Life in Technicolor II
Encyclopedia
"Life in Technicolor II" (also spelled as "Life in Technicolor ii"), is a song by English alternative rock
band Coldplay
and the first single from the band's 2008 EP, Prospekt's March
. The song is the full, vocal version of the instrumental song "Life in Technicolor" from Coldplay's fourth studio album, Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends
. A promo CD single for the song was released in December 2008. The official single was released on 2 February 2009 on 7" vinyl and digital download. The single includes the previously unreleased and unheard track "The Goldrush", one of the few Coldplay songs featuring lead vocals by drummer Will Champion
. The song was originally intended to be on Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends, but was altered to the form that appears on the album as the band did not want to include a song that they considered to be their safety net and that would be an obvious single. It was nominated for two Grammy Awards for the 52nd Grammy Awards
; "Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal
" and "Best Short Form Music Video
".
"Life in Technicolor II" starts with a loop
consisting of a yangqin
accompanied by tabla
-like percussion. The loop is then repeated through the verses and part of the chorus.
and Channel 4
. The video starts out with kids sitting and awaiting a traditional Punch and Judy
puppet show
and features the band performing as puppets. However, the puppet show becomes increasingly extravagant as the video goes on, eventually featuring pyrotechnics
and frontman Chris Martin
crowd surfing
over the children. Finally the puppet band members board a small helicopter which crashes through a window and flies away. James Clarkson and Coldplay's unofficial fifth member, Phil Harvey
, can be seen in the video.
The director of this video is Dougal Wilson
. The video was nominated in the Best Art Direction in a Video and Best Visual Effects in a Video categories at the UK Music Video Awards 2009, as well as Best Short Form Music Video at the 52nd Grammy Awards
.
7" vinyl
Promotional
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
band Coldplay
Coldplay
Coldplay are a British alternative rock band formed in 1996 by lead vocalist Chris Martin and lead guitarist Jonny Buckland at University College London. After they formed Pectoralz, Guy Berryman joined the group as a bassist and they changed their name to Starfish. Will Champion joined as a...
and the first single from the band's 2008 EP, Prospekt's March
Prospekt's March
-Personnel:*Andy Rugg – assistant engineer, engineer*Andy Wallace – mixing*Bob Ludwig – mastering*Brian Eno – producer, sonic landscapes*Brian Thorn – assistant engineer, engineer*Chris Martin – performer*Dan Green – assistant engineer, engineer, photography...
. The song is the full, vocal version of the instrumental song "Life in Technicolor" from Coldplay's fourth studio album, Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends
Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends
Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends, often referred to as simply Viva la Vida is the fourth studio album by British rock band Coldplay, released on 11 June 2008 on Parlophone. The album was named after a Spanish phrase that translates in English as "long live life"...
. A promo CD single for the song was released in December 2008. The official single was released on 2 February 2009 on 7" vinyl and digital download. The single includes the previously unreleased and unheard track "The Goldrush", one of the few Coldplay songs featuring lead vocals by drummer Will Champion
Will Champion
William "Will" Champion is an English musician and the drummer of rock band Coldplay.-Early life:William Champion was born in Southampton, Hampshire, England, and was brought up in Highfield, Southampton, where his father, Timothy Champion, is a professor of archaeology...
. The song was originally intended to be on Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends, but was altered to the form that appears on the album as the band did not want to include a song that they considered to be their safety net and that would be an obvious single. It was nominated for two Grammy Awards for the 52nd Grammy Awards
52nd Grammy Awards
The 52nd Annual Grammy Awards took place on January 31, 2010, at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. Neil Young was honored as the 2010 MusiCares Person of the Year on January 29, two days prior to the Grammy telecast. Only ten of the 109 awards were received during the broadcast...
; "Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal
Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal
The Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal was awarded between 1980 and 2011.The award was discontinued after the 2011 award season in a major overhaul of Grammy categories...
" and "Best Short Form Music Video
Grammy Award for Best Short Form Music Video
The Grammy Award for Best Short Form Music Video is an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to performers, directors, and producers of quality short form music videos...
".
"Life in Technicolor II" starts with a loop
Music loop
In electroacoustic music, a loop is a repeating section of sound material. Short sections of material can be repeated to create ostinato patterns...
consisting of a yangqin
Yangqin
The trapezoidal yangqin is a Chinese hammered dulcimer, originally from Middle East and Persia . It used to be written with the characters 洋琴 , but over time the first character changed to 揚 , which means "acclaimed". It is also spelled yang quin or yang ch'in...
accompanied by tabla
Tabla
The tabla is a popular Indian percussion instrument used in Hindustani classical music and in popular and devotional music of the Indian subcontinent. The instrument consists of a pair of hand drums of contrasting sizes and timbres...
-like percussion. The loop is then repeated through the verses and part of the chorus.
Music video
The music video premiered on 20 January 2009 on 4Music4Music
4Music is a music and entertainment channel in the United Kingdom and available on some digital television providers in the Republic of Ireland - its web component can be found at with its own and pages. It is the only channel within the Box Television Network to be branded under Channel 4 and...
and Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
. The video starts out with kids sitting and awaiting a traditional Punch and Judy
Punch and Judy
Punch and Judy is a traditional, popular puppet show featuring the characters of Mr. Punch and his wife, Judy. The performance consists of a sequence of short scenes, each depicting an interaction between two characters, most typically the anarchic Punch and one other character...
puppet show
Puppetry
Puppetry is a form of theatre or performance which involves the manipulation of puppets. It is very ancient, and is believed to have originated 30,000 years BC. Puppetry takes many forms but they all share the process of animating inanimate performing objects...
and features the band performing as puppets. However, the puppet show becomes increasingly extravagant as the video goes on, eventually featuring pyrotechnics
Pyrotechnics
Pyrotechnics is the science of using materials capable of undergoing self-contained and self-sustained exothermic chemical reactions for the production of heat, light, gas, smoke and/or sound...
and frontman Chris Martin
Chris Martin
Christopher Anthony John "Chris" Martin is an English song-writer, who is the lead vocalist, pianist and rhythm guitarist of the band Coldplay. He is married to actress Gwyneth Paltrow.-Early life:...
crowd surfing
Crowd surfing
Crowd surfing is the process in which a person is passed overhead from person to person during a concert, transferring the person from one part of the venue to another...
over the children. Finally the puppet band members board a small helicopter which crashes through a window and flies away. James Clarkson and Coldplay's unofficial fifth member, Phil Harvey
Phil Harvey (manager)
Phil Harvey is the former manager and sometime 'creative director' of the English rock group Coldplay....
, can be seen in the video.
The director of this video is Dougal Wilson
Dougal Wilson
Dougal Wilson is a director of commercials and music videos.Wilson was born in Heswall, England. After studying astrophysics at Durham University, he worked as a copywriter at the Leith advertising agency in Edinburgh before moving to London to pursue a career as a director.His music videos...
. The video was nominated in the Best Art Direction in a Video and Best Visual Effects in a Video categories at the UK Music Video Awards 2009, as well as Best Short Form Music Video at the 52nd Grammy Awards
52nd Grammy Awards
The 52nd Annual Grammy Awards took place on January 31, 2010, at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. Neil Young was honored as the 2010 MusiCares Person of the Year on January 29, two days prior to the Grammy telecast. Only ten of the 109 awards were received during the broadcast...
.
Track listing
Digital download- "Life in Technicolor II" – 4:05
- "Life in Technicolor II" (live @ The O2The O2 arena (London)The O2 Arena is a multi-purpose indoor arena located in the centre of The O2, a large entertainment complex on the Greenwich peninsula in London, England.With a capacity of up to 20,000 depending on the event, it is second largest...
, London) – 3:36 - "The Goldrush" – 2:29
7" vinyl
- A. "Life in Technicolor II" – 4:05
- B. "The Goldrush" – 2:29
Promotional
- US radio CD
- "Life in Technicolor II" (Radio Edit) - 3
- 12NEWLIN
- US promo CD
- "Life in Technicolor II" (Pop Edit) - 3
- 14
- "Life in Technicolor II" (Radio Edit) - 3:37
- "Life in Technicolor II" (Instrumental) - 4:06
NEWLIN
- UK promo CD
- "Life in Technicolor II" (Radio Edit) – 3
- 37
- "Life in Technicolor II" (Prospekt's March version) – 4:05
NEWLIN
Release history
| Date | Country | Format |
|---|---|---|
| 2008-12-00 | United Kingdom | Promotional CD |
| 2009-02-02 | United Kingdom | 7" vinyl |
| 2009-01-30 | United Kingdom, the Netherlands | Digital download |
| 2009-01-20 | United Kingdom | Music video (airplay) |
| 2009-01-20 | Worldwide | Music video (YouTube YouTube YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos.... streaming) |
Charts
| Chart (2009) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Austrian Singles Chart | 53 |
| Australian ARIA Singles Chart | 63 |
| Belgian (Flanders) Singles Chart Ultratop 50 Ultratop 50 singles, often just Ultratop 50, is the weekly chart of fifty best-selling singles in Flanders, Belgium, and is produced and published by the Ultratop organization. The chart has existed since March 31, 1995... |
39 |
| Dutch Singles Chart | 15 |
| Irish Singles Chart Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured... |
29 |
| Italian Singles Chart | 30 |
| Japan Hot 100 Singles | 23 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 39 |
| 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 ... |
28 |
| 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... |
21 |