Antmusic

Last updated

"Antmusic"
Antmusic.jpg
Single by Adam and the Ants
from the album Kings of the Wild Frontier
B-side "Fall In"
Released28 November 1980
Genre New wave [1]
Length3:37
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) Chris Hughes
Adam and the Ants singles chronology
"Dog Eat Dog"
(1980)		"Antmusic"
(1980)		"Stand and Deliver"
(1981)
Music video
'Antmusic' on YouTube

"Antmusic" is a song by English rock band Adam and the Ants, released as the third single in the UK from the album Kings of the Wild Frontier . [2]

Contents

"Antmusic" (often stylised in inverted commas) peaked at No. 2 in the UK in January 1981, being held off the top by the re-release of John Lennon's "Imagine" after his murder in New York City on 8 December 1980. In Australia, the single spent five weeks at No. 1 on the Kent Music Report and earned the band platinum certification for sales of over 100,000 copies.[ citation needed ] It also reached No. 2 in South Africa, No. 4 in Ireland, and No. 6 in New Zealand. In the North America, the song reached No. 14 on the US Rock Albums & Top Tracks chart, as well as number 19 on the National Disco Action Top 30 chart (alongside "Dog Eat Dog" and "Kings of the Wild Frontier"), but it did not find success in Canada.

The music video to "Antmusic" features the group playing in a discothèque with a giant juke box, and persuading the young audience to turn away from disco music and dance to the new-styled "Antmusic". The music video was directed by Steve Barron.

"Fall In"

It was common for Ant to record new versions of his pre-1980 compositions for the B-side of his singles. For this single, a song dating back to the pre-Ants band the B-Sides in 1976 called "Fall In" was used. The song was co-written by Ant and Lester Square and originally titled "Fall Out" until the Police released a song by that same name in May 1977. A recording has surfaced of the song being performed by the Ants at a private preview show in a Muswell Hill bedroom on 5 May 1977. [3] Following Square's departure, Ant added new lyrics referencing the band's regular rehearsal space at the Screen on the Green cinema in Islington. The resulting version was first recorded as a home demo in Putney in July 1977, and a full band demo was recorded at Decca Studios in August 1978.[ citation needed ]

The version on the Antmusic B-side was recorded in 1980 during sessions for the Kings album at Rockfield Studios. The song has been a frequent feature of Ant's live setlists both with the Ants and solo from 1977 to the present day. Live versions have been released on the 1994 live album Antmusic: The Very Best of Adam Ant: Disc Two and in excerpt form on the 2014 documentary The Blueblack Hussar directed by Jack Bond. The 1978 Decca Studios version appears in full as closing credit music on the 2015 DVD live video album Dirk Live at the Apollo.[ citation needed ]

Square's later band the Monochrome Set also continued to perform a version of the song, with new lyrics, under the title "Fallout". The song appeared as a B-side to the 1979 single "He's Frank (Slight Return)" as well as a 1979 Peel Session. Another joint Ant/Square composition titled "Fat Fun", which had similar shared ownership between the two bands (albeit again with differing lyrics), was recorded by the Ants at Rockfield Studios but not released until 2000 on the Antbox box set.[ citation needed ]

Charts and certifications

Cover versions

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adam Ant</span> English singer and musician (born 1954)

Stuart Leslie Goddard, better known as Adam Ant, is an English singer, musician, and actor. He gained popularity as the lead singer of new wave group Adam and the Ants and later as a solo artist, scoring 10 UK top ten hits from 1980 to 1983, including three UK No. 1 singles. He has also worked as an actor, appearing in many films and television episodes.

<i>Kings of the Wild Frontier</i> 1980 studio album by Adam and the Ants

Kings of the Wild Frontier is the second album by English new wave band Adam and the Ants. It was released on 7 November 1980 by CBS Records in the UK and Epic records internationally. The album was the UK number 1 selling album in 1981 and won Best British Album at the 1982 Brit Awards.

<i>Dirk Wears White Sox</i> 1979 studio album by Adam and the Ants

Dirk Wears White Sox is the debut studio album by English new wave band Adam and the Ants. It was released on 30 November 1979 by record label Do It. It was the first number one album on the UK Independent Albums Chart when the chart debuted in Record Week in 1980.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stand and Deliver (Adam and the Ants song)</span> 1981 single by Adam and the Ants

"Stand and Deliver" is a song by British new wave band Adam and the Ants, released as the lead single from their third studio album, Prince Charming (1981). It was the band's first No. 1 hit in the UK. The phrase "stand and deliver — your money or your life", used in the lyrics, is commonly associated with highwaymen in 18th century England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Angel of the Morning</span> 1967 song by Chip Taylor

"Angel of the Morning" is a popular song written by Chip Taylor, originally recorded by Evie Sands but which first charted with a version by Merrilee Rush. The song has been covered by many artists including Chrissie Hynde, Dusty Springfield, P. P. Arnold, Connie Eaton, Mary Mason, Guys 'n' Dolls, Melba Montgomery, Olivia Newton-John and most recognizably by Juice Newton.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Goody Two Shoes (song)</span> 1982 single by Adam Ant

"Goody Two Shoes" is the debut solo single by Adam Ant, released on 7 May 1982. It became Ant's third overall number one in the UK and his highest charting song in the US, where it peaked at number 12.

Adam Ant is a British post-punk, new wave artist. He was the lead singer of Adam & the Ants until their split in early 1982, by which time they had recorded three studio albums. Ant, however, would go solo, and release an additional five studio albums throughout the 1980s and early 1990s. After a gap of nearly 18 years, his sixth released solo studio album came out in early 2013. A planned follow-up album recorded the following year currently officially remains at developmental stage.

<i>Antmusic: The Very Best of Adam Ant</i> 1993 greatest hits album by Adam Ant

Antmusic: The Very Best of Adam Ant is a greatest hits compilation album from Adam Ant that covers his early work with Adam and the Ants as well as his solo work.

<i>B-Side Babies</i> 1994 compilation album by Adam Ant

B-Side Babies is a compilation album by English new wave musician Adam Ant, released by Epic Records in 1994. It is not to be confused with The B-Sides, a 7-inch EP of "Friends" b/w "Kick"/"Physical", released by Do It Records in 1982.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Young Parisians</span> 1978 single by Adam and the Ants

"Young Parisians" is the debut single from Adam and the Ants, written by Adam Ant. Originally released on 20 October 1978, it was the band's only single on Decca Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adam and the Ants</span> English rock band

Adam and the Ants were an English rock band that formed in London in 1977. The band existed in two versions, both of which were fronted by Adam Ant, between 1977 and 1982. The first phase began when the band were founded in May 1977 and were called the Ants until November of that year. They later changed their style from punk rock to post-punk and new wave, and released one album. The final line-up of this version consisted of Dave Barbarossa, Matthew Ashman, and Leigh Gorman—all of whom left the band in January 1980 at the suggestion of manager Malcolm McLaren to form Bow Wow Wow.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ant Rap</span> 1981 single by Adam and the Ants

"Ant Rap" is a song by the British new wave band Adam and the Ants. Written by Adam Ant and Marco Pirroni, the song was remixed from the version on the group's 1981 album Prince Charming. It entered the UK Singles Chart in December 1981 at number 9 before rising to a peak position of number three.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Love Rock 'n' Roll</span> 1975 single by the Arrows

"I Love Rock 'n' Roll" is a rock song written by Alan Merrill and Jake Hooker and first recorded by the Arrows, a British rock band, in 1975. A 1981 cover version by Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, released as the first single from her album of the same name, became Jett's highest-charting hit, reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and becoming the No. 3 song for 1982. The single was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America, representing two million units shipped to stores. Jett's version was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deutscher Girls</span> 1982 single by Adam and the Ants

"Deutscher Girls" is a song by Adam and the Ants. Included in the 1978 Derek Jarman film Jubilee, in which Adam Ant appears as "The Kid", it was not released as a single until 12 February 1982.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zerox</span> 1979 single by Adam and the Ants

"Zerox" is an Adam and the Ants' stand-alone single written by Adam Ant. It was later included on the 1983 CBS reissue of the band's debut album Dirk Wears White Sox and as part of the bonus material on the 2004 Columbia Records Remaster. The line-up on this track include Dave Barbarossa on drums, Matthew Ashman on guitar & Andy Warren on bass guitar. The track has been included on the compilations Antics in the Forbidden Zone, Antmusic: The Very Best of Adam Ant, The Very Best Of Adam And The Ants, Antbox, The Essential Adam Ant & Stand & Deliver: The Very Best of Adam & the Ants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cartrouble</span> 1980 single by Adam and the Ants

"Cartrouble" is a song by Adam and the Ants, released as a single in March 1980 on Do It Records. It peaked at number 33 on the UK Singles Chart. Though usually stylised as one word, the title has also appeared as two separate words.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dog Eat Dog (Adam and the Ants song)</span> 1980 single by Adam and the Ants

"Dog Eat Dog" is the opening track on the Adam and the Ants album Kings of the Wild Frontier. It was written by Adam Ant & Marco Pirroni, and features the two-drummer Burundi beat for which Adam and the Ants would become famous. Released as a 7" single on 3 October 1980, it was their first top ten hit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Friend or Foe (Adam Ant song)</span> 1982 single by Adam Ant

"Friend or Foe" was the title track, and second single from Adam Ant's first solo album. It was released 11 September 1982, exactly one month before the album was released.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Desperate But Not Serious (song)</span> 1982 single by Adam Ant

"Desperate But Not Serious" is a song by Adam Ant, released on 19 November 1982 as the third single from his first solo album, Friend or Foe. It peaked at number 33 on the UK Singles Chart, and number 66 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US. Ant performed "Desperate but Not Serious" and "Goody Two Shoes" on the very first American Bandstand episode of 1983.

References

  1. ↑ Segretto, Mike (2022). "1980". 33 1/3 Revolutions Per Minute - A Critical Trip Through the Rock LP Era, 1955–1999. Backbeat. p. 375. ISBN   9781493064601.
  2. ↑ "Adam Ant and the Ants". Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on 11 November 2010.
  3. ↑ The Ants - Fallout - Muswell Hill Bedroom 5 May 1977
  4. 1 2 Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (Illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
  5. ↑ "Adam and the Ants – Antmusic" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 8 June 2018.
  6. ↑ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Ant Music". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 8 June 2018.
  7. ↑ "Adam and the Ants – Antmusic" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 8 June 2018.
  8. ↑ "Adam and the Ants – Antmusic". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 8 June 2018.
  9. ↑ "SA Charts 1965 - 1989 Songs A-B". South African Rock Lists. Retrieved 8 June 2018.
  10. ↑ "Adam and the Ants – Antmusic". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 8 June 2018.
  11. ↑ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 8 June 2018.
  12. ↑ "Adam and the Ants Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 8 June 2018.
  13. ↑ "Adam and the Ants Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved 8 June 2018.
  14. ↑ "National Top 100 Singles for 1981". Kent Music Report. 4 January 1982. p. 7. Retrieved 11 January 2022– via Imgur.
  15. ↑ "End Of Year Charts 1981". Recorded Music NZ . Retrieved 8 June 2018.
  16. ↑ "Top 20 Hit Singles of 1981". South African Rock Lists. Retrieved 8 June 2018.
  17. ↑ Scaping, Peter, ed. (1982). "The Top 200 Singles: January–December 1981". BPI Year Book 1982 (5th ed.). London, England: The British Phonographic Industry Ltd. pp. 46–49. ISBN   0-906154-03-0.
  18. ↑ Jones, Alan; Lazell, Barry; Rees, Dafydd (1982). "The Top 200 Singles (UK)". Chart File 1982. London, England: Virgin Books. pp. 74–77. ISBN   0-907080-49-9.
  19. ↑ "Billboard Vol. 94, No. 23: Majors Flight Economics with Quirky Rock Originals". Billboard . 6 December 1982. p. A-NZ 8. Retrieved 10 November 2021.
  20. ↑ "British single certifications – Adam and the Ants – Ant Music". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved 8 June 2018.
  21. ↑ "Antmusic - Hypnolovewheel". Allmusic . Retrieved 14 February 2015.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.