Love Is Noise
"Love Is Noise" is a song by English alternative rock band The Verve and is the second track on their fourth album, Forth. It was released as the first single from the album on 3 August 2008 as a digital download, with the physical release on 11 August 2008[1] in the United Kingdom (see 2008 in British music). The song received its first airplay by Zane Lowe on BBC Radio 1 on 23 June 2008.[2] The promo video for the song debuted on the band's MySpace on 9 July.
"Love Is Noise" | ||||
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Single by The Verve | ||||
from the album Forth | ||||
B-side | "Chic Dub" | |||
Released | 11 August 2008 | |||
Genre | Alternative rock | |||
Length |
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Label | Parlophone | |||
Songwriter(s) | ||||
Producer(s) |
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The Verve singles chronology | ||||
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The song reworks lines from William Blake's poem "And did those feet in ancient time", commonly known as 'Jerusalem'. Where Blake begins "And did those feet in ancient time, / Walk upon England's mountains green?", "Love is Noise" asks: "Will those feet in modern times / Walk on soles that are made in China?", and alludes to "bright prosaic malls" in place of "dark Satanic Mills".[3][4] This is the second time Richard Ashcroft has referenced Blake, following 1995's "History".
"Love Is Noise" derived from "Columbo", another song on the album. While recording that track, Ashcroft created a new loop on a vocoder and added it to the song, which was essentially a jam the band had been working on for a few days. The band continued adding to it until it evolved into a different track.[5]
The song has been played live as early as the late 2007 gigs, but was given different names such as "Modern Times", "Love is Pain", "Love is noise (with boy)". The band played it with a huge warm reception at 2008's Coachella as the setlist's closer, something that was repeated in Glastonbury's Pyramid Stage on 29 June.
The video for the song was released on the band's MySpace. The video mixes up shots of the band performing in a dimly-lit room, with frontman Richard Ashcroft sitting on the floor, with montages of other images, including snow-capped mountains, a North Korean choreography, a couple about to kiss, a dancer and a blonde woman with an eagle.
The single debuted in the UK Singles Chart at number five after its first week of release via online download alone. The following week the song peaked at number four and stayed five weeks in the UK top 10, marking a successful return for The Verve, who had their last top 10 hit in 1997 with "Lucky Man". It was their third UK top-five single and their fourth to crack the UK top 10. In Scotland, the song became the band's third number-one single on the Scottish Singles Chart. It also reached the top 10 in Ireland, Italy, and Sweden.
Track listings
On 3 August a digital download of the "album version" of the song was released with the song's video in the iTunes Store. A week later, an exclusive iTunes Store bundle was released featuring a "Freelance Hellraiser" remix at the same time as another bundle featuring the "album version" and the physical format's B-sides. The physical formats (CD and 7" vinyl records) were released on 11 August 2008.[6]
UK Promo CD (Black cover below)
- "Love Is Noise" (Radio Edit) – 4:04
- "Love Is Noise" (album version) – 5:30
Digital bundle
- "Love Is Noise" (album version) – 5:30
- "Chic Dub" – 6:11
- "Let the Damage Begin" (live 2007) – 4:09
- "A Man Called Sun" (live 2007) – 5:19
iTunes Store exclusive bundle
- "Love Is Noise" (album version)
- "Love Is Noise" (Freelance Hellraiser remix) – 9:10
7" vinyl Gatefold (VERVE002)[7]
- "Love Is Noise"
- "Let the Damage Begin" (live 2007)
7" clear vinyl (VERVE003)[8]
- "Love Is Noise"
- "A Man Called Sun" (live 2007)
CD single (VERVE004)[9]
- "Love Is Noise"
- "Chic Dub"
CDR promo
- "Love Is Noise" (death metal disco scene remix)
- "Love Is Noise" (death metal disco scene dub)
- "Love Is Noise" (Tom Neville silent lover mix)
- "Love Is Noise" (Tom Neville silent lover instr)
- "Love Is Noise" (Tom Neville noisy lover mix)
- "Love Is Noise" (Tom Neville noisy lover instr)
- "Love Is Noise" (Tong & Rogers wonderland mix)
- "Love Is Noise" (Tong & Rogers wonderland instr)
- "Love Is Noise" (album version)
Charts and certifications
Weekly charts
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Year-end charts
Certifications
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References
- Cohen, Jonathan. "The Verve Storms Back on Forth Album". billboard.com. 1 August 2008.
- Zane plays the new Verve single, avail until 30 Jun 08'
- "Lyrically, look at it in the first few lines, as a kind of remake of Jerusalem by William Blake, rather than those feet in ancient times its those feet in modern times.", Richard Ashcroft, Love Is Noise Interview, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9rXLSWrFVqg
- Vorndran, Daniela (23 August 2008). "Verve, The – August 2008 (Part II)". Reflections of Darkness – a dark music webzine. Retrieved 20 October 2008.
- http://www.reflectionsofdarkness.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3642&Itemid=46
- "The first Verve single for over a decade". 6 August 2008. Retrieved 9 August 2008.
- "The Verve Love Is Noise UK 7" RECORD (441475)". Retrieved 9 August 2008.
- "The Verve Love Is Noise UK 7" RECORD (441477)". Retrieved 9 August 2008.
- "The Verve Love Is Noise UK 5" CD SINGLE (441473)". Retrieved 9 August 2008.
- "Austriancharts.at – The Verve – Love Is Noise" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 25 June 2018.
- "Ultratop.be – The Verve – Love Is Noise" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 25 June 2018.
- "Ultratop.be – The Verve – Love Is Noise" (in French). Ultratip. Retrieved 25 June 2018.
- "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Change the chart to CZ – RADIO – TOP 100 and insert 200851 into search. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
- "Danishcharts.com – The Verve – Love Is Noise". Tracklisten. Retrieved 25 June 2018.
- "Hits of the World – Euro Singles Sales" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 120 no. 35. 30 August 2008. p. 54. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
- "Offiziellecharts.de – The Verve – Love Is Noise". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 25 June 2018.
- "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Rádiós Top 40 játszási lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved 5 April 2020.
- "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Love Is Noise". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 25 June 2018.
- "Italiancharts.com – The Verve – Love Is Noise". Top Digital Download. Retrieved 25 June 2018.
- "Dutchcharts.nl – The Verve – Love Is Noise" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 25 June 2018.
- "Charts.nz – The Verve – Love Is Noise". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 25 June 2018.
- "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 25 June 2018.
- "ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: insert 200846 into search. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
- "Swedishcharts.com – The Verve – Love Is Noise". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 25 June 2018.
- "Swisscharts.com – The Verve – Love Is Noise". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 25 June 2018.
- "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 25 June 2018.
- "End of Year Singles Chart Top 100 – 2008". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 25 June 2018.
- "Rádiós Top 100 – hallgatottsági adatok alapján – 2009" (in Hungarian). Mahasz. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
- "British single certifications – Verve – Love Is Noise". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 15 August 2020.