Lady Picture Show

"Lady Picture Show"
Single by Stone Temple Pilots
from the album Tiny Music... Songs from the Vatican Gift Shop
Released November 1996 (1996-11)
Format CD
Recorded at Westerly Ranch, Santa Ynez, California
Genre Alternative rock[1]
Length 4:06
Label Atlantic
Writer(s) Music: Robert DeLeo
Lyrics: Scott Weiland
Producer Brendan O'Brien
Stone Temple Pilots singles chronology
"Trippin' on a Hole in a Paper Heart"
(1996)
"Lady Picture Show"
(1996)
"Tumble in the Rough"
(1997)

Tiny Music... Songs from the Vatican Gift Shop track listing
"Big Bang Baby"
(4)
"Lady Picture Show"
(5)
"And So I Know"
(6)
Music sample
"Lady Picture Show"
Music video
"Lady Picture Show" on YouTube

"Lady Picture Show" is a song by American alternative rock band Stone Temple Pilots. It was the second single released from their third album, Tiny Music... Songs from the Vatican Giftshop. It was one of three tracks on this album to reach #1 on the Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. "Lady Picture Show" also appears on Thank You, a greatest hits compilation released in 2003. It was also used in the unaired pilot episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer during the scene where Buffy is at The Bronze.

Composition

The song is known for its striking resemblance to the pioneers of psychedelic rock, especially the Beatles. It clearly bears resemblance to the style of music which was popular in the '60s. The song consists of a memorable opening riff, heavy use of the bass, and the use of a concert bass drum during the main chorus. The album (and this song especially) demonstrated a milestone in STP's sound, for a large amount of jazz fusion and trip rock could be heard throughout the album. Scott Weiland's trademark low growl was replaced with a higher croon, and critics especially noted his vocal similarity to Paul McCartney of the Beatles. [1]

Music video

The music video was directed by Josh Taft.[2] The video is presented as an old film peep show; rendered nearly completely in black-and-white. Throughout the video, the band can be seen playing in a white room, with objects such as bubbles and shiny diamonds. Various shots of exotic dancers are seen dancing around the screen as well, along with shots of the band members playing. During Dean DeLeo's notable solo, the screen turns into the fuzzy color structure which was a trademark of the sixties. The segment shows Dean playing in a colorful meadow, and then the video then fades back into black and white for the rest of the video.

Notes

Preceded by
"Blow Up the Outside World" by Soundgarden
Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks number-one single
January 25, 1997
Succeeded by
"Blow Up the Outside World" by Soundgarden