Bang (song)

"Bang"
Single by Blur
from the album Leisure
Released	29 July 1991
Format	12" vinyl, 7" vinyl, cassette, CD
Recorded	1991
Genre	Alternative rock Madchester
Length	3:38 (album version)
Label	Food
Producer	Stephen Street
Blur singles chronology
"There's No Other Way" (1991) "Bang" (1991) "Popscene" (1992)
Music video "Bang" on YouTube

"Bang" is a song by Blur and was released 29 July 1991 as their third single. It was also featured on the band's debut album Leisure. It has been all but disowned by the band, who claim it was written in less than fifteen minutes in response to record company demands for another bankable single. It is almost never played live, and has not been included on either Blur: The Best Of or Midlife: A Beginner's Guide to Blur.

Its disappointing performance relative to previous single "There's No Other Way" marked the end of Blur's initial period of popularity, which would not be equalled until the release of "Girls & Boys" three years later.

Charts

UK Top 75 (1991)	Peak position
UK Singles Chart	24

Track listings

• 12"

1. "Bang" (extended)
2. "Explain"
3. "Luminous"
4. "Uncle Love"

• 7" and Cassette

1. "Bang"
2. "Luminous"

• CD (released 5 August 1991)

1. "Bang"
2. "Explain"
3. "Luminous"
4. "Berserk"

Production credits

• "Bang" and "Explain" produced by Stephen Street
• "Luminous", "Berserk" and "Uncle Love" produced by Blur

Video

Screenshot of "Bang" video

The video, directed by Willy Smax, features the band in west London at night. Time-lapse photography of night-time traffic was used, creating streaks of light from cars' headlights. Black-and-white performance shots were also included. In later years Dave Rowntree expressed his love of the video, stating it as his favorite of the Blur catalogue. The video itself went generally unnoticed during its time of release and of all the promos, gets the least airplay on television. The video has been aired quite frequently on MTV Rocks, though, as part of their Blur Top 40 list, of which it features at 26. A vinyl copy of Beatles for Sale by The Beatles and Blonde on Blonde by Bob Dylan can be found in the music video when Graham Coxon is seen playing his guitar. The board game the band are playing whilst sat at the table is Scrabble. The music video is quite similar to "Tomorrow Comes Today" by Gorillaz due to its shots of London and the Centre Point building.