Pure Morning

Last updated

"Pure Morning"
Puremorningcover.jpg
Single by Placebo
from the album Without You I'm Nothing
B-side
  • "Mars Landing Party"
  • "Leeloo"
  • "Needledick"
  • "The Innocence of Sleep"
Released3 August 1998 (1998-08-03)
Studio Real World (Box, Wiltshire, UK)
Length3:59 (single version)
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) Phil Vinall
Placebo singles chronology
"Nancy Boy"
(1997)
"Pure Morning"
(1998)
"You Don't Care About Us"
(1998)
Music video
"Pure Morning" on YouTube

"Pure Morning" is a song by British alternative rock band Placebo, released as the lead single from their second album, Without You I'm Nothing (1998), in August 1998. Along with "Nancy Boy", it is Placebo's highest-charting single on the UK Singles Chart, peaking at number four. It was also successful in the United States, reaching number 19 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart. Elsewhere, the song reached the top 50 in Australia, Canada, Iceland, Ireland and New Zealand. In October 2017, the song was certified silver by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI).

Contents

Writing and recording

"Pure Morning" was a last-minute addition to Without You I'm Nothing, being recorded as the band prepared B sides for the album in May, under "Nancy Boy" producer Phil Vinall. After playing with a guitar loop, they decided to develop it into a full song. Brian Molko said the lyrics were written "off the top of my head", so he only noticed their significance after recording. [1]

Molko said that overall it was "a song about friendship", starting from the situation of "coming down when the rest of the world is waking up", such as when clubgoers get home as the sun rises and everyone else is going to work. The feeling of dislocation, "that point you feel like your life is the least sorted ever", would be solved by someone to "slip their arm around you and make slumber easier."

Molko summed up as "All you really crave is for a friend to put their arms around you and make you feel better. That's the pure morning, when that happens." [2] [1]

Music video

The music video, directed by Nick Gordon, and shot in slow motion at the junction of Savoy Street and Savoy Hill in London, features Brian Molko as a suicidal person. Police and authorities attempt to stop him from jumping from a building to end his life. Shots of the other band members consist of them being arrested for unseen crimes. News crews report on the scene and a single police officer runs through the building to attempt to dissuade Molko from jumping. Molko eventually jumps immediately before the officer reaches him, briefly falls, then is seen landing in a standing position on the side of the building, facing the street below him. He then walks down the side of the building, astonishing everyone. [3]

Live performances

The song was a staple of the band's setlist from 1998 through to 2005. After playing it on a number of shows during the band's stint on the Projekt Revolution tour of 2007, it was not performed between 2008 and 2016. In November 2013, in an interview, Brian Molko stated that although he still likes the music, the lyrics of the song nauseate him. [4] In October 2016, the song returned to the setlist and has opened almost every Placebo live set since. [5]

Track listings

UK CD1 [6]

  1. "Pure Morning" (radio edit)
  2. "Mars Landing Party"
  3. "Leeloo"

UK CD2 [7]

  1. "Pure Morning" (album version)
  2. "Needledick"
  3. "The Innocence of Sleep"

Personnel

Placebo

Technical personnel

Charts

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI) [22] Silver200,000

Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

RegionDateFormat(s)Label(s)Ref.
United Kingdom3 August 1998CD
[23]
United States5 October 1998 Active rock radio
  • Hut
  • Virgin
[24]

"Pure Morning" has been featured often in British television advertisements. The song was included on the soundtrack to the film The Chumscrubber (2005). The song was covered by the project of Johnathon Sharp, Biotek, on their album Punishment for Decadence. The intro is featured in an episode of Daria , and it was also used in the Top Gear 2001 J.D. Power Survey, revealing the Lexus LS400.

Related Research Articles

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

Placebo is a British alternative rock band, formed in London in 1994 by vocalist–guitarist Brian Molko and bassist–guitarist Stefan Olsdal. Drummer Robert Schultzberg joined in late 1994, but left in 1996 shortly after the release of the band's eponymous debut album due to conflicts with Molko, and was replaced the same year by Steve Hewitt. Molko was born in Belgium and Olsdal and Schultzberg in Sweden; remaining members Molko and Olsdal both grew up in Luxembourg before separately relocating to London and are both British citizens.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MMMBop</span> 1997 single by Hanson

"MMMBop" is a song written and performed by American pop rock band Hanson. It was released on April 15, 1997, as the lead single from their first full-length studio album, Middle of Nowhere (1997). The song was nominated for two Grammys at the 40th Annual Grammy Awards and is the band's most successful single to date. "MMMBop" was a major success worldwide, reaching number one in at least 12 countries, including Australia, Canada, Germany, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States.

<i>Placebo</i> (Placebo album) 1996 studio album by Placebo

Placebo is the debut studio album by British alternative rock band Placebo. It was released on 17 June 1996 by record label Virgin. It is the only album recorded with drummer Robert Schultzberg before his departure from the group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Song 2</span> 1997 single by Blur

"Song 2" is a song by English rock band Blur. The song is the second song on their eponymous fifth studio album. Released physically on 7 April 1997, "Song 2" peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart, number four on the Australian ARIA Singles Chart, and number six on the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">D'You Know What I Mean?</span> 1997 single by Oasis

"D'You Know What I Mean?" is a song by English rock band Oasis. Written by Noel Gallagher, it was released on 7 July 1997 as the first single from their third album, Be Here Now (1997).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">All Around the World (Oasis song)</span> 1998 single by Oasis

"All Around the World" is a song by the English rock band Oasis. It was written by the band's lead guitarist and principal songwriter Noel Gallagher. Released on 12 January 1998 as the third single from their third studio album, Be Here Now (1997), it is the longest song ever recorded by Oasis with the exception of the Heathen Chemistry track with a 30 minute silence "Better Man". The song peaked at number one on the UK Singles Chart, becoming the longest song ever to reach number one, and earned a Gold certification. This was the last Oasis single to be released on the Creation Records label. The song also reached number one in Ireland and peaked at number 15 on the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sweetest Thing</span> 1998 single by U2

"Sweetest Thing" is a song by Irish rock band U2. It was originally released as a B-side on the "Where the Streets Have No Name" single in 1987. The song was later re-recorded and re-released as a single in October 1998 for the band's compilation album The Best of 1980–1990.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Walkin' on the Sun</span> 1997 single by Smash Mouth

"Walkin' on the Sun" is a song by American rock band Smash Mouth from their first album, Fush Yu Mang (1997). Released as their debut single in June 1997, the song was Smash Mouth's first major single, reaching No. 1 on the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart and No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay chart. It was also a success abroad, peaking at No. 3 in Canada and Iceland, No. 5 in Italy and Spain, and No. 7 in Australia, where it is certified platinum for shipments exceeding 70,000 units.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Never There</span> 1998 single by Cake

"Never There" is the first single released from American alternative rock band Cake's third studio album, Prolonging the Magic (1998). The song was commercially successful, topping the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart and appearing on the music charts of four other countries. In Australia, the song appeared at number 30 on the Triple J Hottest 100 countdown for 1998.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Will You Be There (In the Morning)</span> 1993 single by Heart

"Will You Be There (In the Morning)" is a song by American rock band Heart. The ballad was written by veteran songwriter and producer Robert John "Mutt" Lange, who was responsible for writing Heart's US number-two single "All I Wanna Do Is Make Love to You" in 1990, and was released as the first single from the band's 11th studio album, Desire Walks On (although "Black on Black II" was released to radio first). Unlike the majority of Heart songs, which feature Ann Wilson on lead vocals, the lead singer on the song is Nancy Wilson. The song was released in the United Kingdom in November 1993 and was released in the United States the following month.

<i>Without You Im Nothing</i> (Placebo album) 1998 studio album by Placebo

Without You I'm Nothing is the second studio album by British alternative rock band Placebo. Recorded in mid-to-late 1998, it was released on 12 October 1998 by record labels Hut and Virgin Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Just the Two of Us (Will Smith song)</span> 1998 single by Will Smith

"Just the Two of Us" is a song by American rapper Will Smith. It was released as the fourth single from his debut solo studio album, Big Willie Style (1997), on July 20, 1998. The song was inspired by Bill Withers' and Grover Washington, Jr.'s love song of the same title; Smith's version samples and incorporates lyrics from the original. Instead of love between a couple, "Just the Two of Us" focuses on the relationship between a father and son. The song features Fuzzy and Sauce from the R&B group Somethin' for the People with Fuzzy providing the chorus and ad-libs, while Sauce is a credited as a producer on the track.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nancy Boy</span> 1997 single by Placebo

"Nancy Boy" is a song by British alternative rock band Placebo, released on 20 January 1997, as the fourth single from their debut self-titled album, released on Hut Records. As with their first single "Come Home", the single edit is a re-recorded version, noticeably different from the album version. "Nancy Boy" contains themes of drugs, sex, gender confusion and bisexuality. "Nancy Boy" became their breakthrough single, peaking at number four in the UK Singles Chart a month after the single's release. While Placebo originally charted at number forty upon its release, after the release of "Nancy Boy" the album re-entered the UK Albums Chart at number five in February, staying on chart for thirteen weeks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">You Don't Care About Us</span> 1998 single by Placebo

"You Don't Care About Us" is a song by English alternative rock band Placebo. It is the third track from their second studio album, Without You I'm Nothing (1998), and was released as the album's second single on 28 September 1998. The song reached No. 5 on the UK Singles Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Every You Every Me</span> 1999 single by Placebo

"Every You Every Me" is a song by British alternative rock band Placebo, released as the third single from their second album, Without You I'm Nothing, on 25 January 1999. It was released as a 2-CD set and on cassette, but promotional copies on 12-inch vinyl exist. The single managed to chart at number 46 in Australia, number 99 in Germany, and number 11 on the UK Singles Chart. There are two versions of the video, both filmed live at London's Brixton Academy; one includes clips from the film Cruel Intentions. An alternative video taking place at a casino was filmed in November 1998 but would not be released until 18 years later as part of the promotion for A Place for Us to Dream.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Taste in Men</span> 2000 single by Placebo

"Taste in Men" is a 2000 single by the English alternative rock band Placebo. Taken from their third album, Black Market Music, it reached number 16 in the UK singles chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Every Morning (Sugar Ray song)</span> 1999 single by Sugar Ray

"Every Morning" is a song by American rock band Sugar Ray, released as the lead single from their third studio album, 14:59 (1999). The track is an alternative rock and flamenco pop song that references Malo's "Suavecito" and Hugh Masekela's "Grazing in the Grass". Serviced to US radio in December 1998, "Every Morning" was released in Japan in January 1999 and in the United States two months later, making it Sugar Ray's first commercially available single in the US.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Will Come to You</span> 1997 single by Hanson

"I Will Come to You" is a song by American pop rock band Hanson. It was released on November 10, 1997, as the third single from the band's debut album, Middle of Nowhere (1997). "I Will Come to You" reached number five on the UK Singles Chart and number nine on the US Billboard Hot 100. It was more successful in Australia, reaching number two and receiving a platinum certification, and in Sweden, where it topped the chart for four weeks and was also certified platinum.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Weird (Hanson song)</span> 1998 single by Hanson

"Weird" is a song written and performed by American pop rock band Hanson. The rock ballad was the fourth single released from the band's major label debut album, Middle of Nowhere (1997), and became a moderate hit worldwide, charting within the top 20 in Australia, Canada, Finland, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom.

<i>Loud Like Love</i> 2013 studio album by Placebo

Loud Like Love is the seventh studio album by British alternative rock band Placebo, recorded between 2012 and 2013 and released on 16 September 2013.

References

  1. 1 2 Segal, Victoria. "No More Charlie Angels". NME, August 1998
  2. The Modern Age, Billboard
  3. Placebo - Pure Morning on YouTube
  4. "Interview "Interview: Brian Molko", Nov'13 - LJ Placebo Russia Archive". www.placeborussia.ru. Retrieved 2 February 2016.
  5. "Placebo Concert Setlist at 6 Music Live 2016 #1 on October 3, 2016". setlist.fm. Retrieved 19 September 2018.
  6. Pure Morning (UK CD1 liner notes). Placebo. Elevator Music, Hut Records, Virgin Records. 1998. FLOORCD6.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  7. Pure Morning (UK CD2 liner notes). Placebo. Elevator Music, Hut Records, Virgin Records. 1998. FLOORDX6.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  8. "Placebo – Pure Morning". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
  9. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 7010." RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
  10. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media . Vol. 15, no. 34. 22 August 1998. p. 7. Retrieved 11 August 2021.
  11. "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (8.10–15.10. 1998)". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). 9 October 1998. p. 10. Retrieved 4 October 2019.
  12. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Pure Morning". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
  13. "Placebo – Pure Morning" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
  14. "Placebo – Pure Morning". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
  15. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
  16. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
  17. "Placebo Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
  18. "Placebo Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
  19. "Íslenski Listinn Topp 100 – Vinsælustu Lögin '98". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). 2 January 1999. p. 34. Retrieved 8 February 2020.
  20. "Najlepsze single na UK Top 40–1998 wg sprzedaży" (in Polish). Archived from the original on 4 June 2015. Retrieved 4 October 2019.
  21. "Most Played Modern Rock Songs of 1999". Airplay Monitor . Vol. 7, no. 52. 24 December 1999. p. 36.
  22. "British single certifications – Placebo – Pure Morning". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved 22 January 2021.
  23. "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music Week . 1 August 1998. p. 27. Retrieved 11 July 2021.
  24. "Adds for Rocktober 5 &6". Gavin Report . No. 2226. 2 October 1998. p. 32.