The View from the Afternoon

Last updated

"The View from the Afternoon"
The View from the Afternoon.jpg
Promotional single by Arctic Monkeys
from the album Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not
Released23 January 2006 (2006-01-23)
RecordedSeptember 2005
Length3:38
Label Domino
Composer(s)
Lyricist(s) Alex Turner
Producer(s) Jim Abbiss
Arctic Monkeys singles chronology
"When the Sun Goes Down"
(2006)		"The View from the Afternoon"
(2006)		"Fake Tales of San Francisco"
(2006)
Music video
"The View from the Afternoon" on YouTube

"The View from the Afternoon" is a song by Arctic Monkeys originally released as the opening track on the band's first album Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not in January 2006. It was also the lead track on the Who the Fuck Are Arctic Monkeys? EP. This release had an accompanying video. Although never released as a single, the song was a staple of live concerts by the band on their early tours.

Contents

Release

"The View from the Afternoon" was expected to have been the band's third single, following UK number ones "I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor" and "When the Sun Goes Down", but the band announced in March 2006 that its next record would be a five-track EP, [2] which thereby disqualified it from being listed in the UK Singles Chart and UK Albums Chart [3] because it was too long to be a single and too cheap to be an album.

Composition

Alex Turner said "This is one of the last songs written for the album. There's nothing clever, it's just about anticipating the evening, finding comfort in familiarity and the fact that you know you're bound to send a daft message or something before the sun comes up. I think I've stopped doing that now." [4]

Music video

The video is based around a young man in a parka jacket playing the drum part of the song in the middle of a courtyard between blocks of high rise flats. A sequence of surreal elements is interspersed throughout: a schoolgirl walks past wearing plastic devil horns; a running fox; three men trying to attract the attention of the drummer who ignores them; the drummer is fed milk by the schoolgirl and then a brief shot in colour of the man floating on his back in shallow water. The music stops, and it is revealed that his drumming has caused his hands to bleed. Next, there is a shot of a man in the dark wielding a baseball bat, then a brief shot of the moon which appears to explode and then the man in the dark struggling to lift his bat. Finally, the man with the bat comes near to the drummer and is about to strike him, but the audio stops and we see a last shot of the male being showered in what could be rain or the fragments of the moon.

The events in the video are loosely based on the story of the Buddha, who was said to have meditated under a tree for days. While he meditated, devils came to seduce and sabotage him, but he resisted. Seeing the Buddha starve himself in order to attain nirvana, a woman gave him milk to quench his thirst.

The video is shot in black and white and was filmed near Park Hill flats in the Arctic Monkeys' native city of Sheffield, directed by W.I.Z. for Factory Films. It was also partially filmed later in the courtyard of Bromyard House, Ledbury Estate in Peckham, South East London. A tattoo of the three intersecting circles sigil adopted by John Bonham, the drummer of Led Zeppelin, can be seen on the man's right wrist.

Personnel

Personnel adapted from Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not liner notes [5]

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI) [6] Gold400,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arctic Monkeys</span> English rock band

Arctic Monkeys are an English rock band formed in Sheffield in 2002. The group consists of lead singer Alex Turner, drummer Matt Helders, guitarist Jamie Cook and bassist Nick O'Malley; bassist and co-founder Andy Nicholson left the band in 2006.

<i>Five Minutes with Arctic Monkeys</i> 2005 EP by Arctic Monkeys

Five Minutes with Arctic Monkeys is the debut single/EP by English rock band Arctic Monkeys, released on 30 May 2005 by Bang Bang Recordings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fake Tales of San Francisco</span> 2005 promotional single by Arctic Monkeys

"Fake Tales of San Francisco" is a song by English indie rock band Arctic Monkeys originally released on the band's first EP, Five Minutes with Arctic Monkeys, in May 2005. After being featured on the band's debut album Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not, the song was released as a radio-only single in the United States instead of "Leave Before the Lights Come On", which was released there at the end of October.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor</span> 2005 single by Arctic Monkeys

"I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor" is a song by English rock band Arctic Monkeys released on 17 October 2005, through Domino Recording Company. The song was the band's debut single and the first from their debut studio album, Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not (2006). Written by frontman Alex Turner and produced by Jim Abbiss, "I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor" is a garage rock, indie rock, and post-punk song. It debuted at number one on the UK Singles Chart on 23 October 2005, and remains one of the band's best-known songs in the UK.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Kooks</span> English indie rock band

The Kooks are an English pop-rock band formed in 2004 in Brighton. The band consists of Luke Pritchard, Hugh Harris and Alexis Nunez (drums).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alex Turner</span> British musician (born 1986)

Alexander David Turner is an English musician. He is the front man and lead singer-songwriter of the rock band Arctic Monkeys. Turner is known for his lyricism ranging from kitchen sink realism to surrealist wordplay, which has been praised by music critics and the public. All but one of Turner's studio albums have topped the UK Albums Chart. He has won seven Brit Awards, an Ivor Novello Award, and a Mercury Prize among other accolades.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">When the Sun Goes Down (Arctic Monkeys song)</span> 2006 single by Arctic Monkeys

"When the Sun Goes Down" is a song by English indie rock band Arctic Monkeys. It was released on 16 January 2006 as the second single from their debut studio album, Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not (2006). It followed debut single "I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor" to number one on the UK Singles Chart.

<i>Whatever People Say I Am, Thats What Im Not</i> 2006 studio album by Arctic Monkeys

Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not is the debut studio album by the English rock band Arctic Monkeys, released on 23 January 2006 in the United Kingdom and on 21 February 2006 in the United States by Domino Recording Company. Preceded by the chart-topping singles "I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor" and "When the Sun Goes Down", the album also contains re-recorded versions of both tracks from the band's debut extended play (EP), Five Minutes with Arctic Monkeys (2005). It is the only Arctic Monkeys album to feature bassist Andy Nicholson, as he left the band shortly after the album's release.

<i>Who the Fuck Are Arctic Monkeys?</i> 2006 EP by Arctic Monkeys

Who the Fuck Are Arctic Monkeys? is the second EP by English rock band Arctic Monkeys, released on 24 April 2006 by Domino Recording Company. The extended play is the final record to feature Andy Nicholson on bass, as he was fired from the band a month after the EP's release.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leave Before the Lights Come On</span> 2006 single by Arctic Monkeys

"Leave Before the Lights Come On" is a song by English indie rock band Arctic Monkeys. The song was released on 14 August 2006 as the band's third single in the United Kingdom. The song was not included on the band's debut album Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not, though Alex Turner has stated that it could have been on the album as it follows a similar theme to many of the album tracks. It was the band's final release before promotion began for their second album Favourite Worst Nightmare in spring 2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matt Helders</span> English musician (born 1986)

Matthew Helders is an English musician, singer, and songwriter, who is the drummer and occasional singer of the rock band Arctic Monkeys. He has also released a studio album and collaborated with artists such as Dean Fertita, Josh Homme and Iggy Pop.

"A Certain Romance" is a song by English rock band Arctic Monkeys written by frontman Alex Turner and composed by the band. It is a re-recorded version of a 2004 demo, and serves as the closing track of their 2006 debut studio album Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not. It was not released as a standalone single.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arctic Monkeys discography</span>

English rock band Arctic Monkeys have released seven studio albums, five extended plays, two video albums, 24 music videos and 23 singles. Formed in 2002 by guitarist and vocalist Alex Turner, guitarist and backing vocalist Jamie Cook, bass guitarist and backing vocalist Andy Nicholson and drummer and backing vocalist Matt Helders, Arctic Monkeys released their first EP, Five Minutes with Arctic Monkeys, in May 2005, and signed with London-based Domino Recording Company in June.

<i>Favourite Worst Nightmare</i> 2007 studio album by Arctic Monkeys

Favourite Worst Nightmare is the second studio album by English rock band Arctic Monkeys, first released in Japan on 18 April 2007 and released in their home country of United Kingdom on 23 April 2007 by Domino Recording Company. Recorded in East London's Miloco Studios with producers James Ford and Mike Crossey, the album was preceded by the release of lead single "Brianstorm" on 2 April 2007. It was the band’s first album with new bassist Nick O'Malley, replacing their previous bassist Andy Nicholson, who left the band shortly before the North American tour of the band's debut studio album, Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not (2006).

The Violet May are an English 6-piece rock act from Sheffield, England. Formed in early 2009, The Violet May quickly earned a reputation for their wild live shows and were named by Alan McGee in The Guardian as one of his "Top 15 Tips for 2010".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">R U Mine?</span> 2012 single by Arctic Monkeys

"R U Mine?" is a song by the English indie rock band Arctic Monkeys. It features lyrics written by frontman Alex Turner, as well as music composed by the entire band. The song was released as a digital download in the United Kingdom on 27 February 2012 and was released physically for the Record Store Day on 21 April 2012 on a limited edition double A-side purple 7" vinyl along with new song "Electricity". The vinyl was limited to a run of only 1,750 copies.

<i>Beneath the Boardwalk</i> 2004 demo album by Arctic Monkeys

Beneath the Boardwalk refers to a collection of 18 demo recordings by Sheffield band Arctic Monkeys which were burned onto CDs to give away at the band's gigs for free, and which emerged on the Internet in 2004, promptly file-shared amongst fans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reverend and the Makers</span> English rock band

Reverend and the Makers are an English rock band from Sheffield, South Yorkshire. The band is fronted by Jon McClure, nicknamed "The Reverend". Their debut album, The State of Things (2007), helped them gain success in Britain and spawned the UK top 10 single "Heavyweight Champion of the World". The band released their second album, A French Kiss in the Chaos (2009), which led to them being invited to support Oasis on their final tour, of the first part of their career, playing venues such as Wembley Stadium. The band's third studio album, @Reverend_Makers, was released in 2012, their fourth studio album, ThirtyTwo, was released in 2014 which had more electronic and dance music influences. These were followed by Mirrors in 2015 and The Death of a King in 2017 which showcased a hard rock and folk influenced sound. Their seventh album, the soul and R&B inflected Heatwave in the Cold North was released in 2023 and became the band's first Top 10 album in the UK in 16 years.

References

  1. ↑ "Arctic Monkeys - Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not". AllMusic.
  2. ↑ "Arctic Monkeys plan new EP". NME . 10 March 2006. Retrieved 26 March 2006.
  3. ↑ The Official UK Charts Company – "Chart Rules (9th edition)" Archived 26 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  4. ↑ "Arctic Monkeys - In The Own Words". NME. IPC MEDIA. Archived from the original on 19 May 2006. Retrieved 4 June 2006.
  5. ↑ Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not (booklet). Arctic Monkeys. London: Domino Recording Company. 2006. WIGCD162.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  6. ↑ "British single certifications – Arctic Monkeys – The View from the Afternoon". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved 14 July 2024.
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.