Star Guitar

Last updated

"Star Guitar"
Star guitar.jpg
Single by the Chemical Brothers
from the album Come with Us
B-side "Base 6"
Released14 January 2002 (2002-01-14)
Studio Miloco (South London, England)
Genre Post-disco [1]
Length
  • 6:54 (original version)
  • 6:27 (album version)
  • 3:59 (radio edit)
Label
Songwriter(s)
  • Tom Rowlands
  • Ed Simons
Producer(s) The Chemical Brothers
The Chemical Brothers singles chronology
"It Began in Afrika"
(2001)		"Star Guitar"
(2002)		"Come with Us" / "The Test"
(2002)

"Star Guitar" is a song by English electronic music duo the Chemical Brothers, released as the second single from their fourth album, Come with Us (2002). It reached number eight on the UK Singles Chart, number two on the US Billboard Dance Club Play chart, and number one on the UK Dance Chart. The song was greeted with praise from critics.

Contents

Structure

"Star Guitar" is 127 beats per minute and in the key of F major. [2] It contains a four measure-long acoustic guitar sample from the beginning of the David Bowie song, "Starman", [3] hence the name, "Star Guitar". This sample is repeated throughout the majority of the track, with various musical elements playing over it as a main theme. The song also contains an electronic sample of "Fly to Venus" by Electronic System. [4]

Music video

The music video, directed by Michel Gondry, features a continuous shot filmed from the window of a speeding train passing through towns and the countryside. However, the buildings and objects passing by appear exactly in time with the various musical elements of the song, including the beats. The video is based on DV footage Gondry shot while on vacation in France; the train ride between Nîmes and Valence was shot ten different times during the day to get different light gradients. The Pont du Robinet as well as Pierrelatte's station can be seen and the cities of Miramas and Avignon. Gondry had experimented with a different version of the same effect in his video for Daft Punk's "Around the World", where he had represented each element of the music with a dancer.

Gondry plotted out the synchronization of the song on graph paper before creating the video, eventually "modelling" the scenery with oranges, forks, tapes, books, glasses and tennis shoes. [5]

Reception

Upon the release of Come with Us , Nathan Rooney of Pitchfork , referring to its placement on the album, said the song was the "Chemical Brothers deviat[ing] from their role as Big Beat deities" and "it's slight, but not nearly as vapid as "Hoops," the song that follows it." [6] Scott Plagenhoef, also of Pitchfork Media, originally said the track "doesn't leave much of an impression, but may as well be Beethoven's 9th next to the Richard Ashcroft collaboration "The Test". [7] However, he later changed his opinion, saying it is "a fantastic track I grossly underrated here at the time" and that it was among the "best of the group's work [in the 2000s]". [8]

After noting the album is "steeped in retro-synth glory", Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine said "Star Guitar" is "a crisp post-disco work-out featuring bristling guitars and a Giorgio Moroder-style synth-bass. [1] Pat Blashall of Rolling Stone referred to the song as "slowly blooming", positively noting that within the track, "a dreamy melody hatches from an array of Ritalin beats, is evidence of a band that is increasingly drawn to disorientingly lush tunes rather than to mere adrenaline anthems." [9]

In 2006, Slant Magazine ranked the song at number 23 in their list of the "100 Greatest Dance Songs", [10] and, in 2010, ranked it at number 32 in their list of "The 250 Best Singles of the 2000s". [11] In 2009, Pitchfork ranked the song at number 398 in their list of The Top 500 Tracks of the 2000s. [12] Fatboy Slim revealed in 2012 that he had been asked to remix the song upon its release, but turned down the offer owing to his opinion that the song could not be improved. [13]

Track listings

Credits and personnel

Credits are lifted from the Come with Us album booklet. [21]

Studios

Personnel

Charts

Release history

RegionRelease dateFormat(s)Label(s)CatalogueRef(s).
United Kingdom14 January 2002 CD Freestyle DustCHEMSD14 [45] [46]
12-inch vinyl CHEMST14
DVD CHEMSDVD14
Australia CD CHEMSD14 [47]
Japan17 January 2002 Virgin Japan VJCP-12153 [48]
United States2002 Astralwerks ASW 38812-2

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>Dig Your Own Hole</i> 1997 album by the Chemical Brothers

Dig Your Own Hole is the second studio album by the English electronic music duo the Chemical Brothers. It was released on 7 April 1997 in the United Kingdom by Freestyle Dust and Virgin Records and in the United States by Astralwerks. It was recorded between 1995 and 1997, and features Noel Gallagher of Oasis and Beth Orton as guest vocalists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Come into My World</span> 2002 single by Kylie Minogue

"Come into My World" is a song recorded by Australian singer Kylie Minogue for her eighth studio album, Fever (2001). Written and produced by Cathy Dennis and Rob Davis, "Come into My World" is a dance-pop song in which the singer pleads to her lover to come into her world. "Come into My World" was released as the fourth and final single from Fever on 4 November 2002.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Knives Out (song)</span> 2001 single by Radiohead

"Knives Out" is a song by the English rock band Radiohead, released as the second single from their fifth album, Amnesiac (2001). It features lyrics about cannibalism and guitars influenced by the Smiths. "Knives Out" received positive reviews and reached number 13 on the UK Singles Chart and number one on the Canadian Singles Chart. The music video was directed by Michel Gondry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Galvanize (song)</span> 2004 single by the Chemical Brothers

"Galvanize" is a song by British electronic music duo the Chemical Brothers featuring vocals by American rapper Q-Tip. It was released on 22 November 2004 as the first single from their fifth studio album, Push the Button (2005).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Believe (The Chemical Brothers song)</span> 2005 single by the Chemical Brothers

"Believe" is the second single from English electronic music duo the Chemical Brothers' fifth studio album, Push the Button (2005). The single was released on 2 May 2005 and peaked at number 18 on the UK Singles Chart while reaching the top 20 in Italy and Spain. Kele Okereke, lead singer and rhythm guitarist of the indie rock band Bloc Party is featured on vocals. A remix of the song was featured in the 2005 snowboarding video "Flavor Country" by Sandbox.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fell in Love with a Girl</span> 2002 single by The White Stripes

"Fell in Love with a Girl" is a song by the American rock band the White Stripes, written and produced by Jack White for the band's third studio album, White Blood Cells (2001). Released as the album's second single in February 2002, it peaked at number 21 on both the US Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart and the UK Singles Chart. It was also the band's first single to reach the U.S. Alternative Songs chart, peaking at number 12.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Music Sounds Better with You</span> 1998 single by Stardust

"Music Sounds Better with You" is the only song by the French house trio Stardust, released on 20 July 1998. Stardust comprised the producer Thomas Bangalter, the DJ Alan Braxe and the vocalist Benjamin Diamond. They wrote "Music Sounds Better With You", a dance track, using a guitar riff sampled from the 1981 Chaka Khan song "Fate".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Caught Out There</span> 1999 single by Kelis

"Caught Out There" is the debut single by American singer Kelis, released on October 5, 1999, from her debut studio album, Kaleidoscope (1999). Written and produced by the Neptunes, the song peaked at number 54 on the US Billboard Hot 100 but fared better outside the United States, reaching the top ten in Canada, Iceland, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. Pharrell Williams of the Neptunes said in an interview that the instrumental track was originally meant for rapper Busta Rhymes, who rejected it.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hey Boy Hey Girl</span> 1999 single by the Chemical Brothers

"Hey Boy Hey Girl" is a song by the British big beat duo the Chemical Brothers. The song contains a sample from "The Roof Is on Fire" by Rock Master Scott & the Dynamic Three. "Hey Boy Hey Girl" was released as the first single from the Chemical Brothers' third studio album, Surrender (1999), on 26 May 1999 in Japan and on 31 May in the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Block Rockin' Beats</span> 1997 single by the Chemical Brothers

"Block Rockin' Beats" is a song by British big beat duo the Chemical Brothers. Released in March 1997 as the second single and opening track from their second studio album, Dig Your Own Hole (1997), it topped the UK Singles Chart and peaked at number 40 on the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart. It received a Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fly By II</span> 2002 single by Blue

"Fly By II" is a song by English boy band Blue. It was released on 18 March 2002 as the fourth single from their debut studio album, All Rise (2001). The release includes the band's first non-album exclusive, "Love R.I.P". "Fly By II" is a remixed version of the All Rise album track "Fly By", which samples the song "Rise" by Herb Alpert, while the remix samples from the Notorious B.I.G.'s "Hypnotize". The remix reached number six on the UK Singles Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elektrobank</span> 1997 single by the Chemical Brothers

"Elektrobank" is a song by English electronic music duo the Chemical Brothers. It was released as a single from their second album, Dig Your Own Hole (1997), in September 1997. It peaked at number 17 on the UK Singles Chart. Spike Jonze directed the music video, which depicted a mixed artistic gymnastics / rhythmic gymnastics competition with his girlfriend at the time Sofia Coppola as one of the competitors. It has been called "arguably Jonze's greatest music video". The single does not appear on either of the duo's singles compilations, Singles 93–03 and Brotherhood.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Setting Sun (The Chemical Brothers song)</span> 1996 single by the Chemical Brothers

"Setting Sun" is a song by English electronic music duo the Chemical Brothers featuring vocals from Noel Gallagher of Britpop band Oasis, who also co-wrote the track with duo members Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons. He is not mentioned on the front cover, only in the credit list. It was released as a single on 30 September 1996 from the Chemical Brothers' second album, Dig Your Own Hole (1997).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Let Forever Be</span> 1999 single by the Chemical Brothers and Noel Gallagher

"Let Forever Be" is a song by English electronic music duo the Chemical Brothers, released as the second single from their third studio album, Surrender (1999), on 23 July 1999 in Japan and on 2 August in the United Kingdom. It contains uncredited vocals from Noel Gallagher of Britpop band Oasis, who also co-wrote the song and previously worked with the Chemical Brothers on "Setting Sun".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Out of Control (The Chemical Brothers song)</span> 1999 single by the Chemical Brothers

"Out of Control" is a song by English big beat duo the Chemical Brothers, released as the third single from their third album, Surrender (1999). The song's vocals and guitar are performed by Bernard Sumner from New Order, and additional vocals are provided by Bobby Gillespie of Primal Scream.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">It Began in Afrika</span> 2001 single by the Chemical Brothers

"It Began in Afrika" is a song by British electronic music duo the Chemical Brothers. It was released as the first single from their fourth album Come with Us on 10 September 2001. Originally named "Electronic Battle Weapon 5" and released for DJs as a white label in June 2001, "It Began in Afrika" became a hit in clubs and was renamed for its official release. The song contains vocal samples from the track "Drumbeat" by American musician Jim Ingram, who was given a writing credit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Come with Us/The Test</span> 2002 single by the Chemical Brothers

"Come with Us" / "The Test" is a double A-side single from the Chemical Brothers' fourth studio album, Come with Us (2002). The vocals in "The Test" are performed by Richard Ashcroft. When released, the single reached number 11 in Spain, number 14 in the United Kingdom, and number 36 in Ireland. In Italy and the United States, only "Come with Us" was released, peaking at number 41 on the Italian Singles Chart and number eight on the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Star People (song)</span> 1997 single by George Michael

"Star People '97" is a song by British singer George Michael, released as the fifth single from his third studio album, Older (1996). It was written and performed by George Michael and was released by Virgin Records in the United Kingdom and DreamWorks Records in the United States. The lyrics make reference to the materialism and frivolity of certain (unspecified) people in show business, suggesting that those behaviours are derived from some insecurity or a bad childhood. The single version is titled "Star People '97", on most issues, because the track was re-recorded for the single release.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Protection (Massive Attack song)</span> 1995 single by Massive Attack

"Protection" is a collaboration between English trip hop collective Massive Attack and Tracey Thorn from English duo Everything but the Girl. The song appears on Massive Attack's second studio album, Protection (1994). Released as a single on 9 January 1995 by Wild Bunch and Circa, "Protection" reached number 14 on the UK Singles Chart, staying on the chart for four weeks, and also peaked at number 27 in New Zealand. Michel Gondry directed the accompanying music video. The song was also included on Everything but the Girl's compilation The Best of and Like the Deserts Miss the Rain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">More Than a Woman (Bee Gees song)</span> 1977 song by the Bee Gees

"More Than a Woman" is a song by musical group the Bee Gees, written by Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb for the soundtrack to the film Saturday Night Fever. It became a regular feature of the group's live sets from 1977 until Maurice Gibb's death in 2003 and was often coupled with "Night Fever".

References

  1. 1 2 Cinquemani, Sal (27 January 2002). "The Chemical Brothers – Come with Us". Slant Magazine. Retrieved 26 October 2014.
  2. ↑ "F Chord on Guitar: History, Relevance, Chord Shapes, Major Scale, & Songs in the Key of F". Uberchord App. 25 July 2016. Retrieved 2 October 2020.
  3. ↑ David Bowie - Starman (Tab) , retrieved 2 October 2020
  4. ↑ "Shazam". Shazam. Retrieved 2 October 2020.
  5. ↑ "making of Star Guitar". Archived from the original on 21 December 2021 – via YouTube.
  6. ↑ "The Chemical Brothers: Come with Us". Pitchfork .
  7. ↑ "The Chemical Brothers: Singles 93-03". Pitchfork .
  8. ↑ "The Chemical Brothers: Brotherhood". Pitchfork .
  9. ↑ "Come with Us : The Chemical Brothers : Review : Rolling Stone". www.rollingstone.com. Archived from the original on 2 October 2007. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
  10. ↑ "The 100 Best Dance Songs of All Time". Slant Magazine . 15 June 2020.
  11. ↑ "The 100 Best Singles of the Aughts". Slant Magazine . 25 January 2010.
  12. ↑ "The 200 Best Songs of the 2000s". Pitchfork .
  13. ↑ Fatboy Slim's Big Beats Boutique, MTV Dance special
  14. ↑ Star Guitar (UK & Australian CD single liner notes). The Chemical Brothers. Freestyle Dust, Virgin Records. 2002. CHEMSD14, 7243 5 46169 2 1.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  15. ↑ Star Guitar (US 12-inch single sleeve). The Chemical Brothers. Astralwerks. 2002. ASW 38812, 724383881215.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  16. ↑ Star Guitar (UK 12-inch single sleeve). The Chemical Brothers. Freestyle Dust, Virgin Records. 2002. CHEMST14, 7243 5 46169 6 9.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  17. ↑ Star Guitar (UK DVD single liner notes). The Chemical Brothers. Freestyle Dust, Virgin Records. 2002. CHEMSDVD14, 7243 4 92684 9 4.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  18. ↑ Star Guitar (European CD single liner notes). The Chemical Brothers. Freestyle Dust, Virgin Records. 2002. CHEMSDE14, 7243 5 46202 2 5.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  19. ↑ Star Guitar (US & Canadian CD single liner notes). The Chemical Brothers. Astralwerks. 2002. ASW 38812, 724383881222.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  20. ↑ Star Guitar (Japanese CD single liner notes). The Chemical Brothers. Freestyle Dust, Virgin Records. 2002. VJCP-12153, 7243 5 46169 2 1.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  21. ↑ Come with Us (UK CD album booklet). The Chemical Brothers. Freestyle Dust, Virgin Records. 2002. XDUSTCD5, 7243 8 11682 2 6.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  22. ↑ "Issue 621" ARIA Top 100 Singles. National Library of Australia. Retrieved 22 September 2020.
  23. ↑ "The Chemical Brothers – Star Guitar" (in Dutch). Ultratip. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
  24. ↑ "The Chemical Brothers – Star Guitar" (in French). Ultratip. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
  25. ↑ "The Chemical Brothers – Star Guitar" (in Dutch). Ultratop Dance. Retrieved 22 September 2020.
  26. ↑ "The Chemical Brothers Chart History (Canadian Digital Songs)". Billboard . Retrieved 3 June 2019.
  27. ↑ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media . Vol. 20, no. 6. 2 February 2002. p. 9. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  28. ↑ "The Chemical Brothers: Star Guitar" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
  29. ↑ "The Chemical Brothers – Star Guitar" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
  30. ↑ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Star Guitar". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 27 January 2020.
  31. ↑ "Top 10 Dance Singles, Week Ending 17 January 2002". GfK Chart-Track . Retrieved 3 June 2019.[ permanent dead link ]
  32. ↑ "The Chemical Brothers – Star Guitar". Top Digital Download. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
  33. ↑ "The Chemical Brothers – Star Guitar" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
  34. ↑ "The Chemical Brothers – Star Guitar". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
  35. ↑ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
  36. ↑ "The Chemical Brothers – Star Guitar" Canciones Top 50. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
  37. ↑ "The Chemical Brothers – Star Guitar". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
  38. ↑ "The Chemical Brothers – Star Guitar". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
  39. ↑ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
  40. ↑ "Official Dance Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
  41. ↑ "The Chemical Brothers Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
  42. ↑ "The Chemical Brothers Chart History (Dance Singles Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved 14 December 2021.
  43. ↑ "Canada's Top 200 Singles of 2002". Jam!. 14 January 2003. Archived from the original on 6 September 2004. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  44. ↑ "The Official UK Singles Chart 2002" (PDF). UKChartsPlus . Retrieved 3 June 2019.
  45. ↑ Hubner, Miriam (26 January 2002). "Airborne" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 20, no. 5. p. 30. Retrieved 23 October 2020.
  46. ↑ "New Releases – For Week Starting January 14, 2001: Singles" (PDF). Music Week . 12 January 2002. p. 25. Retrieved 21 August 2021.
  47. ↑ "The ARIA Report: New Releases Singles – Week Commencing 14/01/2002" (PDF). ARIA. 14 January 2002. p. 23. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 February 2002. Retrieved 26 April 2021.
  48. ↑ "Star Guitar" (in Japanese). Toshiba-EMI. Archived from the original on 10 February 2002. Retrieved 26 August 2023.
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.