Freak (song)
Encyclopedia
"Freak" is a song by Silverchair
, released as the first single from their second album Freak Show
; both were released in 1997.
The song reached number 1 in the Australian charts, being the second single by Silverchair to reach that position. The first single of Silverchair's to reach number 1 was the lead single from Frogstomp
(1995), "Tomorrow
", which was released in 1994. This feat was not repeated by the band until ten years later, with "Straight Lines
", the lead single from their 2007 album Young Modern.
One of the B-sides of the single is a cover
of "New Race" by Australian band Radio Birdman
.
for this song was directed by Gerald Casale
, a member of Devo
who also directed the majority of their videos. The video was filmed in Los Angeles
, California
, in 5 and 6 December 1996.
The video features the band playing in an oven-chamber, monitored by a scientist in a control room. Their sweat is collected, received by a doctor and taken to a wrinkled-up woman in an adjoining room. The doctor touches part of her flesh with the sweat, and it smoothens. The doctor injects a large amount of sweat into the woman, and she regresses to being middle-aged. The doctor calls for more sweat, so the scientist turns up the heat in the oven-chamber, causing the band members to sweat even more. Their sweat drains into a sort of water cooler, where the doctor collects a glass of it. She gives this to the woman, and when she drinks it, her youth returns. However, she is still not satisfied, so she orders and drinks another dose and turns into an alien mutant. However, she loves the new look and pays the doctor. When this is all done, the heat lamps are turned off, and the room now seems to appear very cold. The band punch out their time cards and walk out.
The lights were not actual heat lamps, but lights coloured orange to look like heat lamps. The band members were sprayed with mass amounts of water to make it look like they were heavily sweating, and then the scientist would come on stage with prongs and a cotton ball and wipe a little bit of 'sweat' off of them and put it in a container.
The group did not have to do that many takes, but they did film each section different ways, so they would have a good variety of things to edit together. At first they had all three members on stage, then one would step off and they'd just use two, and then they filmed each band member individually.
The scenes featuring the old woman were filmed separately at another studio.
The video for "Freak" was honoured the International Viewer's Choice Award at the 1997 MTV Video Music Awards
for Australia.
for the solo, which he also often improvises. In addition, the vocals in the second verse of the song are almost always screamed
or death growl
ed by Johns
.
episode "Malled".
UK CD single (6640765) (with collectible cards)
US 7" promo (ES7 9355) (red cover and vinyl)
European CD single (6640762)
Promo 1-sided 12" vinyl (4950201A1)
US promo CD (ESK9342) (red cover)
Silverchair
Silverchair were an Australian rock band, which formed in 1992 as Innocent Criminals in Merewether, Newcastle with the line-up of Ben Gillies on drums, Chris Joannou on bass guitar and Daniel Johns on vocals and guitars. The group got their big break in mid-1994 when they won a national demo...
, released as the first single from their second album Freak Show
Freak Show (album)
Freak Show is the second studio album from Australian rock band Silverchair. Freak Show was released on 3 February 1997. The album also gives listeners a glimpse into the band's experimental side, as can be heard in "Petrol & Chlorine" and "Cemetery"...
; both were released in 1997.
The song reached number 1 in the Australian charts, being the second single by Silverchair to reach that position. The first single of Silverchair's to reach number 1 was the lead single from Frogstomp
Frogstomp
Frogstomp is the debut album of Australian rock band Silverchair. It was released in Australia in early 1995, when the members were only 15 years of age, by a subsidiary of Sony Records and reached number one on the album charts. On 20 June 1995, Frogstomp was released by Epic Records in the U.S...
(1995), "Tomorrow
Tomorrow (Silverchair song)
"Tomorrow" is a song by Australian alternative rock band Silverchair and was their breakthrough single from their debut album Frogstomp, which was released in 1994 in their home country and 1995 in the US...
", which was released in 1994. This feat was not repeated by the band until ten years later, with "Straight Lines
Straight Lines (song)
"Straight Lines" is a song by Silverchair. It was released in Australia on 20 March 2007, and debuted at number one on the ARIA Singles Chart. The single was shortly followed by the release of the band's fifth studio album Young Modern on 31 March 2007...
", the lead single from their 2007 album Young Modern.
One of the B-sides of the single is a cover
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of "New Race" by Australian band Radio Birdman
Radio Birdman
Radio Birdman was one of the first punk bands in Australia along with The Saints. Deniz Tek and Rob Younger formed the group in Sydney, Australia in 1974...
.
The making of the video
The music videoMusic video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for this song was directed by Gerald Casale
Gerald Casale
Gerald Vincent Casale , often known as Jerry Casale, is a vocalist, bass guitar/synthesizer player, and a founding member of the new wave band Devo...
, a member of Devo
Devo
Devo is an American band formed in 1973 consisting of members from Kent and Akron, Ohio. The classic line-up of the band includes two sets of brothers, the Mothersbaughs and the Casales . The band had a #14 Billboard chart hit in 1980 with the single "Whip It", and has maintained a cult...
who also directed the majority of their videos. The video was filmed in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, in 5 and 6 December 1996.
The video features the band playing in an oven-chamber, monitored by a scientist in a control room. Their sweat is collected, received by a doctor and taken to a wrinkled-up woman in an adjoining room. The doctor touches part of her flesh with the sweat, and it smoothens. The doctor injects a large amount of sweat into the woman, and she regresses to being middle-aged. The doctor calls for more sweat, so the scientist turns up the heat in the oven-chamber, causing the band members to sweat even more. Their sweat drains into a sort of water cooler, where the doctor collects a glass of it. She gives this to the woman, and when she drinks it, her youth returns. However, she is still not satisfied, so she orders and drinks another dose and turns into an alien mutant. However, she loves the new look and pays the doctor. When this is all done, the heat lamps are turned off, and the room now seems to appear very cold. The band punch out their time cards and walk out.
The lights were not actual heat lamps, but lights coloured orange to look like heat lamps. The band members were sprayed with mass amounts of water to make it look like they were heavily sweating, and then the scientist would come on stage with prongs and a cotton ball and wipe a little bit of 'sweat' off of them and put it in a container.
The group did not have to do that many takes, but they did film each section different ways, so they would have a good variety of things to edit together. At first they had all three members on stage, then one would step off and they'd just use two, and then they filmed each band member individually.
The scenes featuring the old woman were filmed separately at another studio.
The video for "Freak" was honoured the International Viewer's Choice Award at the 1997 MTV Video Music Awards
1997 MTV Video Music Awards
The 1997 MTV Video Music Awards aired live on September 4, 1997, honoring the best music videos from June 17, 1996, to June 16, 1997. The show was hosted by Chris Rock at Radio City Music Hall in New York City.-Video of the Year:* Beck — "The New Pollution"...
for Australia.
Live
The song is one of the few songs from the Frogstomp/Freak Show-era that Silverchair still plays live. The version that they play live is significantly different from the studio version, in that the song is now taken half a step down, and Daniel Johns uses a whammy pedalDigitech Whammy
-Overview:The WH-1 Whammy pedal, the original whammy, first engineered and manufactured in 1989 by IVL Technologies and discontinued in 1993, remains the most sought-after.-Controls:...
for the solo, which he also often improvises. In addition, the vocals in the second verse of the song are almost always screamed
Screaming (music)
Screaming is a vocal technique that is most popular in subgenres of heavy metal, punk and hard rock, including metalcore, deathcore, post-hardcore, groove metal, black metal, and grindcore...
or death growl
Death growl
A death growl, also known as death metal vocals, guttural vocals, death grunts, and harsh vocals among other names, is a vocalisation style usually employed by vocalists of the death metal and black metal music genre, but also used in a variety of heavy metal and hardcore punk subgenres.Death...
ed by Johns
Daniel Johns
Daniel Paul Johns is an Australian musician, vocalist, composer, guitarist, and pianist, best known as the frontman of the rock band Silverchair. He is also part of The Dissociatives...
.
In popular culture
The song appears during the closet credits of the animated television show DariaDaria
Daria is an American animated television series produced by Paramount Television, and created by Glenn Eichler and Susie Lewis Lynn for MTV. The series focuses on Daria Morgendorffer, a smart, acerbic, and somewhat misanthropic teenage girl who observes the world around her...
episode "Malled".
Track listing
Australian CD single (MATTCD040)- Australian limited 7" vinyl (MATTV040)
- UK limited 10" vinyl (664076 0) (Includes collectible 10" cards)
- "Freak"
- "New Race"
- "Punk Song #2"
- (The Australian vinyl version of the single comes in various extremely rare coloured editions: gold/yellow (only 40 pressed), clear, semi-clear/various colour, pink-marbled clear, smoked yellow, smoked red and "no one knows which other colours". All these versions are extremely rare and very hard to find).
UK CD single (6640765) (with collectible cards)
- "Freak"
- "New Race"
- "Undecided"
- "Slave" (Live)
- The song "Undecided" is not the Silverchair song included on the Frogstomp album. This version is a cover by the Master's Apprentice.
US 7" promo (ES7 9355) (red cover and vinyl)
- "Freak"
- "Punk Song #2"
- "New Race"
European CD single (6640762)
- "Freak"
- "New Race"
- "Punk Song #2"
- "Interview"
Promo 1-sided 12" vinyl (4950201A1)
- "Freak (Remix for Us Rejects)"
- This is a promo given to radio stations for promote the single "The Door" in Australia.
US promo CD (ESK9342) (red cover)
- "Freak"
Charts
| Chart (1997) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Singles Chart ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
1 |
| Canadian Singles Chart Canadian Singles Chart The Canadian Singles Chart is currently compiled by the U.S.-based music sales tracking company, Nielsen SoundScan . The chart is compiled every Wednesday, and is published by Jam! Canoe on Thursdays.... |
55 |
| Canadian Rock/Alternative Chart Canadian rock/alternative chart The Canadian rock/alternative chart was first published on June 11, 1995 by RPM magazine under the name Alternative 30. The song which held the number-one spot on this first chart was "More Human than Human" by White Zombie... |
12 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart | 23 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
34 |
| U.S. Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks Mainstream Rock Tracks Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks is a ranking in Billboard magazine of the most-played songs on mainstream rock radio stations, a category that includes stations that play primarily rock music. Modern rock tracks are counted in the Alternative Songs chart.This chart began with the March 21, 1981, issue... |
25 |
| U.S. Billboard Modern Rock Tracks Modern Rock Tracks Alternative Songs is a music chart in the United States that has appeared in Billboard magazine since September 10, 1988. It lists the 40 most-played songs on modern rock radio stations, most of which are alternative rock songs... |
29 |