Alec Eiffel
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| “Alec Eiffel” | |||||
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| Single by Pixies from the album Trompe le Monde |
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| Released | 1991, 1992 | ||||
| Format | vinyl record (7", 12"), CD | ||||
| Recorded | 1991 | ||||
| Genre | Alternative rock | ||||
| Length | 2:50 | ||||
| Label | 4AD (UK, France) Elektra (US) |
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| Producer | Gil Norton | ||||
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"Alec Eiffel" is a song by the American alternative rock band Pixies, and is the third track on their 1991 album Trompe le Monde. The song was written and sung by frontman Black Francis, produced by Gil Norton and recorded during the album's recording sessions. "Alec Eiffel" was released as a single in France, the United Kingdom and the United States, and was their third single from the album.
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[edit] Melody and lyrics
The song references the French engineer Alexandre Gustave Eiffel, who designed the Eiffel Tower; Francis thought it was a "fascinating subject" to compose a song about. Francis also mentioned another meaning of the song: "Because of Alexandre Gustave Eiffel, but also because it's funny: in the USA and in Australia, you often say 'It's a smart Alec' for [sic] a guy who's nice but not very bright."[1]
[edit] Video
"Alec Eiffel" is a tribute to the famous French engineer Alexandre Gustave Eiffel, designer of the Eiffel Tower in Paris. The song's video features the band playing in a wind-tunnel, a reference to the "pioneer of aerodynamics," with physics formulas in the background.
[edit] Critical reaction
The British magazine Melody Maker later commented on Francis' songwriting technique and the song itself: "According to Charles, the song started with Eiffel, then he started to [sic] singing the words Eiffel, riffle, trifle, and suddenly 'everything fell into place'. It's not certain whether lines like 'little Eiffel stands in the archway, even though it doesn't make no sense' are an observation of the lunacy of the architecture or the song itself, which features a Sixties' -style zither!"[1] (It should be noted that Francis is actually singing "keeping low, it don't make no sense", rather than "even though" which answers Melody Maker's question.)
[edit] Covers
"Alec Eiffel" has featured on several Pixies tribute albums. It was covered by The Get Up Kids on Eudora (album) and An April March on Pixies Fuckin' Die!. Tribute to The Pixies also features a cover by Drumkan. The band Compulsion have performed the song in concerts. [2]
The Get Up Kids version also appeared on Where Is My Mind - A Tribute To The Pixies.
[edit] Formats and track listing
The following tracks appeared on the single:[3]
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All songs are written by Black Francis, unless otherwise denoted. The live songs were recorded at the Brixton Academy on 26 July 1991.
[edit] Notes and references
- ^ a b Pixies Titles/Names. Alec Eiffel. Retrieved on 2007-02-06.
- ^ Frank, Josh; Ganz, Caryn (2005). Fool the World: The Oral History of a Band Called Pixies. Virgin Books, p. 233. ISBN 0753510235.
- ^ Pixies Discography - EPs and singles. Alec Eiffel. Retrieved on 2007-02-06.
[edit] External links
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