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Swamp Thing (song)

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"Swamp Thing"
CD Maxi
Single by The Grid
from the album Evolver
Released23 May 1994
Recorded1993–1994
GenreTechno
Length3:56
LabelDeconstruction Records
Songwriter(s)
  • Richard Norris
  • David Ball
Producer(s)The Grid
The Grid singles chronology
"Texas Cowboys"
(1993)
"Swamp Thing"
(1994)
"Rollercoaster"
(1994)
Music video
"Swamp Thing" on YouTube

"Swamp Thing" is a song by British music group The Grid. It was released on 23 May 1994 as a single and is included on The Grid's third album Evolver. The song peaked at number 3 on the UK, Australian and Danish singles charts in 1994 and reached the Top 5 in an additional seven countries, including Finland and Norway, where it reached number 2. The song was later sampled in "Banjo Thing" by Infernal and "Swamp Thing" by Pegboard Nerds.

Content

"Swamp Thing" is almost completely instrumental, consisting mainly of drums, synthesizer sounds and banjo. The only vocals are Well alright, watch out, Feel alright and I just dig it, sampled from the 1973 reggae song "Papa Do It Sweet" by Lloyd & Patsy.[1] The banjo part was written and performed by Roger Dinsdale, a folk musician who also played the guitar and the mandolin. Dinsdale died in July 2009.[2]

Chart performance

The song was very successful on the charts on several continents. In Europe, it managed to reach number 2 in Finland, Norway and Scotland. And it was a Top 10 hit also in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Iceland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, as well as on the Eurochart Hot 100, where it hit number 4. In the UK, the single peaked at number 3 in its fifth week at the UK Singles Chart, on June 26, 1994.[3] It was also a Top 20 hit in Germany and a Top 50 hit in France. Outside Europe, "Swamp Thing" reached number 3 in Australia and on the RPM Dance/Urban Chart in Canada, and number 41 in New Zealand. It was awarded with a silver record in the UK, with a sale of 200,000 singles and a platinum record in Australia, after 70,000 units were sold.

Music video

"Swamp Thing" was accompanied by a music video. The video switches back and forth between two scenes: computer-generated imagery of a group of robots dancing to a techno beat, and a blank white landscape with a crawling baby and music synthesiser instruments. The scene with the baby and the instruments also inspired the Evolver album cover art. The video was uploaded to YouTube in February 2014. By September 2020, it had more than 1,5 million views.[4]

Track listing

UK CD single

  1. "Swamp Thing" (Radio Mix) 3:56
  2. "Swamp Thing" (Southern Comfort Mix) 7:10
  3. "Swamp Thing" (Deep Dub Piece) 7:10
  4. "Swamp Thing" (Deep Piece Mix) 8:53

The 12" single omits the Radio Mix. Both the Radio Mix and Southern Comfort Mix are alternative edits of the album mix found on Evolver.

Charts and certifications

References

  1. ^ "The Grid's Swamp Thing sample of Lloyd & Patsy's Papa Do It Sweet".
  2. ^ "Roger Dinsdale - Banjo God - Discussion Forums - Banjo Hangout". www.banjohangout.org.
  3. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100 26 June 1994 - 02 July 1994". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 17 September 2020.
  4. ^ "The Grid - Swamp Thing (Official Music Video)". YouTube. Retrieved 8 September 2020.
  5. ^ "The Grid – Swamp Thing". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  6. ^ "The Grid – Swamp Thing" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  7. ^ "The Grid – Swamp Thing" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  8. ^ "Top RPM Dance/Urban: Issue 2679." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 28 September 2018.
  9. ^ "Top 10 Sales in Europe" (PDF). Music & Media. 20 August 1994. p. 21. Retrieved 20 September 2019.
  10. ^ "Eurochart Hot 100" (PDF). Music & Media. 3 September 1994. p. 12. Retrieved 15 March 2018.
  11. ^ Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Tammi. ISBN 978-951-1-21053-5.
  12. ^ "The Grid – Swamp Thing" (in French). Les classement single.
  13. ^ "The Grid – Swamp Thing" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 20 September 2019.
  14. ^ "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 15.09.1994 – 21.09.1994" (PDF). Dagblaðið Vísir – Tónlist. Retrieved 1 February 2018.
  15. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Swamp Thing". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 20 September 2019.
  16. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 34, 1994" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 20 September 2019.
  17. ^ "The Grid – Swamp Thing" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 20 September 2019.
  18. ^ "The Grid – Swamp Thing". Top 40 Singles.
  19. ^ "The Grid – Swamp Thing". VG-lista.
  20. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 20 September 2019.
  21. ^ Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
  22. ^ "The Grid – Swamp Thing". Singles Top 100.
  23. ^ "The Grid – Swamp Thing". Swiss Singles Chart.
  24. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 20 September 2019.
  25. ^ "Official Dance Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 20 September 2019.
  26. ^ a b "1994 ARIA Singles Chart". ARIA. Retrieved 20 September 2019.
  27. ^ "Jaaroverzichten 1994" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Retrieved 20 September 2019.
  28. ^ "1994 Year-End Sales Charts: Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Retrieved 28 November 2019.
  29. ^ "Top 100 Singles–Jahrescharts 1994" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 20 September 2019.
  30. ^ "Jaarlijsten 1994" (in Dutch). Stichting Nederlandse Top 40. Retrieved 29 November 2019.
  31. ^ "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1994" (in Dutch). MegaCharts. Retrieved 20 September 2019.
  32. ^ "Årslista Singlar – År 1994" (in Swedish). Hitlistan. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 20 September 2019.
  33. ^ "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 1994" (in German). Retrieved 20 September 2019.
  34. ^ "Top 100 Singles 1994". Music Week. 14 January 1995. p. 9.
  35. ^ "British single certifications – Grid – Swamp Thing". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 20 September 2019. Select singles in the Format field. Select Silver in the Certification field. Type Swamp Thing in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.