Rubber Lover (Marmaduke Duke song)
Encyclopedia
"Rubber Lover" is a song written by the Scottish
experimental rock
group Marmaduke Duke
. It is included on their second album 'Duke Pandemonium
and was released as a single on 17 April 2009. It charted at a peak position of #12 in the UK singles charts following considerable airplay
on radio station
s such as BBC Radio 1
. The band have described the song as a "dirty pop-ode to a rubber doll".
The song features a sample from Billy Joel's
song "Sleeping with the Television On
".
's Nick Levine wrote that the song is "an early contender for most unlikely hit of the year" and went on to write, "it's compact, cheeky and perfectly formed". He also said "'Rubber Lover' has already become a bit of a radio favourite, mainly because it's very catchy indeed".
on its first week of release before falling to #17 the following week.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
experimental rock
Experimental rock
Experimental rock or avant-garde rock is a type of music based on rock which experiments with the basic elements of the genre, or which pushes the boundaries of common composition and performance technique....
group Marmaduke Duke
Marmaduke Duke
Marmaduke Duke are a conceptual rock duo from Ayrshire, Scotland, comprising Simon Neil of Biffy Clyro and JP Reid of Sucioperro. Within the band, the pair perform under the pseudonyms The Atmosphere and The Dragon. According to Neil, the band, and its albums, are "based on a trilogy of unreleased...
. It is included on their second album 'Duke Pandemonium
Duke Pandemonium
Duke Pandemonium is the second studio album by Scottish conceptual rock duo Marmaduke Duke, released on the May 11, 2009 on 14th Floor Records. Band member JP Reid describes the album as "superfunky, supertight, superunique."...
and was released as a single on 17 April 2009. It charted at a peak position of #12 in the UK singles charts following considerable airplay
Airplay
* Airplay is the amount of time a song is played on the radio.It may also refer to:* AirPlay, an audio & video streaming technology from Apple Inc.* Airplay , Foster & Graydon music project from 1980* Citroën C1, Citroën C1 Airplay...
on radio station
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
s such as BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
. The band have described the song as a "dirty pop-ode to a rubber doll".
The song features a sample from Billy Joel's
Billy Joel
William Martin "Billy" Joel is an American musician and pianist, singer-songwriter, and classical composer. Since releasing his first hit song, "Piano Man", in 1973, Joel has become the sixth best-selling recording artist and the third best-selling solo artist in the United States, according to...
song "Sleeping with the Television On
Glass Houses
Glass Houses is the seventh album by American singer-songwriter Billy Joel, released in 1980 . It features Joel's first song to peak at #1 on Billboard's Pop Singles chart, "It's Still Rock and Roll to Me." The album itself topped the Pop Albums chart for six weeks and was ranked number 4 on...
".
Music video
The video is set after the "Kid Gloves" video, in a room with many girls dancing in bikinis. The Duke is playing blackjack against a pig creature, with the Crow who emerged in the previous video watching while sitting next to the Duke. The pig reveals that he has two sixes with one card still face down. The Duke flips one of his two cards over to reveal a queen of hearts. The video then zooms into the heart enters a psychedelic phrase showing the relationship between the Duke and the Crow. It returns to the card game as two girls stand on the pigs side of the table, joined by two more who sit with the Duke. The pig flips over his last card to reveal another six, scoring 18 in the game. The Duke flips over his final card to reveal the Ace of Hearts, beating him. The video again zooms into the heart, entering another strange sequence focusing on the Crow. When it returns, the two girls steal the Duke's watchstop and slip away. The Duke finds the room to be empty, with a pig mask on the table. He overturns it angrily and finds that the man who had been wearing the mask has the Crow captive.Critical reception
Digital SpyDigital Spy
Digital Spy is a British entertainment and media news website. According to Alexa Internet traffic statistics, as of February 2011, Digital Spy is the 93rd most popular website in the United Kingdom, with an overall Alexa ranking of 2,088....
's Nick Levine wrote that the song is "an early contender for most unlikely hit of the year" and went on to write, "it's compact, cheeky and perfectly formed". He also said "'Rubber Lover' has already become a bit of a radio favourite, mainly because it's very catchy indeed".
Live performances
Marmaduke Duke performed the song in Radio 1's Live Lounge on 23 April 2009.Charts
The song charted at #12 in 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 its first week of release before falling to #17 the following week.