Over the Shoulder explained

Over the Shoulder
Cover:Ministry Over the Shoulder.jpg
Type:single
Artist:Ministry
Album:Twitch
Released:November 1985
Length:6:44
5:13
Label:Sire
Producer:Adrian Sherwood
Prev Title:(Every Day Is) Halloween
Prev Year:1985
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Next Year:1988

"Over the Shoulder" is a song by American industrial band Ministry, from their second studio album, Twitch (1986). Written by frontman Al Jourgensen, produced by Adrian Sherwood, and released in November 1985 as a 12-inch single, it was the band’s first recording after signing with Sire Records;[1] [2] the accompanying music video was directed by Peter Christopherson.

Composition

"Over the Shoulder" has been described as an early example of electro-industrial,[3] [4] as well as synth-pop[5] and synthrock.[2] On Twitch, it is the fifth track with a length of five minutes and thirteen seconds; the single version is six minutes and forty-four seconds long.[6] [2] Musically, the song contains multiple layers of looped synthesizer parts along with distinctive heavy drum machine pattern and Jourgensen's weak vocal approach; Billboard editors compared this approach with music of Scritti Politti and Bee Gees,[1] [7] [2] while in 2006, Miami New Times Jean Carey wrote that the song "sounds like a giant mosquito."[8] [9] In a later review for the March 1986 issue of Spin Magazine, columnist John Leland praised Sherwood's work with Ministry's “typically banal ideas.”[10]

The single version of "Over the Shoulder" and "Isle of Man" were included as additional tracks on compact disc edition of Twitch in 1990;[11] the song was also to be featured on a 2001 compilation album Greatest Fits, but was left off due to medium limitations.[12]

Music video

The music video for "Over the Shoulder" was directed by Peter Christopherson.[13] [14] [15] It consists of footage of two teenagers stealing a car, trashing a grocery store, making a nails-and-motor oil omelet, and driving off with no apparent consequence.[8]

According to Jourgensen, the director hired two kids to perform actions featured in the video. When the band asked to film in a store, the owner refused. The director allegedly paid the same kids to break into the store and trash it, and the band asked once again. The owner, needing money to pay for cleanup, agreed. As Jourgensen put it, "Everything that happened on that video was criminal."

In 2000, the video of “Over the Shoulder” was featured on compilation album Tapes of Wrath.[3] [16]

Personnel

Credits adapted from liner notes of Twitch.[17]

References

Bibliography

Notes and References

  1. Ministry: Over The Shoulder. Album & Singles Reviews. Billboard. November 23, 1985. 0006-2510. 97. 47. 67. February 10, 2019. Google Books. Thundering beat boxes and vocals as mannered as Scritti Politti heard over the telephone; label debut for the adventurous band..
  2. November 23, 1985. 12' Reviews. Dance. Cash Box. 0008-7289. 49. 24. 20. August 2, 2018. the Internet Archive.
  3. Web site: Tapes of Wrath . Gomes . Whitney Z. . . . August 2, 2018. mdy-all. Tapes of Wrath taps into the rise and demise of this innovative and aggressive Chicago horde: from early aggro ('Over the Shoulder,' 'Flashback') to the top of the slag heap ('Burning Inside,' 'Jesus Built My Hotrod') into eclectic obscurity ('Lay Lady Lay,' 'Bad Blood')..
  4. Web site: Ministry: Trax! Box. Rollman. Hans. August 6, 2015. PopMatters. [...] there’s also the fervent environmentalism of the catchy early electro-industrial tune 'Over The Shoulder.'. August 2, 2018.
  5. Web site: Stanton. Mike. July 26, 2016. Fourculture Magazine. Fourculture Classics #6 – Twitch. August 2, 2018.
  6. “Over the Shoulder”. Ministry. vinyl sleeve. Sire Records. 1985. 0-20401.
  7. Dance Trax. News. Brian Chin. Billboard. 97. 50. December 14, 1985. 51. February 28, 2018. Google Books.
  8. Web site: Stainless Steel Providers. Carey. Jean. July 6, 2006. Miami New Times. May 23, 2018.
  9. Web site: Every Ministry album, ranked from worst to best. Chillingworth. Alec. August 18, 2016. TeamRock. Future Publishing. May 16, 2018.
  10. Ministry: 'Over the Shoulder' with b/w 'Isle of Man' and 'Twitch' (Sire). Singles. John Leland. Spin Magazine. March 1986. 1. 11. 37. March 21, 2018. Google Books.
  11. Greene . Jo-Ann . April 2, 1993 . Ministry. scans . . 19 . 7 (331). 26, 28, 32, 38, 40. 1055-2685. Prongs.org archive.
  12. Ministry. Barker. Paul. Paul Barker. Kiran Aditham. June 28, 2001. Ink19. March 27, 2018.
  13. End credits. Tapes of Wrath. 2000. Warner Music Video. DVD.
  14. Book: Liggeri, Domenico . Musica per i nostri occhi: Storie e segreti dei videoclip. electronic book . 2013 . Giunti. 9788858761106 . it . Google Books . mdy-all. Nell’86 i Ministry per Over the shoulder lo lasciano delirare con i concetti allo stesso modo in cui loro lo fanno con i suoni, consentendogli di descrivere minuzio come due giovannissimi ladri rubano un’istigazione a delinquere, facendo poi compiere al cantante un furto con effrazione in un supermercato, quindi tendando la metafora tra una macchina distrutta dalla sfasciacarozze e l’apertura di una scatoletta, legando il tutto con il tema ricorrente delle galline in batteria: se ne potrebbe evincere che come atto di ribellione all’omologazione sociale sia giustificato perfino commettere reati..
  15. Web site: Ministry - Tapes of Wrath - DVD Review. Horan. Anthony. DVD.net. May 30, 2018.
  16. Mühlmann. Wolf-Rüdiger. de. Ministry: Tapes of Wrath. Rock Hard. March 15, 2018.
  17. Twitch . vinyl sleeve . Sire Records . 1986 . Ministry . 9 25309-1.

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