Ulysses (song)
Encyclopedia
"Ulysses" is a song from the Scottish
indie rock
band Franz Ferdinand
. It is the lead single
from their third album Tonight: Franz Ferdinand
.
music stores on 2 December 2008. In the United States, the song reached #20 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks
chart, the band's fifth single to appear on that chart. The song also entered the UK Singles Chart
at a peak position of #20 on 25 January 2009. The video, directed by Will Lovelace and Dylan Southern, was premiered on January 9, 2009.
The cover art for the single is part of a series of photographs the band are taking on their travels, recreating crime scene
s; this one features Alex Kapranos
face-down in the street, presumably dead, while his bandmates look on. The Ulysses cover shot was taken in Brooklyn
by Guy Eppel.
"Ulysses" featured on Triple J's Hottest 100 Countdown in 2008
, polling 82nd. The track was also featured on the second season of Skins's promo advert.
Ulysses is the Roman name for the Greek mythologiacal hero Odysseus
.
The song has been used for the television commercial of Toyota Mark X ZiO
in Japan
since February 2009.
chart at #20.
On the UK Singles Chart
, the song debuted at number 20.
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...
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...
band Franz Ferdinand
Franz Ferdinand (band)
Franz Ferdinand are a Scottish post-punk revival band formed in Glasgow in 2002. The band is composed of Alex Kapranos , Bob Hardy , Nick McCarthy , and Paul Thomson .The band first experienced chart success when their second single, "Take Me Out", reached #3 in...
. It is the lead single
Lead single
A lead single is usually the first single released by a musician or a band before the release of its home album.During the era of the grammophone record, all music arrived in the marketplace as what is now termed a single, one potential hit song backed by an additional song of generally less...
from their third album Tonight: Franz Ferdinand
Tonight: Franz Ferdinand
Tonight: Franz Ferdinand is the third album by Scottish rock group Franz Ferdinand. It was released through Domino Records on 26 January 2009 in the UK. "Ulysses" was released on the 19 January 2009 as the first single and is available for streaming on the band's Myspace page. It is a concept album...
.
Song information
The song "Ulysses" was chosen to be the first single and was in physical format on 19 January 2009. It was debuted live on 5 August 2007 at the "Hey You Get Off My Pavement" festival in Glasgow and has been played at every full set gig since. The song received first airplay at BBC Radio 1 on 17 November 2008, and subsequently became available to download from the Canadian and US iTunesITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
music stores on 2 December 2008. In the United States, the song reached #20 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks
Modern Rock Tracks
Alternative Songs is a music chart in the United States that has appeared in Billboard magazine since September 10, 1988. It lists the 40 most-played songs on modern rock radio stations, most of which are alternative rock songs...
chart, the band's fifth single to appear on that chart. The song also entered 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 ...
at a peak position of #20 on 25 January 2009. The video, directed by Will Lovelace and Dylan Southern, was premiered on January 9, 2009.
The cover art for the single is part of a series of photographs the band are taking on their travels, recreating crime scene
Crime scene
A crime scene is a location where an illegal act took place, and comprises the area from which most of the physical evidence is retrieved by trained law enforcement personnel, crime scene investigators or in rare circumstances, forensic scientists....
s; this one features Alex Kapranos
Alex Kapranos
Alexander Paul Kapranos Huntley , commonly known as Alex Kapranos, is a United Kingdom-based musician who is the lead singer and the guitarist of the Glasgow band Franz Ferdinand.-Early life:...
face-down in the street, presumably dead, while his bandmates look on. The Ulysses cover shot was taken in Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
by Guy Eppel.
"Ulysses" featured on Triple J's Hottest 100 Countdown in 2008
Triple J Hottest 100, 2008
The 2008 Triple J Hottest 100 was announced on Australia Day, 26 January 2009. It was the sixteenth countdown of the most popular songs of the year, as chosen by the listeners of Australian radio station, Triple J....
, polling 82nd. The track was also featured on the second season of Skins's promo advert.
Ulysses is the Roman name for the Greek mythologiacal hero Odysseus
Odysseus
Odysseus or Ulysses was a legendary Greek king of Ithaca and the hero of Homer's epic poem the Odyssey. Odysseus also plays a key role in Homer's Iliad and other works in the Epic Cycle....
.
The song has been used for the television commercial of Toyota Mark X ZiO
Toyota Mark X Zio
The Toyota Mark X ZiO is a station wagon manufactured by Toyota and introduced in 2007. It replaces the Mark II Blit wagon. The "4+Free" concept allows for a wide range of interior configuration.The ZiO's "three mode" cabin can accommodate from four to seven passengers. In "personal sedan mode," a...
in 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...
since February 2009.
Track listing
- CD RUG314CD
- "Ulysses" - 3:13
- "New Kind of Thrill" - 4:28
- "Ulysses" (Beyond the Wizard's Sleeve Re-Animation) - 6:13
- 7" RUG314
- "Ulysses" - 3:13
- "Anyone in Love" - 2:44
- 7" RUG314X
- "Ulysses" - 3:13
- "You Never Go Out Anymore" - 2:05
- AUS / German CD 88697459512
- "Ulysses" - 3:14
- "New Kind Of Thrill" - 4:29
- "Anyone In Love" - 2:45
- "You Never Go Out Anymore" - 2:06
- "Ulysses" (Beyond The Wizard's Sleeve Re-Animation) - 6:13
- Download RUG314D
- "Ulysses" - 3:14
- "New Kind Of Thrill" - 4:29
- "Anyone In Love" - 2:45
- "You Never Go Out Anymore" - 2:06
- Additional download releases
- "Ulysses" (Beyond the Wizard's Sleeve Re-Animation) - 6:14 (RUG314D2)
- "Feeling Kind of Anxious" - 6:31 (RUG314D3)
- "Ulysses" (Disco Bloodbath Effect) - 8:03 (RUG314D4)
- "Ulysses" (Mickey Moonlight Remix) - 3:49 (RUG314D5)
- "Ulysses" - 3:12 (RUG314D7)
- "Ulysses" (Keith & Supabeatz remix) - 4:48 (RUG314D9)
Chart Information
It debuted on the Billboard Modern Rock TracksModern Rock Tracks
Alternative Songs is a music chart in the United States that has appeared in Billboard magazine since September 10, 1988. It lists the 40 most-played songs on modern rock radio stations, most of which are alternative rock songs...
chart at #20.
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 ...
, the song debuted at number 20.
| Chart | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Modern Rock Tracks Modern Rock Tracks Alternative Songs is a music chart in the United States that has appeared in Billboard magazine since September 10, 1988. It lists the 40 most-played songs on modern rock radio stations, most of which are alternative rock songs... |
20 |
| Australian ARIA 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... |
62 |
| Austrian Singles Chart | 45 |
| Canadian Hot 100 Canadian Hot 100 The Canadian Hot 100 is a music singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks songs in Canada. The chart debuted in the Billboard issue dated June 16, 2007 and was made available for the first time via their online services on June 7, 2007... |
73 |
| Dutch Singles Chart | 74 |
| European Hot 100 Singles | 32 |
| France Singles Top 100 | 42 |
| Japan Hot 100 Singles | 3 |
| Polish Singles Chart | 14 |
| Spanish Singles Chart | 2 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 44 |
| 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 ... |
20 |
Credits
- Artwork By - Franz Ferdinand & Matthew Cooper
- Engineer - Alexis Smith , Paul Savage
- Mastered By - Jason Mitchell , John Dent
- Photography - Guy Eppel
- Recorded By, Producer - Dan Carey , Franz Ferdinand
- Songwriter - Franz Ferdinand