! (The Song Formerly Known As)

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"! (The Song Formerly Known As)"
Single by Regurgitator
from the album Unit
B-side"Modern Life"
Released13 September 1998 (1998-09-13)
Recorded1997
StudioThe Dirty Room
Length3:25
LabelWarner Music Australasia
Songwriter(s)Quan Yeomans
Producer(s)Magoo, Regurgitator
Regurgitator singles chronology
"Polyester Girl"
(1998) 		"! (The Song Formerly Known As)"
(1998) 		"Happiness (Rotting My Brain)"
(1999)
Music video
"! (The Song Formerly Known As)" on YouTube

"! (The Song Formerly Known As)" is a song by Australian rock band Regurgitator. The song was released as a double-A sided single with "Modern Life" in September 1998 as the fourth and final single from the band's second studio album Unit. The single peaked at number 28 in Australia and it also ranked at number 6 on Triple J's Hottest 100 in 1998, with the single's bonus track "I Like Your Old Remix Better Than Your New Remix" being ranked at number 27.[1]

At the ARIA Music Awards of 1999, the song was nominated for two awards; ARIA Award for Best Group and ARIA Award for Single of the Year.[2]

Critical reception[]

In 2014, Clem Bastow from The Guardian said "'!' is unmatched: it's a towering slab of electronic fuzz, tailor made for giant stadiums and the sort of raves that bring to mind The Matrix's Zion scenes, and yet the song is about staying home and listening to records in the living room with your significant other."[3]

In 2015, the song was listed at number 60 in In the Mix's 100 Greatest Australian Dance Tracks of All Time with Nick Jarvis saying "The best track on the album (and arguably the best track the 'Gurge has written yet) – a dance track played by a live band about how dancing around your living room with bae wearing ugly pants is so much better than going out to loud, smoky clubs.".[4]

In 2019, Tyler Jenke from The Brag ranked Regurgitator's best songs, with "!" coming it at number 1. Jenke said "Ask anyone from the era, and they'll all agree that '! (The Song Formerly Known As)' is Regurgitator's finest moment.. it managed to become their shining glory, with lyrics that describe just sitting back and avoiding clubs, raves, and concerts in favor of a comfy lounge room in suburbia." calling the song "an essential piece of Aussie music history."[5]

Junkee said, "Even at their most ribald, they still sound like an out-of-control after-school care group going to town on a bunch of poor, unsuspecting instruments. "!" isn’t even really a song. It’s a work of punkish extravagance, dressed in nothing but a streak of yellow paint and with murder on its mind. "[6]

Track listings[]

Australian CD single[7]
No.TitleLength
1."! (The Song Formerly Known As)"3:29
2."Modern Life"2:19
3."! (The Song Formerly Known As)" (Tretrotech Adjustment)3:30
4."I Like Your Old Remix Better Than Your New Remix" (a remix of "I Like Your Old Stuff Better Than Your New Stuff")3:01

Charts[]

Chart (1998) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[7] 28

Release history[]

Region Date Format Label Catalogue
Australia 13 September 1998 (1998-09-13)[7] CD Single EastWest, Warner 3984249522

References[]

  1. ^ "Hottest 100 1998". Triple J. Archived from the original on 11 February 2013. Retrieved 7 October 2019.
  2. ^ "Aria Awards". ARIA. Retrieved 7 October 2019.
  3. ^ Bastow, Clem (11 November 2014). "! (The Song Formerly Known As) by Regurgitator – towering electronic fuzz". The Guardian. Retrieved 7 October 2019.
  4. ^ "View archived webpage - Trove". 22 March 2019. Archived from the original on 22 March 2019. Retrieved 1 August 2020.
  5. ^ Jenke, Tyler (13 May 2019). "The 10 biggest hits from Brisbane alt-rock legends Regurgitator". The Brag. Retrieved 7 October 2019.
  6. ^ Joseph Earp. "The 200 Greatest Australian Songs Of All Time, Part Two". Junkee.
  7. ^ Jump up to: a b c "Australian-charts.com – Regurgitator – ! (The Song Formerly Known As)". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 17 October 2020.
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