Acquiesce
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| "Acquiesce" | ||
|---|---|---|
 |
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| Single by Oasis | ||
| Released | 24 April 1995 | |
| Format | CD | |
| Recorded | Rockfield Studios (South Wales), 1995 | |
| Genre | Britpop, Rock | |
| Length | 4:24 | |
| Label | Creation | |
| Producer(s) | Owen Morris Noel Gallagher |
|
| The Masterplan track listing | ||
| "Acquiesce" (1) |
"Underneath the Sky" (2) |
|
| Stop the Clocks track listing | ||
| "Live Forever" (1) |
"Acquiesce" (2) |
"Supersonic" (3) |
"Acquiesce" is a song by English rock band Oasis, written by Noel Gallagher. The song originally appeared as a B-side to Oasis' first UK #1 single, "Some Might Say", in April 1995. Its popularity led to it being included on the B-sides compilation album The Masterplan, released in 1998, after being voted for inclusion by fans of the band on their official website.
In 1998, the song was issued as a radio single in the United States to promote the release of The Masterplan. It reached #36 in the US Modern Rock Chart, based on radio airplay. A promotional video for the song was also produced, with images of a live performance at the G-Mex Centre in Manchester, on December 14, 1997. The vocals on this footage were overdubbed from another performance.
"Acquiesce" was also released as one of the lead tracks to the Stop the Clocks EP, in promotion of their forthcoming "best of" album, Stop the Clocks.[1] A new promotional video was filmed at the Electric Ballroom in Camden, London, on September 12, 2006, but did not feature the band. Instead, a Japanese look-alike/tribute band played the roles of Oasis. More footage is also understood to have been filmed in Japan.
The verses to "Acquiesce" are sung by Liam Gallagher, with the chorus sung by Noel (because, he claims, Liam could not reach the high notes[2]), making it the first song to ever feature both Gallagher brothers on lead vocals. The only other Oasis song to feature both brothers on lead vocals is "Let There Be Love", from their sixth album Don't Believe the Truth, released in May 2005—over ten years after the original release of "Acquiesce".
[edit] History
Noel Gallagher claims to have written the lyrics to "Acquiesce" on the way to the studio for the recording sessions of Definitely Maybe. The train was delayed, and during this interruption, he wrote parts of the song.[3] According to The Masterplan's sleeve notes (written by music writer and critic Paul Du Noyer), "The song is about friendship in the widest sense and not, as often speculated, about the Gallagher brothers themselves."[2]
"Acquiesce" has become a fans' favourite and is regularly played live. Many Oasis fans feel this song should have been held back to go on the (What's The Story) Morning Glory? album,[citation needed] with others also feeling the song was strong enough to have been released as a single. This was an opinion that Alan McGee had when he first heard the song; he tried to convince Noel to release "Acquiesce" as a single instead of "Some Might Say". Noel rejected this idea because he was adamant that the work on the single was completed, and was unwilling to have to write another B-side and record it. However, Noel has since said that this and a couple of other songs such as "The Masterplan" were strong enough to have been album tracks and singles.
[edit] Miscellanea
- In 2002, the song came runner-up in a poll to find the fifty most popular Oasis songs for a special edition of Q magazine.[citation needed]
- Liam Gallagher has never sung the second verse of the song during live performances; instead, he sings the first and third verses twice. While Noel claims that he "refuses" to sing it, Liam states that he never heard the verse.[3]
- When Noel returned to the Standing on the Shoulder of Giants tour in Dublin, having walked out of the European leg following a row with Liam, the two were united for the first time in six weeks on stage, with their mother in the audience. Noel claims Liam walked up to him after playing "Acquiesce" and shook his hand, leaving Noel unable to turn him down, and embarrassed by the "cheesiness" of the affair.[citation needed]
- "Acquiesce" features clips of an acoustic version of another Oasis song, Morning Glory. This is heard at the beginning and at the end of the song. Also, over the distortion and guitars of the intro, a conversation between Liam and an anonymous voice (which is believed to be of co-producer Owen Morris) can be heard, played in reverse. Played correctly, the conversation goes:
Owen: Where's Noel?
Liam: Gone for a walk
Unknown voice: Sacked him
Owen: <indecipherable>
Liam: I've sacked him
- Pop punk band Good Charlotte did a cover of the song during a live performance.[citation needed]
[edit] Notes
- ^ Oasisinet — Stop The Clocks EP. Retrieved on September 25, 2006.
- ^ a b Paul Du Noyer. The Masterplan. Retrieved on February 15, 2007.
- ^ a b Acquiesce (Stop the Clocks feature) at YouTube
| Oasis |
| Liam Gallagher | Noel Gallagher | Gem Archer | Andy Bell | Zak Starkey |
| Tony McCarroll | Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs | Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan | Alan White |
| Discography |
|---|
| Studio albums: Definitely Maybe | (What's the Story) Morning Glory? | Be Here Now Standing on the Shoulder of Giants | Heathen Chemistry | Don't Believe the Truth |
| Compilations: The Masterplan | Stop the Clocks |
| DVDs: Live by the Sea | …There and Then | Familiar to Millions | Definitely Maybe – The DVD |
| Films: Lord Don't Slow Me Down |
| Related articles |
| The Rain | Britpop | Owen Morris | Creation Records | Big Brother | Awards and nominations |
