Read My Mind (song)

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“Read My Mind”
“Read My Mind” cover
Single by The Killers
from the album Sam's Town
Released Flag of the United States February 13, 2007 (2007-02-13)
Flag of the United Kingdom February 26, 2007 (2007-02-26)
Format Download, 7", CD
Genre Post-punk revival
Length 4:06
Label Flag of the United States Island, Flag of the United Kingdom Vertigo
Writer(s) Brandon Flowers, Dave Keuning, Mark Stoermer
Producer Flood, Alan Moulder, The Killers
The Killers singles chronology
"A Great Big Sled"
(2006)		 "Read My Mind"
(2007)		 "For Reasons Unknown"
(2007)
Sam's Town track listing
"For Reasons Unknown"
(5)		 "Read My Mind"
(6)		 "Uncle Jonny"
(7)

"Read My Mind" is a song by Las Vegas-based rock band The Killers and is the sixth track on their second album Sam's Town, released in October 2006. It peaked at #62 on the Billboard Hot 100. It also charted at #15 on the UK singles chart.

Contents

[edit] History and production

In an interview with Chicago radio station Q101, lead vocalist Brandon Flowers called "Read My Mind" the best song he has ever written.

Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe (of Pet Shop Boys) saw The Killers in concert at Brixton Academy at the end of November 2006, where the idea of a remix for "Read My Mind" was discussed between the two parties. The resulting remix, "Pet Shop Boys Stars Are Blazing Mix" featuring additional vocals by Tennant and Lowe, is one of the B-sides for the single and it is also featured on their album Disco Four.[1][2]

[edit] Release

This song was released as part of an iTunes EP on February 13, 2007, featuring an acoustic version and two remixes. It was also released as the third single from Sam's Town in the United Kingdom on February 26, 2007.[1][3][4]

There was a promotion CD released in the US that featured 10 dance mixes. This included the full Pet Shop Boys mix, as well as an instrumental version and radio edit. It also featured remixes by Gabriel & Dresden, Steve Bays (from Canadian band Hot Hot Heat) and Linus Loves.

The three-track American CD single was released in Best Buy stores. The single is free only with the purchase of Sam's Town.

[edit] Music video

The video for "Read My Mind" was shot in Tokyo on January 10, 2007, shortly before the band embarked on their latest round of touring to New Zealand and Australia, and directed by Diane Martel. In an interview, Brandon Flowers called the tune "kind of our favorite song" and promised the clip would find the band "in Tokyo, on bikes."[5]

The video is largely unrelated to the song, and finds The Killers in Tokyo, seemingly just having a good time and carrying out activities synonymous with the freedom of youth. These include riding different bicycles, namely a penny-farthing, recumbent bicycle, a lowrider bicycle, and a regular bicycle decorated with ram's horns, through the Tokyo streets. The band are also seen in a traditional arcade playing session GuitarFreaks and Drummania, playing with leaves in a Tokyo park with some Japanese school children, and interacting with Japanese children's TV character Gachapin. The various scenes are intercut with footage of Flowers singing in the middle of the city at a traffic interchange. The video ends with the four members of the band in a capsule hotel.

The video premiered on February 8, 2007, on MTV's Total Request Live as part of their "Spankin' New Music Week."[6] On the March 23, 2007 episode of VH1's Top 20 Countdown, "Read My Mind" was number one, making it the first time a Killers' video had reached that rank. in the video it seems that Brandon kisses Ronnie during the bike scene

[edit] Reception

Critical response to the single was overwhelmingly positive; the song was often praised in otherwise negative reviews about the album.[7] Yahoo Music said "the album peaks with the arena-sized 'Read My Mind'".[8] Sven Philipp (with Billboard) called the single "a gloriously melodic Duran Duran-meets-Springsteen tale about "breakin' out of this two-star town."[9] Adrien Begrand with PopMatters said, "The Killers shine on the song, Flowers’s synth offsetting Keuning’s tasteful flourishes wonderfully."[7] NME called the song the "righteous and anthemic album highlight."[10] It was also listed as #12 on Rolling Stone's 100 Best Songs of 2006 even though Sam's Town had previously received negative reviews from the magazine. In reference to the Pet Shop Boys remix, The New York Times called it a "perfect match."[11] This song was also #84 on MTV Asia's list of Top 100 Hits of 2007.[12]

A remix of the song is featured on the original soundtrack of the NBC television series Friday Night Lights. It is nominated for a 2008 People's Choice Award in the category of Favorite Song from a Soundtrack.

[edit] Charts

Chart (2007) Peak
position
UK Singles Chart 15
U.S Billboard Hot 100 62
U.S Modern Rock Tracks 8
U.S Hot Dance Club Play 1
Italian Singles Chart 32
Lithuania Singles Chart 17
New Zealand Singles Chart 20

[edit] Trivia

  • During a segment in the 2007 Daytona 500, near the end of the race, a shortened version of this song played after a commercial break.
  • The TV show ER used the song in a recent episode as a dance song playing in the background at a party.
  • In Latin America, the Warner Channel used the song as the background music for a four-minute commercial to promote the premiere of ER, Season 14.

[edit] Track listings

7": Vertigo / 6 02517 24568 6 Flag of the United Kingdom

  1. "Read My Mind" – 4:03
  2. "Read My Mind" (Steve Bays Remix) - 3:30

CD: Vertigo / 6 02517 24567 9 Flag of the United Kingdom

  1. "Read My Mind" – 4:03
  2. "Read My Mind" (Pet Shop Boys Stars Are Blazing Mix) (Edit) - 4:02

CD: Island / ISLR 16704-2 Flag of the United States

  1. "Read My Mind" (Pet Shop Boys Stars Are Blazing Mix) - 7:19
  2. "Read My Mind" (Steve Bays Remix) - 3:30
  3. "Read My Mind" (Like Rebel Diamonds Mix) - 4:11
  • Available in the U.S. at Best Buy stores. Free with purchase of any Killers CD.

CD: Island / 6 02517 24567 9 Flag of Germany

  1. "Read My Mind" (Album Version) - 4:03
  2. "Read My Mind" (Pet Shop Boys Radio Edit) - 4:02
  3. "Read My Mind" (Pet Shop Boys Instrumental) - 7:21
  4. "Read My Mind" (Video)

CD: Island / ISLR 16724-2 Flag of the United States

  1. "Read My Mind" (Pet Shop Boys Radio Edit) - 4:02
  2. "Read My Mind" (Gabriel & Dresden Radio Edit) - 4:43
  3. "Read My Mind" (Linus Loves Radio Edit) - 4:32
  4. "Read My Mind" (Steve Bays Remix) - 3:29
  5. "Read My Mind" (Pet Shop Boys 'Stars Are Blazing' Mix) - 7:19
  6. "Read My Mind" (Gabriel & Dresden Unplugged Mix) - 10:24
  7. "Read My Mind" (Linus Loves Club Mix) - 7:25
  8. "Read My Mind" (Pet Shop Boys 'Stars Are Blazing' Instrumental) - 7:21
  9. "Read My Mind" (Gabriel & Dresden Unplugged Instrumental) - 9:55
  10. "Read My Mind" (Linus Loves Dub) - 6:20
  • US remix promo CD

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b The Killers announce new single. NME (2007-01-17).
  2. ^ Rudden, Liam (2006-12-29). Bells ring out for a double from heaven. Living Scotsman. Retrieved on 2007-01-07.
  3. ^ The Killers reveal next single. Virgin.net (2007-01-07). Retrieved on 2007-01-07.
  4. ^ The Killers Set To Release Another Single. Angry Ape UK (2007-01-07). Retrieved on 2007-01-07.
  5. ^ Moss, Corey (2007-01-05). Killers Hop On Bikes In Tokyo For "Read My Mind" video. MTV. Retrieved on 2007-01-07.
  6. ^ http://www.mtv.com/#/ontv/spankin_new/2007/
  7. ^ a b Begrand, Adrien [http://www.popmatters.com/pm/music/reviews/5967/the-killers-sams-town "The Killers: Sam's Town"] PopMatters.com. Retrieved October 5, 2007
  8. ^ O'Keeffe, Niall (October 10, 2006) "The Killers - Sam's Town " Yahoo.com. Retrieved October 5, 2007
  9. ^ Philipp, Sven (2007-03-17), "Read My Mind". Billboard. 119 (11):52
  10. ^ Murison, Krissi (2007). "The Killers: Sam's Town" NME.com. Retrieved October 5, 2007
  11. ^ Sanneh, Kelefa (March 18, 2007), "At Home in Their Niches. And Breaking Out." The New York Times. Retrieved October 5, 2007
  12. ^ MTV Asia. "Top 100 Hits List". Retrieved 2007-12-27


Preceded by
"Beautiful Liar" by Beyoncé and Shakira		 Billboard Dance Club Play number-one single
May 26, 2007		 Succeeded by
"Glamorous" by Fergie featuring Ludacris
Preceded by
"Say It Right" by Nelly Furtado		 Billboard Hot Dance Airplay number-one single
April 28, 2007-May 12, 2007		 Succeeded by
"Cry For You" by September
v • d • e
The Killers
Brandon Flowers • Dave Keuning • Mark Stoermer • Ronnie Vannucci Jr.
Albums
Compilations
Singles
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