F.E.A.R. (single)
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| "F.E.A.R." | ||
|---|---|---|
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| Single by Ian Brown | ||
| from the album Music of the Spheres | ||
| Released | September 17, 2001 | |
| Format | CD 5", 7", 12" | |
| Genre | Alternative | |
| Length | 4 min 29 s | |
| Label | Polydor | |
| Chart positions | ||
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| Ian Brown singles chronology | ||
| "Thriller/Billie Jean" (2000) |
"F.E.A.R." (2001) |
"Whispers" (2002) |
"F.E.A.R." is the first single from Ian Brown's third solo album, Music of the Spheres. Released on September 17, 2001, it placed #13 on the UK Singles Chart and was both a commercial and critical success. In late 2002, it won a Muso Award for best single, as voted by his peers in the British music industry.
Contents |
[edit] Influences
"F.E.A.R." is based on the main riff of Coolio's "Gangsta's Paradise", which was in turn adapted from Stevie Wonder's "Pastime Paradise".
The song incorporates a creative lyric scheme where each verse forms the acrostic "F.E.A.R." (For example, "For each a road" and "Fallen empires are ruling"). In an interview with Clash magazine, Brown indicated that a main influence for "F.E.A.R." was The Autobiography of Malcolm X, which preached the study of etymology, so that one could have "control over people through the use of language." Brown proceeded to create hundreds of acronyms from the word "fear".
Fantastic Song
Brown revisited the concept in the title of the Solarized track, "Time Is My Everything", which is often abbreviated by with the acronym "T.I.M.E." on concert setlists.
Remixed and instrumental versions of "F.E.A.R." also appeared in the remix album, Remixes of the Spheres. A 30 second clip of the instrumental version appears at the end of the 12" version of Music of the Spheres; this is a tribute to Marvin Gaye's What's Going On which also featured a clip of the lead track at the end of the album.
[edit] Track listing
[edit] CD single
- "F.E.A.R." (album version)
- "F.E.A.R." (with Dann)
- "Hear No See No Speak No"
- "F.E.A.R." (CD-ROM video)
[edit] 7" single
- "F.E.A.R."
- "F.E.A.R." (instrumental)
[edit] 12" single
- F.E.A.R. (UNKLE remix)
[edit] Release details
| Country | Date | Label | Format | Catalog |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | September 17, 2001 | Polydor | CD | 587 284-2 |
| United Kingdom | September 17, 2001 | Polydor | 7" | 587 284-7 |
| United Kingdom | 2001 | Polydor | CD 5" | IBPRO102 |
| Netherlands | 2004 | white label | 12" |
[edit] Music video
The music video for "F.E.A.R." marked Brown's directorial debut. It featured footage of the singer slowly riding a bicycle through the busy streets of Soho and Chinatown in London, which was then reversed to give the impression of being ridden backwards. The route followed was from Berwick Street to Gerrard Street. Camera work by Des Dubber.
