This article needs additional citations for verification . (May 2021) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) |
"Pretty (Ugly Before)" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by Elliott Smith | ||||
from the album From a Basement on the Hill | ||||
B-side | "A Distorted Reality Is Now a Necessity to Be Free" | |||
Released | 2003 | |||
Genre | Indie rock | |||
Label | Suicide Squeeze | |||
Songwriter(s) | Elliott Smith | |||
Elliott Smith singles chronology | ||||
|
"Pretty (Ugly Before)" is a song by American singer-songwriter Elliott Smith. It was released as a limited-edition 7" vinyl single in 2003 by record label Suicide Squeeze, Smith's final single released during his lifetime. It was later re-released by Domino in 2004, and appeared on Smith's posthumous final album, From a Basement on the Hill .
The song features (post-bridge) backing vocals from Smith's former Heatmiser bandmate Sam Coomes.
"Pretty (Ugly Before)" was released as a limited-edition 7" vinyl single in 2003 by record label Suicide Squeeze. The single did not chart in the United States. [1] It was re-released in 2004 by record label Domino, reaching number 85 in the UK Singles Chart, [2] and appeared on Smith's posthumous final album, From a Basement on the Hill. An alternate version of the single's B-side, "A Distorted Reality Is Now a Necessity to Be Free", also appears on the album.
"Pretty (Ugly Before)" was recorded at Fort Apache Studios in Cambridge, Massachusetts, by engineer Matthew Ellard and assisted by Andrew Beckman, while Elliott was on tour with his band. Beckman recalls "Elliott was very shy at first and kept his distance. Once we started talking about gear, he opened up quickly. He was excited about the Line 6 delay pedal he was using for the backwards delay at the end of the song. During the first take, I gave him a huge thumbs up and he couldn't help but smile."
The Mellotron-like keyboard part during the intro was created using a Casio SK-1 sampler, which the keyboard player Aaron Embry sang one note into then spread the sample out across the keyboard. Because the SK-1 has no internal storage, he had to do this every time he wanted to use the sound. "I remember scrambling around trying to find a combination of adapters that would allow us to get a mini sized output from the Casio into our Neve 8078 console. Thankfully we got it working, as the sound is haunting and a perfect intro to this amazing tune," remembered Beckman.
Smith recorded his vocals alone in the control room on a Neumann U67 mic while the band and crew enjoyed a dinner in the adjacent kitchen. As accomplished as he was, he was still anxious about recording vocals in front of people.
All tracks are written by Elliott Smith.
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Pretty (Ugly Before)" | 4:40 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "A Distorted Reality Is Now a Necessity to Be Free" | 3:06 |
Squeeze are an English rock band that came to prominence in the United Kingdom during the new wave period of the late 1970s, and continued recording in the 1980s, 1990s and 2010s. In the UK, their singles "Cool for Cats", "Up the Junction" and "Labelled with Love" were top-ten chart hits. Though not as commercially successful in the United States, Squeeze had American hits with "Tempted", "Hourglass" and "853-5937", and were considered a part of the Second British Invasion.
Steven Paul Smith, known professionally as Elliott Smith, was an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. Smith was born in Omaha, Nebraska, raised primarily in Texas, and lived much of his life in Portland, Oregon, where he first gained popularity. Smith's primary instrument was the guitar, though he also played piano, clarinet, bass guitar, drums, and harmonica. Smith had a distinctive vocal style, characterized by his "whispery, spiderweb-thin delivery", and often used multi-tracking to create vocal layers, textures, and harmonies.
The Pretty Things were an English rock band, formed in September 1963 in Sidcup, Kent. They took their name from Willie Dixon's 1955 song "Pretty Thing". A pure rhythm and blues band in their early years, with several singles charting in the United Kingdom, they later embraced other genres such as psychedelic rock in the late 1960s, hard rock in the early 1970s and new wave in the early 1980s. Despite this, they never managed to recapture the same level of commercial success of their early releases.
Constantines is an indie rock band from Guelph, Ontario, Canada.
Elliott Smith is the second studio album by American singer-songwriter Elliott Smith. It was recorded from late 1994 to early 1995, and released on July 21, 1995, through Kill Rock Stars, his first album on the label. It was preceded by the single "Needle in the Hay", released in early January 1995.
Roman Candle is the debut studio album by American singer-songwriter Elliott Smith. It was recorded in late 1993 and released on July 14, 1994 by record label Cavity Search.
From a Basement on the Hill is the sixth and final studio album by the American singer-songwriter Elliott Smith. Recorded from 2000 to 2003, and faced with multiple delays due to Smith's personal problems which resulted to his death, it was released posthumously in the UK and Europe on Domino on October 18, 2004, and in the US the following day on October 19, 2004 through record label ANTI-.
Domino is a 1998 album by the British new wave group Squeeze. It was the band's twelfth studio album. After a career struggling with various major record labels, the band decided to record and release Domino independently, on Glenn Tilbrook's own Quixotic Records. Core members Tilbrook and Chris Difford were joined by three brand new Squeeze members for this album: drummer Ashley Soan, bassist Hilaire Penda, and keyboardist Christopher Holland.
"Motorhead" is a song written by Ian "Lemmy" Kilmister while he was a member of the English space rock band Hawkwind. It was later recorded by Motörhead, as he called it this instead of Bastard on his then manager's advice.
Samuel J. Coomes is an American musician, and one-half of the Portland-area indie band Quasi, along with his ex-wife, drummer Janet Weiss. Coomes was also a member of the mid-1980s underground pop band The Donner Party and replaced Brandt Peterson as the bassist for the 1990s Portland indie rock band, Heatmiser, playing on their final studio album, Mic City Sons.
"Pour Some Sugar on Me" is a song by the English rock band Def Leppard from their 1987 album Hysteria. It reached number 2 on the US Billboard Hot 100 on 23 July 1988, behind "Hold On to the Nights" by Richard Marx. "Pour Some Sugar on Me" is considered the band's signature song, and was ranked #2 on VH1's "100 Greatest Songs of the 80s" in 2006.
The discography of Elliott Smith, an American singer-songwriter, consists of six studio albums, one live album, two compilation albums and eleven singles.
"Time Is on My Side" is a song written by Jerry Ragovoy. First recorded by jazz trombonist Kai Winding and his orchestra in 1963, it was covered by both soul singer Irma Thomas and the Rolling Stones in 1964.
"Needle in the Hay" is a song by American singer-songwriter Elliott Smith. It was released on January 1, 1995, by record label Kill Rock Stars as the sole single from his second studio album, Elliott Smith.
"Happiness" is a song by American singer-songwriter Elliott Smith. It was released on February 8, 2000 by record label DreamWorks as the first single from his fifth studio album, Figure 8. It was also released on 7-inch vinyl by Cavity Search.
New Moon is a posthumous compilation album by American singer-songwriter Elliott Smith, released on May 8, 2007 by Domino Records. It contains twenty-four previously unreleased songs, most recorded between 1994 and 1997 during the sessions for Smith's albums Elliott Smith and Either/Or.
Your Future Our Clutter is an album by the Fall, released in the UK on 26 April 2010. It is the group's twenty-seventh studio album, and their first for independent record label Domino. The album was recorded at The Chairworks, Castleford and Elevator Studios, Liverpool. Publicity for the record describes it as the group's "most rampant, most forward moving, bone shaking best." The album had previously been referred to as Our Future Your Clutter.
The Coathangers are an American all-female punk rock/garage band band from Atlanta, Georgia featuring singer/guitarist Julia Kugel-Montoya, bassist Meredith Franco and singer/drummer Stephanie Luke.
Suicide Squeeze Records is a Seattle, Washington-based independent record label that releases rock, pop, and metal music. Suicide Squeeze releases content on vinyl, CD, cassette, and digital. The label has also released comedy and performance art CD and DVDs.
"Shake Me I Rattle " is a song written by Hal Hackady and Charles Naylor. It was originally recorded by The Lennon Sisters in 1957, but did become commercially successful until a 1962 release by Marion Worth. It was later recorded in 1977 by Cristy Lane, who also had a major hit with the song.