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Special (Garbage song)
Encyclopedia
"Special" is an alternative rock
song written, performed and produced by Garbage
, and was the third international single
to be released from the band's platinum
second album Version 2.0
. "Special" gained much attention in the music press upon the 1998 release of Version 2.0, as it contained a vocal interpolation
of a lyric taken from "Talk of The Town" by The Pretenders
.
A moderate hit in the United Kingdom
and Australia
in October 1998, "Special" became a sleeper hit
in the United States
the following year. The song's success was marked by becoming nominated in the Best Rock Song
and Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group
categories at the 2000 Grammy Awards, and winning a Wisconsin Area Music Industry
award for Song of the Year and a Citation of Achievement from the BMI Pop Awards
. The acclaimed sci-fi inspired music video
for "Special" also received multiple nominations from music industry award panels; winning a D&AD Award
, a MTV Video Music Award, and a VH1 Visionary Video
award.
In 2007, "Special" was remastered
and included on Garbage's greatest hits
album Absolute Garbage
.
's Friday Harbor, Washington, vacation house. The group demoed
and made rough outlines for new songs, of which "Special", was one of. When they felt they had made a good start, Garbage
took the work they made in Washington back to their Madison, Wisconsin
base at Smart Studios
and begin fleshing out the ideas and rough sketches over the following year.
Garbage intended their second album to build upon the framework, music style and musical template laid down by their first release
; to create a rapprochement between the "high-tech and low-down, the now sound and of golden memories" and wear musical references to the sixties, seventies and eighties. Garbage
recorded all of their work for the second album through a 48-track digital system digitally, direct to hard drives utilizing a 24bit Pro Tools
rig.
Garbage employed touring bassist Daniel Shulman
to perform electric bass
on "Special", which he performed using a Fender Precision Bass
run through an Ampeg SVT
and then treated with "severe" equalization
to achieve a Paul McCartney-esque
Höfner
sound to the part. The guitar solo intro (which returns at the end of both choruses) was performed on a 12-string Rickenbacker
guitar
. At the end of the first chorus, Garbage recorded a multi-tracked harmony vocal from Manson ("I can't think of any latter-day bands where a female is singing those sort of stacked '60's style vocals").
While experimenting with various phrasing over the outro
to "Special", group vocalist Shirley Manson
ad-libbed "We were the talk of the town" from the refrain
of The Pretenders song "Talk of The Town". The band were keen to keep the lyric, and to circumvent any potential legal problems, Manson contacted Chrissie Hynde
by telephone to ask for permission to use the lyric. Hynde agreed to let Garbage use the lyric without even hearing "Special" first (and did not ask for any credit
or royalties
); Manson felt that she should send Hynde a copy of the song just to be sure, but before she could do so, Hynde sent a fax
to Smart Studios giving her written consent. Manson was reluctant to let people think that "Special" was simply a paean to Hynde; her lyrics concerned a friendship Manson had moved on from after her friend had let her down. Manson: "Ultimately it's about those feelings of betrayal you have for people when you set your sights too high and expect too much and how that can lead to disappointment in the end."
Garbage
completed recording, producing and mixing of their second album in mid-February 1998, and the album was given the title Version 2.0. "Special" was tracklisted as the album's fifth song. Version 2.0 was released worldwide on May 11 of that year; despite a slow start, Version 2.0 went on to equal its predecessor, selling over four million copies and achieving platinum-certification
in many territories, including United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Europe and Australia.
Garbage debuted "Special" live on May 15, 1998 at a concert at Ryan's Ballroom in Combined Locks, Wisconsin
, which was the first date of the Version 2.0 tour.
In advance of the UK release, Garbage promoted "Special" at the beginning of September with a live performance of the song on TFI Friday
, a pre-record of both "Special" and "When I Grow Up" for Pepsi Chart Show
, and also perform a three song set of "Special", "You Look So Fine
" and "I Think I'm Paranoid
" for broadcast on MTV Europe
. Promotional discs and 12" remix
packs were distributed across Europe
from September 21 to clubs and DJs, which enabled the featured Brothers in Rhythm
remixes to reach #6 on the pre-release industry Buzz Chart. "Special" is A-listed
at Radio One
and XFM
and B-listed at Virgin
, and also makes the playlists of 52 regional radio stations.
"Special" was released by Mushroom Records UK in the UK on October 5 on three formats
. The cassette single
and first CD single
contains B-side "13 × Forever"; the CD also includes a Brothers in Rhythm remix. The second CD single includes a newly-recorded acoustic version
of Version 2.0 album track "Medication" and a club remix of "Push It
" by New York
club DJ Victor Calderone
. On October 12, "Special" charts at #15 in the UK Singles Chart
. A week after the initial single release, Mushroom issued "Special" in a collectable 3" CD single format in blister pack
packaging, featuring both B-sides and the Brothers in Rhythm remix of "Special". The 3-inch CD format was deleted
after one week on sale. The same week, Version 2.0 is certified platinum by the BPI
for shipping over 300,000 units in the United Kingdom. Top Of The Pops
broadcast the band's earlier pre-record of "Special" to mark its chart position.
Across in Europe, BMG
issued "Special" on CD maxi and CD single
formats in various territories from October 5. Festival Mushroom, having absorbed and folded White Records as part of a recent merger of Festival Records and Mushroom Records
, released "Special" on a single CD maxi format collecting together the five tracks from the commercial UK release on October 26. "Special" peaks at #54 on the ARIA charts
.
Unlike Garbage's previous single, "I Think I'm Paranoid", the release of "Special" throughout Europe occurs when Garbage are not performing locally, the band having launched the three-month long North American fall leg of their Version 2.0 tour in Denver, Colorado on September 15. As the tour progresses, "Special" was added to Modern Rock
radio stations across North America on October 12, while remixes produced by Rickidy Raw are serviced to Urban radio. "Special" debuts on the Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart at #40 on October 31. Garbage performed "Special" on Late Show with David Letterman
on October 29, and the following day promoted the single on The Howard Stern Show, (but perform their 1997 Modern Rock #1 hit #1 Crush
instead of "Special"). As the tour reaches Canada
, Garbage perform an extended set of tracks, including "Special" for a MusiquePlus
televised performance filmed in Montreal
on November 14, before returning to the US to wraps up the run of headline dates on November 28 in Green Bay
. The following day, Garbage immediately set out to promote Version 2.0 and "Special" on a month-long radio show circuit starting at Madison's WMAD
for Modern Rock Live and on for a further twelve US radio shows; Garbage also perform "Special" live on The Tonight Show
on December 11. December 20 marks the final radio show in Detroit. Imports of "Special" from Europe make enough dance club playlists by the end of 1998 that the song is certified the #3 "Hot Dance Breakout" by Billboard
on December 25: "Special" makes a debut on the January 6th, 1999 Hot Dance Club Play
chart at #44.
On January 4, 1999, "Special" was serviced to Top 40
radio stations in a new alternate mix for airplay. This second push of "Special" dovetailed with the announcement of nominations for the 41st Grammy Awards on January 6; Version 2.0 is nominated for both Album of the Year
and Best Rock Album
. On January 26, "Special" is declared "#1 Most Added" track at Top 40 radio with 53 adds, beating out Whitney Houston
's "It's Not Right but It's Okay
". "Special" peaks on Modern Rock at #11 on January 30 (in its 14th week on the chart).
Garbage returned from a sold-out European arena tour (where during a gap in dates they performed both "Special" and "The Trick Is to Keep Breathing
" acoustically on French
TV show Nulle Part Ailleurs) to spend two months supporting Alanis Morissette
on her North American Junkie arena tour from February 16 in Cincinnati, Ohio
. On February 20, "Special" registers on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles
chart at #13, and, as mainstream airplay for the single increases, climbs to #1 in that chart over the next five weeks.
On March 6, "Special" peaked at #10 on its ninth week on the Hot Dance Club Play chart) and also debuts at #35 on the Hot Adult Top 40 chart. The following week, "Special" debuted at #40 on the Top 40 Mainstream chart. On March 20, during a break in the Junkie tour, Garbage perform both "Special" and "When I Grow Up" as that week's musical guests on entertainment show Saturday Night Live
. March 27 sees "Special" debut on both the Billboard Hot 100
chart (at #88) and the Hot 100 Airplay
chart (at #71). Garbage continue to promote the single on talk shows Charlie Rose
and The Late Late Show
, and return to The Tonight Show to perform "Special" for a second time on April 2. The Junkie tour ends on April 7 in Los Angeles
; the following week "Special" makes its final appearance on one chart (Hot Dance Club Play, at #43, its fourteenth week) and its first on another (Top 40 Tracks
, at #39). "Special" registers its last charting on the Modern Rock rankings at #35 on April 24, having enjoyed a twenty-six week chart run (however, a week later, "When I Grow Up" debuts on the Modern Rock chart).
"Special" continues to ride high in the mainstream charts throughout May 1999; peaking at #16 on the May 8th Hot Adult Top 40 (in its tenth week on that chart); and peaking for three weeks from the same date at #18 on the Top 40 Mainstream chart. "Special" peaks at #22 on Top 40 Tracks chart seven days later. The week of May 22 sees "Special" reach its highest position on both the Hot 100 (at #52, in its ninth week of thirteen) and on the Hot 100 Airplay (at #42, and in its eighth of ten). "Special" ends its chart runs on both the Hot 100 Airplay and Top 40 Tracks on June 5; on both the Hot 100 and Top 40 Mainstream on June 19; and after twenty two weeks on Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks on July 31.
at the end of August, 1998 by director
Dawn Shadforth
for Black Dog/RSA Films. Shadforth came to Garbage's attention when they viewed her clip for "Beat Goes On" by electronica group All Seeing I
. Her innovative storyboard
treatment for "Special" highly impressed the band - her concept was not an obvious idea for a song like "Special".
Her concept for "Special" featured the members of Garbage in a dogfight
in the skies of an alien world. Before production of the video commenced, Shadforth fashioned four study models of the fighter planes to enable her to plan in advance the shots and edits she needed to tell the storyline. The planes were designed by graphic artists who had worked on visual effects
for Lost In Space
and Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
. Each band member was given a personalized plane design, emblazoned with imagery inspired by manga
and sci-fi art; while each filmed their parts in a cabin set built upon a gimbal
to give realism to the shots. Stylist
William Baker
, who worked on the video, said "Dawn wanted to present Shirley Manson as a space-age fighter pilot, with shots showing her sexily manipulating the controls of her craft". Shadforth later used techniques she used on the "Special" video in her 2001 music video for Kylie Minogue
's "Can't Get You Out of My Head
".
Throughout 1999, the "Special" music video received a number of nominations from industry panels. In April, Garbage were the leading nominee for the MVPA Music Video Awards
industry event, with six nominations shared between the videos for "Special" and "Push It". "Special" was nominated for Best Special Effects (to SFX UK). In September, the "Special" video was nominated for Best Art Direction
and won the award for Best Special Effects
at the MTV Video Music Awards
(given to effects team Shawn Broughton and Stuart Gordon of Digital Domain
). In December, the "Special" video won the Visionary Video award at the VH1 Fashion Awards
. The "Special" video also won a 'silver' Design and Art Direction award
for Best Direction in Pop Promo Video and was nominated for a CAD (Creative and Design) Award
for Best Special Effects (to Paul Simpson, Stuart Gordon, and Sean Broughton).
The "Special" music video begain airing across Europe in mid-September 1998 and premiered on North American music stations on December 6, 1998. A remastered version of the full-length video was included on Garbage's 2007 greatest hits DVD Absolute Garbage, and the original shorter edit made available as a digital download
via online music services
later the same year. The full length video was made available to North American online music stores in 2010.
For the initial release of "Special", Brothers in Rhythm
's remix was included. Several early press releases for the single also included a remix by Nellee Hooper
, but this version remains unreleased. Rickidy Raw's remixes were commissioned to service to North American urban radio stations, and his "R + B remix" saw a commercial release in the UK on formats of "When I Grow Up" and in Europe on "The Trick Is to Keep Breathing
"
In 2007, Brothers in Rhythm's remix was remastered and included on the Absolute Garbage bonus disc Garbage Mixes.
1998 Polls
1999 Polls
Pop mix
Brothers In Rhythm remixes
Rickidy Raw remixes
A Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles lists the top twenty-five singles which had not, at the time of publishing, charted on the Hot 100 chart. "Special" technically topped this chart.
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...
song written, performed and produced by Garbage
Garbage (band)
Garbage are an alternative rock band formed in Madison, Wisconsin in 1994. The group consists of Scottish singer Shirley Manson and American musicians Duke Erikson , Steve Marker and Butch Vig . All four members are involved in songwriting and production...
, and was the third international 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...
to be released from the band's platinum
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
second album Version 2.0
Version 2.0
Version 2.0 is the second album by alternative rock group Garbage. It was released worldwide in May 1998 by Mushroom Records UK and in North America by Almo Sounds. Version 2.0 was the follow-up to the band's multi-platinum debut album Garbage. Despite a slow start, Version 2.0 went on to equal its...
. "Special" gained much attention in the music press upon the 1998 release of Version 2.0, as it contained a vocal interpolation
Interpolation (music)
Interpolation in music refers to an abrupt change in musical elements from the main theme.-In classical music:In music and musical composition, especially 20th century and later, interpolation is an abrupt change of elements, with continuation of the first idea...
of a lyric taken from "Talk of The Town" by The Pretenders
The Pretenders
The Pretenders are an English rock band formed in Hereford, England in March 1978. The original band consisted of initiator and main songwriter Chrissie Hynde , James Honeyman-Scott , Pete Farndon , and Martin Chambers...
.
A moderate hit in the United Kingdom
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...
and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
in October 1998, "Special" became a sleeper hit
Sleeper hit
A sleeper hit, a.k.a. surprise hit , refers to a film, book, single, album, TV show, or video game that gains unexpected success or recognition...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
the following year. The song's success was marked by becoming nominated in the Best Rock Song
Grammy Award for Best Rock Song
The Grammy Award for Best Rock Song is an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality songs in the rock music genre...
and Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group
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...
categories at the 2000 Grammy Awards, and winning a Wisconsin Area Music Industry
Wisconsin Area Music Industry
Wisconsin Area Music Industry is an American volunteer organization founded in 1980, and based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Its stated purpose is "to educate and recognize the achievements and accomplishments of individuals in the Wisconsin music industry." The organization is best known for its...
award for Song of the Year and a Citation of Achievement from the BMI Pop Awards
Broadcast Music Incorporated
Broadcast Music, Inc. is one of three United States performing rights organizations, along with ASCAP and SESAC. It collects license fees on behalf of songwriters, composers, and music publishers and distributes them as royalties to those members whose works have been performed...
. The acclaimed sci-fi inspired 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...
for "Special" also received multiple nominations from music industry award panels; winning a D&AD Award
D&AD
Design and Art Direction is a British educational charity which exists to promote excellence in design and advertising...
, a MTV Video Music Award, and a VH1 Visionary Video
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
award.
In 2007, "Special" was remastered
Audio mastering
Mastering, 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...
and included on Garbage's greatest hits
Greatest hits
A greatest hits album is a music compilation album of successful, previously released songs by a particular artist or band...
album Absolute Garbage
Absolute Garbage
Absolute Garbage is the 2007 greatest hits album released by alternative rock group Garbage. The album was compiled and released by Geffen imprint Almo Sounds through Universal Music Enterprises backcatalogue division in North America and Warner Music's record label A&E Records throughout the rest...
.
Composition and recording
Garbage began writing their second album, which would go under the working title of Sad Alcoholic Clowns, in March 1997 in the band's label-head Jerry MossJerry Moss
Jerome S. "Jerry" Moss is an American recording executive, best known for being the co-founder of A&M Records, along with trumpeter and bandleader Herb Alpert....
's Friday Harbor, Washington, vacation house. The group demoed
Demo (music)
A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists...
and made rough outlines for new songs, of which "Special", was one of. When they felt they had made a good start, Garbage
Garbage (band)
Garbage are an alternative rock band formed in Madison, Wisconsin in 1994. The group consists of Scottish singer Shirley Manson and American musicians Duke Erikson , Steve Marker and Butch Vig . All four members are involved in songwriting and production...
took the work they made in Washington back to their Madison, Wisconsin
Madison, Wisconsin
Madison is the capital of the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Dane County. It is also home to the University of Wisconsin–Madison....
base at Smart Studios
Smart Studios
Smart Studios was a recording studio located at 1254 E Washington Ave in Madison, Wisconsin. It was set up in 1983 by Butch Vig and Steve Marker to produce local bands....
and begin fleshing out the ideas and rough sketches over the following year.
Garbage intended their second album to build upon the framework, music style and musical template laid down by their first release
Garbage (album)
Garbage is the debut album by Scottish/American alternative rock group Garbage. It was released in the late summer and autumn of 1995 worldwide, following critical acclaim and promising chart positions for their debut single "Vow", which entered the Billboard Hot 100.Garbage eventually spent over a...
; to create a rapprochement between the "high-tech and low-down, the now sound and of golden memories" and wear musical references to the sixties, seventies and eighties. Garbage
Garbage (band)
Garbage are an alternative rock band formed in Madison, Wisconsin in 1994. The group consists of Scottish singer Shirley Manson and American musicians Duke Erikson , Steve Marker and Butch Vig . All four members are involved in songwriting and production...
recorded all of their work for the second album through a 48-track digital system digitally, direct to hard drives utilizing a 24bit Pro Tools
Pro Tools
Pro Tools is a digital audio workstation platform for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X operating systems, developed and manufactured by Avid Technology. It is widely used by professionals throughout the audio industries for recording and editing in music production, film scoring, film, and television...
rig.
Garbage employed touring bassist Daniel Shulman
Daniel Shulman
Daniel Shulman is an American performer of bass guitar. Although he has made a significant contribution as a session musician, working with Run-DMC and Meredith Brooks, he is best known for his work with the Scottish-American band Garbage from 1995 until 2002....
to perform electric bass
Electric Bass
Electric bass can mean:*Electric upright bass, the electric version of a double bass*Electric bass guitar*Bass synthesizer*Big Mouth Billy Bass, a battery-powered singing fish...
on "Special", which he performed using a Fender Precision Bass
Fender Precision Bass
The Fender Precision Bass is an electric bass.Designed by Leo Fender as a prototype in 1950 and brought to market in 1951, the Precision was the first electric bass to earn widespread attention and use. A revolutionary instrument for the time, the Precision Bass has made an immeasurable impact on...
run through an Ampeg SVT
Ampeg SVT
The Ampeg SVT is a bass amplifier made by Ampeg. The SVT, which stands for "Super Valve Technology", was designed by Bill Hughes and introduced in 1969. The SVT bass head produced 300 watts at a time when most amplifiers made less than 100. The SVT has been through many design changes over the...
and then treated with "severe" equalization
Equalization
Equalization, is the process of adjusting the balance between frequency components within an electronic signal. The most well known use of equalization is in sound recording and reproduction but there are many other applications in electronics and telecommunications. The circuit or equipment used...
to achieve a Paul McCartney-esque
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
Höfner
Höfner
Karl Höfner GmbH & Co. KG is a German manufacturer of musical instruments, with one division that manufactures guitars and basses, and another that manufactures other string instruments....
sound to the part. The guitar solo intro (which returns at the end of both choruses) was performed on a 12-string Rickenbacker
Rickenbacker
Rickenbacker International Corporation, also known as Rickenbacker, is an electric and bass guitar manufacturer based in Santa Ana, California...
guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
. At the end of the first chorus, Garbage recorded a multi-tracked harmony vocal from Manson ("I can't think of any latter-day bands where a female is singing those sort of stacked '60's style vocals").
While experimenting with various phrasing over the outro
Conclusion (music)
In music, the conclusion is the ending of a composition and may take the form of a coda or outro.Pieces using sonata form typically use the recapitulation to conclude a piece, providing closure through the repetition of thematic material from the exposition in the tonic key...
to "Special", group vocalist Shirley Manson
Shirley Manson
Shirley Anne Manson is a Scottish recording artist and actress, best known internationally as the lead singer of the alternative rock band Garbage. For much of her international career Manson commuted between her home city of Edinburgh to the United States to record with Garbage but now lives and...
ad-libbed "We were the talk of the town" from the refrain
Refrain
A refrain is the line or lines that are repeated in music or in verse; the "chorus" of a song...
of The Pretenders song "Talk of The Town". The band were keen to keep the lyric, and to circumvent any potential legal problems, Manson contacted Chrissie Hynde
Chrissie Hynde
Christine Ellen "Chrissie" Hynde is an US musician best known as the leader of the rock/new wave band the Pretenders. She is a singer, songwriter, and guitarist, and has been the only constant member of the band throughout its history.-Early life and career:Hynde is the daughter of a part-time...
by telephone to ask for permission to use the lyric. Hynde agreed to let Garbage use the lyric without even hearing "Special" first (and did not ask for any credit
Credit (creative arts)
In general, the term credit in the artistic or intellectual sense refers to an acknowledgement of those who contributed to a work, whether through ideas or in a more direct sense.-Credit in the arts:...
or royalties
Royalties
Royalties are usage-based payments made by one party to another for the right to ongoing use of an asset, sometimes an intellectual property...
); Manson felt that she should send Hynde a copy of the song just to be sure, but before she could do so, Hynde sent a fax
Fax
Fax , sometimes called telecopying, is the telephonic transmission of scanned printed material , normally to a telephone number connected to a printer or other output device...
to Smart Studios giving her written consent. Manson was reluctant to let people think that "Special" was simply a paean to Hynde; her lyrics concerned a friendship Manson had moved on from after her friend had let her down. Manson: "Ultimately it's about those feelings of betrayal you have for people when you set your sights too high and expect too much and how that can lead to disappointment in the end."
Garbage
Garbage (band)
Garbage are an alternative rock band formed in Madison, Wisconsin in 1994. The group consists of Scottish singer Shirley Manson and American musicians Duke Erikson , Steve Marker and Butch Vig . All four members are involved in songwriting and production...
completed recording, producing and mixing of their second album in mid-February 1998, and the album was given the title Version 2.0. "Special" was tracklisted as the album's fifth song. Version 2.0 was released worldwide on May 11 of that year; despite a slow start, Version 2.0 went on to equal its predecessor, selling over four million copies and achieving platinum-certification
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
in many territories, including United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Europe and Australia.
Song history
Combined Locks, Wisconsin
Combined Locks is a village in Outagamie County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 2,422 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Combined Locks is located at ....
, which was the first date of the Version 2.0 tour.
In advance of the UK release, Garbage promoted "Special" at the beginning of September with a live performance of the song on TFI Friday
TFI Friday
TFI Friday is an entertainment show broadcast on Channel 4 in the United Kingdom from 1996 to 2000. The show produced by Ginger Productions, written by Danny Baker and hosted by Chris Evans, for the first 5 series. The final series was hosted by a number of Guest Presenters. It was broadcast on...
, a pre-record of both "Special" and "When I Grow Up" for Pepsi Chart Show
Pepsi Chart (UK)
The Pepsi Chart was a networked Sunday afternoon Top 40 countdown on UK radio that started life on 1st August 1993 with Neil 'Doctor' Fox hosting the show live from the Capital Radio studios in London...
, and also perform a three song set of "Special", "You Look So Fine
You Look So Fine
"You Look So Fine" is a single released in 1999, and was the final single taken from Garbage's second album Version 2.0, where it was also the closing track...
" and "I Think I'm Paranoid
I Think I'm Paranoid
"I Think I'm Paranoid" is an alternative rock song written, performed and produced by Garbage and was the second single released from their second album Version 2.0....
" for broadcast on MTV Europe
MTV Europe
MTV Europe is a pan-European 24-hour entertainment cable and digital television network launched on August 1, 1987. Initially, the channel served all regions within Europe being one of the very few channels that targeted the entire European continent...
. Promotional discs and 12" remix
Remix
A 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 ....
packs were distributed across Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
from September 21 to clubs and DJs, which enabled the featured Brothers in Rhythm
Brothers in Rhythm
Brothers In Rhythm is a house music duo consisting of producers / remixers and DJs Steve Anderson and Dave Seaman. As a duo and individually, they have remixed and/or produced tracks by Lulu, M People, Secret Life, Janet Jackson, Michael Jackson, New Order, Pet Shop Boys, Kylie Minogue, Garbage,...
remixes to reach #6 on the pre-release industry Buzz Chart. "Special" is A-listed
Playlist
In its most general form, a playlist is simply a list of songs. They can be played in sequential or shuffled order. The term has several specialized meanings in the realms of radio broadcasting and personal computers.-In radio:...
at Radio One
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...
and XFM
Xfm London
Xfm London is a commercial radio station in the United Kingdom owned by Global Radio and broadcasts on 104.9 FM in London, on digital radio via 30 DAB multiplexes across the country, Sky, TalkTalk TV and Virgin Media....
and B-listed at Virgin
Virgin Radio
Absolute Radio is one of the UK's three Independent National Radio stations. The station rebranded to its current name at 7.45am on 29 September 2008.The station is based in London and plays popular rock music...
, and also makes the playlists of 52 regional radio stations.
"Special" was released by Mushroom Records UK in the UK on October 5 on three formats
Audio format
An audio format is a medium for storing sound and music. The term is applied to both the physical recording media and the recording formats of the audio content – in computer science it is often limited to the audio file format, but its wider use usually refers to the physical method used to...
. The cassette single
Cassette single
A cassette single is a music single in the form of a Compact Cassette.- History :...
and first 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...
contains B-side "13 × Forever"; the CD also includes a Brothers in Rhythm remix. The second CD single includes a newly-recorded acoustic version
Acoustic music
Acoustic music comprises music that solely or primarily uses instruments which produce sound through entirely acoustic means, as opposed to electric or electronic means...
of Version 2.0 album track "Medication" and a club remix of "Push It
Push It (Garbage song)
"Push It" is a 1998 song written, produced and performed by alternative rock group Garbage. "Push It" was the lead single released from their second album Version 2.0, in part to bridge the style evolution between the second album and their debut, and to start the campaign with a credible,...
" by New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
club DJ Victor Calderone
Victor Calderone
Victor Calderone is a house music producer, DJ and remixer.-History:Raised in the Bensonhurst section of Brooklyn, Calderone was introduced into New York City's nightlife by his older brother, Cesar, who was very active in the club music business. Calderone began to dabble with turntables and...
. On October 12, "Special" charts at #15 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 ...
. A week after the initial single release, Mushroom issued "Special" in a collectable 3" CD single format in blister pack
Blister pack
Blister pack is a term for several types of pre-formed plastic packaging used for small consumer goods, foods, and for pharmaceuticals.The primary component of a blister pack is a cavity or pocket made from a "formable" web, usually a thermoformed plastic. This usually has a backing of paperboard...
packaging, featuring both B-sides and the Brothers in Rhythm remix of "Special". The 3-inch CD format was deleted
Deletion (music industry)
Deletion is a music industry term referring to the removal of a record or records from a label's official catalog, so that it is out of print, but usually at a record artist's request....
after one week on sale. The same week, Version 2.0 is certified platinum by the BPI
British Phonographic Industry
The British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade association.-Structure:Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies...
for shipping over 300,000 units in the United Kingdom. Top Of The Pops
Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops, also known as TOTP, is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly from 1 January 1964 to 30 July 2006. After 25 December 2006 it became a radio program, now hosted by Tony Blackburn...
broadcast the band's earlier pre-record of "Special" to mark its chart position.
Across in Europe, BMG
BMG
Bertelsmann Music Group, , was a division of Bertelsmann before its completion of sale of the majority of its assets to Japan's Sony Corporation of America on October 1, 2008. It was established in 1987 to combine the music label activities of Bertelsmann...
issued "Special" on CD maxi and 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...
formats in various territories from October 5. Festival Mushroom, having absorbed and folded White Records as part of a recent merger of Festival Records and Mushroom Records
Mushroom Records
Mushroom Records is an Australian recoJrd company formed by Michael Gudinski and Ray Evans in Melbourne in 1972. After its sale in 1998, it merged into Festival Mushroom Records. From 2005 to 2009, it is one of the record labels operated by Warner Bros...
, released "Special" on a single CD maxi format collecting together the five tracks from the commercial UK release on October 26. "Special" peaks at #54 on the ARIA charts
ARIA Charts
The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June...
.
Modern rock
Modern rock is a rock format commonly found on commercial radio; the format consists primarily of the alternative rock genre...
radio stations across North America on October 12, while remixes produced by Rickidy Raw are serviced to Urban radio. "Special" debuts on the Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart at #40 on October 31. Garbage performed "Special" on Late Show with David Letterman
Late Show with David Letterman
Late Show with David Letterman is a U.S. late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS. The show debuted on August 30, 1993, and is produced by Letterman's production company, Worldwide Pants Incorporated. The show's music director and band-leader of the house band, the CBS Orchestra, is...
on October 29, and the following day promoted the single on The Howard Stern Show, (but perform their 1997 Modern Rock #1 hit #1 Crush
Number One Crush
"#1 Crush" is a song by Garbage, released internationally on the b-side to their debut release "Vow", and in the United Kingdom on the b-side to second single "Subhuman"....
instead of "Special"). As the tour reaches Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Garbage perform an extended set of tracks, including "Special" for a MusiquePlus
MusiquePlus
MusiquePlus is a Canadian French language Category A specialty channel owned by Astral Media operating from Montreal, Quebec.MusiquePlus is devoted to music and music related programming from various genres including pop, rock, RnB and focuses on a younger demographic than its sister station, MusiMax...
televised performance filmed in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
on November 14, before returning to the US to wraps up the run of headline dates on November 28 in Green Bay
Green Bay, Wisconsin
Green Bay is a city in and the county seat of Brown County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, located at the head of Green Bay, a sub-basin of Lake Michigan, at the mouth of the Fox River. It has an elevation of above sea level and is located north of Milwaukee. As of the 2010 United States Census,...
. The following day, Garbage immediately set out to promote Version 2.0 and "Special" on a month-long radio show circuit starting at Madison's WMAD
WMAD
WMAD is a radio station serving the Madison, Wisconsin metropolitan area. The station is owned by Clear Channel Communications and has been running a country music format since December 23, 2005...
for Modern Rock Live and on for a further twelve US radio shows; Garbage also perform "Special" live on The Tonight Show
The Tonight Show
The Tonight Show is an American late-night talk show that has aired on NBC since 1954. It is the longest currently running regularly scheduled entertainment program in the United States, and the third longest-running show on NBC, after Meet the Press and Today.The Tonight Show has been hosted by...
on December 11. December 20 marks the final radio show in Detroit. Imports of "Special" from Europe make enough dance club playlists by the end of 1998 that the song is certified the #3 "Hot Dance Breakout" by Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
on December 25: "Special" makes a debut on the January 6th, 1999 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...
chart at #44.
On January 4, 1999, "Special" was serviced to Top 40
Contemporary hit radio
Contemporary hit radio is a radio format that is common in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by the Top 40 music charts...
radio stations in a new alternate mix for airplay. This second push of "Special" dovetailed with the announcement of nominations for the 41st Grammy Awards on January 6; Version 2.0 is nominated for both Album of the Year
Grammy Award for Album of the Year
The Grammy Award for Album of the Year is the most prestigious award category at the Grammys. It has been awarded since 1959 and though it was originally presented to the artist alone, the award is now presented to the artist, the producer, the engineer and/or mixer and the mastering engineer...
and Best Rock Album
Grammy Award for Best Rock Album
The Grammy Award for Best Rock Album is an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality albums in the rock music genre...
. On January 26, "Special" is declared "#1 Most Added" track at Top 40 radio with 53 adds, beating out Whitney Houston
Whitney Houston
Whitney Elizabeth Houston is an American singer, actress, producer and a former model. Houston is the most awarded female act of all time, according to Guinness World Records, and her list of awards include 1 Emmy Award, 6 Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards, among...
's "It's Not Right but It's Okay
It's Not Right but It's Okay
"It's Not Right but It's Okay" is a 1999 R&B/dance song by American singer Whitney Houston, from her fourth studio album My Love Is Your Love. Initially featured as the B-Side of "Heartbreak Hotel," it became the album's third single and peaked at #4 on the US Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart on...
". "Special" peaks on Modern Rock at #11 on January 30 (in its 14th week on the chart).
Garbage returned from a sold-out European arena tour (where during a gap in dates they performed both "Special" and "The Trick Is to Keep Breathing
The Trick Is to Keep Breathing
"The Trick Is to Keep Breathing" is a song by Garbage, released as the joint-fourth single from their platinum second album Version 2.0. The single was released in a number of European countries including Germany, Austria, Italy, Portugal and Greece...
" acoustically on French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
TV show Nulle Part Ailleurs) to spend two months supporting Alanis Morissette
Alanis Morissette
Alanis Nadine Morissette is a Canadian-American singer-songwriter, guitarist, record producer, and actress. She has won 16 Juno Awards and seven Grammy Awards, was nominated for two Golden Globe Awards and also shortlisted for an Academy Award nomination...
on her North American Junkie arena tour from February 16 in Cincinnati, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
. On February 20, "Special" registers on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles
Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles
The Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States. It lists the top 25 singles below number 100 that have not yet charted on the Billboard Hot 100. Sometimes, however, singles halt their progress on this chart, and never appear on the Hot 100...
chart at #13, and, as mainstream airplay for the single increases, climbs to #1 in that chart over the next five weeks.
On March 6, "Special" peaked at #10 on its ninth week on the Hot Dance Club Play chart) and also debuts at #35 on the Hot Adult Top 40 chart. The following week, "Special" debuted at #40 on the Top 40 Mainstream chart. On March 20, during a break in the Junkie tour, Garbage perform both "Special" and "When I Grow Up" as that week's musical guests on entertainment show Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
. March 27 sees "Special" debut on both the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
chart (at #88) and the Hot 100 Airplay
Hot 100 Airplay
The Hot 100 Airplay chart is a chart released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States. It measures radio airplay, and is one of the three component charts, along with the Hot Singles Sales and the Hot Digital Songs charts, that determine the chart positions of singles on the Billboard...
chart (at #71). Garbage continue to promote the single on talk shows Charlie Rose
Charlie Rose (talk show)
Charlie Rose is an American television interview show, with Charlie Rose as executive producer, executive editor, and host. The show is syndicated...
and The Late Late Show
The Late Late Show (CBS TV series)
The Late Late Show is an American late-night television talk and variety show on CBS hosted by Craig Ferguson since 2005. It immediately follows Late Show with David Letterman and is produced by Letterman's Worldwide Pants Incorporated...
, and return to The Tonight Show to perform "Special" for a second time on April 2. The Junkie tour ends on April 7 in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
; the following week "Special" makes its final appearance on one chart (Hot Dance Club Play, at #43, its fourteenth week) and its first on another (Top 40 Tracks
Top 40 Tracks
Top 40 Tracks is a defunct airplay chart from Billboard Magazine. It was created in 1998, when Billboard Magazine changed the airplay profile of The Hot 100 Airplay to include more R&B, Country, and Rock stations to its profile . To preserve the notion of the former chart, Top 40 Tracks was...
, at #39). "Special" registers its last charting on the Modern Rock rankings at #35 on April 24, having enjoyed a twenty-six week chart run (however, a week later, "When I Grow Up" debuts on the Modern Rock chart).
"Special" continues to ride high in the mainstream charts throughout May 1999; peaking at #16 on the May 8th Hot Adult Top 40 (in its tenth week on that chart); and peaking for three weeks from the same date at #18 on the Top 40 Mainstream chart. "Special" peaks at #22 on Top 40 Tracks chart seven days later. The week of May 22 sees "Special" reach its highest position on both the Hot 100 (at #52, in its ninth week of thirteen) and on the Hot 100 Airplay (at #42, and in its eighth of ten). "Special" ends its chart runs on both the Hot 100 Airplay and Top 40 Tracks on June 5; on both the Hot 100 and Top 40 Mainstream on June 19; and after twenty two weeks on Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks on July 31.
Tracklistings
- UK cassette Mushroom MUSH39MCS
- European CD single BMG 74321 60488 2
- "Special" - 3:44
- "13 × Forever" - 3:55
- UK CD1 Mushroom MUSH39CDS
- "Special" - 3:44
- "13 × Forever" - 3:55
- "Special - Brothers in Rhythm mix" - 7:24
- UK CD2 Mushroom MUSH39CDSX
- "Special" - 3:44
- "Medication - Acoustic Version" - 4:13
- "Push It - Victor Calderone mix" - 7:18
- UK 3" CD Mushroom MUSH39CDSXXX
- European CD maxi BMG 74321 60487 2
- "Special" - 3:44
- "13 × Forever" - 3:55
- "Medication - Acoustic Version" - 4:13
- "Special - Brothers in Rhythm mix" - 7:24
- Australian CD maxi Festival MUSH01827.2
- "Special" - 3:44
- "13 × Forever" - 3:55
- "Medication - Acoustic Version" - 4:13
- "Special - Brothers in Rhythm mix" - 7:24
- "Push It - Victor Calderone mix" - 7:18
Music video
The promotional video for "Special" was filmed over a four-day shoot in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
at the end of August, 1998 by director
Music video director
A music video director is driven by a given music track. These are called music videos and are then used as promotional tools for popular music singles...
Dawn Shadforth
Dawn Shadforth
Dawn Shadforth is a British music video and documentary director, as well as an editor and artist. Shadforth began her career as an award winning sculptor before turning her interest to music and directing...
for Black Dog/RSA Films. Shadforth came to Garbage's attention when they viewed her clip for "Beat Goes On" by electronica group All Seeing I
All Seeing I
The All Seeing I is an English electronic music group from Sheffield, comprising Dean Honer, Jason Buckle and DJ Parrot...
. Her innovative storyboard
Storyboard
Storyboards are graphic organizers in the form of illustrations or images displayed in sequence for the purpose of pre-visualizing a motion picture, animation, motion graphic or interactive media sequence....
treatment for "Special" highly impressed the band - her concept was not an obvious idea for a song like "Special".
Her concept for "Special" featured the members of Garbage in a dogfight
Dogfight
A dogfight, or dog fight, is a form of aerial combat between fighter aircraft; in particular, combat of maneuver at short range, where each side is aware of the other's presence. Dogfighting first appeared during World War I, shortly after the invention of the airplane...
in the skies of an alien world. Before production of the video commenced, Shadforth fashioned four study models of the fighter planes to enable her to plan in advance the shots and edits she needed to tell the storyline. The planes were designed by graphic artists who had worked on visual effects
Visual effects
Visual effects are the various processes by which imagery is created and/or manipulated outside the context of a live action shoot. Visual effects involve the integration of live-action footage and generated imagery to create environments which look realistic, but would be dangerous, costly, or...
for Lost In Space
Lost in Space (film)
Lost in Space is a 1998 American science fiction film starring Gary Oldman and William Hurt. The film was shot in London and Shepperton, and produced by New Line Cinema. The plot is adapted from the 1965–1968 CBS television series Lost In Space...
and Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace is a 1999 American epic space opera film written and directed by George Lucas. It is the fourth film to be released in the Star Wars saga, as the first of a three-part prequel to the original Star Wars trilogy, as well as the first film in the saga in terms...
. Each band member was given a personalized plane design, emblazoned with imagery inspired by manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
and sci-fi art; while each filmed their parts in a cabin set built upon a gimbal
Gimbal
A gimbal is a pivoted support that allows the rotation of an object about a single axis. A set of two gimbals, one mounted on the other with pivot axes orthogonal, may be used to allow an object mounted on the innermost gimbal to remain immobile regardless of the motion of its support...
to give realism to the shots. Stylist
Wardrobe stylist
A wardrobe stylist is the job title of someone who selects the clothing for published editorial features, print or television advertising campaigns, music videos, concert performances, and any public appearances made by celebrities, models or other public figures...
William Baker
William Baker (fashion designer)
William Baker is a fashion designer, stylist and author and theatre director, best known for his work with musician Kylie Minogue....
, who worked on the video, said "Dawn wanted to present Shirley Manson as a space-age fighter pilot, with shots showing her sexily manipulating the controls of her craft". Shadforth later used techniques she used on the "Special" video in her 2001 music video for Kylie Minogue
Kylie Minogue
Kylie Ann Minogue, OBE - often known simply as Kylie - is an Australian singer, recording artist, songwriter, and actress. After beginning her career as a child actress on Australian television, she achieved recognition through her role in the television soap opera Neighbours, before commencing...
's "Can't Get You Out of My Head
Can't Get You out of My Head
"Can't Get You Out of My Head" is a song by Australian recording artist and songwriter Kylie Minogue, which was released from her eighth studio album Fever . The song was released worldwide as the lead single from the album, which was released on 8 September, 2001. The song was written and produced...
".
Music Video Production Association
The Music Video Production Association is a music industry trade organization, based in Los Angeles, that is made up of producers, directors, and other professionals involved in the creation of music videos....
industry event, with six nominations shared between the videos for "Special" and "Push It". "Special" was nominated for Best Special Effects (to SFX UK). In September, the "Special" video was nominated for Best Art Direction
MTV Video Music Award for Best Art Direction
The following is a list of MTV Video Music Award winners for Best Art Direction in a Video. The Red Hot Chili Peppers are the biggest winners in this category with three wins in 1992, 2000, and 2006....
and won the award for Best Special Effects
MTV Video Music Award for Best Special Effects
The following is a list of MTV Video Music Awards winners for Best Special Effects in a Video....
at the MTV Video Music Awards
1999 MTV Video Music Awards
The 1999 MTV Video Music Awards aired live on September 9, 1999, honoring the best music videos from June 13, 1998, to June 11, 1999. The show was hosted by Chris Rock at Metropolitan Opera House in New York City....
(given to effects team Shawn Broughton and Stuart Gordon of Digital Domain
Digital Domain
Digital Domain is a visual effects and animation company founded by film director James Cameron, Stan Winston and Scott Ross. It is based in Venice, Los Angeles, California...
). In December, the "Special" video won the Visionary Video award at the VH1 Fashion Awards
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
. The "Special" video also won a 'silver' Design and Art Direction award
D&AD
Design and Art Direction is a British educational charity which exists to promote excellence in design and advertising...
for Best Direction in Pop Promo Video and was nominated for a CAD (Creative and Design) Award
Music Week
Music Week is a trade paper for the UK record industry.Founded in 1959 as Record Retailer, it was relaunched on 18 March 1972 as Music Week . On 17 January 1981 the title was again changed, owing to the increasing importance of sell-through videos, to Music & Video Week...
for Best Special Effects (to Paul Simpson, Stuart Gordon, and Sean Broughton).
The "Special" music video begain airing across Europe in mid-September 1998 and premiered on North American music stations on December 6, 1998. A remastered version of the full-length video was included on Garbage's 2007 greatest hits DVD Absolute Garbage, and the original shorter edit made available as a 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...
via online music services
Online music store
An online music store is an online business which sells audio files, usually music, on a per-song and/or subscription basis. It may be differentiated from music streaming services in that the music store offers the actual music file, while streaming services offer partial or full listening without...
later the same year. The full length video was made available to North American online music stores in 2010.
Official mixes
| Track title | Length | Remixer/Producer | Commercial release |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Special (Pop mix)" | 3:35 | Garbage Garbage (band) Garbage are an alternative rock band formed in Madison, Wisconsin in 1994. The group consists of Scottish singer Shirley Manson and American musicians Duke Erikson , Steve Marker and Butch Vig . All four members are involved in songwriting and production... |
No |
| "Special (Brothers In Rhythm Club mix (Radio edit))" | 4:11 | Brothers in Rhythm Brothers in Rhythm Brothers In Rhythm is a house music duo consisting of producers / remixers and DJs Steve Anderson and Dave Seaman. As a duo and individually, they have remixed and/or produced tracks by Lulu, M People, Secret Life, Janet Jackson, Michael Jackson, New Order, Pet Shop Boys, Kylie Minogue, Garbage,... |
No |
| "Special (Brothers In Rhythm Club mix)" | 7:24 | Yes | |
| "Special (Brothers In Rhythm Club mix)" 12" mix | 9:58 | No | |
| "Special (Brothers In Rhythm Club mix (Instrumental))" | 10:00 | No | |
| "Special (Rickidy Raw R+B remix)" | 3:25 | Rickidy Raw | Yes |
| "Special (Rickidy Raw Late Night mix)" | 3:58 | No |
For the initial release of "Special", Brothers in Rhythm
Brothers in Rhythm
Brothers In Rhythm is a house music duo consisting of producers / remixers and DJs Steve Anderson and Dave Seaman. As a duo and individually, they have remixed and/or produced tracks by Lulu, M People, Secret Life, Janet Jackson, Michael Jackson, New Order, Pet Shop Boys, Kylie Minogue, Garbage,...
's remix was included. Several early press releases for the single also included a remix by Nellee Hooper
Nellee Hooper
Nellee Hooper is a British producer/remixer/composer best known for his work with Björk, No Doubt/Gwen Stefani, Madonna, Sinéad O'Connor, Garbage, Andrea Corr, U2, Sneaker Pimps, Soul II Soul and Massive Attack...
, but this version remains unreleased. Rickidy Raw's remixes were commissioned to service to North American urban radio stations, and his "R + B remix" saw a commercial release in the UK on formats of "When I Grow Up" and in Europe on "The Trick Is to Keep Breathing
The Trick Is to Keep Breathing
"The Trick Is to Keep Breathing" is a song by Garbage, released as the joint-fourth single from their platinum second album Version 2.0. The single was released in a number of European countries including Germany, Austria, Italy, Portugal and Greece...
"
In 2007, Brothers in Rhythm's remix was remastered and included on the Absolute Garbage bonus disc Garbage Mixes.
Critical reception
"Special" end-of-year poll results:1998 Polls
- 42 in WHFSWHFSWHFS was the call sign for three different FM stations in the Washington, D.C./Baltimore, Maryland markets on various frequencies for nearly 50 years. The first and longest run was a progressive rock station and was usually, and affectionately, referred to as 'HFS...
's "Top 99.1 Songs of 1998" - 51 in WFNXWFNXWFNX is a New England commercial alternative rock radio station. The station began broadcasting on Monday, April 11, 1983. It was one of the first American commercial stations to play alternative rock and has become a leading radio station for breaking new alternative music.WFNX broadcasts on 101.7...
's "Top 101.7 of 1998" - 64 in KROQKROQ-FMKROQ-FM — branded 106.7 KROQ — is a commercial modern rock radio station licensed to Pasadena, California serving the Greater Los Angeles. The call sign is pronounced "kay rock." It is the flagship station of Loveline hosted by Dr...
's "Top 106.7 of 1998" - 65 in Live 105's "Top 105.3 of 1998"
- 89 in Triple JTriple Jtriple j is a nationally networked Australian radio station intended to appeal to listeners between the ages of 18 and 30. The government-funded station is a division of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation...
's "Hottest 100 of 1998" - 102 in Radio & RecordsRadio & RecordsRadio & Records was a trade publication providing news and airplay information for the radio and music industries. It originally started out as an independent trade from 1973 to 2006 until VNU Media took over in 2006, up until its final issue in 2009.-History:The company was founded in 1973 and...
"Top 103 of 1998"
1999 Polls
- 11 in KROQ's "Top 106.7 of 1999"
- 16 in 89X's "Top 89 Songs of 1999"
- 36 in Radio & Records "Top 103 of 1998"
- 37 in Live 105's "Top 105.3 of 1999"
- 51 in WHFS's "Top 99.1 Songs of 1999"
- 54 in Q101Q101The Q101 name is used by the following radio stations:* KQDJ-FM, Valley City, North Dakota* WWWN, formerly WKQX, a former alternative rock station in Chicago, Illinois* WMYQ, Ft. Wayne/Warsaw, IN * WAMS-FM, Snow Hill, Maryland...
's "Top 101 of 1999" - 57 in WFNX's "Top 99 of 1999"
- 66 in The EndKNDDKNDD , also known as "107.7 The End", is an alternative rock radio station in Seattle, Washington. It is operated by Entercom Communications Its studios are located in the Metropolitan Park West tower between Downtown and South Lake Union in Seattle...
's "Top 107 of 1999"
Credits and personnel
Album Version- Music: Garbage
- Lyrics: Garbage
- ProducedRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
: Garbage - Performed & mixedAudio 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...
: Garbage - EngineeredAudio engineeringAn audio engineer, also called audio technician, audio technologist or sound technician, is a specialist in a skilled trade that deals with the use of machinery and equipment for the recording, mixing and reproduction of sounds. The field draws on many artistic and vocational areas, including...
: Billy Bush - Vocals : Shirley Manson
- Guitars : Duke Erikson & Steve Marker
- Drums : Butch Vig
- Additional BassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
: Daniel ShulmanDaniel ShulmanDaniel Shulman is an American performer of bass guitar. Although he has made a significant contribution as a session musician, working with Run-DMC and Meredith Brooks, he is best known for his work with the Scottish-American band Garbage from 1995 until 2002.... - Recorded at Smart Studios, Madison, Wisconsin.
Pop mix
- Remixed: Garbage
- Remixed at Smart Studios, Madison, Wisconsin
Brothers In Rhythm remixes
- Remixed: Brothers In Rhythm (Steve AndersonSteve Anderson (music)Steve Anderson was briefly a member of the band Scratch Acid. His most recognisable work is as Kylie Minogue's collaborator on her recent tours and previous albums. He was a record producer and co-writer of many of the songs on Impossible Princess as well as some of her earlier and later albums...
and Dave SeamanDave SeamanDave Seaman is a British dance music DJ and record producer. He was formerly a member of the DMC Publishing, and editor of music magazine Mixmag. He formed one half of Brothers In Rhythm with Steve Anderson, doing production work for Pet Shop Boys and Kylie Minogue. He has since founded Audio...
) for DMC Management - Engineered and Mixed: Alan Bremner at DMC Studio 4
Rickidy Raw remixes
- Remix and additional production: Rickidy Raw Productions (Robert Jazayeri and Sean Mather) for MCT Management
Release history
| Release Date | Territory | Record Label | Format(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sept 21st, 1998 | United Kingdom 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... |
Mushroom Records UK | Airplay |
| Oct 5th, 1998 | 2×CD single set, cassette single Cassette single A cassette single is a music single in the form of a Compact Cassette.- History :... |
||
| Europe Europe Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting... |
BMG BMG Bertelsmann Music Group, , was a division of Bertelsmann before its completion of sale of the majority of its assets to Japan's Sony Corporation of America on October 1, 2008. It was established in 1987 to combine the music label activities of Bertelsmann... |
CD maxi, CD single | |
| Oct 12th, 1998 | United Kingdom | Mushroom Records UK | 3" CD single |
| United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
Almo Sounds Almo Sounds Almo Sounds is a record label which was started in 1994 by Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss after they sold A&M Records to PolyGram. The intent of the label was to recreate the initial concept of A&M Records as a small, "boutique" label.... |
Airplay: Modern Rock Modern rock Modern rock is a rock format commonly found on commercial radio; the format consists primarily of the alternative rock genre... |
|
| Oct 28th, 1998 | Australia Australia Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area... |
Mushroom Records Mushroom Records Mushroom Records is an Australian recoJrd company formed by Michael Gudinski and Ray Evans in Melbourne in 1972. After its sale in 1998, it merged into Festival Mushroom Records. From 2005 to 2009, it is one of the record labels operated by Warner Bros... |
CD maxi |
| Jan 4th, 1999 | United States | Almo Sounds | Airplay: CHR/Top 40 Contemporary hit radio Contemporary hit radio is a radio format that is common in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by the Top 40 music charts... |
Comprehensive charts
| Chart (1998) | PeakPosition |
|---|---|
| Australia Singles Chart ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... (ARIA Australian Recording Industry Association The Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry which was established in 1983 by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers which was formed in 1956... ) |
54 |
| Canada Top 100 Singles (RPM RPM (magazine) RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,... ) |
62 |
| Canada Alternative 30 (RPM RPM (magazine) RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,... ) |
24 |
| Europe Top 50 Airplay (Music & Media) | 38 |
| Spain Top 40 Airplay Chart (AFYVE) | 25 |
| United Kingdom 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 ... (CIN) |
15 |
| United Kingdom Airplay Chart (CIN) | 19 |
| Chart (1999) | PeakPosition |
|---|---|
| Canada Top 100 Singles (RPM RPM (magazine) RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,... ) |
42 (RE) |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
52 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Airplay | 42 |
| U.S. Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles The Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States. It lists the top 25 singles below number 100 that have not yet charted on the Billboard Hot 100. Sometimes, however, singles halt their progress on this chart, and never appear on the Hot 100... (Billboard Billboard (magazine) Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis... ) |
101 |
| U.S. Hot Modern Rock Tracks (Billboard Billboard (magazine) Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis... ) |
11 |
| U.S. Hot Dance Music/Club Play (Billboard Billboard (magazine) Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis... ) |
10 |
| U.S. Adult Top 40 (Billboard Billboard (magazine) Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis... ) |
16 |
| U.S. Top 40 Mainstream (Billboard Billboard (magazine) Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis... ) |
18 |
| U.S. Top 40 Tracks Top 40 Tracks Top 40 Tracks is a defunct airplay chart from Billboard Magazine. It was created in 1998, when Billboard Magazine changed the airplay profile of The Hot 100 Airplay to include more R&B, Country, and Rock stations to its profile . To preserve the notion of the former chart, Top 40 Tracks was... (Billboard Billboard (magazine) Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis... ) |
22 |
A Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles lists the top twenty-five singles which had not, at the time of publishing, charted on the Hot 100 chart. "Special" technically topped this chart.