J. Smith (song)
Encyclopedia
"J. Smith" is the first single from Indie band Travis'
sixth studio album Ode to J. Smith
, released as a limited edition E.P. on both 10" vinyl and CD single, with only 1,000 copies made of each. The song reached #1 on the UK Indie Chart on July 6, 2008, mainly due to strong downloads.
, an American radio station, got hold of an illegal copy of J. Smith, and played it on air several times, and subsequently, mp3 files of the song were made and distributed, which Healy
contested to on the official forum. The physical single release was not intended for announcement until late June, however, online retailer Recordstore announced the item for sale on June 5, meaning that despite an official announcement being made, fans would now know what the first single was going to be. The information was discussed on the band's official forum within hours. Healy posted on the forum that evening, claiming that the band had not intended Recordstore to announce the information, and that the original plan was to gradually release the information to increase excitement.
came from nowhere. The strange thing was, I knew immediately these chords were important in some way... When Neilly arrived I played the chords, he played along and we instantly found the pattern. It is the best drum line Neilly has ever done... Dougie
then picked up the bass line like he'd been practising it all week... There isn't a bit of fat on the song. Every note, every beat, is perfect." He also adds that Paul McCartney
and Luke Pritchard both complimented the song when they first heard it.
, and the band have revealed that they lyrically connected the two releases in certain ways. The cover art of the "J Smith" was designed by Healy to resemble the original artwork of "All I Want to Do Is Rock
", the group's first ever single. The band also resurrected the Red Telephone Box record label, which they created to release "All I Want to Do Is Rock".
Travis (band)
Travis are a post-Britpop band from Glasgow, Scotland, comprising Fran Healy , Dougie Payne , Andy Dunlop and Neil Primrose...
sixth studio album Ode to J. Smith
Ode to J. Smith
Ode to J. Smith is the sixth studio album by Scottish alternative rock band Travis, released on 29 September 2008 in the United Kingdom and received generally positive reviews. The album was released in the United States on 4 November 2008...
, released as a limited edition E.P. on both 10" vinyl and CD single, with only 1,000 copies made of each. The song reached #1 on the UK Indie Chart on July 6, 2008, mainly due to strong downloads.
Background
Although the songs from Ode to J. Smith were previewed in a series of live shows in February 2008, the studio recordings were not intended to be heard until the official release. However, KCRWKCRW
KCRW is a public radio station broadcasting from the campus of Santa Monica College in Santa Monica, California, carrying a mix of National Public Radio news, talk radio and freeform music format. The general manager of KCRW is Jennifer Ferro...
, an American radio station, got hold of an illegal copy of J. Smith, and played it on air several times, and subsequently, mp3 files of the song were made and distributed, which Healy
Francis Healy
Francis "Fran" Healy is a Scottish musician. He is currently the lead singer and main songwriter of the Scottish band Travis, having written nearly all of the songs on their six studio albums. He is based in Berlin, Germany...
contested to on the official forum. The physical single release was not intended for announcement until late June, however, online retailer Recordstore announced the item for sale on June 5, meaning that despite an official announcement being made, fans would now know what the first single was going to be. The information was discussed on the band's official forum within hours. Healy posted on the forum that evening, claiming that the band had not intended Recordstore to announce the information, and that the original plan was to gradually release the information to increase excitement.
Lyrics
Fran Healy explained on Travis' official website about the writing of "J. Smith". He said, "The riffRIFF
The Resource Interchange File Format is a generic file container format for storing data in tagged chunks. It is primarily used to store multimedia such as sound and video, though it may also be used to store any arbitrary data....
came from nowhere. The strange thing was, I knew immediately these chords were important in some way... When Neilly arrived I played the chords, he played along and we instantly found the pattern. It is the best drum line Neilly has ever done... Dougie
Dougie Payne
Dougie Payne is the bassist and backing vocalist of the Scottish band, Travis.-Career:...
then picked up the bass line like he'd been practising it all week... There isn't a bit of fat on the song. Every note, every beat, is perfect." He also adds that Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
and Luke Pritchard both complimented the song when they first heard it.
Comparisons
Many fans regarded "J Smith" as a return to some of the rawness and rockiness of their debut Good FeelingGood Feeling
Good Feeling is the debut album from Scottish alternative rock band Travis. The album was originally released on September 26, 1997, on Independiente Records. In April 1998, the album was re-released, with the only differences being new album artwork and a slightly-tweaked version of "More Than Us"...
, and the band have revealed that they lyrically connected the two releases in certain ways. The cover art of the "J Smith" was designed by Healy to resemble the original artwork of "All I Want to Do Is Rock
All I Want to Do Is Rock
"All I Want to Do is Rock" is the debut single from Scottish band, Travis. Originally released as a 10" vinyl on the Red Telephone Box label in 1996, it was fully re-released by Independiente Records a year later, after the band signed with the label to record Good Feeling...
", the group's first ever single. The band also resurrected the Red Telephone Box record label, which they created to release "All I Want to Do Is Rock".
Tracklisting
- CD Single
- "J. Smith" - 3:10
- "Sarah" - 4:25
- 10" Vinyl
- "J. Smith" - 3:10
- "Get Up" - 3:12
- "Sarah" - 4:25