Golden Brown

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For the colour, see Golden brown (colour).

"Golden Brown"
Golden Brown cover art.jpg
Single by the Stranglers
from the album La folie
B-side"Love 30"
Released11 January 1982 (UK)[1]
Genre
Length3:30
LabelLiberty BP 407 (UK, 7")
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
The Stranglers singles chronology
"Let Me Introduce You to the Family"
(1981) 		"Golden Brown"
(1982) 		"La Folie"
(1982)
The Stranglers singles chronology
"Always the Sun (Sunny Side Up Mix)"
(1991) 		"Golden Brown"
(1991) 		"Heaven or Hell"
(1992)
Music video
"Golden Brown" on YouTube

"Golden Brown" is a song by the English rock band the Stranglers released as a 7" single on EMI's Liberty label in 1982. It was the second single released from the band's sixth album La folie and peaked at No. 2 in the UK Singles Chart, the band's highest ever placing in that chart.[4] It has also been recorded by many other artists.

Composition[]

The main body of the song is in 6/8 time and is pitched halfway between the keys of E minor and E-flat minor.[5] The instrumental introduction, in (a very flat) B minor, alternates bars in 6/8 and 7/8. The music was largely written by keyboardist Dave Greenfield and drummer Jet Black, with lyrics by singer/guitarist Hugh Cornwell.[6]

Lyrics[]

There has been much controversy surrounding the lyrics. In his book The Stranglers Song By Song (2001), Hugh Cornwell states, "'Golden Brown' works on two levels. It's about heroin and also about a girl." Essentially the lyrics describe how "both provided me with pleasurable times."[7]

Release and reception[]

Originally featured on the group's album La folie, which was released in November 1981, and later on the USA pressings of Feline, "Golden Brown" was released as a single in January 1982, and was accompanied by a video. It reached No. 2 in the official UK Singles Chart in February 1982, remaining there for two weeks behind double A-sided record "Town Called Malice/Precious" by the Jam.[8][9]

The single was a top 10 hit around the world, including Australia. It was also featured in the film Snatch and is included on its soundtrack album.[2] David Hamilton, disc jockey on the comparatively conservative BBC Radio 2, which was a middle-of-the-road (MOR) music radio station at that time, made the single his "record of the week".[1]

In January 2014, NME ranked the song at No. 488 on its list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time".[10]

"Number Two" poll[]

In a BBC Radio 2 listener poll of the nation's favourite singles to have peaked at number two, conducted in late 2012, "Golden Brown" ranked fifth behind "Vienna", "Fairytale of New York", "Sit Down" and "American Pie", and just ahead of "Waterloo Sunset" and "Penny Lane"/"Strawberry Fields Forever".[11]

Music video[]

Two shots from the music clip of "Golden Brown": the band performing the song in Leighton House and as explorers

The video for "Golden Brown" was directed by Lindsey Clennell.[12] It depicts the band members both as explorers in an Arabian country in the 1920s and performers for a fictional "Radio Cairo".

In addition to the Pyramids, the video is intercut with stock footage of the Mir-i-Arab Madrasah in Bukhara, the Shah Mosque in Isfahan, the Great Sphinx, Feluccas sailing, Bedouins riding, and camel racing in the United Arab Emirates. The performance scenes were filmed in the Leighton House Museum in Holland Park, London, which was also used in the filming of the video for "Gold" by Spandau Ballet.[13]

Track listing[]

Songs, lyrics and music by the Stranglers.

7": Liberty / BP 407 (UK)[]

Side one[14]

  1. "Golden Brown" – 3:28

Side two[14]

  1. "Love 30" – 3:57

1991 7": Epic / 656761 7 (UK)[]

Side one[14]

  1. "Golden Brown" – 3:29

Side two[14]

  1. "You" – 3:09

1991 Reissue – CD-Maxi: Epic / 656761 2 (UK)[]

  1. "Golden Brown" – 3:31[14]
  2. "You" – 3:08
  3. "Peaches" – 3:59
  4. "Skin Deep (12" Version)" – 7:09

Charts[]

Chart (1982) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[15] 10
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[14] 7
France (IFOP)[16] 73
Germany (Official German Charts)[17] 63
Ireland (IRMA)[18] 3
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[19] 8
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[20] 10
UK Singles (OCC)[8] 2
Chart (1991)1 Peak
position
Ireland (IRMA)[18] 25
UK Singles (OCC)[21] 68

Remix

Chart (2013) Peak
position
UK Singles (OCC)[22] 98

Certifications[]

Region Certification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[23] Platinum 600,000double-dagger

double-dagger Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Cover versions[]

In 1996 British hip hop group Kaleef's re-working of the song reached number 22 in the UK Charts.[24] The following year, a cover version by soul singer Omar reached number 37.[25]

In 2020, British YouTuber and saxophonist Laurence Mason's cover of "Golden Brown" in the style of classical American jazz pianist Dave Brubeck was viewed over a million times leading to a commercial release via Amazon and iTunes, and as a vinyl single under the title "Take Vibe EP" (in reference to the song "Take Five" by the Dave Brubeck Quartet).[26] The vinyl release stayed two weeks in the Official Vinyl Singles Chart's Top 40, peaking at No 24.[27]

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b Twomey, Chris (1992). The Stranglers – The Men They Love to Hate. EMI Records Ltd. pp. 106–107.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b Potts, Diana. "Original Soundtrack – Snatch". AllMusic. Retrieved 24 June 2013.
  3. ^ McNamee, David (4 January 2010). "Hey, what's that sound: Harpsichord". The Guardian. Retrieved 7 May 2016.
  4. ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 535. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  5. ^ "Golden Brown by the Stranglers – Digital Sheet Music". Sony/ATV Music Publishing. Retrieved 6 March 2021 – via Musicnotes.com.
  6. ^ "Golden Brown – Song Review". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 11 July 2013. Retrieved 9 July 2014.
  7. ^ Cornwell, Hugh; Drury, Jim (2001). The Stranglers Song by Song. Sanctuary Publishing Ltd. ISBN 1-86074-362-5.
  8. ^ Jump up to: a b "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 9 July 2014.
  9. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100: 14 February 1982 – 20 February 1982". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 7 March 2017.
  10. ^ Barker, Emily (31 January 2014). "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time – 500–401". NME. Retrieved 28 July 2016.
  11. ^ "Ultravox's Vienna tops 'number two' poll". BBC Online. 1 January 2013. Retrieved 1 January 2013.
  12. ^ "Lindsey Clennell". British Film Institute. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
  13. ^ "Filming and Photo Shoots". Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
  14. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f "Ultratop.be – The Stranglers – Golden Brown" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 9 July 2014.
  15. ^ "Forum – ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts – CHART POSITIONS PRE 1989". Australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 9 July 2014.
  16. ^ "Le Détail par Artiste". InfoDisc (in French). Select "Stranglers" from the artist drop-down menu. Retrieved 17 May 2016.
  17. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – The Stranglers – Golden Brown" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 9 July 2014.
  18. ^ Jump up to: a b "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Golden Brown". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 1 July 2014.
  19. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 11, 1982" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40 Retrieved 9 July 2014.
  20. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – The Stranglers – Golden Brown" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 9 July 2014.
  21. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 9 July 2014.
  22. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 24 December 2018.
  23. ^ "British single certifications – Stranglers – Golden Brown". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 4 May 2021.
  24. ^ "Kaleef". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 9 July 2014.
  25. ^ "Omar". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 9 July 2014.
  26. ^ "Single of the Week: The Take Vibe E.P." DJ D-Mac & Associates. 2 October 2020. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
  27. ^ "Official Vinyl Singles Chart Top 40: 23 October 2020 – 29 October 2020". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 19 February 2021.

External links[]

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