She Bangs The Drums
Encyclopedia
"She Bangs the Drums" was the second single from The Stone Roses
' debut album
. It was released in the UK
, Japan
, and Germany
. The single was their first Top 40 hit, peaking at #36 on the UK Singles Chart
in July 1989. A reissue in March 1990 improved by two places.
The single used a noticeably different mix of "She Bangs the Drums" to the album version. The hi-hat
intro was omitted, and it featured a slightly heavier guitar sound and a marginally different backing vocal arrangement. This single version is the one most commonly used for compilations and radio play.
The CD and cassette singles were noted for their strong selection of B-side
s: "Standing Here", "Mersey Paradise", and the backward playing track "Simone". It is noted for its fusion of the indie rock
and acid house
genres. Ian Brown
wrote the verse lyrics, while John Squire
was responsible for the chorus.
In May 2007, NME
magazine placed "She Bangs the Drums" at number 12 in its list of the 50 Greatest Indie Anthems Ever.
Two music video
s were produced for "She Bangs the Drums". The first video showed the band recording in a studio in January 1989. The band is shown goofing around in slow motion, with Squire's artwork in the background. The second music video featured clips from the Roses' classic gig at Blackpool
Empress Ballroom on August 12, 1989. This second video is more often played now than the original on TV
.
John: "'She Bangs the Drums' is about those brief moments when everything comes together. Like staying up till dawn and watching the sun rise with somebody you love. And then regretting it bitterly." Overall, as one critic puts it, "'She Bangs the Drums' embodies a spirit of newness and affirmation, a Motown-esque hymn to youth and the future."
12": [Silvertone ORE T 6]
CD: [Silvertone ORE CD 6] and CS: [Silvertone ORE C 6]
features this song as a playable bonus song. However, unlike bonus songs in other Guitar Hero games, it is featured as a cover version instead of the master recording.
The song is also featured in the karaoke game SingStar for the PlayStation 3
.
The Stone Roses
The Stone Roses are an English alternative rock band formed in Manchester in 1983. They were one of the pioneering groups of the Madchester movement that was active during the late 1980s and early 1990s...
' debut album
The Stone Roses (album)
The Stone Roses is the debut album by English rock band The Stone Roses, released on Silvertone Records in 1989. It cemented the band's reputation among critics, and is still rated by some as one of the most important albums ever...
. It was released in the UK
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...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, and Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. The single was their first Top 40 hit, peaking at #36 on 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 ...
in July 1989. A reissue in March 1990 improved by two places.
The single used a noticeably different mix of "She Bangs the Drums" to the album version. The hi-hat
Hi-hat
A hi-hat, or hihat, is a type of cymbal and stand used as a typical part of a drum kit by percussionists in R&B, hip-hop, disco, jazz, rock and roll, house, reggae and other forms of contemporary popular music.- Operation :...
intro was omitted, and it featured a slightly heavier guitar sound and a marginally different backing vocal arrangement. This single version is the one most commonly used for compilations and radio play.
The CD and cassette singles were noted for their strong selection of 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...
s: "Standing Here", "Mersey Paradise", and the backward playing track "Simone". It is noted for its fusion of the indie rock
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
and acid house
Acid house
Acid house is a sub-genre of house music that emphasizes a repetitive, hypnotic and trance-like style, often with samples or spoken lines rather than sung lyrics. Acid house's core electronic squelch sounds were developed around the mid-1980s, particularly by DJs from Chicago who experimented with...
genres. Ian Brown
Ian Brown
Ian George Brown is an English musician, best known as the lead singer of the alternative rock band The Stone Roses, which broke up in 1996 but are confirmed to reunite in 2012. Since the break-up of the Stone Roses he has pursued a solo career...
wrote the verse lyrics, while John Squire
John Squire
John Thomas Squire is an English musician, songwriter and artist.Squire is best known as the guitarist for The Stone Roses, a rock band in which he formed a songwriting partnership with lead singer Ian Brown. After leaving The Stone Roses he went on to found The Seahorses and has since released...
was responsible for the chorus.
In May 2007, NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
magazine placed "She Bangs the Drums" at number 12 in its list of the 50 Greatest Indie Anthems Ever.
Two music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
s were produced for "She Bangs the Drums". The first video showed the band recording in a studio in January 1989. The band is shown goofing around in slow motion, with Squire's artwork in the background. The second music video featured clips from the Roses' classic gig at Blackpool
Blackpool
Blackpool is a borough, seaside town, and unitary authority area of Lancashire, in North West England. It is situated along England's west coast by the Irish Sea, between the Ribble and Wyre estuaries, northwest of Preston, north of Liverpool, and northwest of Manchester...
Empress Ballroom on August 12, 1989. This second video is more often played now than the original on TV
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
.
John: "'She Bangs the Drums' is about those brief moments when everything comes together. Like staying up till dawn and watching the sun rise with somebody you love. And then regretting it bitterly." Overall, as one critic puts it, "'She Bangs the Drums' embodies a spirit of newness and affirmation, a Motown-esque hymn to youth and the future."
Track listing
7": [Silvertone ORE 6]- "She Bangs the Drums" – 3:43
- "Standing Here" – 5:05
12": [Silvertone ORE T 6]
- "She Bangs the Drums" – 3:43
- "Mersey Paradise" – 2:44
- "Standing Here" – 5:05
CD: [Silvertone ORE CD 6] and CS: [Silvertone ORE C 6]
- "She Bangs the Drums" – 3:43
- "Mersey Paradise" – 2:44
- "Standing Here" – 5:05
- "Simone" – 4:24
Use in other media
Guitar Hero III: Legends of RockGuitar Hero III: Legends of Rock
Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock is a music video game, the third main installment in the Guitar Hero series, and the fourth title overall...
features this song as a playable bonus song. However, unlike bonus songs in other Guitar Hero games, it is featured as a cover version instead of the master recording.
The song is also featured in the karaoke game SingStar for the PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
.
Personnel
- Ian Brown – vocals
- John Squire – guitars and backing vocals
- Mani – bass guitar
- Reni – drums, piano and backing vocals