Ride a White Horse
Encyclopedia
"Ride a White Horse" is an electronic
–dance
song performed by British
group Goldfrapp
. The song was written by Alison Goldfrapp
, Will Gregory
and Nick Batt for Goldfrapp's third album Supernature
(2005). The song was inspired by the disco era
nightclub
Studio 54
.
The song was released as the album's third single in February 2006 to positive reviews from music critics. It was a commercial success, reaching the top forty on the majority of the charts it entered. The song has been remixed a number of times and was featured in the American television program The L Word
.
"Ride a White Horse" was also featured in Need For Speed: Carbon
and The Sims 3
.
–dance
song that was inspired by the disco era
. Alison Goldfrapp had grown up listening to T.Rex and Polish disco music, and many assumed that she based the song's lyrics around Bianca Jagger
's infamous entrance into Studio 54
on a white horse. The song was composed as a collaborative effort between Goldfrapp and Will Gregory
in late 2004 in a rented cottage in the countryside of Bath, England. The song was written and recorded while Goldfrapp and Gregory were "jamming in the recording studio, bouncing song ideas off each other".
"Ride a White Horse" is written in the common verse-chorus form and features instrumentation from synthesizer
s and a bass guitar
. The US maxi CD single featured a cover version
of "Boys Will Be Boys
" as its B-side
. The song was originally performed by British rock
group The Ordinary Boys
.
The music video for "Ride a White Horse" was directed by Diane Martel and filmed in London, England in December 2005. The video features Alison Goldfrapp, dressed in a white dress, in multiple disturbing situations. The video begins with Goldfrapp, her back to the camera, singing into a microphone made of a cardboard roll and aluminium foil. As she sings, footage of rotting food is displayed behind her. She is then shown eating a slice of pizza covered in cigarette butts and bottlecaps. The next scenes feature Goldfrapp pulling a large plastic dog; singing in front of a man bandaged in toilet paper eating from a garbage can; and dancing with dirty men that came out of a trashbin dressed in their underwear. The video concludes with Goldfrapp forcing the leg of the bandaged man into a toilet.
In 2006, the video was nominated at the Festival International des Arts du Clip in the "Off Competition" category for its audacity and off beat sense of humour. The complete version of "Ride a White Horse" featured in the music video has been released commercially through CD single
s and digital download
s, and some include remixes by Serge Santiágo and Ewan Pearson. An alternate music video was also filmed live at the Brixton Academy in London, England on 6 October 2005. The video was directed by Matthew Amos and released on the song's DVD single
.
described the it as "memorable" because of its "combination of a decently danceable groove and some nicely arch vocals". In a review for PopMatters
, Adrien Begrand wrote that "Ride a White Horse" was "destined for club hit status", comparing Alison Goldfrapp's "cold, husky croon" to Kate Bush
.
. The episode titled "Literary License to Kill" featured the group performing the song at The Planet while the characters celebrated a birthday. A radio edit of the song was also featured on the program's soundtrack released in January 2007.
"Ride a White Horse" was released as a various formats throughout the world. While most territories received a CD single
and digital download
release, the single was released as a limited edition 12-inch single
in February 2006 in the UK. A DVD single
was also issued and included behind the scenes footage of Goldfrapp on tour and a live music video for "Ride a White Horse".
on 25 February 2006 at number fifteen, remaining on the chart for three weeks. The song proved popular on UK radio, charting at number twenty-three on the airplay chart. In Ireland, the song reached number thirty-six on the singles chart
before exiting the following week.
In the United States, "Ride a White Horse" was released as the album's final single in February 2007. The song did not perform as well as its predecessors on the Billboard Dance Chart
, reaching only number twenty-nine. The song, however, did peak at number three on the Hot Dance Singles Sales
chart.
CD single #1
(CDMute356; Released )
CD single #2
(LCDMute356; Released )
DVD single
(DVDMute356; Released )
Digital single
(Released )
Digital EP
(Released )
12-inch single
(12Mute356; Released )
European EP
US maxi-single
(9323-2; Released February 2007)
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
–dance
Dance music
Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement...
song performed by British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
group Goldfrapp
Goldfrapp
Goldfrapp are an English electronic music duo, formed in 1999 in London, England, that consists of Alison Goldfrapp and Will Gregory ....
. The song was written by Alison Goldfrapp
Alison Goldfrapp
Alison Elizabeth Margaret Goldfrapp is an English singer-songwriter and record producer, best known as the lead singer of the electronic music duo Goldfrapp. Goldfrapp has a soprano vocal range.-Early life:...
, Will Gregory
Will Gregory
William Owen Gregory is best known as a songwriter, and the lead keyboards/synthesizer player & producer of the electronic music group Goldfrapp. Originally a classical music student at the University of York, Gregory is the son of an actress and an opera chorus-line singer...
and Nick Batt for Goldfrapp's third album Supernature
Supernature (Goldfrapp album)
Supernature is the third studio album by English electronic duo Goldfrapp. It was released in the United Kingdom on 22 August 2005 by Mute Records, and received mostly favourable reviews. Most critics complimented its blend of pop and electronic music, while others called it uninspiring...
(2005). The song was inspired by the disco era
Disco
Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
nightclub
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
Studio 54
Studio 54
Studio 54 was a highly popular discotheque from 1977 until 1991, located at 254 West 54th Street in Manhattan, New York, USA. It was originally the Gallo Opera House, opening in 1927, after which it changed names several times, eventually becoming a CBS radio and television studio. In 1977 it...
.
The song was released as the album's third single in February 2006 to positive reviews from music critics. It was a commercial success, reaching the top forty on the majority of the charts it entered. The song has been remixed a number of times and was featured in the American television program The L Word
The L Word
The L Word is an American co-production television drama series originally shown on Showtime portraying the lives of a group of lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people and their friends, family and lovers in the trendy Greater Los Angeles, California city of West Hollywood...
.
"Ride a White Horse" was also featured in Need For Speed: Carbon
Need for Speed: Carbon
Need for Speed: Carbon, also known as NFS Carbon or NFSC, is an Electronic Arts video game belonging to the Need for Speed series. Released in 2006, it is the tenth installment, preceded by Need for Speed: Most Wanted, succeeded by Need for Speed: ProStreet in release order and succeeded by Need...
and The Sims 3
The Sims 3
The Sims 3 is a 2009 strategic life simulation computer game developed by The Sims Studio and published by Electronic Arts. It is the sequel to the best-selling computer game, The Sims 2. It was first released on June 2, 2009 simultaneously for Mac OS X and Microsoft Windows...
.
Background and writing
"Ride a White Horse" is an electronicElectronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
–dance
Dance music
Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement...
song that was inspired by the disco era
Disco
Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
. Alison Goldfrapp had grown up listening to T.Rex and Polish disco music, and many assumed that she based the song's lyrics around Bianca Jagger
Bianca Jagger
Bianca Jagger is a Nicaraguan-born social and human rights advocate and a former actress and model...
's infamous entrance into Studio 54
Studio 54
Studio 54 was a highly popular discotheque from 1977 until 1991, located at 254 West 54th Street in Manhattan, New York, USA. It was originally the Gallo Opera House, opening in 1927, after which it changed names several times, eventually becoming a CBS radio and television studio. In 1977 it...
on a white horse. The song was composed as a collaborative effort between Goldfrapp and Will Gregory
Will Gregory
William Owen Gregory is best known as a songwriter, and the lead keyboards/synthesizer player & producer of the electronic music group Goldfrapp. Originally a classical music student at the University of York, Gregory is the son of an actress and an opera chorus-line singer...
in late 2004 in a rented cottage in the countryside of Bath, England. The song was written and recorded while Goldfrapp and Gregory were "jamming in the recording studio, bouncing song ideas off each other".
"Ride a White Horse" is written in the common verse-chorus form and features instrumentation from synthesizer
Synthesizer
A synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
s and a bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
. The US maxi CD single featured a cover version
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of "Boys Will Be Boys
Boys Will Be Boys (song)
"Boys Will Be Boys" is a single by British rock group The Ordinary Boys.It was released in 2005, when it reached number 16 in the UK Singles Chart, but it re-entered the charts in January 2006, following singer Samuel Preston's appearance on Celebrity Big Brother...
" as its B-side
A-side and B-side
A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
. The song was originally performed by British rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
group The Ordinary Boys
The Ordinary Boys
The Ordinary Boys are an English indie rock band from Worthing, in West Sussex, England. Originally named Next in Line, they were influenced by mod revival and Britpop music, as well as the bands Madness, The Specials, The Kinks and The Smiths...
.
Music video
In 2006, the video was nominated at the Festival International des Arts du Clip in the "Off Competition" category for its audacity and off beat sense of humour. The complete version of "Ride a White Horse" featured in the music video has been released commercially through CD single
CD single
A CD single is a music single in the form of a standard size Compact Disc, not to be confused with the 3-inch CD single, which uses a smaller form factor. The format was introduced in the mid-1980s, but did not gain its place in the market until the early 1990s...
s and digital download
Music download
A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment...
s, and some include remixes by Serge Santiágo and Ewan Pearson. An alternate music video was also filmed live at the Brixton Academy in London, England on 6 October 2005. The video was directed by Matthew Amos and released on the song's DVD single
DVD single
A DVD single is a music single in the form of a DVD. The format was introduced in the late 1990s/early 2000s as a replacement for the VHS single...
.
Critical reception
"Ride a White Horse" received positive reviews from music critics. MusicOMH.com's Michael Hubbard called the song "one of the most glamorous and erotic tracks" on Supernature, and Stylus MagazineStylus Magazine
Stylus Magazine was an online music and film magazine launched in 2002. It featured long-form music journalism, four daily music reviews, movie reviews, a number of different podcasts, an MP3 blog, and a text blog....
described the it as "memorable" because of its "combination of a decently danceable groove and some nicely arch vocals". In a review for PopMatters
PopMatters
PopMatters is an international webzine of cultural criticism that covers many aspects of popular culture. PopMatters publishes reviews, interviews, and detailed essays on most cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, films, books, video games, comics, sports, theater,...
, Adrien Begrand wrote that "Ride a White Horse" was "destined for club hit status", comparing Alison Goldfrapp's "cold, husky croon" to Kate Bush
Kate Bush
Kate Bush is an English singer-songwriter, musician and record producer. Her eclectic musical style and idiosyncratic vocal style have made her one of the United Kingdom's most successful solo female performers of the past 30 years.In 1978, at the age of 19, Bush topped the UK Singles Chart...
.
Marketing and release
In March 2007, "Ride a White Horse" was featured on an episode of the American television program The L WordThe L Word
The L Word is an American co-production television drama series originally shown on Showtime portraying the lives of a group of lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people and their friends, family and lovers in the trendy Greater Los Angeles, California city of West Hollywood...
. The episode titled "Literary License to Kill" featured the group performing the song at The Planet while the characters celebrated a birthday. A radio edit of the song was also featured on the program's soundtrack released in January 2007.
"Ride a White Horse" was released as a various formats throughout the world. While most territories received a CD single
CD single
A CD single is a music single in the form of a standard size Compact Disc, not to be confused with the 3-inch CD single, which uses a smaller form factor. The format was introduced in the mid-1980s, but did not gain its place in the market until the early 1990s...
and digital download
Music download
A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment...
release, the single was released as a limited edition 12-inch single
12-inch single
The 12-inch single is a type of gramophone record that has wider groove spacing compared to other types of records. This allows for louder levels to be cut on the disc by the cutting engineer, which in turn gives a wider dynamic range, and thus better sound quality...
in February 2006 in the UK. A DVD single
DVD single
A DVD single is a music single in the form of a DVD. The format was introduced in the late 1990s/early 2000s as a replacement for the VHS single...
was also issued and included behind the scenes footage of Goldfrapp on tour and a live music video for "Ride a White Horse".
Chart performance
"Ride a White Horse" entered the UK Singles ChartUK 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 ...
on 25 February 2006 at number fifteen, remaining on the chart for three weeks. The song proved popular on UK radio, charting at number twenty-three on the airplay chart. In Ireland, the song reached number thirty-six on the 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...
before exiting the following week.
In the United States, "Ride a White Horse" was released as the album's final single in February 2007. The song did not perform as well as its predecessors on the Billboard Dance Chart
Hot Dance Club Play
The Hot Dance Club Songs chart is a weekly national survey of the songs that are most popular in U.S. dance clubs...
, reaching only number twenty-nine. The song, however, did peak at number three on the Hot Dance Singles Sales
Hot Dance Singles Sales
Hot Dance Singles Sales is a chart released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States, established in 1985. It measures the sale of commercially released singles that deal with dance music and remixes...
chart.
Formats and track listings
These are the formats and track listings of major single releases of "Ride a White Horse".CD single #1
(CDMute356; Released )
- "Ride a White Horse" (Single version) – 3:47
- "Slide In" (DFADFA RecordsDFA Records is an independent record label and production team, launched in September 2001 by Mo' Wax co-founder Tim Goldsworthy, musician James Murphy, and manager Jonathan Galkin. The label has an exclusive distribution deal with major record label EMI....
remixRemixA remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
edit) – 5:20
CD single #2
(LCDMute356; Released )
- "Ride a White Horse" (Serge Santiágo re-editRe-editIn popular music, a re-edit is an altered version of a recorded song created by repeating, reordering, or removing sections of the original recording - for example, making a chorus repeat several times in a row, or extending the length of a break section. Like remixes, re-edits are especially...
) – 8:08 - "Ride a White Horse" (FK-EK vocal version) – 7:48
- "Ride a White Horse" (FK Disco Whores dub) – 7:42
- "Ride a White Horse" (Ewan PearsonEwan PearsonEwan Pearson is an English electronic music producer/remixer who works under various aliases including Maas, Sulky Pup, Villa America, World of Apples, and Dirtbox. He is also in Partial Arts with Al Usher. He has remixed for artists such as Cortney Tidwell, Seelenluft, Ladytron, Depeche Mode,...
Disco Odyssey Parts 1 & 2) – 15:13
DVD single
(DVDMute356; Released )
- "Ride a White Horse" (Live in London)
- "Supernature Tour Access All Areas"
- "Number 1" (Mùm remix - audio) – 2:23
Digital single
(Released )
- "Ride a White Horse" (Single version) – 3:35
- "Slide In" (DFA remix edit) – 5:21
Digital EP
(Released )
- "Ride a White Horse" (Serge Santiágo re-edit edit) – 6:55
- "Ride a White Horse" (FK-EK Vocal version edit) – 6:58
- "Ride a White Horse" (FK Disco Whores dub edit) – 6:55
- "Ride a White Horse" (Ewan Pearson Disco Odyssey, Part 1 edit) – 6:54
12-inch single
(12Mute356; Released )
- "Ride a White Horse" (Serge Santiágo re-edit) – 8:05
- "Ride a White Horse" (FK-EK Vocal version) – 7:45
European EP
- "Ride A White Horse" (Single Version) - 3:35
- "Ride A White Horse" (Serge Santiàgo Ee-edit) - 8:10
- "Ride A White Horse" (FK-EK Vocal Version) - 7:55
- "Slide In" (DFA Remix) - 13:14
- "Number 1" (Múm Mix) - 2:32
- "Ride A White Horse" Live in London video - 7:12
- Supernature Tour Access All Areas video - 4:25
US maxi-single
(9323-2; Released February 2007)
- "Ride a White Horse" (Single version) – 3:46
- "Boys Will Be BoysBoys Will Be Boys (song)"Boys Will Be Boys" is a single by British rock group The Ordinary Boys.It was released in 2005, when it reached number 16 in the UK Singles Chart, but it re-entered the charts in January 2006, following singer Samuel Preston's appearance on Celebrity Big Brother...
" – 2:51 - "Ride a White Horse" (FK-EK Vocal version) – 7:48
- "Ride a White Horse" (FK Disco Whores dub) – 7:41
- "Ride a White Horse" (Ewan Pearson Disco Odyssey Parts 1 & 2) – 15:13
- "Ride a White Horse" (Serge Santiago re-edit) – 8:07
- "Ride a White Horse" music video
- "Ride a White Horse" (Live in London) music video
Personnel
The following people contributed to Ride a White Horse:- Alison Goldfrapp - lead vocals, backing vocals, synthesizerSynthesizerA synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
- Nick Batt - synthesizer, programmingProgramming (music)Programming is a form of music production and performance using electronic devices, often sequencers or computer programs, to generate music. Programming is used in nearly all forms of electronic music and in most hip hop music since the 1990s. It is also frequently used in modern pop and rock...
- Will Gregory - synthesizer
- Daniel Miller - synthesizer
- Charlie Jones - bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
- Ewan PearsonEwan PearsonEwan Pearson is an English electronic music producer/remixer who works under various aliases including Maas, Sulky Pup, Villa America, World of Apples, and Dirtbox. He is also in Partial Arts with Al Usher. He has remixed for artists such as Cortney Tidwell, Seelenluft, Ladytron, Depeche Mode,...
- programming - Mark "Spike" StentMark StentMark 'Spike' Stent is a British record producer, and audio engineer who has worked with The KLF, Björk, Keane, Depeche Mode, Muse, Erasure, Hard-Fi, Massive Attack, Janet Jackson, Madonna, Christina Aguilera, Marilyn Manson, Pet Shop Boys, Dave Matthews, No Doubt/Gwen Stefani, CSS, Beth Orton,...
- mixingAudio mixing (recorded music)In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may... - Ted Jensen - masteringAudio masteringMastering, a form of audio post-production, is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device ; the source from which all copies will be produced...
Charts
| Chart (2006) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| 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... |
36 |
| 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 ... |
15 |
| Chart (2007) | Peak position |
| US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play Hot Dance Club Play The Hot Dance Club Songs chart is a weekly national survey of the songs that are most popular in U.S. dance clubs... |
29 |
| US Billboard Hot Dance Single Sales Hot Dance Singles Sales Hot Dance Singles Sales is a chart released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States, established in 1985. It measures the sale of commercially released singles that deal with dance music and remixes... |
5 |
External links
- Goldfrapp.co.uk — official website.