Animal Nitrate

Last updated
"Animal Nitrate"
Animal nitrate.jpg
Single by Suede
from the album Suede
B-side
  • "The Big Time"
  • "Painted People"
Released22 February 1993 (1993-02-22)
Recorded1992
Studio Master Rock (London, England)
Genre
Length3:27
Label Nude
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) Ed Buller
Suede singles chronology
"Metal Mickey"
(1992)
"Animal Nitrate"
(1993)
"So Young"
(1993)
Audio sample

"Animal Nitrate" is the third single by English rock band Suede, released through Nude Records on 22 February 1993 and later included on the band's debut album, Suede (1993). It charted at No. 7 on the UK Singles Chart, making it the highest-charting single from the album. The song is the band's highest-charting single in Ireland and New Zealand, peaking at No. 11 in both countries. It also debuted and peaked at No. 21 in Sweden but stayed on the chart for only two weeks.

Contents

Background

Suede had received widespread media coverage in the year leading up to the release of the debut album in March 1993. [4] "Animal Nitrate", released one month before the album, was the third in a triptych of singles following on from the successful first two singles, "The Drowners" and "Metal Mickey". The song originated with its opening riff, written by guitarist Bernard Butler who was inspired "totally secretly" by "Smells Like Teen Spirit". [5] According to Butler, he conceived this guitar part during rehearsal in early 1992 and presented it to singer Brett Anderson, who was slow to warm to it.

The title of the song is a reference to the inhalant drug amyl nitrite, although Anderson has said it has more to do with other drugs like ecstasy and cocaine. [6] He came up with the song's lyrical theme after going through a period where he said "drugs were taking the place of people." [6] Chris Jones, reviewing Suede's debut album for the BBC, concurred: "Despite its punning title it’s a thrill-seeking slice of cynicism that perfectly summed up what it was like to be young and chemically imbalanced in the nation’s capital at the time." [7]

The original working title for the song was "Dixon", as Butler's guitar part during the chorus was inspired by the intro to popular BBC television series Dixon of Dock Green . [8] The song was almost overlooked as a single. Initially, Anderson was convinced that the ballad "Sleeping Pills" would be the third single, but he was overruled by Nude Records owner Saul Galpern who insisted that "Nitrate" had the broader commercial appeal. [9] Speaking to NME in 2013 on writing the song, Anderson said: "We were rehearsing it for months and months and Bernard kept asking me if I had any lyrics for it and I wanted something special to say over the top of what he’s written. I like the fact it’s a song about a dark, murky world that ended up in the Top 10." [10] Indeed, Anderson had stated in the first Melody Maker cover story in April 1992 that his fantasy was to have written a top-10 UK single about "some bizarre sexual experience." [11]

Release and promotion

The song was first performed live six months before its actual release at the 1992 Reading Festival. [11] Throughout late 1992, the song would feature at many of Suede's UK live shows along with many other songs which made it on to the album. It would receive its largest audience when the band played the song at the 1993 Brit Awards one week prior to its release. When the NME heard that Suede had been left off the nominations for the Brit Awards, they began a weekly campaign to get them to perform at the awards on the night. [12] The song was nominated for Best British Single at the following year's Brit Awards. The single was released in the UK on 22 February 1993 [13] and became the band's first top-10 single, charting at No. 7 on the UK Singles Chart. [14] The single remained at No. 7 the following week. [15] At the time this was considered a rare feat for an indie band, something which Saul Galpern points to the Brits performance as the reason for its success. [9] It is estimated the performance reached approximately nine million homes. [16] While the song's subject matter may not have particularly appealed to the masses, Anderson agreed that it did reach a wide audience due to its hooks and radio friendly appeal. [9]

In continental Europe, the song was released on 1 March 1993. [17] The single was the band's big breakthrough in Sweden, a country where the band would have long-term future success. Two weeks prior to the release of the single, Sony Music Sweden had ordered finished product directly from Nude Records and sent it to key radio producers, media and retailers. The promotion efforts paid off when "Animal Nitrate" became a big radio hit in Sweden and generated strong interest in the band's first Swedish gig. [18] The special showcase in Stockholm on the second date of the band's European tour on 21 April 1993 was sold out the month before. [17] The single peaked on the Swedish charts at No. 21 on 24 March. [19]

Reception and legacy

Larry Flick of Billboard wrote: "Follow-up to debut U.S. single 'Metal Mickey' not as hard-hitting, but a strong cut no less. Sound is skewed toward power pop, with emphasis on heavy melody and stomping rhythms. Perhaps too much emphasis on the latter, however, as single lacks fluidity. Much-touted lead singer Brett Anderson wrenches his vocals from the gut, recalling early performances from Duran Duran's Simon LeBon." [3] Richard Plunkett of The Age awarded it 'Single of the Week', writing: "This single is their album's strongest, an irresistible mix of strange guitar riffery, manic rhythm section and a personality desperately craving to be noticed." [20] Martin Aston of Music Week said the song "has a wonderfully addictive chorus" and "plenty of glam-pop charm." [21] Previewing the band’s 27 March show at Dublin’s Tivoli Theatre, Tony Clayton-Lea of the Sunday Tribune called it "a cracker of a song." [22] Tony Cross of Smash Hits was more mixed, calling it a "simply 'OK'" song. He wrote: "Brett's ever so English (and ever so affected) vocals judder through sometimes awkward guitars in what ends up as, at times, just a jittery and sinister racket." [23] Select ranked the song at No. 1 in its singles of the year for 1993. [24]

In March 2005, Q placed "Animal Nitrate" at No. 97 in its list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Tracks. [25] In May 2007, NME magazine placed "Animal Nitrate" at No. 43 in its list of the 50 Greatest Indie Anthems Ever. [26] In 2012 the same magazine placed the song at No. 14 on its 100 Best Tracks of the Nineties. [27] It again recognised the song in 2014 by ranking it at No. 33 in its list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. [28] A 2010 Radio X poll of listeners, presenters and a team of experts compiled a list of the top 1000 songs of all time, where "Animal Nitrate" ranked at No. 60. [29] In 2014, Paste listed the song at No. 29 in its 50 Best Britpop Songs. [1] Caroline Sullivan of The Guardian included the song in her "10 of the Best" Britpop songs. She said that "Butler's opening riff is one of the most undeniable in pop." [30] Classic Rock included Butler's guitar solo at No. 94 in their list of the "100 greatest guitar solos in rock." [31] Paul Nolan of Hot Press called the song "one of the greatest singles of the ’90s," in a review of the band's first night performance of their eponymous album at the 2011 three-night residency at the Dublin Olympia Theatre. [32]

Music video

The music video for the title track was directed by Pedro Romhanyi. The band caused some controversy with the video as scenes involving a fat lady in a bikini, and someone kissing a man with a pig's head were cut from various screenings. [33] In the UK, the ITV network refused to air the video during daytime programming as it features scenes of two men kissing and embracing. "[The video] was too contentious for the Saturday lunchtime slot," said an ITV spokesperson. Howard Wuelfing, a New York publicist for Columbia Records, defended the video as mere "flirting with sexual imagery... through androgyny." [34] The band took cocaine to prepare for the video. Anderson wanted to replicate the energy of their live shows, he explained: "We weren't experienced enough at the time to just do it on cue. I think we ended up getting a load of coke in and jumping around like lunatics. Back in the days when we used to do things like that." [10] The video was filmed in Lisson Green housing estate in the London borough City of Westminster. The band reportedly used flat No. 18 and paid the occupants a tenner for the inconvenience caused. [35] It won the first MTV Euro Video Song Contest in 1993. [36]

Track listings

All songs written by Brett Anderson and Bernard Butler.

  1. "Animal Nitrate"
  2. "The Big Time"
  1. "Animal Nitrate"
  2. "Painted People"
  3. "The Big Time"

Charts

Weekly chart performance for "Animal Nitrate"
Chart (1993)Peak
position
Australia (ARIA) [41] 89
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100) [42] 23
Ireland (IRMA) [43] 11
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ) [44] 11
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan) [19] 21
UK Singles (OCC) [14] 7
UK Airplay ( Music Week ) [45] 14

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI) [46] Silver200,000

Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Release dates and formats for "Animal Nitrate"
RegionDateFormat(s)Label(s)Ref.
United Kingdom22 February 1993
  • 7-inch vinyl
  • 12-inch vinyl
  • CD
  • cassette
Nude [13]
Europe1 March 1993CD [17]
Japan18 March 1993 [47]

Cover versions

Basement covered the song on their 2014 EP Further Sky . [48] Zachary Houle of PopMatters wrote that the cover "strip[ped] away all of the glam" of the original, making it "a straightforward rock anthem." [48] Alternative Press contributor Brian Kraus considered it "faithful to the original" and the best song on the EP. [49] He called it "a fine fit" amongst the "lighthearted moods" found on the EP. [49] AbsolutePunk staff member Aj LaGambina thought the track "blend[ed] in as if it" was one of the band's own compositions. [50] Punknews.org reviewer RENALDO69 called the cover "tight—knit and sharp" within the "very polished" EP. [51] In September 2015, the Libertines performed a live version of the song at a gig at Camden's Dublin Castle in London. [52]

Related Research Articles

Britpop was a mid-1990s British-based music culture movement that emphasised Britishness. Musically, Britpop produced bright, catchy alternative rock, in reaction to the darker lyrical themes and soundscapes of the US-led grunge music and the UK's own shoegaze music scene. The movement brought British alternative rock into the mainstream and formed the larger British popular cultural movement, Cool Britannia, which evoked the Swinging Sixties and the British guitar pop of that decade.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Suede (band)</span> English rock band

Suede are an English rock band formed in London in 1989 by singer Brett Anderson, guitarist Justine Frischmann, and bass player Mat Osman. Drawing inspiration from glam rock and post-punk, Suede were dubbed "The Best New Band in Britain" by Melody Maker in 1992, and attracted much attention from the British music press. The following year their debut album Suede went to the top of the UK Albums Chart, becoming the fastest-selling debut album in almost ten years. It won the Mercury Music Prize and helped foster 'Britpop' as a musical movement, though the band distanced themselves from the term.

<i>Suede</i> (album) 1993 studio album by Suede

Suede is the debut album by English alternative rock band Suede, released in March 1993 on Nude Records. It was recorded in London at Master Rock studios late 1992 and early 1993 and was produced by Ed Buller. At the time the fastest-selling debut album in British history in almost a decade, Suede debuted at the top of the UK Albums Chart, won the 1993 Mercury Music Prize, and is often cited as one of the first Britpop records. Displaying a sound of Britishness and glam rock, its music and lyrical content has been compared to the Smiths and early David Bowie.

<i>Coming Up</i> (album) 1996 studio album by Suede

Coming Up is the third album by English alternative rock band Suede, released on 2 September 1996 through Nude Records. It was the band's first album since the departure of guitarist Bernard Butler, who was replaced by Richard Oakes. Also added to the band was keyboardist Neil Codling. The album was nominated for the 1997 Mercury Prize. A commercial and critical success, Coming Up was the second by the band to reach no. 1 on the UK Albums Chart, producing five top ten singles and receiving a favourable reception at home and in the US. Coming Up was the album that introduced Suede to a worldwide audience, in places such as Europe, Canada and Asia.

<i>Dog Man Star</i> 1994 studio album by Suede

Dog Man Star is the second album by English alternative rock band Suede, released in October 1994 on Nude Records. The album was recorded in London at Master Rock studios in early 1994, and was produced by Ed Buller. It was the last Suede album to feature guitarist Bernard Butler; growing tensions between him and singer Brett Anderson ended with Butler leaving the band before recording was complete. As a result, some tracks on the album had to be finished with the assistance of session musicians.

<i>Sci-Fi Lullabies</i> 1997 compilation album by Suede

Sci-Fi Lullabies is a two-disc compilation album by English alternative rock band Suede released by Nude Records on 6 October 1997, consisting of B-sides from the singles that were released from the group's first three albums. It reached no. 9 on the UK Albums Chart, and received universal acclaim on release. In subsequent years, the record has been hailed as one of the finest B-side compilations in popular music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Drowners</span> 1992 single by Suede

"The Drowners" is the debut single of English rock band Suede, released on 11 May 1992 on Nude Records. It was later included on the band's debut album, Suede (1993). "The Drowners" charted at number 49 on the UK Singles Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Metal Mickey (song)</span> 1992 single by Suede

"Metal Mickey" is the second single released by English rock band Suede, issued on 14 September 1992 on Nude Records. It was included on the band's debut album, Suede, the following year. The song charted at No. 17 on the UK Singles Chart, an improvement on the previous single "The Drowners", which fell short of the top 40. The song also reached the top 40 in Australia and Sweden.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stay Together (Suede song)</span> 1994 single by Suede

"Stay Together" is a non-album single by English band Suede, released on 14 February 1994 through Nude Records. It is the last single released while guitarist Bernard Butler was in the band, though subsequent singles from Dog Man Star feature his music. It is tied with "Trash" as the highest-charting single the band has released, reaching No. 3 on the UK Singles Chart. The song also charted in Ireland, peaking at No. 18.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">We Are the Pigs</span> 1994 single by Suede

"We Are the Pigs" is the first single from the album Dog Man Star by British band Suede, released on 12 September 1994 through Nude Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Wild Ones (song)</span> 1994 single by Suede

"The Wild Ones" is the second single from the album Dog Man Star by English rock band Suede, released on 7 November 1994 through Nude Records. The song peaked at number 18 on the UK Singles Chart and number six in Iceland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Generation</span> 1995 single by Suede

"New Generation" is the third and final single from English rock band Suede's second album, Dog Man Star (1994). The song was released on 30 January 1995 through Nude Records and was the first single to feature music by new guitarist Richard Oakes. Though the title track is written by Anderson and departed guitarist Bernard Butler, Oakes contributes to "Together" and "Bentswood Boys". The single reached No. 21 on the UK Singles Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trash (Suede song)</span> 1996 single by Suede

"Trash" is the first single from English rock band Suede's third studio album, Coming Up (1996). Released on 29 July 1996 via Nude Records, "Trash" was the first single on which all the songs were written without guitarist Bernard Butler, since Richard Oakes had taken his place. The single is tied with "Stay Together" as the band's highest-charting single on the UK Singles Chart, peaking at number three; however, it outsold the earlier single, thus making it their biggest-selling single. Outside the UK, the song topped the Finnish Singles Chart and reached the top five in Denmark, Iceland, and Sweden. Melody Maker ranked "Trash" number four in their list of "Singles of the Year" in 1996.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beautiful Ones</span> 1996 single by Suede

"Beautiful Ones" is a song by English rock band Suede, released as the second single from their third album, Coming Up (1996), on 14 October 1996 through Nude Records. The song became a top-10 hit in the United Kingdom, peaking at number eight, and reached number one in Iceland for two weeks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saturday Night (Suede song)</span> 1997 single by Suede

"Saturday Night" is the third single from English rock band Suede's third studio album, Coming Up (1996), released on 13 January 1997 through Nude Records. The single continued the success of Suede's previous two hits by entering the top 10 of the UK Singles Chart, peaking at number six. Outside the UK, the song peaked at number one in Iceland, number seven in Finland, number eight in Denmark, and number 11 in Sweden.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lazy (Suede song)</span> 1997 single by Suede

"Lazy" is the fourth single from English rock band Suede's third album, Coming Up (1996). Released on 7 April 1997 through Nude Records, "Lazy" was the fourth single from the album to reach the top 10 of the UK Singles Chart, peaking at number nine. The song also reached the top 20 in Finland, Iceland, and Sweden.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Electricity (Suede song)</span> 1999 single by Suede

"Electricity" is the first single from the album Head Music by Suede, released on 12 April 1999 via Nude Records. It reached number five on the UK Singles Chart and in Finland and Norway. It was also a top-20 hit in Iceland, Ireland, Spain and Sweden and reached number 39 in New Zealand, becoming Suede's last charting single there.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">She's in Fashion</span> 1999 single by Suede

"She's in Fashion" is the second single from Suede's fourth studio album, Head Music (1999). It was released on 21 June 1999 and peaked at number 13 on the UK Singles Chart, number 10 in Finland, and number 59 in Sweden.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yes (McAlmont & Butler song)</span> 1995 single by McAlmont & Butler

"Yes" is the debut single of English music duo McAlmont & Butler, released on 15 May 1995 and later included on their debut album, The Sound Of... McAlmont & Butler. The soul ballad was their first UK hit, peaking at number eight on the UK Singles Chart, and remains their most successful single, selling over 200,000 copies in the United Kingdom to earn a silver sales certification. The song also charted in Ireland, reaching number 24, and in New Zealand, peaking at number 40. British magazine NME ranked the song at number 174 on its list of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time" in 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Suede discography</span> Discography of the English alternative rock band

The discography of the English alternative rock band Suede consists of nine studio albums, four compilation albums, five video albums and over twenty singles. Suede were formed in 1989 by singer Brett Anderson, bassist Mat Osman and guitarist Justine Frischmann. Guitarist Bernard Butler later joined after the group responded to an ad in the Melody Maker. The group played as a four-piece with a drum machine until drummer Simon Gilbert joined. Frischmann left before the group released any material.

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Bibliography