Miss America (The Big Dish song)

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"Miss America"
The Big Dish Miss America 1990 single cover.jpg
Single by The Big Dish
from the album Satellites
B-side"From the Mission Bell to the Deep Blue Sea"
Released1990
Length3:58
LabelEast West
Songwriter(s)Steven Lindsay
Craig Armstrong
Brian McFie
Producer(s)Warne Livesey
The Big Dish singles chronology
"Life"
(1989) 		"Miss America"
(1990) 		"Big Town"
(1991)

"Miss America" is a song by Scottish pop band The Big Dish, which was released in 1990 as the lead single from their third and final studio album Satellites. The song was written by Steven Lindsay, Craig Armstrong and Brian McFie, and produced by Warne Livesey.

"Miss America" peaked at No. 37 on the UK Singles Chart and remained in the Top 100 for five weeks. It was the band's only single to reach the UK Top 75.[1] A music video was filmed to promote the single.[2]

Background[]

"Miss America" was the band's debut release on East West and successfully broke the band in the top 40 of the UK Singles Chart. Lindsay told The List in 1990, "'Miss America' is a bit more like the stuff on Swimmer. I think we lost our way a bit on the second album."[3]

Critical reception[]

On its release as a single, Music & Media described "Miss America" as "evocative, thoughtful and engaging pop" with "passionate vocals" from Lindsay.[4] Billboard considered the song to be "sensitive" and "lyrically and rhythmically poetic" which "evoke[s] images of quiet, unsettling desperation". They added, "[The] track takes on a number of visionary transitions in its quest to relate a story that is individual, yet hauntingly universal."[5]

In a review of Satellites, Hi-Fi News & Record Review praised the song as "a classy pop song with memorable hook-lines".[6] Adam Sweeting of The Guardian commented, "The smooth, dreamy textures and Lindsay's perfectly polished tunes make this ideal late-night driving fodder, especially 'Miss America' or 'Give Me Some Time'."[7]

Track listing[]

7" single
  1. "Miss America" – 3:58
  2. "From the Mission Bell to the Deep Blue Sea" – 3:15
12" single
  1. "Miss America" – 3:58
  2. "From the Mission Bell to the Deep Blue Sea" – 3:15
  3. "The Town Celebrity" – 4:12
CD single
  1. "Miss America" – 3:58
  2. "From the Mission Bell to the Deep Blue Sea" – 3:15
  3. "The Town Celebrity" – 4:12
  4. "Roll Down the Flag" – 4:12
CD single (US promo)
  1. "Miss America" – 3:58

Personnel[]

Miss America

  • Steve Lindsay – vocals, guitar
  • Brian McFie – guitar, backing vocals
  • Craig Armstrong – piano, keyboards
  • Warne Livesey – programming

Production

  • Warne Livesey – producer of "Miss America"
  • Steven Lindsay – producer of "From the Mission Bell to the Deep Blue Sea", "The Town Celebrity" and "Roll Down the Flag"
  • Richard Moakes – engineer on "Miss America"
  • Felix Kendall – mix engineer on "Miss America"

Other

  • John Stoddart – photography

Charts[]

Chart (1991) Peak
position
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[8] 47
UK Singles (OCC)[9] 37

References[]

  1. ^ "BIG DISH; full Official Chart History; Official Charts Company". Officialcharts.com. Retrieved 7 October 2020.
  2. ^ "Big Dish - Miss America (1991)". bfi.org.uk. Retrieved 7 October 2020.
  3. ^ Shepherd, Fiona (7 December 1990). "Swimming to America". The List. p. 37.
  4. ^ "New Releases: Singles". Music & Media. 26 January 1991. p. 16.
  5. ^ "Single Reviews". Billboard. 23 March 1991. p. 75.
  6. ^ "Hi-fi News & Record Review". Link House Publications. 1991. Retrieved 7 October 2020 – via Google Books.
  7. ^ Sweeting, Adam (21 March 1991). "Review/Music: Credible string band". The Guardian. p. 30.
  8. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – The Big Dish – Miss America" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 7 October 2020.
  9. ^ "Big Dish: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 7 October 2020.
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