Somebody Else (Big Country song)

Last updated
"Somebody Else"
Big Country Somebody Else 2000 single cover.jpg
Single by Big Country
from the album Driving to Damascus
B-side
  • "Sleep Until Dawn"
  • "Another Misty Morning"
Released30 May 2000
Length4:04
Label Track Record
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Rafe McKenna
  • Big Country
Big Country singles chronology
"See You"/"Perfect World"
(1999)		"Somebody Else"
(2000)		"Another Country"
(2011)

"Somebody Else" is a song by Scottish rock band Big Country, released in 2000 as the third and final single from their eighth studio album Driving to Damascus (1999). The song was written by Stuart Adamson and Ray Davies, and was produced by Rafe McKenna and Big Country. "Somebody Else" reached number 126 in the UK Singles Chart and was the band's final single release prior to lead vocalist and guitarist Stuart Adamson's suicide in 2001.

Contents

Background

"Somebody Else" was one of two songs on Driving to Damascus to be written by Big Country's lead vocalist and guitarist Stuart Adamson with Ray Davies of the Kinks. Davies and Big Country first worked together after Davies approached the band's management in 1997 to ask whether their rhythm section, bassist Tony Butler and drummer Mark Brzezicki, were available to back him at his upcoming performance at Glastonbury Festival. Big Country's manager Ian Grant used the opportunity to get the entire band involved, although guitarist Bruce Watson was unable to take part due to other engagements. After rehearsals in Cornwall, the three members of Big Country backed Davies at Glastonbury and a friendship was established, with Davies expressing interest in further collaborations with the band. He also attempted to get them signed to the US label Velvel Records, although this ultimately did not come to fruition. [1] [2]

Big Country began writing and working on new material from late 1997 and by September 1998, the band had approximately 30 new songs. Davies, who had attended some of the band's rehearsals and sessions, felt these "weren't quite there" and suggested Adamson come over to his apartment in New York to write together. The collaboration resulted in "Somebody Else", "Devil in the Eye" and a third, uncompleted song being written in December 1998. [1] [2] Both completed songs were recorded by Big Country in 1999 for their eighth studio album, Driving to Damascus. [3] Speaking of his collaboration with Davies, Adamson commented in 1999, "Both Ray and I pushed each other into areas we wouldn't normally go." [4]

In 2006, bassist Tony Butler considered "Somebody Else" to be "superb lyrically". [5] The song has been described as being about a "splitting couple dividing up old possessions". [6]

Release

"Somebody Else" was released in the UK on 30 May 2000 as a farewell single and to coincide with the band's UK tour, "The Final Fling". [7] Originally scheduled for release on 22 May, [8] the CD single was limited to 5,000 copies. [9] Two previously unreleased tracks were included on the single, "Sleep Until Dawn" and "Another Misty Morning". [8] The latter, which was written by bassist Tony Butler, who also sang lead vocals on the track, is a song about masturbation. [10]

To promote the single, the band performed the song on the BBC TV programme Weekend Watchdog on 26 May 2000. [8]

Critical reception

In a review of Driving to Damascus, Aaron Badgley of AllMusic praised "Somebody Else" as "brilliant" and added, "To hear [it], one would never guess that there was any involvement from Davies. The song [is] fit for Big Country, but would be out of place on a Davies' or Kinks' album." [3]

Track listing

CD single [11]

  1. "Somebody Else" – 4:04
  2. "Sleep Until Dawn" – 4:35
  3. "Another Misty Morning" – 4:55

Personnel

Big Country

Production

Other

Charts

Chart (2000)Peak
position
UK Singles Chart [12] 126
UK Independent Singles Chart (OCC) [13] 27

Related Research Articles

<i>The Crossing</i> (Big Country album) 1983 studio album by Big Country

The Crossing is the debut album released by Scottish band Big Country. The album reached #3 in the UK; overseas, it hit #4 in Canada on the RPM national Top Albums Chart and #18 in the US on the Billboard 200 in 1983. It went on to be certified platinum in the UK and Canada. It contains the song "In a Big Country" which is their only U.S. Top 40 hit single. Stuart Adamson and fellow guitarist Bruce Watson used the MXR Pitch Transposer 129 effect pedal to create a guitar sound reminiscent of bagpipes. Also contributing to the band's unique sound was their use of the e-bow, a hand-held device which, through the use of magnets, causes the strings of an electric guitar to vibrate producing a soft attack which sounds more like strings or synthesizer.

<i>Steeltown</i> 1984 studio album by Big Country

Steeltown is the second studio album by Scottish band Big Country. The album was recorded at ABBA's Polar Studios in Stockholm with Steve Lillywhite producing. It was released on 19 October 1984, in the UK and 29 October 1984, in the United States. It was released on CD only in Germany, as well as remastered and reissued there.

<i>The Seer</i> (Big Country album) 1986 studio album by Big Country

The Seer is the third studio album by the Scottish band Big Country, released in 1986. The album featured very traditional Scottish musical settings, reminiscent of the band's debut album The Crossing (1983). Kate Bush worked on the title song in a duet with lead singer and lyricist Stuart Adamson. The album's first single, "Look Away", was an Irish number one, and was also the group's biggest hit single in the UK, reaching #7.

<i>Without the Aid of a Safety Net</i> 1994 live album by Big Country

Without the Aid of a Safety Net is the first live album by the Scottish band Big Country, released in 1994. It contains a portion of the tracks from a concert at The Barrowland Ballroom, Glasgow, and was recorded on 29 December 1993. The full concert was released in 2005, labelled as 2CD Expanded Edition: The Complete Concert. This version features eight tracks not on the original release.

<i>Why the Long Face</i> (album) 1995 studio album by Big Country

Why the Long Face is the seventh studio album by Scottish band Big Country, released in 1995. It was produced by Chris Sheldon and members of the band.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stuart Adamson</span> Scottish guitarist, songwriter and vocalist (1958–2001)

William Stuart Adamson was a Scottish rock guitarist and singer. Adamson began his career in the late 1970s as a founding member and performer with the punk rock band Skids. After leaving Skids in 1981, he formed Big Country and was the band's lead singer and guitarist. The group's commercial heyday was in the 1980s. In the 1990s, he was a member of the alternative country band The Raphaels. In the late 1970s the British music journalist John Peel referred to his musical virtuosity as a guitarist as "a new Jimi Hendrix".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tony Butler (musician)</span> British musician and rock bassist

Anthony Earle Peter Butler is a British bassist, best known for his work with Scottish rock band Big Country. He has also worked with On the Air, The Pretenders, Roger Daltrey, and Pete Townshend, among others.

The discography of Big Country, a Scottish rock band which formed in 1981, consists of nine studio albums, eighteen live albums, twenty-five compilation albums, one extended play (EP), and twenty-nine singles released on Mercury Records, Reprise Records, Vertigo Records and Cherry Red Records.

<i>Driving to Damascus</i> 1999 studio album by Big Country

Driving to Damascus is the eighth studio album by Scottish rock band Big Country. It was released in 1999 as both a standard edition and a limited edition digipack, and with bonus tracks in 2002. In the U.S., it was released under a different name, John Wayne's Dream. The limited edition version featured different cover artwork, and included two tracks by Stuart Adamson's alt-country side project, The Raphaels, although there was no indication in the credits that these were not by Big Country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Big Country</span> Scottish rock band

Big Country are a Scottish rock band formed in Dunfermline, Fife, in 1981.

<i>The Journey</i> (Big Country album) 2013 studio album by Big Country

The Journey is the ninth studio album by Scottish rock band Big Country, released on 8 April 2013 through Cherry Red Records. The Journey is the first and only Big Country album with The Alarm vocalist Mike Peters taking over for the late Stuart Adamson, who died on 16 December 2001 at the age of 43, and former Simple Minds bassist Derek Forbes replacing Tony Butler, who retired in 2012. It is also the first album to feature Jamie Watson, who joins his father Bruce Watson on guitar. The elder Watson along with drummer Mark Brzezicki are the sole remaining members of the band's classic lineup present on this album.

<i>Eclectic</i> (Big Country album) 1996 live album by Big Country

Eclectic is a live album by the Scottish rock band Big Country, released in 1996 by Castle Communications. It was produced by Big Country and Gary Langan, and reached No. 41 in the UK. In 2001, a video version of Eclectic was released under the same name by Castle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">East of Eden (Big Country song)</span> 1984 single by Big Country

"East of Eden" is a song by Scottish rock band Big Country, which was released in 1984 as the lead single from their second studio album Steeltown. It was written by Big Country and produced by Steve Lillywhite. "East of Eden" reached No. 17 in the UK, and No. 12 in Ireland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fragile Thing</span> 1999 single by Big Country featuring Eddi Reader

"Fragile Thing" is a song by Scottish rock band Big Country, released in 1999 as the lead single from their eighth studio album Driving to Damascus. It was written by Stuart Adamson and Bruce Watson, and produced by Rafe McKenna and Big Country. "Fragile Thing" reached number 69 in the UK Singles Chart. A music video was filmed to promote the single.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Republican Party Reptile (song)</span> 1991 single by Big Country

"Republican Party Reptile" is a song by Scottish rock band Big Country, released by Vertigo in 1991 as an extended play from their fifth studio album No Place Like Home. It was written by Stuart Adamson and Bruce Watson, and produced by Pat Moran. The "Republican Party Reptile" EP reached No. 37 in the UK and remained in the charts for two weeks. A music video was filmed to promote the EP.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hold the Heart</span> 1986 single by Big Country

"Hold the Heart" is a song by Scottish rock band Big Country, which was released in 1986 as the fourth and final single from their third studio album The Seer. It was written by Stuart Adamson and produced by Robin Millar. "Hold the Heart" reached No. 55 in the UK and remained in the charts for two weeks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heart of the World (song)</span> 1990 single by Big Country

"Heart of the World" is a song by Scottish rock band Big Country, which was released in 1990 as a non-album single. It was written by Stuart Adamson and produced by Tim Palmer. "Heart of the World" reached No. 50 on the UK Singles Chart and remained in the Top 100 for three weeks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I'm Not Ashamed (song)</span> 1995 single by Big Country

"I'm Not Ashamed" is a song by Scottish rock band Big Country, which was released in 1995 as the lead single from their seventh studio album Why the Long Face. It was written by Stuart Adamson, and produced by Big Country and Chris Sheldon. "I'm Not Ashamed" reached No. 69 on the UK Singles Chart.

<i>Non!</i> (Big Country EP) 1995 EP by Big Country

Non! is an extended play by Scottish rock band Big Country, which was released in the UK in 1995 as an action awareness record for Greenpeace. Non! reached No. 77 in the UK Singles Chart in December 1995.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">See You (Big Country song)</span> 1999 single by Big Country

"See You" is a song by Scottish rock band Big Country, released in 1999 as a double A-side single with "Perfect World". It was the second single to be released from their eighth studio album Driving to Damascus and reached number 77 in the UK Singles Chart. "See You" was written by Stuart Adamson and "Perfect World" was written by Adamson, Mark Brzezicki, Tony Butler and Bruce Watson. Both tracks were produced by Rafe McKenna and Big Country.

References

  1. 1 2 Rarities VII (UK CD album liner notes by Ian Grant). Big Country. Track Record. 2004. TRA1053.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  2. 1 2 "A Message from Ian Grant". Country Club. No. 45. August 1999. p. 2. Retrieved 12 July 2023– via bigcountry.info.
  3. 1 2 Badgley, Aaron. "Big Country - Driving to Damascus; Album Reviews, Songs & More". AllMusic. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
  4. ↑ "Biography". bigcountry.co.uk. 19 July 1999. Archived from the original on 8 March 2000. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
  5. ↑ "Driving to Damascus: Notes by Tony Butler". bigcountryinfo.com. 29 October 2006. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
  6. ↑ Cranna, Ian (November 1999). "Reviews". Q .
  7. ↑ "Country times" . Sunday Life . 28 May 2000. p. 35. Retrieved 12 July 2023– via British Newspaper Archive.
  8. 1 2 3 "News". bigcountry.co.uk. 16 May 2000. Archived from the original on 11 May 2000. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
  9. ↑ McIlwaine, Eddie (30 May 2000). "Stuart and the boys says a Big farewell". Belfast Telegraph . Retrieved 12 July 2023.
  10. ↑ "Promo Mode - Mark Brzezicki and Tony Butler of Big Country discuss the deluxe reissue of Driving to Damascus". The Hustle. 7 July 2023. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
  11. ↑ Somebody Else (UK CD single liner notes). Big Country. Track Record. 2000. TRACK0011.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  12. ↑ "Chart Log UK – B: Darren B – David Byrne". Zobbel.de. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
  13. ↑ "Official Charts - Somebody Else". Official Charts Company . Retrieved 19 July 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.