Swamp Thing (The Grid song)
Encyclopedia
"Swamp Thing" is a song by the British techno music project The Grid
. It was released as a single in 1993, and is included in The Grid's third album Evolver
, being probably the best known song on the entire album. The song reached a peak position of #3 on the list of Top 25 singles in Australia and list of Top 10 singles in the UK in 1994.
"Swamp Thing" is almost completely instrumental, consisting mainly of drums, synthesiser sounds and banjo
. The only vocals are Well alright, watch out and Feel alright, only repeated a couple of times. The focus is on the catchy banjo tunes and the drumming. The banjo part was written and performed by the late Roger Dinsdale, a folk musician who also played the guitar
and the mandolin
. Roger, sadly, took his own life in July 2009 but his legacy lives on through this song, which is still popular today. In January 2011 the song had almost 500,000 hits on video sharing website YouTube
.
. The video switches back and forth between two scenes: computer generated imagery of a group of robot
s dancing to a techno beat, and a blank white landscape with a crawling baby and music synthesiser instruments. The scene with the baby and the instruments also inspired the Evolver album cover art.
The 12" single omits the "radio mix". Both the "radio mix" and "southern comfort mix" are alternative edits of the album mix found on Evolver.
The Grid
The Grid are an English electronic dance group, consisting of Richard Norris and David Ball , with guest contributions from other musicians...
. It was released as a single in 1993, and is included in The Grid's third album Evolver
Evolver (The Grid album)
Evolver is a 1994 album by the British musical project The Grid; the duo's third album overall. "Swamp Thing" is the most known song off this album, becoming a dance club favorite and chart hit in the UK and Australia.-Track listing:...
, being probably the best known song on the entire album. The song reached a peak position of #3 on the list of Top 25 singles in Australia and list of Top 10 singles in the UK in 1994.
"Swamp Thing" is almost completely instrumental, consisting mainly of drums, synthesiser sounds and banjo
Banjo
In the 1830s Sweeney became the first white man to play the banjo on stage. His version of the instrument replaced the gourd with a drum-like sound box and included four full-length strings alongside a short fifth-string. There is no proof, however, that Sweeney invented either innovation. This new...
. The only vocals are Well alright, watch out and Feel alright, only repeated a couple of times. The focus is on the catchy banjo tunes and the drumming. The banjo part was written and performed by the late Roger Dinsdale, a folk musician who also played the 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...
and the mandolin
Mandolin
A mandolin is a musical instrument in the lute family . It descends from the mandore, a soprano member of the lute family. The mandolin soundboard comes in many shapes—but generally round or teardrop-shaped, sometimes with scrolls or other projections. A mandolin may have f-holes, or a single...
. Roger, sadly, took his own life in July 2009 but his legacy lives on through this song, which is still popular today. In January 2011 the song had almost 500,000 hits on video sharing website YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
.
Music video
"Swamp Thing" was accompanied by a music videoMusic 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...
. The video switches back and forth between two scenes: computer generated imagery of a group of robot
Robot
A robot is a mechanical or virtual intelligent agent that can perform tasks automatically or with guidance, typically by remote control. In practice a robot is usually an electro-mechanical machine that is guided by computer and electronic programming. Robots can be autonomous, semi-autonomous or...
s dancing to a techno beat, and a blank white landscape with a crawling baby and music synthesiser instruments. The scene with the baby and the instruments also inspired the Evolver album cover art.
UK CD Single
- "Swamp Thing" (radio mix) 3:56
- "Swamp Thing" (southern comfort mix) 7:10
- "Swamp Thing" (deep dub piece) 7:10
- "Swamp Thing" (deep piece mix) 8:53
The 12" single omits the "radio mix". Both the "radio mix" and "southern comfort mix" are alternative edits of the album mix found on Evolver.
External links
- [ "Swamp Thing"] on AllMusic