Jump to content

Our Frank: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous edit
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
Mspendl828 (talk | contribs)
310 edits
No edit summary
 
(82 intermediate revisions by 53 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{Use British English|date=September 2017}}
⚫
{{Infobox Single
{{more citations needed|date=November 2010}}
⚫
| Name = Our Frank |
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2020}}
| Cover = MorrisseyOurFrank.jpg |
⚫
{{Infobox song
⚫
| Artist = [[Morrissey]] |
⚫
| name = Our Frank
⚫
| from Album = [[Kill Uncle]] |
| cover = Morrissey-our-frank-single.jpg
| Released = 4th February 1991 (UK), March 1991 (USA, Canada) |
| Format = 7", 12", CD, cassette |
| alt =
| [ Recorded = ]
| type = single
⚫
| artist = [[Morrissey]]
| Genre =
⚫
| album = [[Kill Uncle]]
⚫
| Length = 3:25
| Label = HMV (UK)
| B-side =
* "Journalists Who Lie"
⚫
| Writer = Morrissey, Mark Nevin |
* "Tony the Pony"
⚫
| Producer = Clive Langer and Alan Winstanley |
| released = 11 February 1991
| Chart position = <nowiki></nowiki>
| recorded =
* #26 (UK)
| studio =
⚫
| Last single = "[[Piccadilly Palare]]"<br />(1990)
| genre =
| This single = "Our Frank"<br />(1990)
⚫
| length = 3:25
⚫
| Next single = "[[Sing Your Life]]"<br />(1991)
| label = HMV (UK)
⚫
| writer = Morrissey, Mark Nevin
⚫
| producer = Clive Langer and Alan Winstanley
⚫
| prev_title = [[Piccadilly Palare]]
| prev_year = 1990
⚫
| next_title = [[Sing Your Life]]
| next_year = 1991
| misc = {{Extra album cover
| header = Alternative cover
| type = single
| cover = Our Frank.jpg
| border =
| alt =
| caption = Cover of US CD
}}
}}
}}
{{Album ratings
|rev1 = [[AllMusic]]
|rev1score = {{Rating|2|5}}<ref name="Allmusic">{{Cite web | last = Raggett | first = Ned | title = Our Frank Review | publisher = [[AllMusic]] | access-date = 19 October 2012 | url = {{AllMusic|class=album|id=mw0000674614|pure_url=yes}}}}</ref>
}}

⚫
"'''Our Frank'''" is a song by [[Morrissey]], released as a single in February 1991. It was the first single taken from the ''[[Kill Uncle]]'' album. It was also the first of his collaborations with Mark Nevin to be released.

The single reached number 26 in the [[UK Singles Chart]]. This was the lowest any Morrissey single had charted since his first release "[[Suedehead]]" in 1988.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/13740/morrissey/ |title=Morrissey UK chart |date=27 February 1988 |publisher=officialcharts.com |access-date=22 March 2017}}</ref> The accompanying video shows Morrissey surrounded by [[skinhead]]s in a park: the video was not included on the 1992 ''[[The Malady Lingers On]]'' video compilation.


Despite its title, the song lyrics are not about a person named Frank, but rather they describe "frank and open, deep conversations" that get Morrissey nowhere and leave him disheartened. Throughout the song he complains about his frustration, asking his conversation partner to stop and uncharacteristically demanding cigarettes and alcohol to get through the dross. The final verse, however, sees Morrissey singing "Won't somebody stop me from thinking? From thinking all the time, about everything. So deeply, so bleakly..." indicating that the conversations he so dreads are in fact with himself. This introspective twist gives the song a hit of Morrissey's wry wit, but at the same time it displays the dark uniqueness that pervades the album. The lyrics of "Our Frank", along with the brooding music and strange production (Morrissey's voice is [[Dubbing (music)|overdubbed]] and [[Echo (phenomenon)|echoed]]) offer some insight into why the album was poorly received and also why some of the songs have become particularly popular with fans.<ref>[{{AllMusic|class=song|id=t2812908|pure_url=yes}} allmusic]</ref>
⚫
'''"Our Frank"''' was a single by [[Morrissey]] released in February 1991. It was the first single taken from the [[Kill Uncle]] album. It was also the first of his collaborations with Mark Nevin to be released.


==Critical reception==
Despite being released before the album that spawned it, the single only reached number 26 in the British singles chart, showing the Morrissey could no longer rely on an automatic top 20 spot. This was the lowest any Morrissey single had charted since his first release [[Suedehead]] in 1988.
''[[NME]]'' gave "Our Frank" a positive review, calling the single the singer's "freshest vinyl confection since '[[Suedehead]]'". (That the review was genuinely positive is highly questionable, since it ended with the line "the B-Side is called Journalists Who Lie".<ref name="Reviews">[http://motorcycleaupairboy.com/mozdisc1/ourfrank.htm NME Our Frank Review]</ref> However, Ned Raggett of [[AllMusic]] was less enthused, writing "the title track isn't all it could be."<ref name="Allmusic"/>


== Track listings ==
==Track listings==
=== 7" vinyl & cassette ===
===7" vinyl and cassette===
# "Our Frank"
# "Our Frank"
# "Journalists Who Lie"
# "Journalists Who Lie"


=== 12" vinyl ===
===12" vinyl===
# "Our Frank"
# "Our Frank"
# "Journalists Who Lie"
# "Journalists Who Lie"
# "Tony the Pony"
# "Tony the Pony"


=== CD ===
===CD===
# "Our Frank"
# "Our Frank"
# "Journalists Who Lie"
# "Journalists Who Lie"
Line 45: Line 69:
! Catalogue number
! Catalogue number
|-
|-
| UK || HMV || 7" vinyl || POP1625 ||
| UK || HMV || 7" vinyl || POP1625
|-
|-
| UK || HMV || 12" vinyl || 12POP1625 ||
| UK || HMV || 12" vinyl || 12POP1625
|-
|-
| UK || HMV || Compact disc || CDPOP1625 ||
| UK || HMV || Compact disc || CDPOP1625
|-
|-
| UK || HMV || Cassette || TCPOP1625 ||
| UK || HMV || Cassette || TCPOP1625
|}
|}


== Reviews ==
==Etchings on vinyl==
Perhaps surprisingly the NME gave Our Frank a positive review, calling the single the singer's "freshest vinyl confection since [[Suedehead]]".<ref name="Reviews">NME Our Frank Review [http://motorcycleaupairboy.com/mozdisc1/ourfrank.htm]</ref>
⚫
==References==
<references/>


British 7": FREE [[Kray twins|RON]] FREE [[Kray twins|REG]]/DRUNKER QUICKER
== See also ==

⚫
* [[Morrissey discography]]
British 12": "FREE REG FREE RON"/"DRUNKER QUICKER"

==Musicians==
⚫
* Morrissey – vocals
* Mark E. Nevin – guitar
* Nawazish Ali Khan – violin
* Seamus Beaghen – piano
* [[Mark Bedford|Mark "Bedders" Bedford]] – bass guitar
* [[Andrew McGibbon|Andrew Paresi]] – drums

==Live performances==
The song was performed live by Morrissey on his 1991 ''Kill Uncle'' tour. Along with all of the material from ''Kill Uncle'', "Our Frank" has never been performed by Morrissey since the 1991 tour, until July 1st, 2022 in Las Vegas when he also debuts 5 songs .<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.passionsjustlikemine.com/live-moz-stats.htm|title=Morrissey live history: Tour stats}}</ref> <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0yNYjPA0gDI|title=Morrissey-OUR FRANK-Live @ Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, NV, July 1, 2022-The Smiths-Moz|website=[[YouTube]] }}</ref>

==Video==

The promo video was filmed by [[John Maybury]] and featured footage of Morrissey miming to the song, intercut with scenes of [[skinhead]]s running through the streets around London's [[Kings Cross, London|Kings Cross]].<ref>{{cite book|last1=Goddard|first1=Simon|title=Mozipedia : the encyclopedia of Morrissey and The Smiths|date=2012|publisher=Ebury|location=London|isbn=978-0091927103|page=314}}</ref> Morrissey was unhappy with the video and later misremembered the director's name in a 2006 interview in which he said, "I made a video years ago for the song "Our Frank" with the director James Maybury [sic] that was so awful that we tried to hide it."<ref name="True To You">{{cite web|title=Questions answered|url=http://www.true-to-you.net/morrissey_news_060221_01|website=True To You|access-date=22 June 2015}}</ref>

⚫
==References==
{{Reflist}}


{{Morrissey singles}}
== External link ==
{{Authority control}}
* "[http://www.passionsjustlikemine.com/disc/moz-d08pp.htm Piccadilly Palare]" at [http://www.passionsjustlikemine.com/ Passions Just Like Mine]


[[Category:Morrissey songs]]
[[Category:Morrissey songs]]
[[Category:1991 singles]]
[[Category:Songs written by Morrissey]]
[[Category:Songs written by Mark Nevin]]
[[Category:1990 songs]]
[[Category:Song recordings produced by Clive Langer]]
[[Category:Song recordings produced by Alan Winstanley]]

Latest revision as of 21:01, 17 February 2024

"Our Frank"
Single by Morrissey
from the album Kill Uncle
B-side
  • "Journalists Who Lie"
  • "Tony the Pony"
Released11 February 1991
Length3:25
LabelHMV (UK)
Songwriter(s)Morrissey, Mark Nevin
Producer(s)Clive Langer and Alan Winstanley
Morrissey singles chronology
"Piccadilly Palare"
(1990) 		"Our Frank"
(1991) 		"Sing Your Life"
(1991)
Alternative cover
Cover of US CD
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]

"Our Frank" is a song by Morrissey, released as a single in February 1991. It was the first single taken from the Kill Uncle album. It was also the first of his collaborations with Mark Nevin to be released.

The single reached number 26 in the UK Singles Chart. This was the lowest any Morrissey single had charted since his first release "Suedehead" in 1988.[2] The accompanying video shows Morrissey surrounded by skinheads in a park: the video was not included on the 1992 The Malady Lingers On video compilation.

Despite its title, the song lyrics are not about a person named Frank, but rather they describe "frank and open, deep conversations" that get Morrissey nowhere and leave him disheartened. Throughout the song he complains about his frustration, asking his conversation partner to stop and uncharacteristically demanding cigarettes and alcohol to get through the dross. The final verse, however, sees Morrissey singing "Won't somebody stop me from thinking? From thinking all the time, about everything. So deeply, so bleakly..." indicating that the conversations he so dreads are in fact with himself. This introspective twist gives the song a hit of Morrissey's wry wit, but at the same time it displays the dark uniqueness that pervades the album. The lyrics of "Our Frank", along with the brooding music and strange production (Morrissey's voice is overdubbed and echoed) offer some insight into why the album was poorly received and also why some of the songs have become particularly popular with fans.[3]

Critical reception

[edit]

NME gave "Our Frank" a positive review, calling the single the singer's "freshest vinyl confection since 'Suedehead'". (That the review was genuinely positive is highly questionable, since it ended with the line "the B-Side is called Journalists Who Lie".[4] However, Ned Raggett of AllMusic was less enthused, writing "the title track isn't all it could be."[1]

Track listings

[edit]

7" vinyl and cassette

[edit]
  1. "Our Frank"
  2. "Journalists Who Lie"

12" vinyl

[edit]
  1. "Our Frank"
  2. "Journalists Who Lie"
  3. "Tony the Pony"

CD

[edit]
  1. "Our Frank"
  2. "Journalists Who Lie"
  3. "Tony the Pony"
Country Record label Format Catalogue number
UK HMV 7" vinyl POP1625
UK HMV 12" vinyl 12POP1625
UK HMV Compact disc CDPOP1625
UK HMV Cassette TCPOP1625

Etchings on vinyl

[edit]

British 7": FREE RON FREE REG/DRUNKER QUICKER

British 12": "FREE REG FREE RON"/"DRUNKER QUICKER"

Musicians

[edit]

Live performances

[edit]

The song was performed live by Morrissey on his 1991 Kill Uncle tour. Along with all of the material from Kill Uncle, "Our Frank" has never been performed by Morrissey since the 1991 tour, until July 1st, 2022 in Las Vegas when he also debuts 5 songs .[5] [6]

Video

[edit]

The promo video was filmed by John Maybury and featured footage of Morrissey miming to the song, intercut with scenes of skinheads running through the streets around London's Kings Cross.[7] Morrissey was unhappy with the video and later misremembered the director's name in a 2006 interview in which he said, "I made a video years ago for the song "Our Frank" with the director James Maybury [sic] that was so awful that we tried to hide it."[8]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b Raggett, Ned. "Our Frank Review". AllMusic. Retrieved 19 October 2012.
  2. ^ "Morrissey UK chart". officialcharts.com. 27 February 1988. Retrieved 22 March 2017.
  3. ^ allmusic
  4. ^ NME Our Frank Review
  5. ^ "Morrissey live history: Tour stats".
  6. ^ "Morrissey-OUR FRANK-Live @ Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, NV, July 1, 2022-The Smiths-Moz". YouTube.
  7. ^ Goddard, Simon (2012). Mozipedia : the encyclopedia of Morrissey and The Smiths. London: Ebury. p. 314. ISBN 978-0091927103.
  8. ^ "Questions answered". True To You. Retrieved 22 June 2015.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/enwiki/w/index.php?title=Our_Frank&oldid=1208516094"