Half the Perfect World

2006 studio album by Madeleine Peyroux

Studio album by

Madeleine Peyroux

Released

September 12, 2006 (2006-09-12)

Recorded

April 2006

Genre

Vocal jazz

Length

48:56

Label

Rounder/Universal

Producer

Larry Klein

Madeleine Peyroux chronology

Careless Love
(2004)

Half the Perfect World
(2006)

Bare Bones
(2009)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	^[1]
ARTISTdirect.com	^[2]
Being There Magazine	^[3]
The Guardian	^[4]
JazzPolice.com	(NR)^[5]
Mojo	^[6]
musicOMH.com	^[7]
Rolling Stone	^[8]
inthenews.co.uk	^[9]

Half the Perfect World is the fourth studio album by American jazz singer Madeleine Peyroux. It was released on September 12, 2006. It peaked at No. 33 on the Billboard 200 albums chart and had sold 218,000 copies in the United States by December 2008.^[10]

The album contains four original songs, all of them co-written by Peyroux, and cover versions of songs by Johnny Mercer, Joni Mitchell, Tom Waits, Charlie Chaplin, Serge Gainsbourg, and Leonard Cohen.^[1] "I'm All Right," "A Little Bit" and "Once in a While" were released as singles.

David Dye listed the album at number 10 on World Cafe's list of the top 10 CDs of 2006.^[11]

Track listing

"I'm All Right" (Walter Becker, Peyroux, Larry Klein) – 3:27
"The Summer Wind" (Hans Bradtke, Henry Mayer, Johnny Mercer) – 3:55
"Blue Alert" (Leonard Cohen, Anjani Thomas) – 4:10
"Everybody's Talkin'" (Fred Neil) – 5:10
"River" featuring k.d. lang (Joni Mitchell) – 5:19
"A Little Bit" (Jesse Harris, Klein, Peyroux) – 4:02
"Once in a While" (Harris, Klein, Peyroux) – 4:00
"(Looking for) The Heart of Saturday Night" (Tom Waits) – 3:27
"Half the Perfect World" (Cohen, Thomas) – 4:21
"La Javanaise" (Serge Gainsbourg) – 4:11
"California Rain" (Harris, Klein, Peyroux) – 2:57
"Smile" (Charlie Chaplin, Geoffrey Parsons, John Turner) – 3:57

Personnel

Madeleine Peyroux – vocals, acoustic guitar (tracks 1, 3, 6–8, 10, 11)
Sam Yahel – piano (tracks 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10, 12), Wurlitzer electric piano (1, 3, 6, 8, 11), Hammond organ (1, 3, 6), Estey organ (7, 9, 10, 12)
Larry Goldings – celeste (tracks 3, 10)
Till Brönner – trumpet (tracks 8, 12)
Gary Foster – alto saxophone (tracks 2, 9)
Dean Parks – guitars (exc. track 3; solos on 1, 6), ukulele (1, 11, 12)
Greg Leisz – pedal steel guitar (tracks 8, 11)
David Piltch – double bass
Scott Amendola – drums (tracks 2, 5, 9, 12)
Jay Bellerose – drums (exc. 2, 5, 9, 12), additional cymbals (2, 9)
String quartet arranged by Mark Orton (tracks 7, 10)

Carla Kihlstedt – violin
Graeme Jennings – violin
Charith Premawardhana – viola
Sam Bass – cello

Charts

Weekly charts

Weekly chart performance for *Half the Perfect World*
Chart (2006)	Peak position
Australian Albums (ARIA)^[12]	26
Australian Jazz & Blues Albums (ARIA)^[13]	1
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)^[14]	42
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)^[15]	41
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)^[16]	31
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)^[17]	19
French Albums (SNEP)^[18]	15
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)^[19]	55
Greek Albums (IFPI)^[20]	6
Italian Albums (FIMI)^[21]	15
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)^[22]	25
Scottish Albums (OCC)^[23]	12
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)^[24]	38
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)^[25]	24
Swedish Jazz Albums (Sverigetopplistan)^[26]	1
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)^[27]	41
UK Albums (OCC)^[28]	12
UK Jazz & Blues Albums (OCC)^[29]	1
US Billboard 200^[30]	33
US Top Jazz Albums (Billboard)^[31]	1
US Traditional Jazz Albums (Billboard)^[32]	1

Year-end charts

2006 year-end chart performance for *Half the Perfect World*
Chart (2006)	Position
Australian Jazz & Blues Albums (ARIA)^[33]	6
French Albums (SNEP)^[34]	151
US Top Jazz Albums (Billboard)^[35]	7

2007 year-end chart performance for *Half the Perfect World*
Chart (2007)	Position
Australian Jazz & Blues Albums (ARIA)^[36]	10
US Top Jazz Albums (Billboard)^[37]	9

2008 year-end chart performance for *Half the Perfect World*
Chart (2008)	Position
Australian Jazz & Blues Albums (ARIA)^[38]	30

2009 year-end chart performance for *Half the Perfect World*
Chart (2009)	Position
Australian Jazz & Blues Albums (ARIA)^[39]	49

Certifications

Certifications for *Half the Perfect World*
Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)^[40]	Gold	30,000^*
New Zealand (RMNZ)^[41]	Gold	7,500^{^}
United Kingdom (BPI)^[42]	Gold	100,000^{^}
^* Sales figures based on certification alone. ^{^} Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

^ ^a ^b Brown, Marisa. "Half the Perfect World". AllMusic. Retrieved November 9, 2017.
^ Hermann, Andy. "Half the Perfect World by Madeleine Peyroux". Artist Direct. Retrieved November 9, 2017.
^ Being There Magazine review Archived October 24, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
^ Fordham, John (October 27, 2006). "Madeleine Peyroux, Half the Perfect World". The Guardian. Retrieved November 9, 2017.
^ JazzPolice.com review Archived October 16, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
^ Snow, Mat (November 2006). "NY State of Mind: Madeleine Peyroux Half the Perfect World". Mojo: 104.
^ musicOMH.com review
^ Rolling Stone review
^ "inthenews.co.uk review". Archived from the original on October 4, 2012. Retrieved February 9, 2011.
^ Cohen, Jonathan (December 1, 2008). "Peyroux Goes 'Bare' On New Album". Billboard. Retrieved December 12, 2008.
^ Dye, David (December 4, 2006). "World Cafe's Top 10 CDs of 2006". NPR.
^ "Australiancharts.com – Madeleine Peyroux – Half the Perfect World". Hung Medien. Retrieved September 6, 2022.
^ "ARIA Jazz & Blues Albums – Week Commencing 11th September 2006" (PDF). The ARIA Report. No. 862. September 11, 2006. p. 20. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 23, 2008. Retrieved December 28, 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
^ "Austriancharts.at – Madeleine Peyroux – Half the Perfect World" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved September 6, 2022.
^ "Ultratop.be – Madeleine Peyroux – Half the Perfect World" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved September 6, 2022.
^ "Ultratop.be – Madeleine Peyroux – Half the Perfect World" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved September 6, 2022.
^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Madeleine Peyroux – Half the Perfect World" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved September 6, 2022.
^ "Lescharts.com – Madeleine Peyroux – Half the Perfect World". Hung Medien. Retrieved September 6, 2022.
^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Madeleine Peyroux – Half the Perfect World" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved September 6, 2022.
^ Top 50 Ελληνικών και Ξένων Aλμπουμ – Eβδομάδα 29/10–4/11/2006 [Top 50 Greek and Foreign Albums – Week of 29/10–4/11/2006] (in Greek). IFPI Greece. Archived from the original on November 5, 2006. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
^ "Italiancharts.com – Madeleine Peyroux – Half the Perfect World". Hung Medien. Retrieved September 6, 2022.
^ "Charts.nz – Madeleine Peyroux – Half the Perfect World". Hung Medien. Retrieved September 6, 2022.
^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
^ "Spanishcharts.com – Madeleine Peyroux – Half the Perfect World". Hung Medien. Retrieved September 6, 2022.
^ "Swedishcharts.com – Madeleine Peyroux – Half the Perfect World". Hung Medien. Retrieved September 6, 2022.
^ "Veckolista Jazz, vecka 37, 2006" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
^ "Swisscharts.com – Madeleine Peyroux – Half the Perfect World". Hung Medien. Retrieved September 6, 2022.
^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 6, 2022.
^ "Official Jazz & Blues Albums Chart Top 30". Official Charts Company. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
^ "Madeleine Peyroux Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved September 6, 2022.
^ "Madeleine Peyroux Chart History (Top Jazz Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
^ "Madeleine Peyroux Chart History (Traditional Jazz Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
^ "ARIA Top 20 Jazz & Blues Albums for 2006". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
^ "Tops de l'année | Top Albums 2006" (in French). SNEP. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
^ "The Year in Music & Touring 2006 – Top Jazz Albums". Billboard. Vol. 118, no. 51. December 23, 2006. p. YE-80. ISSN 0006-2510 – via Google Books.
^ "ARIA Top 20 Jazz & Blues Albums for 2007". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
^ "Year End Charts – Top Jazz Albums". Billboard. 2007. Archived from the original on May 7, 2008. Retrieved April 24, 2020.
^ "ARIA Top 20 Jazz & Blues Albums for 2008". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
^ "ARIA Top 20 Jazz & Blues Albums for 2009". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
^ "Brazilian album certifications – Madeleine Peyroux – Half the Perfect World" (in Portuguese). Pro-Música Brasil. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
^ "Latest Gold / Platinum Albums". Radioscope. July 17, 2011. Archived from the original on July 24, 2011. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
^ "British album certifications – Madeleine Peyroux – Half the Perfect World". British Phonographic Industry. December 8, 2006. Retrieved December 28, 2023.