| "Frankenstein" | |
|---|---|
| Single by The Edgar Winter Group | |
| from the album They Only Come Out at Night | |
| Released | 1973 |
| Recorded | 1972 |
| Genre | Instrumental rock, hard rock |
| Length | 4:44 (Album Version) 3:28 (Single Version) |
| Writer(s) | Edgar Winter |
"Frankenstein" is a rock instrumental by The Edgar Winter Group from their album They Only Come Out at Night.
In live performances of the song, Edgar Winter further pioneered the advancement of the synthesizer as a lead instrument by becoming the first person ever to strap a keyboard instrument around his neck, giving him the on-stage mobility and audience interaction of guitar players. The song topped the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart for a week starting in May 1973, and sold over one million copies. It was knocked from the #1 spot by Paul McCartney's "My Love". In Canada it fared equally well, reaching #1 on the RPM 100 Top Singles Chart the following month,[1] the same month that saw it peak at #18 in the UK.[2]
The song's title, coined by the band's drummer Chuck Ruff, derives from the fact that the original recording of the song was much longer than the final version, as the band would often deviate from the arrangement into less structured jams. The track required numerous edits to shorten it. The end result was pieced together from many different sections of recording tape using a razor blade and splicing tape. Winter frequently refers to the appropriateness of the name also in relation to its "monster-like, lumbering beat". (One riff was first used by Winter in the song "Hung Up", on his jazz-oriented first album Entrance. He later tried a variation on it, "Martians" on the Standing on Rock album.)
Winter played many of the instruments on the track, including keyboards, saxophone and timbales. As the release's only instrumental cut, the song was not initially intended to be on the album, and was only included on a whim as a last-minute addition. It was originally released as the B-side to "Hangin' Around", but the two were soon reversed by the label when disc jockeys nationwide were inundated with phone calls and realized this was the hit. The song features a "double" drum solo, with Ruff on drums and Winter on percussion. In fact, the working title of the song was "The Double Drum Solo".[3] The single was one of the few No.1 chart records to include an extended passage featuring the ARP 2600 synthesizer.
The song was actually performed three years previously when Edgar was playing with his older brother Johnny Winter at the Royal Albert Hall in 1970. This rare recording was recently released as one of several live bonus tracks included in the two disc Deluxe Edition CD of Johnny Winter's Second Winter. It is considered one of the greatest instrumental rock songs ever.
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In 2010 the song appeared on The Weather Channel's Local on the 8s. The song also appears in Wayne's World 2
Frankenstein has been covered by the bass player Marcus Miller as well as the rock group Phish. In 1991, it was covered by the metal band Overkill (band).
| Preceded by "You Are the Sunshine of My Life" by Stevie Wonder |
US Billboard Hot 100 number-one single May 26, 1973 |
Succeeded by "My Love" by Paul McCartney and Wings |
| Preceded by "Daniel" by Elton John |
Canadian RPM 100 number-one single June 16, 1973 |
Succeeded by "Playground In My Mind" by Clint Holmes |