrom of PopMatters described "I'm Not Ashamed" as a "chunky rock number" on which the band "come across like Living Colour".[12]

Track listing
Cassette and CD single
  1. "I'm Not Ashamed" (Single Edit) - 3:44
  2. "One in a Million" (1st Visit) - 5:20
  3. "Monday Tuesday Girl" - 3:55
  4. "I'm Not Ashamed" (Full Version) - 4:12
CD single #2
  1. "I'm Not Ashamed" (Single Edit) - 3:44
  2. "Crazytimes" - 4:05
  3. "Big Country" - 3:16
  4. "Blue on a Green Planet" (Cool Version) - 4:40

Personnel

Big Country

Production

  • Chris Sheldon - producer on "I'm Not Ashamed", mixing and engineer
  • Big Country - producers (all tracks)
  • Graham Stewart - assistant engineer
  • George Marino - mastering

Charts
Chart (1995) Peak
position
UK Singles Chart[3] 69

References
  1. "Country Club Issue 34 - Page 2". Bigcountryinfo.com. Retrieved 2020-04-23.
  2. "Why the Long Face - Big Country | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. 1995-09-05. Retrieved 2020-04-23.
  3. "BIG COUNTRY | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". Officialcharts.com. Retrieved 2020-04-23.
  4. "I'm Not Ashamed (notes)". Bigcountryinfo.com. Retrieved 2020-04-23.
  5. "Win the chance to see Big Country". Weekly Post & Free Press Recorder. 8 June 1995.
  6. "Big Country - THE HISTORY OF BIG COUNTRY by Scottish Music Network". Scottishmusicnetwork.co.uk. 2001-06-12. Retrieved 2020-04-23.
  7. "Why The Long Face (notes)". Bigcountryinfo.com. 2006-11-05. Retrieved 2020-04-29.
  8. Ewing, Jerry (June 1995). "Album Reviews". Metal Hammer.
  9. Glen, Allan (2011). Stuart Adamson: In a Big Country. Polygon. p. 156. ISBN 978-1846971914.
  10. "Big Country - Why The Long Face - 4CD boxset reviewed". Hartlepool Mail. Retrieved 2020-04-23.
  11. Peter Roche (2018-06-28). "Overlooked Big Country album gets magnificent makeover". AXS. Retrieved 2020-04-23.
  12. John Bergstrom (2018-06-28). "Big Country tried to redefine themselves on 'Why the Long Face'". PopMatters. Retrieved 2020-04-23.
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