(Drawing) Rings Around the World
"(Drawing) Rings Around the World" | ||||
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Single by Super Furry Animals | ||||
from the album Rings Around the World | ||||
Released | 8 October 2001 | |||
Recorded | Monnow Valley Studio, Rockfield, Monmouthshire, 2000 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 3:29 | |||
Label | Epic | |||
Songwriter(s) | Super Furry Animals | |||
Producer(s) | Super Furry Animals and Chris Shaw | |||
Super Furry Animals singles chronology | ||||
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"(Drawing) Rings Around the World" is a
Critical reaction to the track was generally positive with many reviewers comparing the song to the work of other groups such as Status Quo, ELO and The Beach Boys. A promotional music video was produced to accompany "(Drawing) Rings Around the World"'s release as a single. Directed by Pedro Romhanyi the video features images of fictional television stations including "SFA TV", which shows the band playing along with the track. An alternative video, directed by Sean Hillen, was included on the DVD version of Rings Around the World on its release in July 2001. This video features the lyrics to the track scrolling slowly from the bottom of the screen upwards in front of an image of a globe. The DVD version of Rings Around the World also includes a Llwybr Llaethog remix of "(Drawing) Rings Around the World".
Themes and recording
According to lead vocalist Gruff Rhys, "(Drawing) Rings Around the World" is about "all the rings of communication around the world. All the rings of pollution, and all the radioactivity that goes around. If you could visualize all the things we don't see, Earth could look like some kind of fucked-up Saturn. And that's the idea I have in my head – surrounded by communication lines and traffic and debris thrown out of spaceships."[3] Rhys has claimed that the theory was initially his girlfriend's father's.[4] The track was recorded in 2000 at Monnow Valley Studio, Rockfield, Monmouthshire and was produced by the Super Furry Animals and Chris Shaw.[5]
Musical structure
"(Drawing) Rings Around the World" is 3 minutes 29 seconds long and is in the key of B major.[6] The track begins with feedback which plays while drums and a guitar, playing a riff based around a B chord, fade in. The first verse begins on 25 seconds with Gruff Rhys singing the lines "You expose the film in me, we're drawing rings around the world" backed by harmony vocals on the title phrase.[7] A short bridge plays, during which the guitar chords change from B, E and F♯ to just E, F♯, E, F♯. Another verse, bridge and verse play before the last bridge which begins at 1 minute 23 seconds. The outro starts at 1 minute 32 seconds with Rhys singing "Ring ring, ring ring, rings around the world" over the chords B, D and F♯ backed by harmony vocals. A guitar counter-melody begins at 2 minutes 2 seconds and excerpts from phone calls the band made to random people around the world, including calls to the United States embassies in Madagascar and Moscow, a record shop in Osaka and a record company in Australia, play as the track fades out.[4][8]
Alternative version
A
Critical response
Critical reaction to "(Drawing) Rings Around the World" was generally positive with many journalists comparing the song to the work of other groups. Writing for the
Accolades
Publication | Country | Accolade | Year | Rank |
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John Peel show, BBC Radio 1 | United Kingdom | John Peel's Festive 50[19] | 2001 | 21 |
The Village Voice | United States | Pazz & Jop Singles of 2002[21] | 2002 | 139 |
Music videos
Sean Hillen video
A
The video begins with a static shot of the 1994 collage The Great
Pedro Romhanyi video
A promotional music video, directed by Pedro Romhanyi, was produced to accompany the release of "(Drawing) Rings Around the World" as a single.[25] According to Gruff Rhys the band made separate videos for Rings Around the World's three singles as they saw the videos included on the DVD release of the album as "pure art" whereas they needed promotional music videos that were more like adverts for the songs.[3]
The video begins with a shot of the band in an all white room playing along to the track. A
Track listing
All songs by Super Furry Animals.
- Digipak Enhanced CD(6719082)
- "(Drawing) Rings Around the World" – 3:30
- "Edam Anchorman" – 3:22
- "All the Shit U Do" – 2:30
"(Drawing) Rings Around the World (Video)" – 3:30
- 12" (6719086), MC(6719084)
- "(Drawing) Rings Around the World" – 3:30
- "Edam Anchorman" – 3:22
- "All the Shit U Do" – 2:30
Personnel
- Gruff Rhys – vocals
- Huw Bunford – guitar
- Guto Pryce – bass guitar
- keyboards
- Dafydd Ieuan – drums
Singles chart positions
Chart | Peak position |
---|---|
UK Singles Chart
|
28[2] |
References
- ^ Pitchfork Staff (2 October 2009). "The 200 Best Albums of the 2000s". Pitchfork. Retrieved 28 April 2023.
"Earth will become Saturn II," Gruff Rhys declares on the title track...But the giddy glam-rock stomp on which his words are delivered seems to say...
- ^ a b "Search Results – Singles". everyHit.com. 25 July 2008. Retrieved 24 March 2008.
- ^ a b c Carpenter, Troy (28 July 2001). "Gruff Rhys: Drawing Rings Around The World". Nude as the News. Archived from the original on 8 August 2008. Retrieved 8 May 2009.
- ^ a b "Rings Around The World, track by track". BBC. 28 January 2009. Archived from the original on 23 December 2012. Retrieved 31 July 2009.
- Rings Around The World (CD booklet). London: Epic Records. p. 6.
- ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Rings Around The World". AllMusic. Retrieved 3 August 2009.
- Rings Around The World (CD booklet). London: Epic Records. p. 3.
- ^ "Super Furry Animals". Pixelsurgeon. 2002. Archived from the original on 13 May 2009. Retrieved 11 May 2009.
- Rings Around The World (DVD). New York City: Epic Records. back cover.
- ^ Kessler, Ted (25 September 2001). "Super Furry Animals : (Drawing) Rings Around The World". NME. Archived from the original on 15 October 2012. Retrieved 23 July 2009.
- ^ Kessler, Ted (18 July 2001). "Super Furry Animals : Rings Around The World". NME. Retrieved 28 July 2009.
- ^ Aizlewood, John (Summer 2001). "Super Furry Animals: Rings Around the World". Q. 180: 107.
- ^ Begrand, Adrien (19 March 2002). "Rings Around the World". PopMatters. Archived from the original on 31 May 2009. Retrieved 24 July 2009.
- ^ Holdship, Bill (2 May 2002). "Super Furry Animals". Dallas Observer. Archived from the original on 17 June 2011. Retrieved 28 July 2009.
- ^ DiCrescenzo, Brent (23 July 2001). "Rings Around the World". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 17 July 2009. Retrieved 24 July 2009.
- ^ Mulvey, John (August 2001). "Super Furry Animals: Rings Around the World". Uncut. 51: 90.
- ^ Petridis, Alexis (20 July 2001). "Never mind the gimmicks". The Guardian. Retrieved 28 July 2009.
- ^ Moore, James (4 June 2001). "Super Furry Animals: Rings Around The World". Drowned in Sound. Archived from the original on 5 February 2010. Retrieved 28 July 2009.
- ^ a b "Festive 50s: 2001". BBC. October 2005. Retrieved 20 November 2010.
- IMDb. Retrieved 7 August 2009.
- ^ "Pazz & Jop Singles of 2002 (Village Voice)". RockListMusic. Retrieved 4 August 2008.
- ^ Super Furry Animals (2001). Rings Around the World (DVD). New York City: Epic Records. p. 6.
- ^ Super Furry Animals (2001). (Drawing) Rings Around the World (CD). Epic Records. back cover.
- ^ Rodger, Jennifer (23 July 2001). "My Technology: Cian Ciaran". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 3 November 2012. Retrieved 8 May 2009.
- ^ a b Super Furry Animals (2004). Songbook: The Singles, Vol. 1 (DVD). New York City: Epic Records. back cover.
External links
- (Drawing) Rings Around the World at MusicBrainz (list of releases)