Violet Hill (song)

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“Violet Hill”
“Violet Hill” cover
Single by Coldplay
from the album Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends
B-side "A Spell a Rebel Yell", "Lost?"
Released 6 May 2008 (2008-05-06)
Format 7", Download
Recorded 2007–2008
Genre Alternative rock
Length 3:50
Label Parlophone, EMI (UK)
Capitol Records (U.S.)
Writer(s) Guy Berryman, Jonny Buckland, Will Champion, Chris Martin
Producer Coldplay, Brian Eno, Markus Dravs
Coldplay singles chronology
"White Shadows"
(2007)		 "Violet Hill"
(2008)		 "Viva la Vida"
(2008)
Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends track listing
"Viva la Vida"
(7)		 "Violet Hill"
(8)		 "Strawberry Swing"
(9)

"Violet Hill" is the first single from Coldplay's fourth studio album Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends, released 6 May 2008.[1]

Contents

[edit] Song information

Martin described the song as having a "chalky, pastel feeling" which he said reminds him of his childhood. "Imagine a pseudo guitar-like circus music with a pinch of Chicago... It's something new from us and you will be impressed."[2] The song is the first anti-war protest song from the band, and borrows its rhythm from the Beatles; Violet Hill is a street near Abbey Road.[3]

The band announced on 28 April 2008 that the single would be released on the official Coldplay website on 29 April for free for one week before the paid download on 6 May.[1] The song received its first radio play on 29 April 2008, on Radio 1 at 12:13. "Violet Hill" was downloaded for free by over 600,000 people in the 24 hours since it was made available at 12:15pm on 29 April.[4] In the subsequent week, the single was downloaded 2 million times from the Coldplay website.[5]

A promotional 7" vinyl release of the single was also given away free in the 10 May issue of NME, including non-album track "A Spell a Rebel Yell" as the B-side. On subsequent physical releases, "Lost?", an acoustic recording of album track "Lost!" serves as "Violet Hill"'s B-side instead.

"Violet Hill" made its debut on the Billboard Hot 100 at #40. The same week, fellow single "Viva la Vida" debuted on the same chart at #15. The song also debuted at #17 on the Hot Modern Rock Tracks.

On May 28, 2008, it was announced that "Violet Hill" would be featured in Guitar Hero III as downloadable content. [6]

This song was remixed by French electronic music duo Justice, but later revealed to be fake.

[edit] Music videos

The music video for the song was filmed in Sicily. The music video for "Violet Hill" was filmed by director/visual artist Asa Mader. It is the first video ever to receive a simultaneous premiere on MTV, VH1 and The N.

An alternative music video (named 'Dancing Politicians') was posted on Coldplay's official website on May 17. The video is made up of clips, sometimes looped, featuring various politicians and scenes of war, as well as firework displays at the end. It prominently features George W. Bush, presenting clips of him in a mocking manner. Fidel Castro, Richard Nixon, Hugo Chavez, Robert Mugabe, Osama Bin Laden, Saddam Hussein, Boris Yeltsin, Barack Obama, Bill and Hillary Clinton, Tony and Cherie Blair, and Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip are also featured. The official video for the single was released on May 18, a day earlier than expected.

[edit] Track listings

  1. "Violet Hill" [radio edit] – 3:21
  • 7" free with NME
  1. "Violet Hill" – 3:50
  2. "A Spell a Rebel Yell" – 2:46
  • CD release
  1. "Violet Hill" – 3:50
  2. "Lost? (Acoustic Version)" – 3:40

[edit] Charts

Chart Peak
position
United World Chart[7] 9
Euro 200[8] 5
Brazil Hot 100[9] 17
Chile Singles Chart[10] 13
Dutch Top 40[11] 9
Dutch Charts TMF Superchart[12] 8
Dutch Charts SingleTop100[13] 13
Dutch Charts DownloadTop50[14] 7
Dutch Charts MegaTop50[15] 1
German Singles Chart[16] 10
Austria Singles Chart[17] 23
Swiss Singles Chart[18] 17
Belgian Singles Chart[19] 36
Danish Singles Chart[20] 28
Swedish Singles Chart 8
Norwegian Singles Chart[21] 8
Estonia Singles Chart[22] 5
Finland Singles Chart[23] 10
Czechia Singles Chart[24] 17
Poland Singles Chart 35
Israeli Singles Chart 3
Malta Singles Chart[25] 4
Italia Singles Chart[26] 18
Ireland Singles Chart[27] 7
Australian Singles Chart[28] 16
Australian Digital Tracks[29] 12
New Zealand Singles Chart[30] 15
Romanian Top 100 98
UK Singles Chart 8
UK Official Download Chart 7
Mediabase Adult Rock Chart[31] 1
Mediabase Alternative Chart[32] 6
Mediabase Canada: Hot Adult Contemporary [33] 27
Mediabase Canada: Rock[34] 2
Mediabase Canada: Top 40[35] 39
Billboard Italy Chart[36] 9
Billboard Japan Hot 100 Singles[37] 39
Billboard Canada Hot 100 Singles[38] 6
Billboard Hot Canadian Digital Singles[39] 6
Billboard European Hot 100 Singles[40] 9
Billboard Euro Digital Songs[41] 4
Billboard Euro Digital Tracks[42] 5
U.S. Billboard Hot Videoclip Tracks[43] 7
U.S. Billboard iLike Libraries: Most Added[44] 2
U.S. Billboard Hot Modern Rock Tracks[45] 9
U.S. Billboard Hot Digital Songs[46] 18
U.S. Billboard Hot Digital Tracks[47] 18
U.S. Billboard Hot 100[48] 40
U.S. Billboard Pop 100[49] 38

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Brandle, Lars (2008-04-28). Coldplay Prep Album With Free Download, Concerts. Billboard. Retrieved on 2008-04-28.
  2. ^ Hawthorne, Jackob (2008-04-28). Coldplay Single is free from today. RTÉ. Retrieved on 2008-04-28.
  3. ^ Clark, Jason, et al. (May 30, 2008) "Summer Music Preview". Entertainment Weekly (994):36
  4. ^ Coldplay single downloaded by 600,000 people.
  5. ^ Coldplay song downloaded 2m times.
  6. ^ ET.com
  7. ^ [1]. Issue date: June 14, 2008. Updated on June 11, 2008.
  8. ^ [2]. Issue date: June 8, 2008. Retrieved on May 31, 2008.
  9. ^ [3]. Issue date: June 14, 2008. Retrieved on June 7, 2008.
  10. ^ [4]. Issue date: June 21, 2008. Retrieved on June 11, 2008.</
  11. ^ [5]. Retrieved on May 31, 2008.
  12. ^ [6]. Retrieved on May 31, 2008.
  13. ^ [7]. Retrieved on May 31, 2008.
  14. ^ [8]. Retrieved on May 31, 2008.
  15. ^ [9]. Retrieved on May 31, 2008.
  16. ^ [10]. Issue date: June 10, 2008. Retrieved on June 11, 2008.
  17. ^ [11]. Issue date: May 27, 2008. Retrieved on June 11, 2008.
  18. ^ [12]. Issue date: June 3, 2008. Retrieved on June 11, 2008.
  19. ^ [13]. Issue date: June 3, 2008. Retrieved on June 11, 2008.
  20. ^ [14]. Issue date: June 3, 2008. Retrieved on June 11, 2008.
  21. ^ [15]. Retrieved on May 31, 2008.
  22. ^ [16]. Retrieved on June 8, 2008.
  23. ^ [17]. Retrieved on May 31, 2008.
  24. ^ [18]. Issue date: June 8, 2008. Retrieved on June 11, 2008.
  25. ^ [19]. Issue date: June 6, 2008. Retrieved on June 8, 2008.
  26. ^ [20]. Issue date: June 3, 2008. Retrieved on June 11, 2008.
  27. ^ [21]. Issue date: June 14, 2008. Retrieved on June 6, 2008.
  28. ^ [22]. Issue date: June 6, 2008. Retrieved on June 8, 2008.
  29. ^ [23]. Issue date: June 6, 2008. Retrieved on June 8, 2008.
  30. ^ [24]. Issue date: June 2, 2008. Retrieved on June 8, 2008.
  31. ^ [25]. Issue date: June 6, 2008. Retrieved on June 9, 2008.
  32. ^ [26]. Issue date: June 6, 2008. Retrieved on June 9, 2008.
  33. ^ [27]. Issue date: June 6, 2008. Retrieved on June 9, 2008.
  34. ^ [28]. Issue date: June 6, 2008. Retrieved on June 9, 2008.
  35. ^ [29]. Issue date: June 6, 2008. Retrieved on June 9, 2008.
  36. ^ [30]. Retrieved on May 31, 2008.
  37. ^ [31]. Retrieved on May 31, 2008.
  38. ^ [32]
  39. ^ [33]. Issue date: June 14, 2008. Retrieved on June 6, 2008.
  40. ^ [34]. Retrieved on May 31, 2008.
  41. ^ [35]. Issue date: June 14, 2008. Retrieved on June 6, 2008.
  42. ^ [36]. Issue date: June 14, 2008. Retrieved on June 6, 2008.
  43. ^ [37]. Issue date: June 14, 2008. Retrieved on June 6, 2008.
  44. ^ [38]. Retrieved on May 31, 2008.
  45. ^ [39] Issue date: June 14, 2008. Retrieved on June 6, 2008.
  46. ^ [40]. Issue date: June 14, 2008. Retrieved on June 6, 2008.
  47. ^ [41]. Issue date: June 14, 2008. Retrieved on June 6, 2008.
  48. ^ [42]. Issue date: June 14, 2008. Retrieved on June 6, 2008.
  49. ^ [43]. Issue date: June 14, 2008. Retrieved on June 6, 2008.

[edit] External links

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