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Champagne Supernova

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For the astronomical event observed in 2003, named after the song, see SN 2003fg.

"Champagne Supernova"
Song
B-side"Slide Away"

"Champagne Supernova" is a song by English rock band Oasis, written by guitarist Noel Gallagher. The seven-minute anthem is the closing track on the record-breaking album (What's the Story) Morning Glory?. Though only released as a single in Australia, U.S., Canada, France and New Zealand in 1996, a music video directed by Nigel Dick[1] was released to music channels and, as a result, the song received significant television and radio airplay.

The song was released in the U.S. as a radio single to great success, becoming the band's second No. 1 single on the Modern Rock Tracks chart. It also peaked at No. 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay, becoming the band's third top 40 single on that chart. The song is considered a fan-favourite and has received widespread critical acclaim. The song is also included on Oasis' compilation album Stop the Clocks and on the U.S. release of Time Flies... 1994–2009

Background

Noel Gallagher claimed, in a 2005 interview, that he has still not made up his mind as to what the song actually is about. He then had this to say about the song's lyrical content on the band's official website:

Some of the lyrics were written when I was out of it. There's the words: 'Someday you will find me/ Caught beneath a landslide/ In a Champagne Supernova in the sky'. That's probably as psychedelic as I'll ever get. It means different things when I'm in different moods. When I'm in a bad mood being caught beneath a landslide is like being suffocated. The song is a bit of an epic. It's about when you're young and you see people in groups and you think about what they did for you and they did nothing. As a kid, you always believed the Sex Pistols were going to conquer the world and kill everybody in the process. Bands like The Clash just petered out. Punk rock was supposed to be the revolution but what did it do? Fuck all. The Manchester thing was going to be the greatest movement on earth but it was fuck all. When we started we decided we weren't going to do anything for anybody, we just thought we'd leave a bunch of great songs. But some of the words are about nothing. One is about Bracket The Butler who used to be on Camberwick Green, or Chipley or Trumpton or something. He used to take about 20 minutes to go down the hall. And then I couldn't think of anything that rhymed with 'hall' apart from 'cannonball'. so I wrote 'Slowly walking down the hall/ Faster than a cannonball' and people were like, 'Wow, man'. There's also the line 'Where were you while we were getting high?' because that's what we always say to each other. But the number of people who've started clubs called Champagne Supernova is fucking unbelievable. And the album isn't even released yet.[citation needed]

In a 2009 interview, Noel told the following anecdote:

This writer, he was going on about the lyrics to "Champagne Supernova", and he actually said to me: ‘You know, the one thing that’s stopping it being a classic is the ridiculous lyrics.’ And I went: ‘What do you mean by that?’ And he said: ‘Well, Slowly walking down the hall, faster than a cannonball — what’s that mean?’ And I went: ‘I don’t know. But are you telling me, when you’ve got 60,000 people singing it, they don’t know what it means? It means something different to every one of them.’[2]

Live performances

The song was played at the majority of Oasis concerts. Noel Gallagher has stated that "I think it's the only song, that since it was written, that we've played every night." During the Morning Glory Tour in 1995/96 and the Be Here Now Tour in 1997/98 the song's ending was usually stretched out by often 5 or so minutes, with Noel Gallagher playing a long improvised guitar solo. An example of one of these performances can be seen on the DVD ...There and Then.

Oasis performed the song at the 1996 MTV Video Music Awards, with lead vocalist Liam Gallagher making rude gestures at brother Noel as he was playing his guitar solo, then spitting beer all over the stage before storming off.[citation needed]

After Noel's abrupt departure from the band in August 2009, "Champagne Supernova" became the last original song Oasis performed live together. As usual, the band ended their last set with a cover of The Beatles' "I Am the Walrus".[3]

Alternate versions

An official remix of the song was produced by Brendan Lynch, and was issued on the b-side on a promo-only 12" of Oasis's cover of "Cum On Feel the Noize". Known as the "Lynchmob Beats Mix", this track has been reissued on promotional material for Oasis's "best of" album Stop the Clocks.

Live versions of the track were released on ...There and Then, and Familiar to Millions.

A 'clean' version, editing out the 'waves' effects at the start of the track was released on 'Assorted' - a free CD issued with the January 1996 edition (No. 113) of Q magazine. It is also available on the Time Flies... 1994–2009 retrospective collection.

Covers

  • Sound Assassins (Scott Attrill & Jim Sullivan) remixed and covered the song in a way of eurodance, on the 2002 dance compilation Dancemania Speed 10.
  • Angie Aparo covered the song on the album The One with the Sun released 2003.
  • Assembly of Dust released a live cover of the song on their Freedom of Assembly promotional EP in 2007
  • Ben Folds Five released a live cover of this song as a B-side of their single "Battle of Who Could Care Less". The performance, which took place in London, was introduced as a country song and performed in an exaggerated country-music style.
  • The song was covered by American band Matt Pond PA specifically for use on the TV show The O.C..
  • Urban Cookie Collective did a dance cover of this song but Noel Gallagher stopped them from releasing it as a single.[4]
  • The Early November covered the song at the end of a live performance of "No Good at Saying Sorry (One More Chance)".
  • Hootie & the Blowfish (as well as Darius Rucker solo) covered the song at their live shows during their 2007 and 2008 summer tours.
  • The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra performed an orchestral cover of the song on the album "Symphonic Rock."
  • Snow Patrol covered "Champagne Supernova" at V Festival 2009 as a tribute to Oasis who pulled out due to Liam Gallagher's illness.
  • David Cook covered "Champagne Supernova" during his "Declaration Tour" at the Pechanga Resort & Casino in a mash-up with his song "Heroes" on 31 December 2009, his last concert for his debut tour.
  • Green Day covered the song in some shows during their 21st Century Breakdown World Tour.
  • Scala & Kolacny Brothers covered the song in their 2010 album Circle.
  • The Killers regularly performed the song during their early days in Las Vegas before they were signed.
  • British breakcore artist Shitmat released a breakcore remix of the song, entitled "Buckfast Supernova".
  • Southern Metal band Black Stone Cherry covered the song during their 2011/12 tour.
  • The Pretty Reckless and Sid Glover from Heaven's Basement covered the song in a visit to the BBC 1 Live Lounge in 2014 in a mash-up with "Dear Prudence" by The Beatles.

Track listing

1996 single (US: Epic ESK 7719, SME 11-003393-17, France: Helter Skelter SAMP 3393)

  1. "Champagne Supernova" (Radio Edit) - 5:08
  2. "Champagne Supernova" (Album Version) - 7:28

1996 CD Maxi (Australia: SME 663344 1)

  1. "Champagne Supernova" (Radio Edit) - 5:08
  2. "Champagne Supernova" (Album Version) - 7:31
  3. "Slide Away" - 6:29

Personnel

Charts and sales

Weekly charts

Chart (1996–97) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[5] 26
Canada (RPM)[6] 11
Canada (RPM Alternative 30)[6] 1
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[7] 16
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[8] 28
US Billboard Hot 100 Airplay 20
US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks 1
US Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks 8
US Billboard Adult Top 40 Tracks 33
US Billboard Mainstream Top 40 10

Chart successions

Preceded by Billboard Modern Rock Tracks number-one single
6 April - 4 May 1996 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Canadian RPM Alternative 30 number-one single
22 April 1996 (first run)
6 May 1996 (second run) 		Succeeded by
"Big Bang Baby" by Stone Temple Pilots (second run)
Machinehead by Bush X

References

  1. ^ Oasis' official YouTube channel, video for Champagne Supernova on YouTube
  2. ^ Cairns, Dan (8 March 2009). "Noel Gallagher on how Oasis got their groove back". The Times. London. Retrieved 28 April 2010.
  3. ^ "Oasis V Festival Set List 2009 ~ "The Spaghetti Incident?"". Thespaghettiincident.com. 23 August 2009. Retrieved 10 January 2012.
  4. ^ Radio 1 - The Net - Oasis stop Champagne Supernova Cover Version. YouTube: BBC Radio. Retrieved 26 December 2011. {{cite AV media}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |trans_title= (help)
  5. ^ "Oasis – Champagne Supernova". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  6. ^ a b Canada peaks
  7. ^ "Oasis – Champagne Supernova". Top 40 Singles.
  8. ^ "Oasis – Champagne Supernova" Canciones Top 50.
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