The Passenger (song)

Last updated
"The Passenger"
The Passenger (song).jpg
B-side label
Single by Iggy Pop
from the album Lust for Life
A-side "Success"
ReleasedSeptember 30, 1977 [1]
RecordedMay–June 1977
Studio Hansa (West Berlin)
Genre
Length4:44
Label RCA
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) Bewlay Bros.
Music video
"The Passenger" on YouTube

"The Passenger" is a song written by Iggy Pop and Ricky Gardiner, recorded and released by Iggy Pop on the Lust for Life album in 1977. It was also released as the B-side of the album's first single, "Success". It was released as a single in its own right in March 1998, reaching number 22 in the UK charts.

Contents

Background and composition

"The Passenger" was co-written by Iggy Pop and guitarist Ricky Gardiner; Pop wrote the lyrics, while Gardiner composed the music. [2] Gardiner thought of the riff in early 1977 as he was wandering throughout the countryside, "in the field beside an orchard, on one of those glorious spring days with the trees in full blossom." [3] The song was recorded at Hansa Studio by the Wall in West Berlin between May and June 1977. The lineup consisted of Pop, Gardiner, David Bowie on piano, Carlos Alomar on guitar, and brothers Tony and Hunt Sales on bass and drums, respectively. [4] Bowie, Pop, and producer-engineer Colin Thurston produced Lust for Life under the pseudonym "Bewlay Bros.", named after the final track on Bowie's 1971 album Hunky Dory . [5]

Similar to other tracks on Lust for Life , the lyrics for "The Passenger" were mostly composed on the spot in the studio. [3] They were inspired by a Jim Morrison poem, titled "The Lords", [4] that saw "modern life as a journey by car", as well as rides on the Berlin S-Bahn, according to Pop's former girlfriend Esther Friedmann. [2] [6] The lyrics have been interpreted as "Iggy's knowing commentary on Bowie's cultural vampirism". [7] In an interview with The Guardian in 2016, Pop said "The Passenger" was partly inspired by touring with David Bowie: "I'd been riding around North America and Europe in David's car ad infinitum. I didn't have a driver's licence or a vehicle". [8] Biographer Paul Trynka states that the song was "a simple celebration of life", of the "long walks" Pop would take growing up and his own reputation at the time. [3] Tom Maginnis of AllMusic described the music as a "laid-back ... springy groove". [9] Reviewers characterize the track as garage rock and proto-punk. [10] [11]

Release and reception

RCA Records issued Lust for Life on September 9, 1977, [12] with "The Passenger" as the fourth track on side one of the original LP, between "Some Weird Sin" and "Tonight". [13] [14] The song was released as the B-side of "Success" in October 1977, but failed to chart. [2] [15] Pop's press officer Robin Eggar attempted to pursue RCA to issue "The Passenger" as an A-side, feeling it would be a hit, but he was ignored. [16] Following its use in a car commercial two decades later, [2] the song was released as an A-side by Virgin Records in March 1998 with "Lust for Life" and The Idiot track "Nightclubbing", with the catalog number 7243 8 94921 2 5. [17] The single peaked at number 22 on the UK Singles Chart and remained on the chart for three weeks. [18]

"The Passenger" has remained a mainstay of Pop's live performances. [4] The song received an official music video in 2020, 43 years after its initial release. [19]

"The Passenger" has appeared on several best-of lists. In a 2001 list compiling "the 100 Greatest Singles of the Post-Punk Era", the writers of Uncut magazine placed "The Passenger" at number 95. [20] The staff of Billboard placed the song at number 78 in a list compiling "the 100 Greatest Car Songs of All Time" in 2016. [10] The same year, Pitchfork ranked it the 95th best song of the 1970s. Benjamin Scheim wrote: "It's easy to listen to the intro and envision a million bands at home trying to figure out how to copy it." [21] The song was also included in the 2008 book The Pitchfork 500 . [22]

In media

The song has been featured in numerous movies, video games, documentaries and TV shows including He Died with a Felafel in His Hand (cover by Rowland S. Howard), This Must Be the Place , Radiofreccia , 30 Days , Jarhead and the 2002 video game Mat Hoffman's Pro BMX 2 . More recently, Up in the Air , The Weather Man , Kurt Cobain: About a Son , Scarface: The World Is Yours , 24 Hour Party People , If I Stay , Sons of Anarchy , War Dogs , Ash vs Evil Dead , 12 Monkeys , Berlin Station , The Boys , Dexter: New Blood , Lucifer , Sugar , The Lincoln Lawyer , and The Umbrella Academy in addition to advertisements for Dublin Bus, Captain Morgan, Kohl's "Simply Vera" collection, Guinness, the fifth season of Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown , and the film Waking Life .

Personnel

According to Chris O'Leary and Thomas Jerome Seabrook: [4] [26]

Production

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Germany (BVMI) [27] Gold250,000‡
Italy (FIMI) [28] Platinum50,000‡
Spain (PROMUSICAE) [29] Platinum60,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI) [30] Platinum600,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Siouxsie and the Banshees version

"The Passenger"
Siouxsie Passenger.jpg
Single by Siouxsie and the Banshees
from the album Through the Looking Glass
B-side
  • "She's Cuckoo"
  • "Something Blue"
ReleasedMarch 16, 1987
Recorded1986
Genre
Length5:09
Label Polydor
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Siouxsie and the Banshees singles chronology
"This Wheel's on Fire"
(1987)		"The Passenger"
(1987)		"Song from the Edge of the World"
(1987)
Music video
"The Passenger" on YouTube

English rock band Siouxsie and the Banshees covered "The Passenger" in 1987 for their all-cover-versions album Through the Looking Glass . [7] [31] The group revamped the song by adding brass arrangements. Released as the second single from the album, it peaked at number 41 in the UK. [32]

Iggy Pop praised their version and stated: "That's good. She sings it well and she threw a little note in when she sings it, that I wish I had thought of, it's kind of improved it [...]. The horn thing is good." [33]

The song was featured at the end of the biographical film I, Tonya (2017). [34]

"The Passenger (LaLaLa)"

"The Passenger (LaLaLa)"
Single by Lumix, D.T.E and Gabry Ponte featuring Mokaby
ReleasedJanuary 17, 2020
Length2:39
Label Spinnin' Records
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Mokaby
  • D.T.E
  • Gabry Ponte
  • Lum!x
Music video
"The Passenger (LaLaLa)" on YouTube

Lumix, D.T.E and Gabry Ponte released a cover of the song titled "The Passenger (LaLaLa)" on January 17, 2020, featuring Mokaby. The song charted across Europe.

Weekly charts

Chart (2020)Peak
position
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40) [35] 47
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia) [36] Tip
France (SNEP) [37] 128
Germany (GfK) [38] 58

2024's re-recorded version by Iggy Pop and Siouxsie Sioux

Pop and Siouxsie Sioux collaborated for a new version of "The Passenger": the track appeared in a Magnum advert in April 2024. [39] Pop said: "Siouxsie can sing like a bird. I've always thought she was a great lady. She's been a friend too, she took me to The Nutcracker once, at the Royal Court. Her version of the song was already special, but what happened here, singing together, is really unique. Like 'Volare', the orchestral treatment and marriage of voices flies free, in a spirit of joy. I'm very proud." Sioux added: "I love this song and I've always loved Iggy's voice. Yet even with perfect ingredients, to make something wonderful, you need a touch of magic. In this instance it's what steered the song on its new and unexpected journey. I adore how instinctive and spontaneous it all feels and to hear my voice with Iggy's is such a dream". [40] Consequence of Sound described Pop and Sioux's duet as an "ethereal setting, with a slower tempo and a silky soundscape of harps and strings". [41] Rolling Stone reviewed the 2024 version as a "moody, downtempo ballad that erupts with cinematic and orchestral splendor as Siouxsie and Iggy deliver fittingly dramatic vocal performances." [42] Flood magazine said it was a "slow-burning epic". [43]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Siouxsie and the Banshees</span> British rock band

Siouxsie and the Banshees were a British rock band formed in London in 1976 by vocalist Siouxsie Sioux and bass guitarist Steven Severin. They were widely influential, both over their contemporaries and later acts. The Times called the group "one of the most audacious and uncompromising musical adventurers of the post-punk era".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Iggy Pop</span> American rock musician (born 1947)

James Newell Osterberg Jr., known professionally as Iggy Pop, is an American singer, musician, songwriter, actor and radio broadcaster. He was the vocalist and lyricist of proto-punk band the Stooges, who were formed in 1967 and have disbanded and reunited many times since. Often called the "Godfather of Punk", he was named one of the 50 Great Voices by NPR. In 2010, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Stooges. Pop also received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2020 for his solo work.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Siouxsie Sioux</span> English singer

Susan Janet Ballion, known professionally as Siouxsie Sioux, is an English singer, songwriter, musician and record producer. She came to prominence as the leader and main lyricist of the rock band Siouxsie and the Banshees, who were active from 1976 to 1996. They released 11 studio albums, and had several UK Top 20 singles including "Hong Kong Garden", "Happy House" and "Peek-a-Boo", plus a US Top 25 single in the Billboard Hot 100, with "Kiss Them for Me".

<i>Lust for Life</i> (Iggy Pop album) 1977 studio album by Iggy Pop

Lust for Life is the second solo studio album by the American musician Iggy Pop, released on September 9, 1977, through RCA Records. It was his second collaboration with David Bowie after The Idiot, released in March the same year. Shortly after Bowie released his own album Low in January, Pop went on a tour to support The Idiot with Bowie as his keyboardist. At the tour's conclusion, Pop and Bowie regrouped in Berlin to record the former's next solo album.

<i>The Idiot</i> (album) 1977 studio album by Iggy Pop

The Idiot is the debut studio album by the American musician Iggy Pop, released on March 18, 1977, through RCA Records. It was produced by David Bowie and primarily recorded at the Château d'Hérouville in Hérouville, France. The album followed the break-up of Pop's band the Stooges in 1974 and a period of drug addiction for both Pop and Bowie, after which the two moved to Europe in an effort to kick their addictions.

<i>"Heroes"</i> (album) 1977 studio album by David Bowie

"Heroes" is the twelfth studio album by the English musician David Bowie, released on 14 October 1977 through RCA Records. Recorded in collaboration with the musician Brian Eno and the producer Tony Visconti, it was the second release of his Berlin Trilogy, following Low, released in January the same year, and the only one wholly recorded in Berlin. Sessions took place in mid-1977 after Bowie completed work on Iggy Pop's second solo album Lust for Life. Much of the same personnel from Low returned for "Heroes", augmented by the King Crimson guitarist Robert Fripp.

<i>Low</i> (David Bowie album) 1977 studio album by David Bowie

Low is the eleventh studio album by the English musician David Bowie, released on 14 January 1977 through RCA Records. The first of three collaborations with the producer Tony Visconti and the musician Brian Eno that became known as the Berlin Trilogy, the project originated following Bowie's move to France in 1976 with his friend Iggy Pop to rid themselves of their drug addictions. There, Bowie produced and co-wrote Pop's debut studio album, The Idiot, featuring sounds the former would explore on his next record. After completing The Idiot, sessions for Low began at Hérouville's Château d'Hérouville in September 1976 and ended in October at Hansa Studios in West Berlin, where Bowie and Pop had relocated.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Starman (song)</span> 1972 song by David Bowie

"Starman" is a song by the English musician David Bowie. It was released on 28 April 1972 by RCA Records as the lead single of his fifth studio album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. Co-produced by Ken Scott, Bowie recorded the song on 4 February 1972 at Trident Studios in London with his backing band known as the Spiders from Mars – comprising guitarist Mick Ronson, bassist Trevor Bolder and drummer Mick Woodmansey. The song was a late addition to the album, written as a direct response to RCA's request for a single; it replaced the Chuck Berry cover "Round and Round" on the album. The lyrics describe Ziggy Stardust bringing a message of hope to Earth's youth through the radio, salvation by an alien "Starman". The chorus is inspired by "Over the Rainbow", sung by Judy Garland, while other influences include T. Rex and the Supremes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gabry Ponte</span> Italian musician, DJ, record producer and remixer

Gabriele "Gabry" Ponte is an Italian musician, DJ and producer, also known for his membership in the Italian dance band Eiffel 65.

<i>Through the Looking Glass</i> (Siouxsie and the Banshees album) 1987 studio album by Siouxsie and the Banshees

Through the Looking Glass is the eighth studio album by English rock band Siouxsie and the Banshees. The album is a collection of cover versions. It was co-produced with Mike Hedges and released in March 1987 on Polydor. Through the Looking Glass included two singles; "This Wheel's on Fire" and "The Passenger". It was the second and final album recorded with guitarist John Valentine Carruthers. Some of their cover songs were praised by the original artists themselves.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">TVC 15</span> 1976 song by David Bowie

"TVC 15" is a song by the English musician David Bowie, released on his 1976 album Station to Station. RCA Records later released it as the second single from the album on 30 April 1976. The song was recorded in late 1975 at Cherokee Studios in Los Angeles. Co-produced by Bowie and Harry Maslin, the recording featured guitarists Carlos Alomar and Earl Slick, bassist George Murray, drummer Dennis Davis, pianist Roy Bittan and Warren Peace on backing vocals. The upbeat song is mostly art rock performed in a style reminiscent of the 1950s. Lyrically, the song concerns a character's girlfriend being eaten by a television set. It was inspired by a dream of Iggy Pop's and Bowie's role in The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976). Some lyrics are also influenced by the Yardbirds and Kraftwerk.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">China Girl (song)</span> Song by David Bowie and Iggy Pop

"China Girl" is a song written by Iggy Pop and David Bowie in 1976, and first released by Pop on his debut solo album, The Idiot (1977). Inspired by an affair Pop had with a Vietnamese woman, the lyrics tell a story of unrequited love for the protagonist's Asian girlfriend, realizing by the end that his Western influences are corrupting her. Like the rest of The Idiot, Bowie wrote the music and Pop improvised the lyrics while standing at the microphone. The song was released as a single in May 1977 and failed to chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Berlin Trilogy</span> Trilogy of studio albums by David Bowie

The Berlin Trilogy consists of three studio albums by English musician David Bowie: Low, "Heroes" and Lodger (1979). Bowie recorded the albums in collaboration with English musician Brian Eno and American producer Tony Visconti. The trilogy originated following Bowie's move from Los Angeles to Europe with American singer Iggy Pop to rid themselves of worsening drug addiction. Influences included the German krautrock scene and the recent ambient releases of Eno.

Ricky Gardiner was a Scottish guitarist and composer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lust for Life (Iggy Pop song)</span> 1977 single by Iggy Pop

"Lust for Life" is a 1977 song performed by American singer Iggy Pop and co-written by David Bowie, featured on the album of the same name. In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked it at No. 149 on their list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time", re-ranking it at No. 325 in their 2021 updated list.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hansa Tonstudio</span> German recording studio

Hansa Tonstudio is a recording studio located in the Kreuzberg district of Berlin, Germany. The studio, famous for its Meistersaal recording hall, is situated approximately 150 metres from the former Berlin Wall, giving rise to its former nicknames of "Hansa Studio by the Wall" or "Hansa by the Wall". Today, Hansa Studios' fully-restored Meistersaal is used for recording, as well as for concerts and other events.

"Nightclubbing" is a song written by David Bowie and Iggy Pop, first released by Iggy Pop on his debut solo studio album, The Idiot in 1977. It has been since considered "a career highlight", along with "Lust for Life" and has been covered by many artists. It is also extensively featured on other media.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thunder (Gabry Ponte, Lumix and Prezioso song)</span> 2021 song by Gabry Ponte, Lumix and Prezioso

"Thunder" is a song by Italian DJs Gabry Ponte and Prezioso and Austrian DJ Lumix. It was released as a single on 7 May 2021 via Spinnin' Records. The song reached the top 10 in Belgium, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden.

Quarterhead is a songwriting and production duo from Germany, formed by Josh Tapen and Janik Riegert in 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lumix (DJ)</span> Musical artist

Luca Michlmayr, known by the stage name Lumix, is an Austrian-Italian DJ and music producer who lives in Italy. He is best known for the hits "Monster", "The Passenger", and "Thunder". He represented Austria in the Eurovision Song Contest 2022 with the song "Halo", alongside fellow Austrian vocalist Pia Maria.

References

  1. ↑ "Music Week" (PDF). p. 102.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Pegg 2016, p. 208.
  3. 1 2 3 Trynka 2007, pp. 227–228.
  4. 1 2 3 4 O'Leary 2019, chap. 2.
  5. ↑ Seabrook 2008, pp. 145–147.
  6. ↑ "S-Bahn brachte Iggy Pop auf "The Passenger"". Die Welt (in German). February 21, 2013. Archived from the original on June 16, 2016. Retrieved October 15, 2020.
  7. 1 2 Ambrose 2004, pp. 185–186.
  8. ↑ Perry, Kevin EG (March 5, 2016). "Josh Homme on Iggy Pop: 'Lemmy is gone. Bowie is gone. He's the last of the one-and-onlys'". The Guardian . Archived from the original on September 12, 2021. Retrieved December 23, 2021.
  9. ↑ Maginnis, Tom. "'The Passenger' – Iggy Pop". AllMusic. Archived from the original on August 8, 2020. Retrieved October 15, 2020.
  10. 1 2 "The 100 Greatest Car Songs of All Time: Staff List". Billboard . June 24, 2021. Archived from the original on October 10, 2021. Retrieved November 12, 2021.
  11. ↑ Falconer, Tim (2008). Drive: A Road Trip Through Our Complicated Affair With The Automobile. Penguin Canada. p. 355. ISBN   978-0-14-317937-5.
  12. ↑ Seabrook 2008, p. 149.
  13. ↑ O'Leary 2019, Partial Discography.
  14. ↑ Ambrose 2004, p. 305.
  15. ↑ Ambrose 2004, p. 309.
  16. ↑ Trynka 2007, p. 234.
  17. ↑ Ambrose 2004, p. 312.
  18. ↑ "the passenger – full Official Chart History". officialcharts.com. Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on November 6, 2021. Retrieved December 23, 2021.
  19. ↑ Krol, Charlotte (July 9, 2020). "Iggy Pop's 'The Passenger' finally gets a music video 43 years later – watch". NME . Archived from the original on July 13, 2020. Retrieved December 23, 2021.
  20. ↑ Staff (February 2001). "Rocklist.net..Rocklist.net... Uncut Lists". Uncut (45). Archived from the original on July 17, 2021. Retrieved December 23, 2021– via rocklist.et.
  21. ↑ Scheim, Benjamin (August 22, 2016). "The 200 Best Songs of the 1970s". Pitchfork . p. 6. Archived from the original on October 8, 2021. Retrieved December 23, 2021.
  22. ↑ Breihan, Tom (November 30, 2009). "Video: Iggy Pop Plays 'The Passenger' With Random NZ Musicians, Via Skype". Pitchfork. Retrieved October 16, 2024.
  23. ↑ "Iggy re-records 'The Passenger' with a little help from NZ fans". 3 News . Archived from the original on April 6, 2012. Retrieved November 17, 2009.
  24. ↑ "George Ikediashi from Brighton lands starring role in T-Mobile national TV ad". Brighton Visitor.com. Archived from the original on August 27, 2011. Retrieved October 12, 2011.
  25. ↑ Dawson, Abigail (July 4, 2017). "Tourism New Zealand launches new mobile-led campaign". Mumbrella. Archived from the original on September 3, 2018. Retrieved July 9, 2017.
  26. ↑ Seabrook 2008, pp. 154–155.
  27. ↑ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Iggy Pop; 'The Passenger')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie . Retrieved May 25, 2023.
  28. ↑ "Italian single certifications – Iggy Pop – The Passenger" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana . Retrieved February 8, 2021.
  29. ↑ "Spanish single certifications – Iggy Pop – The Passenger". El portal de Música. Productores de Música de España . Retrieved July 8, 2024.
  30. ↑ "British single certifications – Iggy Pop – The Passenger". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved February 16, 2024.
  31. ↑ Raggett, Ned. "Through the Looking Glass – Siouxsie and the Banshees". AllMusic. Archived from the original on October 21, 2021. Retrieved December 23, 2021.
  32. ↑ "Siouxsie & the Banshees [uk charts]". officialcharts.com. Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on March 12, 2015. Retrieved April 29, 2013.
  33. ↑ ""120 Minutes" Iggy Pop interview". MTV . June 1990. Retrieved December 23, 2021– via YouTube. Excerpt about Siouxsie and the Banshees' version of 'The Passenger' from 08:38
  34. ↑ Rosen, Christopher (December 11, 2017). "Best of 2017 (Behind the Scenes): The stories behind the best songs on the I, Tonya soundtrack". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on December 11, 2017. Retrieved January 22, 2017.
  35. ↑ "Lum!x x Mokaby & D.T.E x Gabry Ponte – The Passenger (LaLaLa)" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
  36. ↑ "Lum!x x Mokaby & D.T.E x Gabry Ponte – The Passenger (LaLaLa)" (in French). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
  37. ↑ "Lum!x x Mokaby & D.T.E x Gabry Ponte – The Passenger (LaLaLa)" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
  38. ↑ "Lum!x x Mokaby & D.T.E x Gabry Ponte – The Passenger (LaLaLa)" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
  39. ↑ ""The Passenger" in Pleasure Express ad". YouTube. April 2024. Retrieved 31 May 2024.
  40. ↑ "The Passenger gets reimagined for Magnum Ice Cream". Shots.net. 25 April 2024. Retrieved 31 May 2024.
  41. ↑ "Siouxsie Sioux and Iggy Pop Duet on New Version of "The Passenger"". Consequence.net. 30 April 2024. Retrieved 31 May 2024.
  42. ↑ "Siouxsie Sioux's First Song in Nine Years Is a New Cover of 'The Passenger' With Iggy Pop — for an Ice Cream Ad". Rollingstone.com. 30 April 2024. Retrieved 31 May 2024.
  43. ↑ "Siouxsie Sioux and Iggy Pop Share Duet Version of "The Passenger"". Floodmagazine.com. 30 April 2024. Retrieved 31 May 2024.

Sources

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.