Cold Contagious
Encyclopedia
"Cold Contagious" was the fourth and final single from post-grunge
band Bush
's second studio album, Razorblade Suitcase
. "Bonedriven" and "Cold Contagious" are the only Bush singles from 1994-1999 not to be included on the band's 2005 greatest hits compilation, The Best of: 1994-1999
, apparently excluded in favour of two additional tracks from the band's remix album Deconstructed
that were not released as singles.
, which is the same length musically but has about thirty seconds of silence at the end. However, "Distant Voices" contains two hidden tracks. The radio edit of "Cold Contagious" is much shorter.
at the Days Inn Hotel (Hotel room used was 211), East Rutherford, New Jersey
and in Madison Square Garden
in New York
. Dave Parsons
' girlfriend is also in the video.
, its sound proved not to be as radio-friendly as that of Bush's first album, Sixteen Stone
. "Cold Contagious" was not a big hit, although it was more successful than the third single from the album, "Bonedriven
," which failed to chart at all in the U.S. "Cold Contagious" peaked at #18 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks Chart and #23 on the Modern Rock Tracks
.
Post-grunge
Post-grunge is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged in the mid-1990s as a derivative of grunge, using the sounds and aesthetic of grunge, but with a more commercially acceptable tone...
band Bush
Bush (band)
Bush are an alternative rock band formed in London in 1992 shortly after vocalist/guitarist Gavin Rossdale and guitarist Nigel Pulsford met in a London nightclub. Realising they shared a love for such diverse artists as the Pixies, Bob Marley, The Jesus Lizard, MC5, Nirvana, Hüsker Dü, and Big...
's second studio album, Razorblade Suitcase
Razorblade Suitcase
Razorblade Suitcase is the second album by the British grunge band Bush, released in November 1996 by Trauma Records. The album is widely believed to have signaled the demise of the "grunge" genre, as it was one of the last widely-known albums released bearing a grunge-sound.-Album title:The...
. "Bonedriven" and "Cold Contagious" are the only Bush singles from 1994-1999 not to be included on the band's 2005 greatest hits compilation, The Best of: 1994-1999
The Best of: 1994-1999
The Best of: 1994-1999 is a greatest hits double album by British post-grunge band Bush. Disc one consists of the band's hit songs, while disc two is their performance at Woodstock '99...
, apparently excluded in favour of two additional tracks from the band's remix album Deconstructed
Deconstructed (Bush album)
Deconstructed is a remix album by British post-grunge band Bush. It did not feature any truly new material more so than it was a collaborative effort between the band and various producers working in the electronic genre of music which showcased complete remixes of the band's previous songs,...
that were not released as singles.
Style and lyrics
"Cold Contagious" features a sharp distorted sound and a heavy, dark drumbeat. The lyrics seem to be about a relationship breaking up, accompanied by a desire for revenge. "Cold Contagious" is unusually long among Bush songs—at about six minutes, it is the longest track Bush ever released, except for the song "Distant Voices," also on Razorblade Suitcase, and "Alien" on Sixteen StoneSixteen Stone
Sixteen Stone is the debut album of British rock band Bush. Released in 1994 through Trauma Records, it boasted numerous successful singles and is widely regarded as the band's most popular album.-Title:...
, which is the same length musically but has about thirty seconds of silence at the end. However, "Distant Voices" contains two hidden tracks. The radio edit of "Cold Contagious" is much shorter.
Music video
Directed by Mark Lebon in March and April of 1997, the video was shot in West Palm Beach, FloridaWest Palm Beach, Florida
West Palm Beach, is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and is the most populous city in and county seat of Palm Beach County, the third most populous county in Florida with a 2010 population of 1,320,134. The city is also the oldest incorporated municipality in South Florida...
at the Days Inn Hotel (Hotel room used was 211), East Rutherford, New Jersey
East Rutherford, New Jersey
East Rutherford is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 8,913. It is an inner-ring suburb of New York City, located west of Midtown Manhattan....
and in Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. Dave Parsons
Dave Parsons
Dave Parsons is a British bass guitarist, most notable as a member of The Partisans, Bush and Transvision Vamp.-With Transvision Vamp:*Pop Art *Velveteen...
' girlfriend is also in the video.
Commercial performance
While Razorblade Suitcase initially reached the top spot on the U.S. Billboard 200Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
, its sound proved not to be as radio-friendly as that of Bush's first album, Sixteen Stone
Sixteen Stone
Sixteen Stone is the debut album of British rock band Bush. Released in 1994 through Trauma Records, it boasted numerous successful singles and is widely regarded as the band's most popular album.-Title:...
. "Cold Contagious" was not a big hit, although it was more successful than the third single from the album, "Bonedriven
Bonedriven
"Bonedriven" is the third single by post grunge band Bush from their 1996 second album Razorblade Suitcase. As a Bush single, it followed the hit singles "Swallowed" and "Greedy Fly." "Bonedriven" and "Cold Contagious" are the only Bush singles from 1994–1999 not to be included on the band's 2005...
," which failed to chart at all in the U.S. "Cold Contagious" peaked at #18 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks Chart and #23 on the Modern Rock Tracks
Modern Rock Tracks
Alternative Songs is a music chart in the United States that has appeared in Billboard magazine since September 10, 1988. It lists the 40 most-played songs on modern rock radio stations, most of which are alternative rock songs...
.
Track listing
- AUS CD Single IND95548 (Digipak)
- "Cold Contagious (Radio Edit)" - 3:55
- "SwallowedSwallowed (song)Swallowed is a song by British post-grunge band Bush. It was included on the 1996 album Razorblade Suitcase, which topped the Billboard 200 chart...
(GoldieGoldieClifford Joseph Price, better known as Goldie is an English electronic music artist, disc jockey, visual artist and actor. He is well known for his innovations in the jungle and drum and bass music genres, having previously gained exposure for his work as a graffiti artist...
Remix)" - 5:50 - "Synapse (My Ghost in the Bush of Life Remix)" - 6:29
- "In a Lonely Place" - 6:00
Charts
| Chart (1997) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canadian RPM RPM (magazine) RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,... Singles Chart Canadian Singles Chart The Canadian Singles Chart is currently compiled by the U.S.-based music sales tracking company, Nielsen SoundScan . The chart is compiled every Wednesday, and is published by Jam! Canoe on Thursdays.... |
57 |
| Canadian RPM Alternative 30 RPM (magazine) RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,... |
4 |
| U.S. Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks Mainstream Rock Tracks Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks is a ranking in Billboard magazine of the most-played songs on mainstream rock radio stations, a category that includes stations that play primarily rock music. Modern rock tracks are counted in the Alternative Songs chart.This chart began with the March 21, 1981, issue... |
18 |
| U.S. Billboard Modern Rock Tracks Modern Rock Tracks Alternative Songs is a music chart in the United States that has appeared in Billboard magazine since September 10, 1988. It lists the 40 most-played songs on modern rock radio stations, most of which are alternative rock songs... |
23 |
| ARIA Charts ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
75 |