Supersonic (song)
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| “Supersonic” | |||||
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| Single by Oasis from the album Definitely Maybe |
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| B-side | "Take Me Away, I Will Believe" (Live), "Columbia" (White Label Demo) | ||||
| Released | 10 January 1994 | ||||
| Format | CD, 7" vinyl, 12" vinyl, cassette | ||||
| Recorded | December 1993, at The Pink Museum, Liverpool | ||||
| Genre | Britpop | ||||
| Length | 4:44 | ||||
| Label | Creation Records | ||||
| Writer(s) | Noel Gallagher | ||||
| Producer | Oasis and Mark Coyle | ||||
| Oasis singles chronology | |||||
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"Supersonic" is the debut single released by British rock band Oasis, written by Noel Gallagher. It also appears on their debut album, Definitely Maybe. It was released on the 11 April 1994 and peaked at #31 on the official UK charts. It was the song performed by the band on their debut national TV performance on Channel 4's The Word, which aired on 18 March 1994. It remains to this day a favourite song of both the band and the fans (on the Definitely Maybe DVD, Noel cites it as his favourite Oasis song). The single went silver in the UK on June 30, 2006, 12 years and 3 months after its original release.
In spite of its popularity, Gallagher claims the song is basically a collection of nonsense lyrics written in a matter of minutes, just before the band entered the recording studios to record the track. The identity of the character "Elsa" caused some confusion — according to the song She done it with a doctor/On a helicopter/she sniffin' in a tissue/Sellin' the Big Issue. Noel claims, "Someone told me "Supersonic" was about teenage prostitution. Shit!". It has since been revealed that Elsa was a nine-stone rottweiler with a flatulence problem who was in the studio on the day the song was written, hence the line "she's into Alka Seltzer". It was written and recorded at The Pink Museum in Liverpool. The plan was for Oasis to record "Bring It On Down" for their debut single and another bunch of demos. However, "Supersonic" was written and it impressed everyone so much, it was chosen to be the band's first single.
It is included on the official music album for Euro 2004, Vive O 2004!
In March 2005, Q magazine placed "Supersonic" at number 20 in its list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Tracks.
In May 2007, NME magazine placed "Supersonic" at number 25 in its list of the 50 Greatest Indie Anthems Ever.
The song is included on Oasis' compilation album Stop the Clocks.
[edit] Track listings
- CD CRESCD 176
- "Supersonic" - 4:44
- "Take Me Away" - 4:30
- "I Will Believe" (Live) - 3:46
- "Columbia" (White Label Demo) - 5:25
- 7" CRE 176
- "Supersonic" - 4:44
- "Take Me Away" - 4:30
- 12" CRE 176T
- "Supersonic" - 4:44
- "Take Me Away" - 4:30
- "I Will Believe" (Live) - 3:46
- Cassette CRECS 176
- "Supersonic" - 4:44
- "Take Me Away" - 4:30
- Japanese EP ESCA 602
- "Supersonic"
- "Shakermaker"
- "Columbia" (white label demo)
- "Alive" (8 track demo)
- "D'Yer Wanna Be A Spaceman?"
- "I Will Believe" (Live)
- "I Will Believe" is believed to have been recorded for a 1993 radio session for the BBC.
- The demo of "Columbia" is the same version as was released on a limited edition white label promo in December 1993, which itself was an edited version of the original demo recorded in Liverpool in the spring of 1993.
[edit] Trivia
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Trivia sections are discouraged under Wikipedia guidelines. The article could be improved by integrating relevant items and removing inappropriate ones. |
- The song's guitar solo is similar to the George Harrison song "My Sweet Lord". However when Noel wrote the solo he had no idea it sounded like "My Sweet Lord". He only realised after the song was released when Mark Coyle notified him of the similarity between the two solos.
- Another reference to Harrison, and The Beatles, is the last line of the first verse, "You can sail with me in my yellow submarine".
- In the video to the song, King's Cross railway station can be seen in the background.
- At the very end of the song "Wonderwall" the opening riff of "Supersonic" can be heard being played on an acoustic guitar.
- It was certified Silver (250,000 copies sold) 12 years after its release.
- It was covered by Elliott Smith in 2003
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