Sly (Massive Attack song) explained

Sly
Cover:	Sly (1994 Single).jpg
Type:	single
Artist:	Massive Attack
Album:	Protection
Released:	^[1]
Genre:	Trip hop
Length:	5:25 (album version) 4:56 (single edit)
Label:	Wild Bunch Circa
Producer:	Andrew Vowles Robert Del Naja Grant Marshall Nellee Hooper
Prev Title:	Massive Attack (EP)
Prev Year:	1992
Next Title:	Protection
Next Year:	1995

"Sly" is a song by British trip hop collective Massive Attack. It was released as a first single from their second album, Protection (1994), on 17 October 1994^[1] by Wild Bunch and Circa. Vocals on the track are performed by Scottish singer-songwriter Nicolette. "Sly" reached number 24 in the United Kingdom, becoming Massive Attack's fourth top-40 single there.

Background

Sly was the combination of Craig Armstrong's strings combined with Nicolette's vocals. After hearing her first album Now is Early, and being suitably impressed by it, Massive Attack chose Nicolette to appear on Protection.

Critical reception

Push from Melody Maker felt releasing the song as the first single from the Protection album was "the smartest choice", praising the "dreamy-voices" by Nicolette. He concluded, "Thumbs up."^[2] Dele Fadele from NME wrote, "'Sly' finds Nigerian-born Nicolette trilling on in a sultry and wistful manner about time-travel, fate and destiny whilst the string-laden, mid-tempo backdrop conjures up images of the South Seas Pacific and somewhere more devastated and ominous. The overall effect is of putting your ears close to a sea shell and hearing clear, chiming, harmonic bells; as dazzling as that."^[3]

Track listings

• UK CD1 and cassette single; Australian CD single^{[4] [5] [6]}

1. "Sly" (7-inch edit) – 4:10
2. "Sly" (7 Stones mix) – 5:58
3. "Sly" (Underdog mix) – 5:19
4. "Sly" (Underdog double bass & a cappella) – 3:36

• UK CD2^[7]

1. "Sly" (album version) – 5:24
2. "Sly" (Underdog version) – 4:29
3. "Sly" (Cosmic dub) – 5:26
4. "Sly" (Eternal Feedback dub) – 6:23

• UK 12-inch single^[8]

A1. "Sly" (7 Stones mix) – 5:58

A2. "Sly" (Underdog mix) – 5:19

B1. "Sly" (Cosmic dub) – 5:26

B2. "Sly" (album version) – 5:24

B3. "Sly" (Eternal Feedback dub) – 6:23

• European CD single^[9]

1. "Sly" (7-inch edit) – 4:10
2. "Sly" (7 Stones mix) – 5:58

• US maxi-CD single^[10]

1. "Sly" (7-inch edit)
2. "Sly" (7 Stones mix)
3. "Sly" (Underdog mix)
4. "Sly" (Cosmic dub)
5. "Karmacoma" (LP version)

Charts

Chart (1994)	Peak position
Australia (ARIA)^[11]	98
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)^[12]	77
Europe (European Dance Radio)^[13]	20

Notes and References

1. Single Releases. Music Week. 27. 15 October 1994. 24 June 2021.
2. Push. Singles. Melody Maker. 15 October 1994. 36. 6 November 2023.
3. Dele. Fadele. Singles. NME. 22 October 1994. 50. 6 November 2023. Dele Fadele.
4. Sly. Massive Attack. 1994. UK CD1 liner notes. Wild Bunch Records, Circa Records. WBRX5, 7243 8 92855 2 1.
5. Sly. Massive Attack. 1994. UK cassette single sleeve. Wild Bunch Records, Circa Records. WBRC5.
6. Sly. Massive Attack. 1994. Australian CD single liner notes. Wild Bunch Records, Circa Records. WBRXF5, 7243 8 92662 2 1.
7. Sly. Massive Attack. 1994. UK CD2 liner notes. Wild Bunch Records, Circa Records. WBRDX5, 7243 8 92656 2 0.
8. Sly. Massive Attack. 1994. UK 12-inch single sleeve. Wild Bunch Records, Circa Records. WBRT5, 7243 8 92655 6 9.
9. Sly. Massive Attack. 1994. European CD single liner notes. Wild Bunch Records, Circa Records. WBRXE5, 7243 8 92657 2 9.
10. Sly. Massive Attack. 1994. US maxi-CD single liner notes. Virgin Records, Wild Bunch Records, Circa Records. V25H-38465.
11. Web site: The ARIA Australian Top 100 Singles Chart – Week Ending 4 Dec 1994. ARIA. Imgur. 1 September 2016.
12. Eurochart Hot 100 Singles. Music & Media. 11. 45. 15. 5 November 1994. 19 September 2020.
13. European Dance Radio Top 25. Music & Media. 19 November 1994. 31. 27 May 2023.