Northern Lites

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Not to be confused with Northern Lights.
"Northern Lites"
Single by Super Furry Animals
from the album Guerrilla
Released10 May 1999
RecordedReal World Studios, Box, Wiltshire
Genre
Length3:31
LabelCreation Records
Songwriter(s)Super Furry Animals
Producer(s)Super Furry Animals
Super Furry Animals singles chronology
"Demons"
(1997) 		"Northern Lites"
(1999) 		"Fire in My Heart"
(1999)

"Northern Lites" is the ninth single by

steel drums on the track are played by keyboardist Cian Ciaran and were added on the spur of the moment after the group saw them "lying around" Real World Studios during recording.[1]

Critical reaction was largely positive with the song being named "Single of the Week" in both the

single of the year list for 1999. The music video for "Northern Lites" was directed by Super Furry Animals and Martin McCarthy and consists of stock footage of curling and Irish road bowling although Rhys has blamed the song's failure to chart higher on the fact that it "didn't have a video".[2]

Themes and recording

"Northern Lites" was written by singer

Aurora Borealis, a natural light display which can be observed particularly in the polar regions, and usually at night. The band were convinced that they had seen the lights before the track was written but, as no one else was present, they could not get confirmation that what they had witnessed was not simply a "Furry fantasy".[6] Rhys has claimed that he would have called the song "Aurora Borealis" but "Latin song titles are out of the question".[7] Although Rhys has said that the song is "about asking Jesus if he decides to seek his revenge on us, to get it over with as soon as possible and blow us away to the Northern Lights" he has also stated that, although some critics have interpreted the track as being about "questioning one's faith", it is really "just a song about the weather".[7]

The melody of "Northern Lites" was written by Rhys several years before the track was released. The band experimented with reggae and "dirgy rock" styles before Rhys wrote the lyrics and, because they were inspired by adverse weather conditions affecting Latin America, tried playing along to a preset calypso rhythm track which was on his keyboard.[5][6][8][nb 1] The singer has stated that, although he does not think the band have "any right to make Latin-influenced" songs, they did not choose a calypso style for the track in a cynical attempt to "crack South America".[6] The group are not "purists" and feel that Latin music is "part of [a] cultural esperanto".[6]

The track was recorded in the middle of 1998 at

steel drums on the spur of the moment after seeing the instruments "lying around" Real World during recording.[1] The steel drum parts were performed by keyboardist Cian Ciaran, despite the fact he did not know how to play them.[1]

Composition

"Northern Lites" (1999)
Short sample from "Northern Lites" featuring the track's "play out".[10] The clip illustrates the breakdown which occurs in the section, the harmony backing vocals which accompany main vocalist Gruff Rhys and the melody lines played by both the brass section and lead guitar.
Problems playing this file? See media help.

"Northern Lites" is 3 minute and 31 seconds long and is in the key of E major.[10][11] The song begins with an intro with steel drums, featuring a flanging effect, before a brass section enters after 6 seconds playing a melody line accompanied by a güiro, sparse drums and an acoustic guitar playing the chords F#m7 and B.[10] The melody line plays twice after which Gruff Rhys begins singing the first verse alongside the güiro, guitar and steel drums which no longer have a flange effect. Towards the end of the verse a distorted guitar melody line plays alongside Rhys's vocal and harmony backing vocals enter. The song's first chorus begins at 48 seconds with Rhys singing "There's a distant light, a forest fire burning everything in sight".[10] During the second verse the brass section rejoins, playing the same melody line from the intro. After another chorus the song's extended "play-out" section begins at 2 minutes and 13 seconds with Rhys repeating the lines "Don't worry me, or hurry me, blow me far away to the Northern Lites" accompanied by harmony backing vocals.[10] The track breaks down to just drums and vocals at 2 minutes and 40 seconds after which the band and brass section rejoin. A prominent lead guitar melody begins after 2 minutes and 47 seconds and plays alongside the vocals, acoustic guitar, brass and drums until the track fades out and ends at 3 minutes and 31 seconds.[10]

Release and critical reception

"Northern Lites" was released on

greatest hits compilation album Songbook: The Singles, Vol. 1, issued in 2004.[13]

"Northern Lites" received mostly positive reviews. The

single of the year list for 1999.[16] "Northern Lites" was also awarded "Single of the Week" in the 15 May 1999 issue of the Melody Maker by guest reviewers Gay Dad, who described the song as "twisted and psychedelic".[17] Echoing the views of Johnny Cigarettes, Gay Dad likened the song to the work of Bacharach and Hal David and complained that they could not fully understand Rhys's lyrics, as his vocals were too low in the mix.[17]

Writing for

Pitchfork's Marc Hogan described the track as "horn-laden tropicalia"; in an earlier review of Songbook: The Singles, Vol. 1, he had called "Northern Lites" "'Deadweight'-era Beck tropicalia".[22][23] Reviewing Songbook... for PopMatters, Zeth Lundy described "Northern Lites" as "Brazilian-infected", while Ian Wade, reviewing the album for the BBC, called the song an "indie/calypso crossover" and Alan Woodhouse, reviewing Songbook... for the NME labelled the track an "irresistible Caribbean-flavoured tune."[24][25][26] Marc Hogan of Pitchfork claimed that the single's b-sides, including the "shiny, distorted mid-tempo number" "This, That and the Other", pale beside "Northern Lites" and the other tracks on Guerilla although they "do manage to scratch the itch for more SFA".[22]

Accolades

Publication Country Accolade Year Rank
Iguana Music Spain Songs '99[27] 1999 7
John Peel show, BBC Radio 1 United Kingdom John Peel's Festive 50[28] 24
Melody Maker Single of the Week 15 May 1999[17] –
NME Single of the Week 8 May 1999[17] –
Singles of 1999[16]
 3
Select Singles of 1999[29] 22

Music video

A promotional music video, directed by Super Furry Animals and Martin McCarthy, was produced to accompany the release of "Northern Lites" as a single.[30]

The video begins with a shot of Super Furry Animals' 'SFA'

Nagano is seen printed on the lid. The video then cuts to shots of a Boeing 747 before wintery scenes of Nagano are shown, including a shot of people with umbrellas stood in the snow in front of a sign that reads "Nagano Olympics". Footage from curling events are then shown until 2 minutes and 40 seconds when the video cuts to show a man in a grey suit dropping a handful of grass on a road. The video then ends with shots of Irish road bowling–several men are shown throwing a bowl down a road surrounded by spectators alongside scenes of men with measuring sticks and men exchanging banknotes. In a 2008 interview with Uncut, Gruff Rhys stated that "Northern Lites" "didn't have a video" and suggested this as the reason the track was not a bigger hit than it was.[2] The director who was originally scheduled to work on the video took up an offer of a Red Stripe commercial in Jamaica, leaving the band to collaborate with McCarthy. According to Rhys the group met the original director later and told him "We understand, we'd have done the same."[2] Despite this, bassist Guto Pryce has described the "Northern Lites" music video as one of only a handful of the group's videos that he actually likes.[31]

Track listing

All songs by Super Furry Animals.

  • 7"
    (CRE314)
  1. "Northern Lites" – 3:30
  2. "Rabid Dog" – 3:47
  3. "This, That and the Other " – 5:59

Personnel

Singles chart position

Chart Peak
position
UK Singles Chart
 11[12]

References

Notes

  1. ^ Although 'Latin America' can sometimes be used to refer to only the territories in the Americas where Spanish and Portuguese languages prevail, the term can also refer to all of the Americas south of the United States. In interviews regarding "Northern Lites" Rhys uses the term in the latter sense.[6]

References

  1. ^ a b c Foster, Richard (10 October 2005). "Incendiary interview Super Furry Animals". Incendiary Magazine. Archived from the original on 30 September 2011. Retrieved 10 August 2010.
  2. ^ a b c Martin, Piers (April 2008). "Album by album: Super Furry Animals". Uncut. 131: 70–72.
  3. ^ Patterson, Sylvia (22 May 1999). "Tripping the lite fantastic!". NME: 22–25.
  4. ^ Cook, Emma (30 May 1999). "Don't mention Tom Jones". The Independent. Archived from the original on 2022-06-21. Retrieved 31 October 2010.
  5. ^ a b Beaumont, Mark (June 12, 1999). "Underground control". Melody Maker: 17.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g Male, Andrew (June 1999). "The Wind of Strange". Select: 72–76.
  7. ^ a b c d "SFA Bring the Weather". NME. 17 February 1999. Retrieved 13 December 2009.
  8. ^ Brown, Shane (1 September 1999). "Super Furry Animals interview". Excellent Online. Archived from the original on 10 July 2011. Retrieved 19 December 2010.
  9. ^ Guerrilla (CD booklet). Super Furry Animals. London: Creation Records. 1999. p. 1.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  10. ^
    ISBN 0-7119-3888-1
    .
  11. Allmusic
    . c. 1999. Retrieved 31 October 2010.
  12. ^
    ISBN 0-85112-190-X
    .
  13. ^ Songbook: The Singles, Vol. 1 (CD). Super Furry Animals. New York: Epic Records. 2004. back cover.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  14. ^ Johnny, Cigarettes (8 May 1999). "Singles". NME: 43.
  15. ^ James, Oldham (12 June 1999). "Super Furry Animals: Guerilla". NME: 31.
  16. ^ a b "NME's Top 50 Singles Of The Year". NME: 73. 25 December 1999 – 1 January 2000.
  17. ^ a b c d Loben, Carl (15 May 1999). "Singles". Melody Maker: 39.
  18. ^ McNair, James (July 1999). "Super Furry Animals: Guerilla". Mojo. 68. Bauer Media Group: [109].
  19. ^ Kane, Peter (July 1999). "Super Furry Animals: Guerilla". Q. 154. Bauer Media Group: 124.
  20. ^ Simpson, Dave (1 May 1999). "Lots of bubble but no squeak". The Guardian. Retrieved 24 February 2010.
  21. ^ Perry, Tim (5 June 1999). "Album Reviews". The Independent. Archived from the original on 2022-06-21. Retrieved 31 October 2010.
  22. ^
    Pitchfork Media
    . Retrieved 11 August 2010.
  23. Pitchfork Media
    . Retrieved 11 August 2010.
  24. ^ Lundy, Zeth (2 March 2005). "Songbook: The Singles, Vol. 1". PopMatters. Retrieved 31 October 2010.
  25. ^ Wade, Ian (18 July 2003). "Super Furry Animals Songbook Volume 1 Review". BBC. Retrieved 31 October 2010.
  26. ^ Woodhouse, Alan (3 December 2004). "Songbook: Volume 1". NME. Retrieved 31 October 2010.
  27. ^ "Iguana Music lists from Spain: Songs '99". RockListMusic. Retrieved 4 August 2008.
  28. ^ "John Peel's Festive 50 Lists". RockListMusic. Retrieved 4 August 2008.
  29. ^ "Select 1999 Lists". RockListMusic. Retrieved 4 August 2008.
  30. ^ Songbook: The Singles, Vol. 1 (DVD). Super Furry Animals. New York: Epic Records. 2004. p. back cover.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  31. ^ Prowse, Debs (1999). "Interview with Super Furry Animals". Archived from the original on 23 May 2006. Retrieved 15 February 2010.

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