The Dark of the Matinée explained

The Dark of the Matinée
Cover:franzferdinand_matinee.jpg
Type:single
Artist:Franz Ferdinand
Album:Franz Ferdinand
B-Side:
  • "Better in Hoboken"
  • "Forty Feet"
  • "Michael" (live)
Released:[1]
Studio:Gula (Malmö, Sweden)
Length:4:03
Label:Domino
Producer:Tore Johansson
Prev Title:Take Me Out
Prev Year:2004
Next Title:Michael
Next Year:2004

"The Dark of the Matinée" (known as "Matinée" on single versions) is a song by Scottish indie rock band Franz Ferdinand. It was released as the third single from their eponymous debut studio album on 19 April 2004. The song reached number eight on the UK Singles Chart. In Australia, the song was ranked number 50 on Triple J's Hottest 100 of 2004.[2]

Background

The song is about walking home from Bearsden Academy fantasising about a better life in the future, telling Terry Wogan about it on UK national television, then being shaken from the fantasy as its own ridiculousness shatters its very existence. The chorus and title were inspired by bassist Bob Hardy remarking that the dark of a matinée performance was a utopian environment to play in.[3]

Music video

The video features the band dressed as schoolboys, dancing in an automatic, almost possessed, fashion and miming along to the main vocal track. It was inspired by Dennis Potter's television play Blue Remembered Hills (1979), which features adults playing children, and the lip-sync device Potter used in his 'serials with songs' Pennies from Heaven (1978) and The Singing Detective (1986).

Another part of the video sees the band dressed in white clothing and standing in front of a large photograph of Terry Wogan (who is namechecked in the song).

The finale of the video also takes several visual cues from the "Dry Bones" sequence in Singing Detective. Kapranos wanted to shoot the video in the corridors of Bearsden Academy and approached the school who, while initially receptive, ultimately rejected the idea, as the idea of schoolboys in their early 30s was too reminiscent of the recent scandal involving Brian MacKinnon.

Track listings

All lead vocals are performed by Alex Kapranos.UK CD single[4]

  1. "Matinée"
  2. "Better in Hoboken"
  3. "Forty Feet"

UK 7-inch single[5]

A. "Matinée"

B. "Michael" (live at KCRW)

UK 12-inch single[6]

A1. "Matinée"

B1. "Better in Hoboken"

B2. "Forty Feet" UK DVD single[7]

  1. "Matinée" (video)
  2. "Matinée" (live at KCRW)
  3. Wallpaper
  4. Photo gallery with "Cheating on You" live from The Chateau)

European CD single[8]

  1. "Matinée"
  2. "Better in Hoboken"

Charts

Year-end charts

Notes and References

  1. New Releases: Singles. Music Week. 27. 17 April 2004.
  2. Web site: Hottest 100 2004. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 2 April 2022.
  3. Web site: 10 Years On: Franz Ferdinand — Franz Ferdinand . Sadler. Denham. The Brag Media. 7 February 2014 . 9 June 2022.
  4. Matinée. Franz Ferdinand. 2004. UK CD single liner notes. Domino Recording Company. RUG176CD.
  5. Matinée. Franz Ferdinand. 2004. UK 7-inch single sleeve. Domino Recording Company. RUG176.
  6. Matinée. Franz Ferdinand. 2004. UK 12-inch single sleeve. Domino Recording Company. RUG176T.
  7. Matinée. Franz Ferdinand. 2004. UK DVD single liner notes. Domino Recording Company. RUG176DVD.
  8. Matinée. Franz Ferdinand. 2004. European CD single liner notes. Domino Recording Company. RUG176CDW.
  9. Web site: The Official UK Singles Chart 2004. UKChartsPlus. 14 December 2018.