Smash It Up

Last updated

"Smash It Up"
The Damned Smash It Up.jpg
Single by the Damned
from the album Machine Gun Etiquette
B-side "Burglar"
Released12 October 1979 (1979-10-12)
Recorded1979
Genre
Length2:53
Label Chiswick
CHIS 116
Songwriter(s)
  • Dave Vanian
  • Captain Sensible
  • Rat Scabies
  • Algy Ward
Producer(s)
The Damned singles chronology
"Love Song"
(1979)		"Smash It Up"
(1979)		"I Just Can't Be Happy Today"
(1979)

"Smash It Up" is a song by English punk rock band the Damned, released as a single on 12 October 1979 by Chiswick Records. It is considered the band's unofficial anthem. [1]

Contents

The single was the second release from the band's third studio album Machine Gun Etiquette (1979), where it was listed as "Smash It Up (Part II)". The B-side of the single was "Burglar". [2]

Production

"Smash It Up" was produced by the band and Roger Armstrong. It is structured in two-part form: a melodic instrumental introduction (written in hommage to Marc Bolan after his tragic death) segueing into an energetic pop-punk song. The song's lyrics criticize those who indulge in hippie culture (referring to "blow wave hairstyles" and "Glastonbury hippies" [3] ) instead of advocating for political revolution.

Release

Chiswick reissued the single on their budget Big Beat imprint in February 1982. [4] The single was also issued in Australia, Germany, the Netherlands and Spain.

"Smash It Up" was boycotted by BBC Radio 1 because of its perceived anarchic lyrics, [5] stalling at No. 35 in the UK Singles Chart. [6]

In November 2004, Ace Records reissued the single on CD, with alternate versions of the song (including the previously unreleased third and fourth parts of "Smash It Up") and a video, directed by Martin Baker, added.

Promotion

The Damned performed "Smash It Up" (as well as "I Just Can't Be Happy Today") on the BBC2 television show The Old Grey Whistle Test in 1979. [7]

In other media

The song appeared in the console-based game Driver: Parallel Lines (2006) as a track from the 1978 era.

The song appears in the 2010 film, It's Kind of a Funny Story .

The song appears at the end of the third episode of the 2022 series SAS: Rogue Heroes .

The song also appears at the end credits of DC Universe's Titans, Season 2, Episode 10.

Track listing

All songs written by Scabies, Sensible, Vanian, Ward.

1979 vinyl release [2]
  1. "Smash It Up" – 2:52
  2. "Burglar" – 3:33
2004 CD release [8]
  1. "Smash It Up" – 2:52
  2. "Burglar" – 3:33
  3. "Smash It Up Parts 1–4" – 8:43

Production credits

Producers

Musicians

Cover versions

"Smash It Up"
Single by The Offspring
from the album Batman Forever soundtrack
Released1995
Genre Punk rock
Length3:24
Label Epitaph
Songwriter(s) Dave Vanian, Captain Sensible, Rat Scabies, Algy Ward
The Offspring singles chronology
"Gotta Get Away"
(1995)		"Smash It Up"
(1995)		"All I Want"
(1997)

The song was covered by Die Toten Hosen for the 1991 cover album Learning English, Lesson One . [9]

In 1995, The Offspring covered the song for the soundtrack to the film Batman Forever . Although the song appeared in the film for only a few seconds, the full version was included on the soundtrack. [10] It peaked at No. 16 on the U.S. Modern Rock Tracks chart and No. 47 on the Hot 100 Airplay chart. [11] Its chart success came about since it was the band's first new single after the breakthrough of their Smash album, albeit before their follow-up album Ixnay on the Hombre . It was later released on The Offspring's Club Me EP and also on the "All I Want" CD single.

Related Research Articles

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

The Damned are an English rock band formed in London in 1976 by lead vocalist Dave Vanian, guitarist Brian James, bassist Captain Sensible and drummer Rat Scabies. They were the first punk band from the United Kingdom to release a single, "New Rose" (1976), release a studio album, Damned Damned Damned (1977) and tour the United States. Nine of the band's singles charted on the UK Singles Chart Top 40.

<i>Strawberries</i> (album) 1982 studio album by The Damned

Strawberries is the fifth studio album by English punk rock band the Damned. It was released in October 1982 by record label Bronze. Limited editions included a strawberry-scented lyric insert. The album reached No. 15 in the UK charts,the band's first to reach the Top 20.

<i>Machine Gun Etiquette</i> 1979 studio album by the Damned

Machine Gun Etiquette is the third studio album by English punk rock band the Damned, released on 9 November 1979 by Chiswick Records. The album peaked at No. 31 on the UK Charts

<i>Not of This Earth</i> (The Damned album) 1995 studio album by The Damned

Not of This Earth is the eighth studio album by The Damned, released on 11 November 1995. It is often called I'm Alright Jack & The Beanstalk.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Rose</span> 1976 single by The Damned

"New Rose" is the first single by British punk rock band The Damned. It was released on 22 October 1976 on Stiff Records, and in 1977 in the Netherlands, Germany and France.

<i>The Black Album</i> (The Damned album) 1980 studio album with live tracks by the Damned

The Black Album is the fourth studio album by English punk rock band the Damned, and the first to feature Paul Gray on bass guitar. It was released on 3 November 1980 by Chiswick as a double album, with "Curtain Call" filling the whole of side 3, and a selection of live tracks recorded at Shepperton Studios at a special concert for Damned fan club members on side 4. The album peaked at No. 29 on the UK Charts.

<i>Phantasmagoria</i> (The Damned album) 1985 studio album by the Damned

Phantasmagoria is the sixth album by English punk rock band the Damned, released by MCA in July 1985. Special editions were available on white vinyl or picture disc; some versions included a free 12-inch of their No. 3 hit "Eloise". It is the first album by the band without original member Captain Sensible, and was a style shift to gothic rock compared to the band's punk sound of its early and later career.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thanks for the Night</span> 1984 single by The Damned

"Thanks for the Night" is a single by English punk rock band the Damned, released in May 1984.

<i>Friday 13th</i> (EP) 1981 EP by The Damned

Friday 13th EP is a four-track EP by English rock band the Damned, issued as the result of a one-off deal with the NEMS Records label. It was released on 13 November 1981, which fell on a Friday.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neat Neat Neat</span> Song by The Damned

"Neat Neat Neat" is the second single by English punk rock band the Damned, released on 18 February 1977 by Stiff Records, simultaneously with their debut studio album Damned Damned Damned.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Love Song (The Damned song)</span> 1979 single by The Damned

"Love Song" is a single by English punk rock band the Damned, released in April 1979. It was the first fruit of the reformed lineup's deal with Chiswick Records, boosted by four variant picture sleeves, each one featuring a member of the band, with an additional 20,000 copies pressed on red vinyl. It was the Damned's first top 40 hit, peaking at number 20 in the UK Singles Chart, and leading to the band's debut on Top of the Pops.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Just Can't Be Happy Today</span> Song by The Damned

"I Just Can't Be Happy Today" is a song by English punk rock band the Damned from their 1979 album, Machine Gun Etiquette. Released as a single in November on Chiswick Records, it peaked at No. 46 in the UK Singles Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The History of the World (Part 1)</span> Song by The Damned

"The History of the World " is a single by English rock band the Damned, released in September 1980 by Chiswick Records. It was co-produced by the band with Hans Zimmer and was included on the band's The Black Album. The record was released in both 7" and 12" formats, and reached No. 51 in the UK Singles Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">There Ain't No Sanity Clause</span> 1980 single by the Damned

"There Ain't No Sanity Clause" is a single by English rock band the Damned, released on 24 November 1980.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dozen Girls</span> 1982 single by the Damned

"Dozen Girls" is a single by English punk rock band the Damned, released on 17 September 1982 by Bronze Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grimly Fiendish</span> Song by The Damned

"Grimly Fiendish" is a single by English rock band the Damned, released on 18 March 1985.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wait for the Blackout</span> Song by The Damned

"Wait for the Blackout" is a single by English punk rock band The Damned. Initially, Chiswick issued Wait for the Blackout instead of The History of the World as a single to promote The Black Album (1980) in Spain, with "Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde" as the B-side.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lively Arts</span> Song by The Damned

"Lively Arts" is a single released by English rock band The Damned.

<i>Light at the End of the Tunnel</i> 1987 compilation album by The Damned

The Light at the End of the Tunnel is a double compilation album by the Damned, released by MCA in 1987 as a retrospective collection. The same name was also given to a concurrently released video cassette and an approved band biography by Carol Clerk.

References

  1. ↑ "The Damned's Smash It Up: "It's about frothy lager… hardly a call to revolution"". Uncut.co.uk. 24 April 2015. Retrieved 15 October 2016.
  2. 1 2 "Damned, The – Smash It Up". Discogs . Retrieved 10 July 2013.
  3. ↑ "Smash It Up Lyrics - Damned". Lyricsfreak.com. Retrieved 15 October 2016.
  4. ↑ "Smash It Up / Burglar". Rate Your Music . Retrieved 10 July 2013.
  5. ↑ Hutchinson, Barry (2017). The Damned - the Chaos Years: An Unofficial Biography. Lulu Press. ISBN   9780244921552.
  6. ↑ "UK Charts - The Damned". officialcharts.com. Retrieved 29 October 2017.
  7. ↑ The Old Grey Whistle Test (DVD). Warner Home Video. 2003.
  8. ↑ "The Damned – Smash It Up: 25th Anniversary Edition". Allmusic . Retrieved 10 July 2013.
  9. ↑ Learning English Lesson One Credits (liner notes). Virgin Records. LPVIR 11. Retrieved 4 September 2024.
  10. ↑ Batman Forever Credits (liner notes). Atlantic Records. RCD1 82759. Retrieved 4 September 2024.
  11. ↑ "The Offspring – Awards". Allmusic. Retrieved 10 July 2013.
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.