Love Machine (Girls Aloud song)

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"Love Machine"
Tim Powell
  • Nick Coler
  • Lisa Cowling
  • Myra Boyle
  • Shawn Lee
    • Producer(s)
    Girls Aloud singles chronology
    "The Show"
    (2004)     		"Love Machine"
    (2004)     		"I'll Stand by You"
    (2004)
    Music video
    "Love Machine" on
    YouTube

    "Love Machine" is a song recorded by British

    synthpop. The single was received favourably by contemporary music critics, who deemed it a joyful track that was different from the single releases by other artists at the time. According to research carried out for Nokia
    in 2006, "Love Machine" is the second "most exhilarating" song ever.

    "Love Machine" debuted and peaked at number 2 on the

    TMF Awards 2005, and at The Girls Aloud Party
    TV special in 2008.

    Background and release

    Following a brief hiatus,

    Sound of the Underground.[3] Higgins explained that Polydor were not going to continue with the group's contract unless he produced songs for the album.[4] He continued, saying that his initial reaction was that he thought he would only be required to produce a couple of songs, however Polydor insisted that he produce the album in its entirety and that they thought only he understood what they wanted.[4] The album was recorded from April to September 2004, although its lead single "The Show" was released in June 2004.[5] Bandmate Nicola Roberts said that "Love Machine" was recorded in 18 parts over three days.[6] Roberts also revealed that the band initially was in disagreement with Polydor regarding its release as a single, with Sarah Harding adding that all the girls wanted to release "Deadlines & Diets" instead.[6] Kimberley Walsh and Nadine Coyle in particular voiced their disapproval of the single release, Coyle stating it would be "career suicide" and that she thought the group would be known as laughing stocks if the song came out.[7]

    However, despite an "embarrassing" meeting between the label and the girls, "Love Machine" was picked as the second single from

    7" picture disc, making it Girls Aloud's first single available on vinyl.[5] The first disc included a Flip & Fill remix of "The Show".[8] For the sleeve of the second CD, Artwork design group Form invented five fake magazines, one for each member, and used "Love Machine" lyrics as the headlines.[5] The disc included an exclusive previously unreleased b-side entitled "Androgynous Girls",[9] which had been initially considered to be released as the lead single of the album.[10] The Gravitas Disco Mix of "Love Machine" was also included. The maxi-CD also included a task-based game, created by design agency Holler.[11] The 7" picture disc included the radio edit and Tony Lamezma Remix of "Love Machine".[12]

    Cheryl Cole
    later stated that despite her initially hating the song, that the success of the single taught the group that they were not always right regarding single decisions and that they needed to listen to their label from time to time.

    Composition

    Girls Aloud – Love Machine
    A 21-second sample of "Love Machine"'s chorus verse, where the band sings "nonsense lyrics" over a pop rock background.[5][13]
    Problems playing this file? See media help.

    "Love Machine" was written by Miranda Cooper, Brian Higgins, Tim Powell, Nick Coler, Lisa Cowling, Myra Boyle, Shawn Lee. They came up with some of the song's lyrics by singing "nonsense lyrics" over a backing track, which eventually evolved into real songwords.

    beats per minute.[13] The vocal range from the band members spans from F3 to B4.[13] An early demo of "Love Machine" was included on the compilation album Popjustice: 100% Solid Pop Music, and later on an official Girls Aloud singles boxset; this version was sung by Cole, Nadine Coyle and Sarah Harding only, and featured radically different lyrics from the released version, even excluding the phrase "Love Machine".[5] One of the song's lyrics, "What will the neighbours say / This time?" inspired the album's title, and it is a reference to Girls Aloud's debut single, where Cole sings, "Neighbour's banging on the bathroom wall / He's saying 'Crank the bass, I gotta get some more'".[14] MusicOMH contributor John Murphy noted the track uses "a guitar line that sounds like it's been nicked from an old rockabilly tune", and compared its composition to other "'80s synth pop songs."[15]

    Critical reception

    Girls Aloud performing "Love Machine" on the Out of Control Tour (2009).

    The track received generally favourable reviews from

    Allmusic review of What Will the Neighbours Say? by Sharon Mawer,[14] while Robert Copsey of Digital Spy stated that, despite having many previous releases, it wasn't until "Love Machine", "a swinging, big band track with ludicrous lyrics – that they were thrust into the wider public consciousness."[18] A BBC Music critic, however, called it "upbeat but not particularly tuneful".[19] According to research carried out for Nokia in 2006, "Love Machine" is the second "most exhilarating" song ever, after "Song 2" by Blur.[20][21]

    Billboard named the song #65 on their list of 100 Greatest Girl Group Songs of All Time.[22]

    Commercial performance

    On the week ending 2 October 2004, "Love Machine" debuted at number 2 on the

    Single Top 100 on 14 May 2005 at number 52, before falling of the chart after 4 weeks.[32]

    Music video

    The accompanying music video for "Love Machine" was directed by Stuart Gosling for Image Dynamic Pictures, and filmed at the

    35mm film to give it the desired sleek, stylised, polished and glossy look. Girls Aloud members stopped in at Camden Post to view the footage and were impressed with the final results.[33] The video depicts a nightclub/restaurant scene with the five women dancing and sipping champagne at the location whilst singing their pop number.[33]
    A caption at the start of the video identifies the location as "The Eskimo Club", which explains the otherwise meaningless song lyrics "Let's go eskimo".

    Live performances

    "Love Machine" was promoted through several live performances, including at the

    Ten: The Hits Tour.[47] English indie rock band Arctic Monkeys covered the song on BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge.[44]

    Formats and track listings

    These are the formats and track listings of major single releases of "Love Machine".

    Personnel

    Charts

    Certifications

    Region Certification Certified units/sales
    United Kingdom (BPI)[54] Platinum 600,000‡

    ‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

    See also

    References

    1. ^ Petridis, Alexis (1 December 2022). "Girls Aloud's 20 best songs - ranked!". The Guardian. Retrieved 1 December 2022.
    2. ^ Cragg, Michael (5 April 2017). "Girls Aloud - 10 of the best". The Guardian. Retrieved 5 December 2022.
    3. ^ a b Savage, Mark (24 May 2005). "The Hitmakers: Xenomania". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 30 September 2009.
    4. ^ a b Soteriou, Andreas (13 April 2010). "Brian Higgins: The Pop Don't Stop". Ponystep. Archived from the original on 11 February 2016. Retrieved 13 April 2010.
    5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Robinson, Peter (2009). "Love Machine". The Singles Boxset (Booklet). Girls Aloud. London, England: Fascination Records. pp. 16–17.
    6. ^
      ISBN 9780552157605
      . Retrieved 15 December 2012.
    7. ^ Girls Aloud: Ten Years at the Top, ITV, 2012
    8. ^ "Girls Aloud – Love Machine (CD, Single)". Discogs. Zink Media Inc. Retrieved 19 August 2010.
    9. ^ "Girls Aloud – Love Machine (CD, Maxi, Enh)". Discogs. Zink Media Inc. Retrieved 19 August 2010.
    10. ^ Robinson, Peter (2009). "Love Machine". The Singles Boxset (Booklet). Girls Aloud. London, England: Fascination Records. pp. 14–15.
    11. ^ "Universal launches second game for Girls Aloud single". New Media Age. Centaur Media. 26 August 2004. Archived from the original on 9 April 2016. Retrieved 28 February 2008.
    12. ^ "Girls Aloud – Love Machine (Vinyl)". Discogs. Zink Media Inc. Retrieved 19 August 2010.
    13. ^
      Alfred Publishing Company
      . 30 June 2009. Retrieved 17 August 2010.
    14. ^
      Rovi Corporation
      . Retrieved 30 July 2009.
    15. ^ Murphy, John (November 2004). "Girls Aloud – What Will The Neighbours Say? (Polydor)". MusicOMH. Archived from the original on 30 January 2010. Retrieved 14 April 2010.
    16. ^ Petridis, Alexis (26 November 2004). "Girls Aloud, What Will The Neighbours Say?". The Guardian. Retrieved 28 February 2008.
    17. ^ "Girls Aloud – Love Machine – Single reviews". Virgin Media. 13 September 2004. Archived from the original on 11 October 2007. Retrieved 28 September 2008.
    18. Hearst Corporation
      . 20 November 2012. Retrieved 17 December 2012.
    19. ^ Hooper, David (29 November 2004). "Girls Aloud, What Will The Neighbours Say?". BBC Music. BBC. Retrieved 28 February 2009.
    20. Associated Newspapers
      . 11 December 2006. Retrieved 19 August 2010.
    21. ^ "Verve song the saddest, says scientist". Irish Examiner. Thomas Crosbie Holdings. 11 December 2006. Retrieved 10 January 2008.
    22. ^ "100 Greatest Girl Group Songs of All Time: Critics' Picks". Billboard. Retrieved 11 July 2017.
    23. Nielsen Business Media, Inc
      . 2 October 2004. Retrieved 15 December 2012.
    24. ^ "Hits of the World". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. 9 October 2004. p. 52. Retrieved 15 December 2012.
    25. ^ "Natasha still number one download". BBC News. BBC. 29 September 2004. Retrieved 28 February 2008.
    26. ^ Kreisler, Lauren (18 October 2012). "Girls Aloud crowned the biggest selling girl group of the 21st Century". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 15 December 2012.
    27. ^ a b "Euro Charts". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. 9 October 2004. p. 53. Retrieved 15 December 2012. love machine.
    28. ^ "Top 50 singles, week ending 16 September 2004". Irish Singles Chart. Irish Recorded Music Association. 16 September 2004. Archived from the original on 10 May 2012. Retrieved 19 August 2010.
    29. ^ "Top 50 singles, week ending 23 September 2004". Irish Singles Chart. Irish Recorded Music Association. 23 September 2004. Archived from the original on 10 May 2012. Retrieved 19 August 2010.
    30. ^ "Top 50 singles, week ending 30 September 2004". Irish Singles Chart. Irish Recorded Music Association. 30 September 2004. Archived from the original on 10 May 2012. Retrieved 19 August 2010.
    31. ^ "Top 50 singles, week ending 7 October 2004". Irish Singles Chart. Irish Recorded Music Association. 7 October 2004. Archived from the original on 10 May 2012. Retrieved 19 August 2010.
    32. ^ a b "Girls Aloud – Love Machine" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 15 December 2012.
    33. ^ a b c Tull, Danny (18 October 2004). "Camden Post offlines new Girls Aloud music video". Camden Post. COP Communications Inc. Archived from the original on 12 May 2006. Retrieved 28 February 2008.
    34. ^ "Girls Aloud perform at the 'Disney Channel Kids Awards 2004'". Getty Images. 16 September 2004. Retrieved 15 December 2012.
    35. ^ Girls Aloud (25 November 2005). "Ten Flashbacks". Twitter. Retrieved 15 September 2012.
    36. ^ "Videoclipes – Love Machine (Live at Carling Academy London) de Girls Aloud" (in Portuguese). iTunes Store. Apple Inc. 10 February 2005. Retrieved 15 December 2012.
    37. ^ "Girls Aloud – 10th Edition of the MTV Awards in Rottherdam". Em Press. Archived from the original on 26 June 2015. Retrieved 15 December 2012.
    38. ^ Karrington, Kelly (11 July 2007). "A review of Girls Aloud's What Will the Neighbours Say? Tour". Yahoo! Voices. Yahoo!. Archived from the original on 22 October 2013. Retrieved 2 December 2012.
    39. ^ Deacon, Michael (24 May 2006). "Loveable Girls just want to have fun". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 24 April 2010.
    40. ^ "Right flappers: Girls Aloud step out as showgirls". Evening Standard. Daily Mail and General Trust. 28 May 2007. Archived from the original on 5 June 2011. Retrieved 24 April 2010.
    41. ^ Levine, Nick (20 May 2008). "Girls Aloud: The good, the bad and the bawdy". Digital Spy. Hearst Corporation. Retrieved 2 December 2012.
    42. IPC Media
      . 16 August 2008. Retrieved 15 December 2012.
    43. ^ Rosney, Daniel. "An indepth feature review on the opening of the Girls Aloud tour of 2008". DanielRosney.com. Archived from the original on 20 October 2013. Retrieved 2 December 2012.
    44. ^
      Trinity Mirror
      . Retrieved 15 December 2012.
    45. MTV Networks. Retrieved 1 January 2013.[permanent dead link
      ]
    46. ^ Corner, Lewis (19 November 2012). "Girls Aloud release new 'Ten' megamix – listen". Digital Spy. Hearst Corporation. Retrieved 15 December 2012.
    47. ^ Corner, Lewis (22 February 2013). "Girls Aloud begin 'Ten' UK tour in Newcastle – pictures". Digital Spy. Hearst Magazines UK. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
    48. ^ "Girls Aloud - Love Machine EP". Spotify. 17 November 2023.
    49. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Love Machine". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 29 December 2019.
    50. Romanian Top 100. Archived from the original
      on 22 February 2005. Retrieved 18 May 2020.
    51. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 18 November 2015.
    52. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 15 December 2012.
    53. ^ "The Official UK Singles Chart 2004" (PDF). UKChartsPlus. Retrieved 29 December 2019.
    54. ^ "British single certifications – Girls Aloud – Love Machine". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 12 March 2021.
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