Pale Movie

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"Pale Movie"
Pale Movie.jpg
Single by Saint Etienne
from the album Tiger Bay
B-side"Highgate Road Incident"
ReleasedFebruary 1994 (1994-02)
Recorded1993-1994
GenreFolk, Eurodance
Length3:51
LabelHeavenly - HVN 37
Songwriter(s)Stanley/Wiggs
Producer(s)Saint Etienne
Saint Etienne singles chronology
"Xmas 93"
(1993) 		"Pale Movie"
(1994) 		"Like a Motorway"
(1994)
Music video
"Pale Movie" on YouTube

"Pale Movie" is a song by British pop group Saint Etienne from the album Tiger Bay. It was released as a single in February 1994,[1] and reached #28 in the UK Singles Charts. It also became a hit in other countries, reaching number 1 in Lebanon[citation needed] and number 24 in Iceland.[2]

In common with the folk music theme of the Tiger Bay album, "Pale Movie" combines a Eurodance beat with Spanish folk-style guitars. The lyrics use surreal imagery to describe a man's love for a mysterious woman. Although the title is not sung, some of the words refer to cinema: "In the bed where they make love / She's in a film on the sheets. / He shows dreams like a movie, / She's the softness of cinema seats." Other lines are stranger: "her skin as white as the milk, / Just like a Sherpa Tenzing / under a Manila silk."

In an interview with Melody Maker magazine, keyboard player Pete Wiggs said that he considers the song "potentially brilliant" but "a bit of a failure"; he feels that the band "stuck too rigidly to our folk idea". He also adds that they only chose Spanish guitar so that they could go to Spain for the video [1] (the video for the song features the band riding around the countryside of Nerja,[citation needed] Spain on scooters).

The cover art for the single features photographs of swimming tigers, presumably in reference to the album title.

Critical reception[]

Tim Sendra from AllMusic called it "one of their "strongest, most emotional songs." He added that "the melancholy fairly oozes from the aching strings, the very sad chords, and Sarah Cracknell's unusually emotional vocals."[3] Pan-European magazine Music & Media commented, "Continentals should forget about their "too British" prejudice. With a bit of patience the same flower can flourish out of this synth pop band as happened last year to the Beloved."[4] Brad Beatnik from Music Week's RM Dance Update deemed it "a typically light, if a little moodier, tune".[5] Another editor, James Hamilton described it as a "Kraftwerk-ishly pulsed lengthily pausing 134.3bpm ethereal swirler".[6] Rob Sheffield from Rolling Stone declared it a "perfect" U.K. hit.[7]

Track listing[]

All tracks written and composed by Stanley and Wiggs.

7", Heavenly / HVN 37 (UK)
  1. "Pale Movie" - 3:51
  2. "Highgate Road Incident" - 2:06
  • also available on MC (HVN 37 C)
12", Heavenly / HVN 37 12 (UK)
  1. "Pale Movie" - 3:51
  2. "Pale Movie" (stentorian dub)- 6:46
  3. "Pale Movie" (secret knowledge trouser assassin mix)- 10:16
  4. "Pale Movie" (lemonentry mix) - 4:05
  • also available on CD (HVN 37 CD)

Charts[]

Chart (1993-1994) Peak
position
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[8] 83
Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40) 24
Lebanon (Lebanese Singles Chart) 1
UK Singles (Official Charts Company) 28
UK Dance Singles (Music Week)[9] 20

References[]

  1. ^ http://www.45cat.com/record/hvn37
  2. ^ "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (28.04.1994-04.05.1994)" (PDF). Dagblaðið Vísir - Tónlist. Retrieved 2018-03-13.
  3. ^ Sendra, Tim. "Saint Etienne – Pale Movie". AllMusic. Retrieved 2020-11-06.
  4. ^ "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. 1994-03-12. p. 8. Retrieved 2021-03-10.
  5. ^ Beatnik, Brad (1994-01-29). "Hot Vinyl" (PDF). Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental Insert). p. 4. Retrieved 2021-04-13.
  6. ^ Hamilton, James (1994-02-19). "Dj directory" (PDF). Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental Insert). p. 7. Retrieved 2021-04-14.
  7. ^ Sheffield, Rob (1998-09-04). "Saint Etienne – Good Humor". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 2007-09-30. Retrieved 2020-11-06.
  8. ^ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. 1994-02-26. Retrieved 2018-03-29.
  9. ^ "Dance Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 1994-02-19. p. 22. Retrieved 2021-04-24.


Stub icon

This 1990s single–related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by .

  • v
  • t
Retrieved from ""