Lovely Head Explained

Lovely Head
Cover:Goldfrapp_Lovely_head.png
Alt:"Lovely Head".
Type:single
Artist:Goldfrapp
Album:Felt Mountain
Recorded:Wiltshire, England
Length:3:41
Label:Mute
Next Title:Utopia
Next Year:2000

"Lovely Head" is an electronic song performed by British group Goldfrapp. The song was written and produced by Alison Goldfrapp and Will Gregory for the duo's debut album Felt Mountain (2000). It was released as the album's first single in May 2000 but did not chart. In November 2001, the song was re-issued as a double A-side single with "Pilots (On a Star)" and reached number sixty-eight on the UK Singles Chart.

In 2002, "Lovely Head" appeared in the Guy Ritchie film Swept Away.[1] It appeared in Jan Kounen's 99 francs (2007), as well as in Pawel Pawlikowski's My Summer of Love (2004).During 2001 the song was used in a TV and cinema advertising campaign for UK mobile phone company One2One, which featured Gary Oldman. The song was also used in Arte documentary series about photographer Helmut Newton, "Mein Leben" (2002). In 2000, the song was used by carmaker BMW in a commercial advertising its 5 Series (E39).

"Lovely Head" is used as the background music in most scenes of BBC animated television series Monkey Dust that contain the character Clive Pringle.

Background and writing

Goldfrapp began work on "Lovely Head" in September 1999 in a rented bungalow in the Wiltshire countryside.[2] Alison Goldfrapp contributed the song's lyrics, and William Gregory and Goldfrapp composed the music together.[3] The duo recorded the song outside their bungalow, drawing inspiration from nature.[4] The song was originally titled "Your Lovely Head".[5] "Lovely Head" features lonesome and eerie whistling of the melody of the Beatles's Strawberry Fields Forever, and cold vocals set to harpsichord and strings.

What is often mistaken for a theremin synth in the song is, in fact, Alison's vocals manipulated through a Korg MS-20 synthesiser. It was inspired by Welsh singer Shirley Bassey and Italian film director Sergio Leone.[6]

In August 2009, American music website Pitchfork listed "Lovely Head" in their Top 500 tracks of the 2000s at number 493.[7]

Formats and track listings

  1. "Lovely Head"  – 3:50
  2. "Lovely Head" (Staré Město Mix) – 3:51
  3. "Lovely Head" (Miss World Mix) – 3:50

Credits and personnel

Charts

Chart (2001)!scope="col"
Peak
position
UK Singles Chart[12] 68

Notes and References

  1. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0291502/soundtrack "Soundtracks for Swept Away"
  2. Simpson, Dave. "The Friday Interview: 'The Mercury prize? Oh God, that would be great. I deserve something'". The Guardian. 4 May 2001. Retrieved 12 April 2009.
  3. Flinn, Sean. "Scaling Felt Mountain" . Choler Magazine. 25 January 2002. Retrieved 12 April 2009.
  4. http://www.mute.com/releases/viewRelease.jsp?showPrices=false&id=5440 "Goldfrapp > Full Discography > Lovely Head"
  5. "Lovely Head" (UK promotional CD single #247). Mute Records. 29 May 2000.
  6. Reno, Brad. "Goldfrapp". Trouser Press. Retrieved 12 April 2009.
  7. Web site: The 500 Best Songs of the 2000s . Pitchfork.
  8. Lovely Head (2000, DVD). . 2000. UK CD single inlay . Mute Records. 5016025602476.
  9. Strict Machine (2000, Vinyl). . 2000. UK 12" single inlay . Mute Records. 5016025202478.
  10. Web site: Lovely Head - Single by Goldfrapp on Apple Music . . 20 Jun 2021.
  11. Goldfrapp Felt Mountain (2000) liner notes Mute Records
  12. https://www.officialcharts.com/artists/ "Chart Stats: Goldfrapp"

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