History (The Verve song)
Encyclopedia
"History" is a song by English
rock band
The Verve
, and is featured on their second album
, A Northern Soul
. It was released 18 September 1995 as the third and final single
from the album, charting at #24 in the UK Singles Chart
(see 1995 in British music
). The song is notable for being released after the band's sudden first break up (the sign on the CD1 cover reads 'all farewells should be sudden').
intro that is very similar to the intro of "Mind Games
" by John Lennon
. This was the first song by the band to feature strings (a formula that would later be used for several Urban Hymns
singles). The opening lyrics of the song are based on the first two stanzas of William Blake
's poem, London. The song is quite melancholic, with Melody Maker
describing it as "an epic, windswept symphony of strings, flailing vocals and staggeringly bitter sentiments". It has been claimed the song was written about Ashcroft's split with his girlfriend, although Ashcroft denied this.
The clapping featured on History was performed by Liam Gallagher
.
There was no original music video filmed for the single, probably because the band had already split when the single was released. Instead an official compilation of clips from The Verve's previous music videos was created by Ashcroft.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
rock band
Rock Band
Rock Band is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games and Electronic Arts. It is the first title in the Rock Band series. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were released in the United States on November 20, 2007, while the PlayStation 2 version was...
The Verve
The Verve
The Verve were an English rock band formed in 1989 in Wigan by lead vocalist Richard Ashcroft, guitarist Nick McCabe, bassist Simon Jones, and drummer Peter Salisbury. Guitarist and keyboardist Simon Tong later became a member. Beginning with a psychedelic sound indebted to shoegazing and space...
, and is featured on their second album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
, A Northern Soul
A Northern Soul
A Northern Soul is the second studio album by English alternative rock band The Verve. The album was released in the United States on 20 June 1995 on the Hut label and in the United Kingdom on 3 July 1995 on Vernon Yard Records...
. It was released 18 September 1995 as the third and final single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
from the album, charting at #24 in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
(see 1995 in British music
1995 in British music
This is a summary of 1995 in music in the United Kingdom, including the official charts from that year.-Summary:1995 saw a number of changes occur...
). The song is notable for being released after the band's sudden first break up (the sign on the CD1 cover reads 'all farewells should be sudden').
Composition and lyrics
The song begins with a stringString instrument
A string instrument is a musical instrument that produces sound by means of vibrating strings. In the Hornbostel-Sachs scheme of musical instrument classification, used in organology, they are called chordophones...
intro that is very similar to the intro of "Mind Games
Mind Games (song)
"Mind Games" is a song written by John Lennon, released as a single in 1973 on Apple Records, catalogue Apple 1868 in the US and Apple R5994 in the UK. It peaked at #18 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #26 on the British singles chart...
" by John Lennon
John Lennon
John Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
. This was the first song by the band to feature strings (a formula that would later be used for several Urban Hymns
Urban Hymns
Urban Hymns is the third album by English rock band The Verve, released on 29 September 1997 on Hut Recordings. It earned nearly unanimous critical praise upon its release, and went on to become the band's best-selling release and one of the biggest selling albums of the year...
singles). The opening lyrics of the song are based on the first two stanzas of William Blake
William Blake
William Blake was an English poet, painter, and printmaker. Largely unrecognised during his lifetime, Blake is now considered a seminal figure in the history of both the poetry and visual arts of the Romantic Age...
's poem, London. The song is quite melancholic, with Melody Maker
Melody Maker
Melody Maker, published in the United Kingdom, was, according to its publisher IPC Media, the world's oldest weekly music newspaper. It was founded in 1926 as a magazine targeted at musicians; in 2000 it was merged into "long-standing rival" New Musical Express.-1950s–1960s:Originally the Melody...
describing it as "an epic, windswept symphony of strings, flailing vocals and staggeringly bitter sentiments". It has been claimed the song was written about Ashcroft's split with his girlfriend, although Ashcroft denied this.
The clapping featured on History was performed by Liam Gallagher
Liam Gallagher
William John Paul "Liam" Gallagher is an English musician and singer-songwriter, the former frontman of the English rock band Oasis and currently of the band Beady Eye. Gallagher's erratic behaviour, distinctive singing style, and abrasive attitude have been the subject of commentary in the press...
.
There was no original music video filmed for the single, probably because the band had already split when the single was released. Instead an official compilation of clips from The Verve's previous music videos was created by Ashcroft.
Track listings
- CD 1 HUTCD 59
- History (Radio Edit)
- Back On My Feet Again
- On Your Own (Acoustic)
- Monkey Magic (Brainstorm Mix)
- CD 2 HUTDX 59
- History (Album Version)
- Grey Skies
- Life's Not A Rehearsal
- Cassette HUTC 59
- History (Radio Edit)
- Back On My Feet Again
- Promo CD HUTCDP 59
- History (Radio Edit)