Machine Gun (Portishead song)

"Machine Gun"
Single by Portishead
from the album Third
Released 18 March 2008
Format Digital download, 12"
Recorded 2005–2008
Genre Electro-industrial, trip hop
Length 4:45
Writer(s) Geoff Barrow and Beth Gibbons
Producer(s) Portishead
Portishead singles chronology
"Only You"
(1998)
"Machine Gun"
(2008)
"The Rip"
(2008)

Machine Gun is the first single taken from the 2008 LP Third by English band Portishead. The song made its radio and download debut on 18 March 2008. It premiered on Zane Lowe's BBC Radio 1 show and was made available for download on the band's official website. A UK one-sided 12 inch vinyl was released on 14 April 2008.[1]

The music video features the band playing the song at the studio. The 12-inch vinyl was released on 14 April, while a digital version was made available from the official site on 10 April. On 29 May, during the first concert at the Estrella Damm Primavera Sound Festival in Barcelona, Chuck D of Public Enemy joined the band onstage to perform a rap section on the instrumental part at the end of the song.

The song's beat was sampled by The Weeknd on his song "Belong to the World" from his debut album Kiss Land.


Tracklist

  1. "Machine Gun" – 4:43

Charts

"Machine Gun" entered the UK Singles Chart at #52 on 30 March 2008, their first singles chart entry for ten years since "Only You" in March 1998.

The song is also used in the Teaser Trailer for the survival horror video game Metro: Last Light.

Chart (2008) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[2] 87
Belgium (Ultratop Flanders)[3] 62
Belgium (Ultratop Wallonia)[4] 67
France (SNEP)[5] 82
UK Singles Chart (Official Charts Company)[6] 52

References

  1. "Portishead Reveal Third single, Box Set details". pitchforkmedia.com. Retrieved 2008-03-20.
  2. "The ARIA Report: Issue 946 (Week Commencing 14 April 2008)" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. p. 4. Retrieved 7 June 2013.
  3. "Portishead – Machine Gun" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Hung Medien. Retrieved 6 June 2013.
  4. "Portishead – Machine Gun" (in French). Ultratop. Hung Medien. Retrieved 6 June 2013.
  5. "Portishead – Machine Gun". lescharts.com (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 7 June 2013.
  6. "Portishead". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 7 June 2013.

External links