Bitter Sweet Symphony

"Bitter Sweet Symphony"
Single by The Verve
from the album Urban Hymns
Released 16 June 1997 (1997-06-16)
Format
Studio Olympic Studios, London
Genre
Length
  • 5:58 (album version)
  • 4:33 (radio edit/video version)
Label Hut
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
The Verve singles chronology
"History"
(1995)		 "Bitter Sweet Symphony"
(1997)		 "The Drugs Don't Work"
(1997)
Audio sample
A sample from "Bitter Sweet Symphony" by The Verve
  • file
  • help
Music video
"Bitter Sweet Symphony" on YouTube

"Bitter Sweet Symphony" is a song by English alternative rock band The Verve. The track, which is considered to be one of the defining songs (and music videos) of the Britpop era, was released in June 1997 by Hut Recordings as the first single from the band's third album Urban Hymns (1997). It reached number two on the UK Singles Chart and stayed in the chart for three months.[2] The song was based on a disputed sample from an orchestral cover of The Rolling Stones' song "The Last Time" by Andrew Loog Oldham. As a result of legal action, The Verve surrendered all royalties from the song and Mick Jagger and Keith Richards were added to the songwriting credits.

"Bitter Sweet Symphony" was a nominee at the Best British Single at the 1998 Brit Awards. The music video features lead singer Richard Ashcroft singing as he walks - refusing to change his stride or direction - down Hoxton Street, Hoxton in London.[3][4]

Production

Music producer Youth said "This was certainly the most successful track I've done. I think Richard had actually cut a version with John Leckie but, by the time I came on board, he didn't want to do the song. I persuaded him to have a go at cutting a version but at first he wasn't really into it. It was only once we'd put strings on it that he started getting excited. Then, towards the end, Richard wanted to chuck all the album away and start again. What was my reaction? Horror. Sheer horror. All I could say was, I really think you should reconsider."[5]

The song was released in June 1997 by Hut Recordings. It would be the first single from The Verve's third album Urban Hymns (1997). It was released in the US as a CD single on 3 March 1998 by Virgin Records America, reaching No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100.[6]

Music video

A screenshot at the beginning of the music video showing Ashcroft, standing in Hoxton Street, London N1.

The music video (directed by Walter A. Stern) is an homage to the single continuous shot docu-fiction music video for Massive Attack's "Unfinished Sympathy" and focuses on Ashcroft singing while walking down a busy East London pavement, without changing his stride or direction throughout, except for one instance where he is forced to stop for a moving car and a reflection is seen of him standing stationary in the car's tinted window.[4] He narrowly avoids being hit by a car as he starts his walk, repeatedly bumping into passers-by (causing one young woman to lose balance and fall), and he also jumps on top of the bonnet of another vehicle stopped in his path (the driver gets out of her car and proceeds to confront him, while he continues unflinchingly). At the end of the video, the rest of The Verve join Ashcroft, and the final shot sees them walking down the street into the distance. This then leads into the beginning of the video for "The Drugs Don't Work".[7] The music video received heavy rotation on music channels and it was nominated for a number of awards, including three MTV Awards at the 1998 MTV Video Music Awards.[8]

Ashcroft starts walking from the southeast corner of the intersection of Hoxton and Falkirk Streets in Hoxton in the East End of London,[9] subsequently proceeding north along the east side of Hoxton Street until he reaches Hoxton Gardens. He then crosses to the corner of Purcell Street and walks back the way he came, before being joined by the rest of the band at the corner of Crondall Street, opposite where he started. The British comedy band Fat Les would later release a direct parody for their 1998 song "Vindaloo", an alternative anthem for England at the 1998 FIFA World Cup, where Paul Kaye takes the role of an Ashcroft look-alike who is mocked by a growing group of passers by as the video progresses.[10] In 2016, The Telegraph named Hoxton Street in their list of the 54 locations that defined the Britpop era.[11]

The music video was nominated for Video of the Year, Best Group Video, and Best Alternative Video at the 1998 MTV Video Music Awards.[12][8]

Although the song's lyrics were written by Verve vocalist Richard Ashcroft, its distinctive passage for strings was sampled from the 1965 Andrew Oldham Orchestra symphonic recording of "The Last Time", arranged and written by David Whitaker, inspired by the 1965 Rolling Stones' song of the same title.[13][14] The Rolling Stones' song was itself strongly inspired by "This May Be The Last Time" from The Staple Singers.[15]

Originally, The Verve had negotiated a licence to use a six-note sample from the Oldham recording, but former Stones manager Allen Klein (who owned the copyrights to the band’s pre-1970 songs) claimed that The Verve broke the agreement and used a larger portion.[16][17] Despite its original lyrics and string intro on the album version (by Wil Malone and Ashcroft), the music of "Bitter Sweet Symphony" was sampled from the Oldham track, which led to a lawsuit with ABKCO Records, Klein's holding company, and eventually settled out of court. The Verve relinquished all of their royalties to Klein, owner of ABKCO Records, whilst songwriting credits were changed to Jagger/Richards/Ashcroft.[18]

The Verve bassist Simon Jones said, "We were told it was going to be a 50/50 split, and then they saw how well the record was doing. They rung up and said we want 100 percent or take it out of the shops, you don't have much choice."[19] After losing the composer credits to the song, Ashcroft commented, "This is the best song Jagger and Richards have written in 20 years",[20] noting it was their biggest UK hit since "Brown Sugar".[19] On Ashcroft's return to touring, the song traditionally ended the set list. Ashcroft also reworked the single for VH2 Live for the music channel VH1, stripping the song of its strings. Ashcroft is quoted as saying during the show: "It's very interesting stripping that song down and actually taking away all the strings, and just taking it down to the chords and my lyrics and my melody, and doing that kinda version it becomes much more bluesy. Also shows that ultimately take away the dressing, take away the strings, take away the sample, there's an actual song there."[21]

In a 1999 interview with Q magazine, when asked whether he believed the result was fair, Keith Richards replied, "I'm out of whack here, this is serious lawyer shit. If The Verve can write a better song, they can keep the money."[22][23]

In 1999, Andrew Oldham also sued for royalties after failing to receive the mechanical royalties he claimed he was owed.[24] After receiving his royalties, Oldham joked that he bought "a pretty presentable watch strap" compared to the watch Jagger and Richards would get with the money. In an interview with Uncut Magazine, Oldham stated, "As for Richard Ashcroft, well, I don't know how an artist can be severely damaged by that experience. Songwriters have learned to call songs their children, and he thinks he wrote something. He didn't. I hope he's got over it. It takes a while."[25]

Accolades

Regarded as the band's signature song and one of the defining tracks of the Britpop era, "Bitter Sweet Symphony" has featured in best ever song polls; in 1998, BBC Radio 1 listeners voted it the third Best Track Ever.[26] The same year, "Bitter Sweet Symphony" was named the third-best single of 1997 by New York City weekly The Village Voice's Pazz & Jop annual critics' poll. In 2007, NME magazine placed the song at number 18 in its list of the "50 Greatest Indie Anthems Ever".[27] In September 2007, a poll of 50 songwriters in Q magazine placed it in a list of the "Top 10 Greatest Tracks".[28] In the Australian Triple J Hottest 100 of All Time, 2009, the track was voted the 14th best song of all time.[29] Pitchfork Media included the song at number 29 on their "Top 200 Tracks of the 90s" list.[30] The publication also included "Bitter Sweet Symphony" in its collection of The Pitchfork 500.[31] In 2011, NME placed it at number 9 on its list "150 Best Tracks of the Past 15 Years".[32] The song featured at number one in Paste magazine's poll of its 25 "awesome one-hit wonders of the 1990s".[33] In 2015, Rolling Stone readers voted it the third greatest Britpop song in a poll,[34] and in 2004, it was ranked at number 382 on their list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time".[35] The song was nominated for the 1999 Grammy Award for Best Rock Song.[36]

On 2 July 2005, at the Live 8 concert in Hyde Park, London, Coldplay invited Ashcroft to perform the song with them during their set. Ashcroft was introduced by Chris Martin as "the best singer in the world" and he described the song as "the best song ever written". It was performed after only one rehearsal in Crystal Palace. A documentary entitled Live 8: A Bitter Sweet Symphony was released in December 2005.[37]

Cover versions

Beyoncé performing a mash-up of "If I Were a Boy" and "Bitter Sweet Symphony" during The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour, 2013

Track listings

CD 1 HUTDG 82

  1. "Bitter Sweet Symphony" (original) – 6:00
  2. "Lord I Guess I'll Never Know" – 4:51
  3. "Country Song" – 7:50
  4. "Bitter Sweet Symphony" (radio edit) – 4:35

CD 2 HUTDX 82

  1. "Bitter Sweet Symphony" (extended version) – 7:52
  2. "So Sister" – 4:11
  3. "Echo Bass" – 6:39

Cassette HUTC 82

  1. "Bitter Sweet Symphony" (radio edit) – 4:35
  2. "Lord I Guess I'll Never Know" – 4:51

7" HUTLH 82

  1. "Bitter Sweet Symphony" (radio edit) – 4:35
  2. "Lord I Guess I'll Never Know" – 4:51

12" HUTT 82

  1. "Bitter Sweet Symphony (original) – 6:00
  2. "Lord I Guess I'll Never Know" – 4:51
  3. "Bitter Sweet Symphony" (James Lavelle Remix)
  4. "Country Song" – 7:50

Promo CD HUTCDP 82

  1. "Bitter Sweet Symphony" (radio edit) – 4:35

Promo 12" HUTTP 82

  1. "Bitter Sweet Symphony" (alt version)
  2. "Bitter Sweet Symphony" (MSG)

Remix 12" HUTTR 82

  1. "Bitter Sweet Symphony" (James Lavelle Remix)
  2. "Bitter Sweet Symphony" (James Lavelle Instrumental Remix)

US version

On 10 March 1998 Bitter Sweet Symphony was released in the United States. The single was distributed by Virgin Records. CD V25D-38634

  1. "Bitter Sweet Symphony" (original) – 5:58
  2. "Lord I Guess I'll Never Know" – 4:52
  3. "So Sister" – 4:11
  4. "Echo Bass" – 6:39

Cassette 4KM-38634

  1. "Bitter Sweet Symphony" (original) – 5:58
  2. "Lord I Guess I'll Never Know" – 4:52

Promo CD DPRO-12727

  1. "Bitter Sweet Symphony" (radio edit) – 4:16
  2. "Bitter Sweet Symphony" (original) – 5:57
  3. "Bitter Sweet Symphony" (Call Out Research Hook 1 Vocal) – 0:12
  4. "Bitter Sweet Symphony" (Call Out Research Hook 2 Instrumental) – 0:11

Promo 12" SPRO-12775

  1. "Bitter Sweet Symphony" (James Lavelle Remix) - 5:50
  2. "Bitter Sweet Symphony" (album version) – 5:57
  3. "Bitter Sweet Symphony" (James Lavelle Instrumental Remix) - 5:50

Japanese version

CD VJCP-12077

  1. "Bitter Sweet Symphony" (original) – 6:00
  2. "Lord I Guess I'll Never Know" – 4:51
  3. "Country Song" – 7:50
  4. "Bitter Sweet Symphony" (radio edit) – 4:35

Dutch version

CD 8943752

  1. "Bitter Sweet Symphony" (original) – 6:00
  2. "Lord I Guess I'll Never Know" – 4:51
  3. "Country Song" – 7:50
  4. "Bitter Sweet Symphony" (radio edit) – 4:35

Charts

Certifications

Region Certification
Australia (ARIA)[73] Gold
France (SNEP)[74] Silver
Germany (BVMI)[75] Gold
Italy (FIMI)[76] Platinum
United Kingdom (BPI)[77] Platinum
United States (RIAA)[78] Gold

References

  1. ↑ https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/rock/7640665/1997-alternative-rock-songs-turning-20-2017
  2. ↑ "The Verve's bitter sweet career". BBC News. Retrieved 8 March 2015
  3. ↑ Verve Single Tops Charts But Success Is Bittersweet Rolling Stone. Retrieved February 12 2012
  4. 1 2 Craig McLean (14 Jan 2006) "Still crazy" The Telegraph. Retrieved 11 February 2012
  5. ↑ Q January 2001
  6. ↑ "Billboard Hot 100". www.bestsongsever.com. Retrieved 23 July 2013.
  7. ↑ "The Verve - Bittersweet Symphony". Parlophone. 23 July 2008. Retrieved 25 April 2009.
  8. 1 2 1998 MTV Video Music Awards Rock on the Net. Retrieved 11 February 2012
  9. ↑ "musicpilgrimages.com: "Music video - Bittersweet Symphony"".
  10. ↑ Irene Morra (2013). "Britishness, Popular Music, and National Identity: The Making of Modern Britain". p. 138. Routledge,
  11. ↑ "54 locations that defined Britpop". The Telegraph. 25 March 2018.
  12. ↑ The Brit Awards: The Verve Archived 2012-02-02 at the Wayback Machine. Brits.co.uk. Retrieved 11 February 2012
  13. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2014-03-19. Retrieved 2014-04-05. Sound On Sound. Retrieved 19 March 2014
  14. ↑ “David Whitaker obituary”. The Guardian. Retrieved 19 March 2014
  15. ↑ "The Last Time by The Rolling Stones Songfacts". Songfacts.com. Retrieved 2016-12-04.
  16. ↑ "Bitter Sweet Symphony: the controversy". www.thevervelive.com.
  17. ↑ Superswell.com: "Horror Stories of Sampling" Archived June 5, 2009, at the Wayback Machine.
  18. ↑ "The Verve: Bitter Sweet Symphony". allmusic. Rovi Corp. Retrieved 14 February 2013.
  19. 1 2 Powell, Betsy. MusicSaves.org: "Bitter, Sweet Success"
  20. ↑ “Bitter Sweet Symphony”. Rolling Stone. Archived January 23, 2009, at the Wayback Machine.
  21. ↑ Bitter Sweet Symphony (Vh2 Live) on YouTube VH2. Retrieved 10 March 2012
  22. ↑ "Lawyers sue, men plunder - Music - Entertainment - smh.com.au". www.smh.com.au. Retrieved 6 May 2017.
  23. ↑ Snyder, Jeffrey (27 January 2015). "Song authorship controversies, from George Harrison to Oasis". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 6 May 2017.
  24. ↑ Christopher O'Connor (January 11, 1999). "The Verve Sued Again Over 'Bitter Sweet Symphony'". MTV.
  25. ↑ Adam Bychawski (October 7, 2008). "Rolling Stones' manager derides The Verve". NME. Retrieved February 1, 2015.
  26. ↑ Radio 1 - Best Tracks Ever Rock List.net. Retrieved 10 February 2012
  27. ↑ The Greatest Indie Anthems Ever - Numbers 30-11, NME.com. Accessed on 23 June 2007.
  28. ↑ Songwriters reveal top 10 tracks BBC News. Retrieved 31 August 2007
  29. ↑ "Countdown | Hottest 100 - Of All Time | triple j". Abc.net.au. Retrieved 11 February 2012.
  30. ↑ "The Top 200 Tracks of the 1990s: 50-21 - Page 3 - Pitchfork". pitchfork.com.
  31. ↑ Plagenhoef, Scott; Schreiber, Ryan, eds. (November 2008). The Pitchfork 500. Simon & Schuster. pp. 143–144. ISBN 978-1-4165-6202-3.
  32. ↑ "150 Best Tracks Of The Past 15 Years". Nme.Com. 30 April 1997. Retrieved 4 January 2012.
  33. ↑ Barrett, John (28 September 2011). "25 Awesome One-Hit Wonders of the 1990s". Paste. Retrieved 29 May 2013.
  34. ↑ "Readers' Poll: The 10 Best Brit-Pop Songs". Rolling Stone. 25 March 2018.
  35. ↑ "500 Greatest Songs of All Time". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 22 August 2011.
  36. ↑ 41st Grammy Awards - 1999 Rock on the Net. Retrieved 12 February 2012
  37. ↑ "Live 8: A Bittersweet Symphony (TV 2005)]". www.IMDB.com. Retrieved 10 March 2012.
  38. ↑ "Beyoncé makes nod to The Verve at London's O2 Arena". NME. IPC Media. 30 April 2013. Archived from the original on 6 July 2013. Retrieved 9 July 2013.
  39. ↑ The Simpsons - "That 90's Show" (Season 19, and episode 11) Fox. Retrieved 25 March 2018
  40. ↑ Eurovision 1998 : The Postcards YouTube. Retrieved 2 April 2018
  41. ↑ Cruel Intentions OST All Music. Retrieved 25 March 2018
  42. ↑ Richard Ashcroft - From urban hymns to united nations The Independent. Retrieved 25 March 2018
  43. ↑ "Riverdale". The CW. Retrieved 28 April 2018.
  44. ↑ "Australian-charts.com – The Verve – Bitter Sweet Symphony". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
  45. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – The Verve – Bitter Sweet Symphony" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
  46. ↑ "Ultratop.be – The Verve – Bitter Sweet Symphony" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
  47. ↑ "Ultratop.be – The Verve – Bitter Sweet Symphony" (in French). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
  48. ↑ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 3451." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
  49. ↑ "Top RPM Rock/Alternative Tracks: Issue 3436." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
  50. ↑ "The Verve: Bitter Sweet Symphony" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
  51. ↑ "Lescharts.com – The Verve – Bitter Sweet Symphony" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
  52. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – The Verve – Bitter Sweet Symphony". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
  53. ↑ "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (NR. 233 Vikuna 7.8. '97 - 14.8. '97)" (PDF) (in Icelandic). Dagblaðið Vísir. Retrieved 12 July 2018.
  54. ↑ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Bitter Sweet Symphony". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
  55. 1 2 "I singoli più venduti del 1997" (in Italian). Retrieved 13 April 2018.
  56. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 33, 1997" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40 Retrieved 13 April 2018.
  57. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – The Verve – Bitter Sweet Symphony" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
  58. ↑ "Charts.nz – The Verve – Bitter Sweet Symphony". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
  59. ↑ "Norwegiancharts.com – The Verve – Bitter Sweet Symphony". VG-lista. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
  60. ↑ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
  61. ↑ Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
  62. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – The Verve – Bitter Sweet Symphony". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
  63. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – The Verve – Bitter Sweet Symphony". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
  64. ↑ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
  65. ↑ "The Verve Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
  66. ↑ "The Verve Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
  67. ↑ "The Verve Chart History (Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
  68. ↑ "The Verve Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
  69. ↑ "The Verve Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
  70. ↑ "ARIA Charts - End Of Year Charts - Top 100 Singles 1997". ARIA. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
  71. ↑ "RPM's Top 50 Alternative Tracks of '98". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
  72. ↑ "Billboard Top 100 - 1998". Archived from the original on 9 March 2009. Retrieved 28 August 2010.
  73. ↑ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 1997 Singles". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 9 January 2015.
  74. ↑ "French single certifications – The Verve – Bitter Sweet Symphony" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved 9 January 2015.
  75. ↑ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (The Verve; 'Bitter Sweet Symphony')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved 15 May 2018.
  76. ↑ "Italian single certifications – The Verve – Bitter Sweet Symphony" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved 6 November 2017.
  77. ↑ "British single certifications – The Verve – Bitter Sweet Symphony". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 9 January 2015. Select singles in the Format field. Select Platinum in the Certification field. Enter Bitter Sweet Symphony in the search field and then press Enter.
  78. ↑ "American single certifications – The Verve – Bitter Sweet Symphony". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 9 January 2015. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH. 
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