Brick (song): Difference between revisions

"Brick"
"Brick"
Single by Ben Folds Five
from the album Whatever and Ever Amen
B-side	"Smoke" (Live), "Kate (Ska remix)", "Mitchell Lane"
Released	1997
Genre	Alternative rock
Length	4:31
Label	Epic
Songwriter(s)	Ben Folds; Darren Jessee;
Producer(s)	Brick Rubin
Ben Folds Five singles chronology

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"Brick" is a song by American alternative rock group Ben Folds Five. It was released in November 1997 as a single from their album Whatever and Ever Amen and later on Ben Folds Live.^[2] The verses were written by Ben Folds about his high school girlfriend getting an abortion, and the chorus was written by the band's drummer, Darren Jessee. "Brick" was one of Ben Folds Five's biggest hits, gaining much mainstream radio play in the US, the UK, and Australia.

Background

On the album Ben Folds Live, Folds explained:

"People ask me what this song's about... I was asked about it a lot, and I didn't really wanna make a big hairy deal out of it, because I just wanted the song to speak for itself. But the song is about when I was in high school, me and my girlfriend had to get an abortion, and it was a very sad thing. And, I didn't really want to write this song from any kind of political standpoint, or make a statement. I just wanted to reflect what it feels like. So, anyone who's gone through that before, then you'll know what the song's about."^[3]

Folds wrote the song on guitar rather than piano, and performed it as such on tour with The Bens in 2003.^[4]

Fan response

In his iTunes Originals interviews, Folds addresses his fanbase's disapproval: "When you have a hit song, much of your fanbase and people that listen to your music... their opinion is gonna be loud and clear that they feel that you've abandoned the fanbase; you've written something that's not for them, it's for everybody else, you've 'sold out', all kinds of things like that... That was the overwhelming vibe... 'What is that crap?'... because we'd been playing silly, up-tempo... we were the piano band that rocks... We couldn't even fit the song into a show."^[5]

He goes on to explain in the same interview that he was not put off by the fans: "When I look back on it, I think that the fact that that song was a hit gives me some confidence in pop music because the song is completely honest, what it is, it's crafted well, it's relaxed, it's recorded in a way that we'd never recorded a song before, which was absolutely live, three or four microphones in a bedroom. The song cannot have more integrity than it had."^[5]

"Brick" was voted in at number 12 in the Triple J Hottest 100 for 1998. In the Hottest 100 songs of all time poll conducted by Australian radio station Triple J in July 2009, Brick placed in at #67. More than half a million votes were cast in the poll.^[6]

Music video

The music video features the band performing in front of a film projected on a screen on a wall, with several inches of water covering the floor.

Actress and artist Ariana Richards appears as a pregnant teen in the video.^[7]

Track listing

"Brick" – 4:43
"Smoke" – 4:52
"Kate" – 3:14
"Fair" – 4:43
"Mitchell Lane" – 3:40

Personnel

Ben Folds – vocals, piano, producer, engineer, songwriting
Darren Jessee – drums, songwriting
Robert Sledge – double bass
Caleb Southern – Hammond organ, producer, engineer
Andy Wallace – mixing

Charts

Chart performance for "Brick"
Chart (1997–1998)	Peak position
Australia (ARIA)^[8]	13
Canada Alternative 30 (RPM)^[9]	15
Canada Top Singles (RPM)^[10]	12
UK Singles (OCC)^[11]	26
US Adult Pop Airplay (Billboard)^[12]	11
US Alternative Airplay (Billboard)^[13]	6
US Pop Airplay (Billboard)^[14]	17
US Radio Songs (Billboard)^[15]	19

References

^ Brian Galindo, Alex Naidus & Ryan Creed (November 5, 2023). "37 Alt Rock Songs You Haven't Thought About Since The Late '90s". BuzzFeed. Retrieved November 19, 2015.
^ Amazon.com listing of album tracks
^ SongFacts: 'Brick' by Ben Folds Five, retrieved 2008-07-04.
^ The Bens with Ben Folds on acoustic guitar – Brick (live 2003), retrieved 2012-08-13.
^ ^a ^b Ben Folds (2005). Making A Stadium Feel Like a Living Room.
^ "Countdown | Hottest 100 – Of All Time | triple j". Abc.net.au. Retrieved 2012-01-04.
^ Oloizia, Jeff (October 24, 2011). "Ariana Richards Revisits Jurassic Park". Interview Magazine. Retrieved February 10, 2017.
^ "Ben Folds Five – Brick". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
^ "Canadian Alternative 30 peak". Archived from the original on 2015-02-17. Retrieved 2015-04-23.
^ "Canadian Top Singles peak". Archived from the original on 2016-03-13. Retrieved 2015-04-23.
^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
^ "Ben Folds Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
^ "Ben Folds Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
^ "Ben Folds Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
^ "Ben Folds Chart History (Radio Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved February 8, 2024.

External links

"Brick" song with lyrics at YouTube

[1] Brian Galindo, Alex Naidus & Ryan Creed (November 5, 2023). "37 Alt Rock Songs You Haven't Thought About Since The Late '90s". BuzzFeed. Retrieved November 19, 2015.

[amazon-2] Amazon.com listing of album tracks

[songfacts-3] SongFacts: 'Brick' by Ben Folds Five, retrieved 2008-07-04.

[guitar-4] The Bens with Ben Folds on acoustic guitar – Brick (live 2003), retrieved 2012-08-13.

[itunesoriginals-5] Ben Folds (2005). Making A Stadium Feel Like a Living Room.

[6] "Countdown | Hottest 100 – Of All Time | triple j". Abc.net.au. Retrieved 2012-01-04.

[7] Oloizia, Jeff (October 24, 2011). "Ariana Richards Revisits Jurassic Park". Interview Magazine. Retrieved February 10, 2017.

[sc_Australia_Ben_Folds_Five-8] "Ben Folds Five – Brick". ARIA Top 50 Singles.

[9] "Canadian Alternative 30 peak". Archived from the original on 2015-02-17. Retrieved 2015-04-23.

[10] "Canadian Top Singles peak". Archived from the original on 2016-03-13. Retrieved 2015-04-23.

[sc_UK_-11] "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 8, 2024.

[sc_Billboardadultpopsongs_Ben_Folds-12] "Ben Folds Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved February 8, 2024.

[sc_Billboardalternativesongs_Ben_Folds-13] "Ben Folds Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved February 8, 2024.

[sc_Billboardpopsongs_Ben_Folds-14] "Ben Folds Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved February 8, 2024.

[sc_Billboardradiosongs_Ben_Folds-15] "Ben Folds Chart History (Radio Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved February 8, 2024.

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@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{short description|1997 single by Ben Folds Five}}
-{{Infobox single <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Songs -->
+{{Infobox song
-| Name           = Brick
-| Cover          = Brick-single-cover.jpg
+| name       = Brick
+| cover      = Brick-single-cover.jpg
-| Artist         = [[Ben Folds Five]]
+| alt        =
-| from Album     = [[Whatever and Ever Amen]]
+| type       = single
-| A-side         =
+| artist     = [[Ben Folds Five]]
+| album      = [[Whatever and Ever Amen]]
-| B-side         = "Smoke (Live), "Kate (Ska remix)," "Mitchell Lane"
+| B-side     = "Smoke" (Live), "Kate (Ska remix)", "Mitchell Lane"
-| Released       = November 21, 1997
-| Format         = [[CD single]]
+| released   = 1997
+| recorded   =
-| Recorded       = Sep 1996-Oct 1996
+| studio     =
-| Genre          = [[Alternative rock]], [[piano rock]]
+| genre      = [[Alternative rock]]<ref>{{cite web|website=[[BuzzFeed]]|author=Brian Galindo, Alex Naidus & Ryan Creed|title=37 Alt Rock Songs You Haven’t Thought About Since The Late ‘90s|url=https://www.buzzfeed.com/briangalindo/90s-alt-rock-songs-you-forgot-you-loved|access-date=November 19, 2015|date=November 5, 2023}}</ref>
-| Length         = 4:31
-| Label          = [[Epic Records|Epic]]
+| length     = 4:31
+| label      = [[Epic Records|Epic]]
-| Writer         = [[Ben Folds]], [[Darren Jessee]]
+| writer     = {{hlist|[[Ben Folds]]|[[Darren Jessee]]}}
-| Producer       =
+| producer   = Brick Rubin
+| prev_title = [[Whatever and Ever Amen|One Angry Dwarf & 200 Solemn Faces]]
-| Certification  =
+| prev_year  = 1997
-| Last single    = "[[One Angry Dwarf & 200 Solemn Faces]]"<br/>(1997)
+| next_title = [[Whatever and Ever Amen|Song for the Dumped]]
-| This single    = "'''Brick'''"<br/>(1997)
+| next_year  = 1998
-| Next single    = "[[Song for the Dumped]]"<br/>(1998)
-| Misc           =
 }}
-"'''Brick'''" is a song by American alternative rock group [[Ben Folds Five]]. It was released in November 1997 as a single from their album  ''[[Whatever and Ever Amen]]'' and later on ''[[Ben Folds Live]]''.<ref name="amazon">[http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00006L3QM Amazon.com listing of album tracks]</ref>  The verses were written by [[Ben Folds]] about his high school girlfriend undergoing an [[abortion]], and the chorus was written by the band's drummer, [[Darren Jessee]].  "Brick" was one of Ben Folds Five's biggest hits, gaining much mainstream radio play in the USA, the UK, and Australia in 1998.
+"'''Brick'''" is a song by American alternative rock group [[Ben Folds Five]]. It was released in November 1997 as a single from their album  ''[[Whatever and Ever Amen]]'' and later on ''[[Ben Folds Live]]''.<ref name="amazon">[https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00006L3QM Amazon.com listing of album tracks]</ref> The verses were written by [[Ben Folds]] about his high school girlfriend getting an [[abortion]], and the chorus was written by the band's drummer, [[Darren Jessee]]. "Brick" was one of Ben Folds Five's biggest hits, gaining much mainstream radio play in the US, the UK, and Australia.
-== Backstory ==
+== Background==
 On the album ''Ben Folds Live'', Folds explained: <blockquote>
 "People ask me what this song's about... I was asked about it a lot, and I didn't really wanna make a big hairy deal out of it, because I just wanted the song to speak for itself. But the song is about when I was in high school, me and my girlfriend had to get an abortion, and it was a very sad thing. And, I didn't really want to write this song from any kind of political standpoint, or make a statement. I just wanted to reflect what it feels like. So, anyone who's gone through that before, then you'll know what the song's about."<ref name="songfacts">[http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=2267 SongFacts: 'Brick' by Ben Folds Five], retrieved 2008-07-04.</ref>
 </blockquote>
+Folds wrote the song on guitar rather than piano, and performed it as such on tour with [[The Bens]] in 2003.<ref name="guitar">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRvPBqNuzyE The Bens with Ben Folds on acoustic guitar – Brick (live 2003)], retrieved 2012-08-13.</ref>
-On Folds' recent [[iTunes]] Originals compilation, he confesses that he had attempted to write a song about the abortion for quite some time, but he had trouble getting the song finished because it was too literal, but thanks to [[Darren Jessee]]'s chorus, the song was given just enough mystique to be the hit that it was. (Folds even jokes that "I've never understood a hit chorus. I wish I did.")
-Folds wrote the song on guitar rather than piano, and performed it as such on tour with [[The Bens]] in 2003.<ref name="guitar">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRvPBqNuzyE&feature=related The Bens with Ben Folds on acoustic guitar - Brick (live 2003)], retrieved 2012-08-13.</ref>
 == Fan response ==
@@ Line 37: / Line 36: @@
 He goes on to explain in the same interview that he was not put off by the fans: "When I look back on it, I think that the fact that that song was a hit gives me some confidence in pop music because the song is completely honest, what it is, it's crafted well, it's relaxed, it's recorded in a way that we'd never recorded a song before, which was absolutely live, three or four microphones in a bedroom. The song cannot have more integrity than it had."<ref name="itunesoriginals" />
-In the [[Triple J Hottest 100 of All Time, 2009|Hottest 100 songs of all time]] poll conducted by Australian radio station [[Triple J]] in July 2009, Brick placed in at #67. More than half a million votes were cast in to the poll.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/triplej/hottest100_alltime/countdown/cd_61-70.htm |title=Countdown &#124; Hottest 100 - Of All Time &#124; triple j |publisher=Abc.net.au |date= |accessdate=2012-01-04}}</ref>
+"Brick" was voted in at number 12 in the [[Triple J Hottest 100, 1998|Triple J Hottest 100 for 1998]]. In the [[Triple J Hottest 100 of All Time, 2009|Hottest 100 songs of all time]] poll conducted by Australian radio station [[Triple J]] in July 2009, Brick placed in at #67. More than half a million votes were cast in the poll.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/triplej/hottest100_alltime/countdown/cd_61-70.htm |title=Countdown &#124; Hottest 100 – Of All Time &#124; triple j |publisher=Abc.net.au |date= |accessdate=2012-01-04}}</ref>
-==Chart positions==
+==Music video==
+The music video features the band performing in front of a film projected on a screen on a wall, with several inches of water covering the floor.
-{|class="wikitable sortable"
-|-
+Actress and artist [[Ariana Richards]] appears as a pregnant teen in the video.<ref>{{cite news |last1= Oloizia |first1=Jeff |title=Ariana Richards Revisits Jurassic Park |url=http://www.interviewmagazine.com/film/ariana-richards-jurassic-park |accessdate=February 10, 2017 |work=Interview Magazine |date=October 24, 2011}}</ref>
-!Charts (1997-98)
-!Peak<br/>position
+==Track listing==
+#"Brick" – 4:43
+#"Smoke" – 4:52
+#"Kate" – 3:14
+#"Fair" – 4:43
+#"Mitchell Lane" – 3:40
+==Personnel==
+* Ben Folds – vocals, piano, producer, engineer, songwriting
+* [[Darren Jessee]] – drums, songwriting
+* [[Robert Sledge]] – double bass
+* [[Caleb Southern]] – Hammond organ, producer, engineer
+* [[Andy Wallace (producer)|Andy Wallace]] – mixing
+==Charts==
+{|class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
+|+Chart performance for "Brick"
+!scope="col"|Chart (1997–1998)
+!scope="col"|Peak<br />position
 |-
-{{singlechart|Australia|13|artist=Ben Folds Five|song=Brick}}
+{{single chart|Australia|13|artist=Ben Folds Five|song=Brick|rowheader=true}}
 |-
-|Canada Alternative 30 ([[RPM (magazine)|RPM]])<ref>[https://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?&file_num=nlc008388.3436&type=1&interval=20&PHPSESSID=q4kvfjijt3ubd98iqu147atvb2 Canadian Alternative 30 peak]</ref>
+!scope="row"|Canada Alternative 30 (''[[RPM (magazine)|RPM]]'')<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?&file_num=nlc008388.3436&type=1&interval=20&PHPSESSID=q4kvfjijt3ubd98iqu147atvb2 |title=Canadian Alternative 30 peak |access-date=2015-04-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150217165341/http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php |archive-date=2015-02-17 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
 | style="text-align:center;"|15
 |-
-|Canada Top Singles ([[RPM (magazine)|RPM]])<ref>[https://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?&file_num=nlc008388.3520&type=1&interval=20&PHPSESSID=homcbjqr9g6kc308mhau52juf1 Canadian Top Singles peak]</ref>
+!scope="row"|Canada Top Singles (''[[RPM (magazine)|RPM]]'')<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?&file_num=nlc008388.3520&type=1&interval=20&PHPSESSID=homcbjqr9g6kc308mhau52juf1 |title=Canadian Top Singles peak |access-date=2015-04-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160313221102/https://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?&file_num=nlc008388.3520&type=1&interval=20&PHPSESSID=homcbjqr9g6kc308mhau52juf1 |archive-date=2016-03-13 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
 | style="text-align:center;"|12
 |-
+{{single chart|UK|26|date=19980412|rowheader=true|access-date=February 8, 2024}}
-|UK Singles ([[The Official Charts Company]])
-| style="text-align:center;"|26
 |-
+{{single chart|Billboardadultpopsongs|11|artist=Ben Folds|rowheader=true|access-date=February 8, 2024}}
-|US ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' [[Hot 100 Airplay (Radio Songs)|Hot 100 Airplay]]
-| style="text-align:center;"|19
 |-
+{{single chart|Billboardalternativesongs|6|artist=Ben Folds|rowheader=true|access-date=February 8, 2024}}
-|US ''Billboard'' [[Adult Top 40|Adult Top 40 Tracks]]
-| style="text-align:center;"|11
 |-
+{{single chart|Billboardpopsongs|17|artist=Ben Folds|rowheader=true|access-date=February 8, 2024}}
-|US ''Billboard'' [[Alternative Songs|Modern Rock Tracks]]
-| style="text-align:center;"|6
 |-
+{{single chart|Billboardradiosongs|19|artist=Ben Folds|rowheader=true|access-date=February 8, 2024}}
-|US ''Billboard'' [[Mainstream Top 40 (Pop Songs)|Top 40 Mainstream]]
-| style="text-align:center;"|17
 |}
-==Music video==
-The music video features the band performing in front of a film projected on a screen on a wall, with several inches of water covering the floor.
-Actress and artist [[Ariana Richards]] appears as a pregnant teen in the music video of the song.<ref>{{cite news |last1= Oloizia |first1=Jeff |title=Ariana Richards Revisits Jurassic Park |url=http://www.interviewmagazine.com/film/ariana-richards-jurassic-park |accessdate=February 10, 2017 |work=Interview Magazine |date=October 24, 2011}}</ref>
-==Track listing==
-#"Brick" - 4:43
-#"Smoke" - 4:52
-#"Kate" - 3:14
-#"Fair" - 4:43
-#"Mitchell Lane" - 3:40
 ==References==
@@ Line 88: / Line 89: @@
 {{Ben Folds Five}}
+{{authority control}}
 {{DEFAULTSORT:Brick (Song)}}
-[[Category:1996 songs]]
 [[Category:1997 singles]]
 [[Category:1990s ballads]]
 [[Category:Ben Folds Five songs]]
 [[Category:Songs written by Ben Folds]]
+[[Category:1996 songs]]
 [[Category:Epic Records singles]]
 [[Category:Rock ballads]]
 [[Category:Songs about abortion]]
+[[Category:Songs about pregnancy]]

v t e Ben Folds Five
Ben Folds Darren Jessee Robert Sledge
Studio albums	Ben Folds Five Whatever and Ever Amen The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner The Sound of the Life of the Mind
Compilations	Naked Baby Photos The Best Imitation of Myself: A Retrospective
Live albums	Live
Singles	"Underground" "Where's Summer B.?" "Philosophy" "Uncle Walter" "Battle of Who Could Care Less" "Kate" "Brick" "Army" "Do It Anyway"
Other songs	"Alice Childress" "Sports & Wine"
Videos	Ben Folds Five – The Complete Sessions at West 54th
Related articles	Fear of Pop Fleming and John Hotel Lights Frank London Caleb Southern