Special (Garbage song)
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| “Special” | |||||
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Unique cover for the Almo Sounds remix promo CDs
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| Single by Garbage from the album Version 2.0 |
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| B-side | "13 x Forever" "Medication (Acoustic Version)" |
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| Released | September 28, 1998 (Europe) October 5, 1998 (UK) October 26, 1998 (Australia) February 1999 (US) |
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| Format | 3" CD single CD maxi, Cassette single |
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| Recorded | March 1997 - February 1998 Smart Studios, Madison, Wisconsin |
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| Genre | Alternative rock, electronica | ||||
| Length | 3:44 | ||||
| Label | Mushroom Records (UK) Almo Sounds/Interscope (US) Mushroom/BMG (Worldwide) |
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| Writer(s) | Garbage | ||||
| Producer | Garbage | ||||
| Garbage singles chronology | |||||
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"Special" was the third single taken from Garbage's 1998 platinum second album Version 2.0. "Special" was written and recorded by Garbage (Duke Erikson, Shirley Manson, Steve Marker and Butch Vig) at their own recording studio during the 1997 sessions for Version 2.0.
Although not the biggest hit from Version 2.0 worldwide, it became a huge mainstream hit in the United States, the band's home country. The song's success was marked by its two Grammy nominations - for 2000's Best Rock Song and for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group.
The song was accompanied by a critically acclaimed and boundary-pushing promotional video which featured Garbage battling it out in the skies above an unnamed alien world.
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[edit] Song profile
"Special" was written and recorded at Smart Studios, Madison, Wisconsin during the 1997 sessions for Version 2.0
"Special" contains an uncredited lyric sample from 1980s band The Pretenders' song “Talk Of The Town” which was written by lead singer Chrissie Hynde. After contacting her, Hynde sent a fax to the group stating that Garbage could "sample her voice, her music or, indeed, her very arse".
An early mix of "Special" also contained a sample of band member Duke Erikson on vocals. Shirley Manson thought it was a good idea beforehand, but admits that the results "were shocking to hear"!
[edit] Single release
"Special" was released as the third single from Version 2.0 throughout the United Kingdom and mainland Europe on October 5, 1998. The single had originally been planned to be released on September 21, 1998, following Garbage's high profile headlining shows at Glasgow's Barrowland Ballroom and at the Reading Festival at the end of August 1998. Due to the delay in the release of the single, the band were not in Europe to promote it as they had begun their North American tour. This was reflected by the single's chart positions, lower than those achieved by the preceding singles "Push It" and "I Think I'm Paranoid".
In the UK, it was issued by Mushroom Records on cassette, and 2x CD set. Across the formats contained new recording "13 x Forever", an acoustic version of album track "Medication" as well as a house remix of "Special" by production duo Brothers in Rhythm and a new dance remix of "Push It" by DJ Victor Calderone. "Special" charted at #15, breaking a run of four consecutive singles to make the UK Top Ten.
A week later, on October 13, 1998, Mushroom issued "Special" in a collectable 3-inch CD single in blister pack packaging. This release, which contained all of the single’s tracks on the single format, was issued a week after the initial formats were issued due to UK chart rules which would have forbidden copies of the 3" CD single to count towards a chart placing. This release was available in shops for one week before deletion.
In Europe, BMG issued a maxi CD and single CD format editions of the song. The slim-line maxi CD contained both UK B-sides as well as the "Special" remix, whilst the card-sleeved single CD was backed with only "13 x Forever". On October 26, 1998, Garbage's Australian label Festival Mushroom Records issued the single on a singular CD maxi containing all of the UK B-sides.
"Special" was added to US radio in the autumn of 1998, in support of the band's headline tour around the United States, Canada and Mexico. In February 1999 a pop radio remix of the song was sent to radio stations and became a huge radio hit, becoming the #1 Most Added Track, and a chart run lasting well into May of that year.
[edit] Tracklistings
[edit] Commercial releases
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[edit] Promotional releases
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[edit] Official mixes
- Album version 3:44
- Pop mix 3:35
- Brothers In Rhythm radio edit 4:11
- Brothers In Rhythm mix 7:24
- Brothers In Rhythm mix 9:58
- Brothers In Rhythm instrumental 10:00
- Rickidy Raw R&B mix 5:25
- Rickidy Raw Late Night mix 5:58
[edit] Credits and personnel
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Album Version
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Pop mix
Brothers In Rhythm remixes
Rickidy Raw remixes
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[edit] Music video
The promotional video for "Special" was shot in London on August 26, 1998 by director Dawn Shadforth for Black Dog Films. The video featured the band combatting against each other in a sci-fi dogfight duelling it out in the skies of an alien world. The fighter planes from the video were designed by graphic artists who had worked on visual effects for 1998's Lost In Space and 1999's Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace.
Director Dawn Shadforth came to Garbage's attention when they viewed her clip for All Seeing I's single "Walk Like A Panther". Her innovative storyboard treatment for the video highly impressed the band. Freelance stylist William Baker, who worked on the video, said "Dawn wanted to present Shirley Manson as a space-age fighter pilot, with shots showing her sexily manipulating the controls of her craft" [1]
The opening title for the video is:
"In the year 3030, Queen Astarte has taken to the skies to defend her once peaceful homeland from the evil lords of Garbania who seek to rule the universe. She has but one last chance to thwart their wicked plan........"
In 1999, the video won a 'silver' D&AD award for Best Direction in Pop Promo Video.
The video for "Special" was nominated for 'Best Special Effects' and 'Best Art Direction' at the MTV Video Music Awards on September 9, 1999. The group won the former award but lost out on the latter.
The "Special" video won the 'Visionary Video' award at the VH1/Vogue Fashion Awards in December 1999.
In 2000 "Special" was nominated in the Music Week CAD (Creative and Design) Awards for Best Special Effects In A Video (to effects team Paul Simpson, Stuart Gordon, and Sean Broughton).
[edit] Music Video: Credits and personnel
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[edit] Live performances
"Special" was first performed live on May 15, 1998 at the band's performance at Ryan's Ballroom in Combined Locks, Wisconsin [3] the opening date of the Version 2.0 tour. "Special" has been performed consistently ever since, including on both beautifulgarbage and Bleed Like Me live sets.
"Special" was performed live on televised performances by Garbage for its UK release in September 1998: only one, Channel 4's TFI Friday, was broadcast live, the other performances were pre-records and broadcast later. These performances include BBC's Top Of The Pops and Five's Pepsi Chart Show.
On October 29, 1998 "Special" was performed live on the CBS programme Late Show with David Letterman. On December 12, 1998, Garbage performed "Special" on NBC's The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. On January 28, 1999, Garbage performed "Special" acoustically on French television show Nulle Part Ailleurs, broadcast on the Canal+ network. On March 20, 1999, Garbage performed "Special" on NBC's Saturday Night Live. On April 2, 1999, Garbage was invited back to The Tonight Show to perform "Special."
During live performances Shirley often ad-libbed lyrics from another Pretenders song, this time from their 1979 single 'Kid'. The ad-libs was usually the line "Kid, what changed your mood? You've gone all sad so I feel sad too, I think I know what you're about, you can't deny it."
[edit] Appearances
[edit] Compilations
"Special" has been included in various artist compilations including:
- Now That's What I Call Music! 3 (US release)UMTV (1999)
- Max 5 Sony Music Asia (1999)
"Special - Brothers In Rhythm remix" has been included on:
- The Mix: Afterhours Max Music & Entertainment Inc. 888 722 200-2 (1999)
[edit] Sheet music
Various songbooks have been published transcribing the music from "Special" since its release. These include -
- "Garbage: Version 2.0" Warner Bros Publications ISBN ??
[edit] Trivia
- "Special" is published by Deadarm Music/Almo Music Corp [4] (ASCAP) and Vibecrusher Music/Irving Music, Inc [5] (BMI). The song's full legal title is "Special".
- In May 1999, "Special" won a Wisconsin Area Music Industry Award for "Song of the Year". [6]
- "Special" won a BMI award for 'Best Pop Song' in 2000.
- The song "Electricityscape" by American group The Strokes has an opening the same or very similar to "Special".
"Special" end-of-year poll results:
1998 Polls
- 42 in WHFS's "Top 99.1 Songs of 1998"
- 51 in WFNX's "Top 101.7 of 1998"
- 64 in KROQ's "Top 106.7 of 1998"
- 65 in Live 105's "Top 105.3 of 1998"
- 89 in Triple J's "Hottest 100 of 1998"
- 102 in Radio & Records "Top 103 of 1998"
1999 Polls
- 11 in KROQ's "Top 106.7 of 1999"
- 16 in 89X's "Top 89 Songs of 1999"
- 36 in Radio & Records "Top 103 of 1998"
- 37 in Live 105's "Top 105.3 of 1999"
- 51 in WHFS's "Top 99.1 Songs of 1999"
- 54 in Q101's "Top 101 of 1999"
- 57 in WFNX's "Top 99 of 1999"
- 66 in The End's "Top 107 of 1999"
[edit] Comprehensive charts
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
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| 1998 | "Special" | UK Singles Chart | #15 |
| 1998 | "Special" | Australian Singles Chart | #54 |
| 1999 | "Special" | US Billboard Hot 100 | #52 |
| 1999 | "Special" | US Billboard Hot 100 Airplay | #42 |
| 1999 | "Special" | US Hot Dance Music/Club Play | #10 |
| 1999 | "Special" | US Modern Rock Tracks | #11 |
| 1999 | "Special" | US Adult Top 40 | #16 |
| 1999 | "Special" | US Top 40 Mainstream | #18 |
| 1999 | "Special" | US Top 40 Tracks | #22 |
| 1999 | "Special" | US ARC Weekly Top 40 | #8 |
[edit] Notes and references
- ^ "Kylie: La La La" written by Kylie Minogue and William Baker Hodder & Staughton ISBN 0-340-73439-6 (accessed Sept 28th, 2006)
- ^ Performance Ltd search musicmall.co.uk (accessed Oct 9th, 2006)
- ^ Garbage 1998 setlists Garbagebase.com (accessed September 28, 2006)
- ^ ASCAP Title search Special (accessed Sept 28th, 2006)
- ^ BMI Repertoire Special (accessed September 28, 2006)
- ^ Garbage RockontheNet.com (accessed September 28, 2006)
[edit] External links
- Garbage official website
- Promo video - watch "Special" promo video at the band's official web-site.
- Songwords - read lyrics to "Special" at the band's official web-site.
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