Richard III (song)

"Richard III"
Single by Supergrass
from the album In It for the Money
B-side	"Nothing More's Gonna Get In My Way" "Sometimes I Make You Sad"
Released	31 March 1997 (UK)
Format	CD, 7"
Recorded	Sawmills Studio 1996
Genre	Britpop
Length	03:13
Label	Parlophone
Writer(s)	Supergrass & Rob Coombes.
Producer(s)	Supergrass John Cornfield
Supergrass singles chronology
"Going Out" (1996) "Richard III" (1997) "Sun Hits the Sky" (1997)
Alternative Cover CD 2 single cover

"Richard III" is a song by the band Supergrass. It was the second single to be released from In It for the Money, the band's second album. The single was preceded by "Going Out", which was released over a year before. "Richard III" was released in March 1997, and reached #2 in the UK Singles Chart,^[1][2] their highest since "Alright".

Both the 2nd CD (of the CD release format) and the 7" vinyl format have the "Richard III" cover design but with the colours altered instead.

The song's name comes from the band's method of creating working titles for songs - giving them people's names. This was the third called "Richard" and the band liked the reference to the king Richard III and the Shakespeare play Richard III in which the king is depicted as a dark and evil character, as it matched the menacing tone of the song.^[3] Neither the king nor the play is mentioned in the song.

A Peel session of the song was released on the CD single for "Mary".

B-Sides

The B-side "Sometimes I Make You Sad" is an atypical song for the group and features a number of production techniques. The only use of percussion in the song is a cymbal; the drum noises were instead simulated by members of the band making 'grunting' noises. These were then put on a loop. The guitar solo in was written during the recording of In It For The Money; it was recorded at half speed then sped up to achieve the mandolin-like sound.^[4] "Sometimes We're Very Sad" wasn't a song, but was actually audio of the band, attempting to record the grunting noises heard on "Sometimes I Make You Sad" without laughing. Gaz Coombes is also heard at the end saying how badly the recording is going, by explaining how they'd "murdered Mickey's song" and how "his arse hurts."

Music video

The music video, like many others in Supergrass' career, was directed by Nic (drummer Danny Goffey's brother) and Dom. It shows the band playing "Richard III" in a basement, with a slight feel of unease and possibly hate about them. Mick Quinn tries to run away, but is pulled back with a guitar lead by Danny. Mick then falls to the floor, his nose bleeding. He stares at the TV, and Rob Coombes is playing the theremin. It then goes back to Gaz Coombes and Danny playing the song, and then a drop of water hits an electrical wire, causing a massive electrical burst and in so doing, prompts the beginning of the guitar solo. The video then ends with the opening sequence played in reverse.

Nic and Dom joked in the Supergrass Is 10 DVD that this music video was "one of the occasions where we nearly killed the band". The reason for this is that they covered the room with Fuller's earth, which they later found out to be harmful to humans. The earth can be seen being knocked from Danny's drums whenever he hits them.

Gaz Coombes plays his red Gibson SG guitar in the video.

Track listing

CD1 CDR6461

1. "Richard III" (3:14)
2. "Sometimes I Make You Sad" (2:48)
3. "Sometimes We're Very Sad" (2:21)

CD2 CDRS6461

1. "Richard III" (3:14)
2. "Nothing More's Gonna Get In My Way" (4:02)
3. "20ft Halo" (3:18)

LTD. ED. Yellow 7" R6461 / TC TCR6461

1. "Richard III" (3:14)
2. "Nothing More's Gonna Get In My Way" (4:02)

References