The Abbey Road Sessions (Kylie Minogue album)

Minogue made her live comeback at Abbey Road Studios in England on 11 November 2011, as part of a special showcase for EMI. She was accompanied by a 22-piece orchestra to perform two of her hits, "All the Lovers" and "On a Night Like This". That same night, Minogue announced that her forthcoming studio album would celebrate 25 years since the release of her debut single "Locomotion" and would contain reworkings of some of her best known songs. She revealed: "I've been at Abbey Road for about two weeks in total. Not just for this, I've been working on a project for next year. Next year's my 25th anniversary so we’ve been recording acoustic and orchestral versions of a number of my hits".[3]

On 21 October 2012, Minogue was interviewed on the production of the sessions saying, "It's exploring other avenues – but I don't think it takes me completely away from the dancefloor, because I'm still a sucker for that [...] But I think it just rounds things up, makes things more whole and satisfies a different place in me."[4] Before recording at Abbey Road, she had started rehearsals "somewhere cheaper".[5]

One of the songs that was recorded for the album that didn't make the final cut, "Breathe" was uploaded on Minogue's official YouTube account on 13 December 2012.[6]

The Abbey Road Sessions were primarily based on orchestral music. The album presented a more "dark", "fragile"[7] and personal style. "Never Too Late" was described as a "sad, tender piano torch song".[7] "Confide in Me" was mostly identified as the album's standout track, being described as a "Moroccan reinvention that swings from intimate to intense."[7] "Hand on Your Heart" was also a highlight, but was generally compared to Jose Gonzales's version, which he covered back in 2006.[7] "The Loco-Motion" was compared to the original version by Little Eva, which was recorded back in the '60s and was described as "playful essence retained on a cute and rockin' [...]"[8]

For the album, Minogue requested Australian musician Nick Cave to re-record their duet single, "Where the Wild Roses Grow". It was noted as a highlight on the album for being more "stripped" than its "haunting, spare original."[8] "Can't Get You Out of My Head" was cited as the "weirdest" on the album for displaying "weird, frenzied strings".[8] The album's only new track, "Flower", was originally written while Minogue was recovering from her breast cancer diagnosis. The song was intended to be included on her X album, but was cut.

Minogue headlined BBC's Proms in the Park in September 2012 performing eight tracks from the album. In support of the release of the album, she performed The Abbey Road Sessions version of her previous singles in television shows and specials. On 27 October 2012, she performed "Never Too Late" on Friday Night with Jonathan Ross. On 18 November 2012, she performed "The Loco-Motion" on Strictly Come Dancing.[9] On 19 November 2012, she performed "On a Night Like This" on Royal Variety Show.[10] In December 2012, she performed "Can't Get You Out of My Head" on X Factor Italy and The X Factor UK.[11] In December 2012, she performed "On a Night Like This" and "Can't Get You Out of My Head" on the Nobel Peace Prize Concert. On 21 December 2012, she performed "Come into My World" on Alan Carr: Chatty Man and the next month, the show aired Minogue's performance of "Better the Devil You Know". To promote the album in the United States, Minogue was interviewed on The Wendy Williams Show on 11 October 2012, performed "The Loco-Motion" on Dancing with the Stars on 13 November 2012 and on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on 14 November 2012.[12]

The Abbey Road Sessions debuted at two on the UK Albums Chart, selling 37,556 copies in its first week.[32] The following week, the album slipped to number seven on sales of 17,395 copies.[33] It was certified Gold by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) on 16 November 2012, denoting shipments in excess of 100,000 copies. The album entered at number seven on the Australian Albums Chart and number three on the Australia Artist Albums Chart.[34][35] However, the album slipped out the top forty in its third week at forty-four. The album entered at thirty-nine on the New Zealand Albums Chart, but slipped off the chart the next week.

Elsewhere, the album generated moderate charting success. In Switzerland, the album debuted at seventeen, until slipping out the top fifty in its third week.[36] The album did not achieve better success in Austria, only peaking at fifty-four for a sole week, becoming her least successful album in her Austrian charting discography.[37] The album debuted at twenty-four on the French Albums Chart, but fell out the top 100 in its third week. The album debuted at nineteen on the Spanish Albums Chart, but descended the rest of the way after its final peak.[38] The album had longer success in Belgium than other European markets, peaking at twenty-two and thirty-one on the Belgium Flanders and Belgium Wallonia charts.[39][40]

"Flower" was released as the first single from the album.[1] The song was originally penned for Minogue's tenth studio album, X, but was not added. The song received favourable reviews from music critics. It reached the top forty in Belgium (both Wallonia and Flanders) but remained outside the top fifty in the Netherlands. The song was ineligible to chart in the United Kingdom until the release of The Abbey Road Sessions, where it only peaked at ninety-six for a sole week on the charts.[41]

"On a Night Like This" was released as the second single from the album.[42] The song was originally a single taken from Minogue's seventh studio album, Light Years.

All tracks produced by Steve Anderson and Colin Elliot, except "Flower" produced by Steve Anderson. Credits adapted from the liner notes of The Abbey Road Sessions.

Credits for The Abbey Road Sessions adapted from album liner notes.[45]