September Gurls

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For the band, see September Girls.
"September Gurls"
Septembergurls.jpg
Single by Big Star
from the album Radio City
ReleasedAugust 1974[1]
Recorded1973
Genre
Length2:41
LabelArdent
Songwriter(s)Alex Chilton
Producer(s)John Fry and Big Star

"September Gurls" is a song by the rock band Big Star. Written by Alex Chilton, it was featured on the group's second studio album Radio City. The track was released in 1974.

Background[]

The song was named in tribute to the Beach Boys' "California Girls".[4]

"September Gurls" was also released as a single.[5] While it never was a big seller, it is considered a classic song by publications such as Rolling Stone and Allmusic.[6][7]

The track was rated #180 by Rolling Stone in the magazine's top 500 songs of all time, and is described as a "power pop classic".[6]

Jason Ankeny of Allmusic describes the song as "sweetly gorgeous sound that's both familiar and novel; poignantly ragged and breathlessly reckless..." and says it "reveals a surprising tenderness, tempering its venom with achingly lovely vocals and sun-kissed harmonies".[7]

Novelist Michael Chabon calls the song "the pocket history of power pop" and claims that it is "the greatest number-one song that never charted".[8]

Covers[]

The Bangles released a cover of this song on their 1986 album Different Light. Other bands who have recorded the song include Superdrag[9] and The Searchers.[10]

Tributes[]

The title of Katy Perry's 2010 number one hit "California Gurls" was spelled thus as a tribute to Chilton and Big Star. Perry's manager is a fan of the band, and asked her to spell "girls" with a "u".[11]

References[]

  1. ^ "Big Star - September Gurls". Retrieved April 16, 2019 – via www.45cat.com.
  2. ^ Lester, Paul (February 11, 2015). "Powerpop: 10 of the best". The Guardian. Guardian News and Media. Retrieved July 29, 2016.
  3. ^ LaBate, Steve (December 18, 2009). "Jangle Bell Rock: A Chronological (Non-Holiday) Anthology… from The Beatles and Byrds to R.E.M. and Beyond". Paste. Retrieved March 2, 2017.
  4. ^ George-Warren, Holly (March 2014). A Man Called Destruction: The Life and Music of Alex Chilton, from Box Tops to Big Star to Backdoor Man. Viking. p. 142. ISBN 978-0-670-02563-3.
  5. ^ Buskin, Richard (April 2006). "CLASSIC TRACKS: Big Star: 'September Gurls'". Sound on Sound. Retrieved January 1, 2009.
  6. ^ Jump up to: a b "The RS 500 Greatest Songs of All Time". Rolling Stone. December 9, 2004. Archived from the original on August 20, 2006. Retrieved January 1, 2009.
  7. ^ Jump up to: a b Ankeny, Jason. "September Gurls". Allmusic. Retrieved January 2, 2009.
  8. ^ "Michael Chabon - Tragic Magic". archive.is. April 11, 2013. Archived from the original on April 11, 2013. Retrieved April 16, 2019.
  9. ^ "superdrag.com". Retrieved January 2, 2009.
  10. ^ Eder, Bruce. "allmusic ((( Love's Melodies > Overview )))". Allmusic. Retrieved January 2, 2009.
  11. ^ "Katy Perry's 'California Gurls' Is A Nod To ... Big Star?". mtv.com. May 13, 2010. Retrieved August 31, 2010.

12. Closterman, Chuck. (2016) But What If We're Wrong?. Penguin Publishing Group. E-book.

External links[]


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