Love Machine (Girls Aloud song)
Encyclopedia
"Love Machine" is a song performed by British all-female pop group Girls Aloud
, taken from their second studio album What Will the Neighbours Say?
(2004). The song was written by Miranda Cooper
, Brian Higgins
and his production team Xenomania
, and produced by Higgins and Xenomania. Known for its nonsensical lyrics and a backing track inspired by The Smiths
, "Love Machine" was released as a single in September 2004. It continued Girls Aloud's string of hits by becoming their third consecutive single to chart within the top four on the UK Singles Chart
.
The music video follows Girls Aloud on a night out, dealing with male affection at a fictitious nightclub. "Love Machine" was promoted through numerous live appearances and has since been performed on each one of Girls Aloud's concert tours. The song and its "bouncy drums, perky guitars and ditsy lyrics" received praise from contemporary music critics. Research carried out for Nokia
showed "Love Machine" to be the second "most exhilarating" song ever.
with a time signature
in common time
and a tempo
of 88 beats per minute. The vocal range spans from F3
to B4
. The chord progression
varies throughout the song, but chords used include G, F, E, D, Bb, and C. The song loosely follows verse-chorus form
. After each verse, there is a build
, a slower-paced bridge
, and then the chorus
. The song ends with a middle 8 and an outro
.
Xenomania
came up with some of the song's lyrics by singing "nonsense lyrics" over a backing track, which eventually evolved into real songwords. The backing track, created by Xenomania musicians Tim Powell and Nick Coler, was inspired by The Smiths
. An early demo of "Love Machine" was included on the Popjustice
compilation album
Popjustice: 100% Solid Pop Music and later on an official Girls Aloud singles boxset; this version was sung by Cheryl Cole
, Nadine Coyle
and Sarah Harding
and features radically different lyrics from the released versions, even excluding the phrase "Love Machine".
The song's lyric "What will the neighbours say / This time?" lent itself to the album title What Will the Neighbours Say?
.
formats, as well as an additional 7" picture disc, making it Girls Aloud's first single available on vinyl. The first disc included a Flip & Fill
remix of "The Show". For the sleeve of the second CD, Artwork design group Form invented five fake magazines, one for each member, and used "Love Machine" lyrics as the headlines. The disc included an exclusive previously unreleased b-side entitled "Androgynous Girls". The song had been considered for the lead single
from What Will the Neighbours Say?
, but "The Show" was chosen. The Gravitas Disco Mix of "Love Machine was also included. The maxi-CD also included a task-based game, created by design agency Holler. The 7" picture disc included the radio edit and Tony Lamezma Remix of "Love Machine".
Two live versions of "Love Machine" have also been released. A recording from the Hammersmith Apollo is included on the "Long Hot Summer" single, while a version from Girls Aloud's Live at the Local concert is featured on Girls A Live
.
"Love Machine" appeared in television advertisement
s for Homebase
from 2006-2009.
called the song a "perfect example of Xenomania's uniquely rousing approach to pop." A reviewer for Virgin Media
said that the song's "bouncy drums, perky guitars and ditsy lyrics will probably cause a seizure." They also added that "it sounds so unlike anything else in the charts right now...proving once again that they're still one of the most exciting bands in pop right now." BBC Music
, however, called it "upbeat but not particularly tuneful".
According to research carried out for Nokia
in 2006, "Love Machine" is the second "most exhilarating" song ever, after "Song 2
" by Blur
.
at number two, behind Eric Prydz
's "Call on Me
." The single stayed at number two for a second consecutive week. The song spent one further week in the top ten at number eight, and stayed in the top 75 for a total of ten weeks all together. "Love Machine" also reached number six on the UK Downloads Chart. On the Irish Singles Chart
, "Love Machine" became Girls Aloud's first single to fail to enter the top five, instead placing at number nine for three weeks. It spent one last week in the top ten at number ten.
's Brewer Street.
The music video takes place at the fictitious nightclub, the Eskimo Club. Girls Aloud enter the club dressed for a night on the town. Though Cheryl initially sets her eye on a musician at the club, the girls make their way to a table. However, they are soon distracted by the men in the Eskimo Club and the tricks they pull to try to get the girls' attention. Girls Aloud also dance in a separate setting of a dark background with flashing lights, and eventually they release their inhibitions and begin dancing in the Eskimo Club as well. At the end of the video, Girls Aloud walk out of the club tired and barefoot.
The music video is available on Girls Aloud's 2005 DVD release Girls on Film
and 2007's Style
.
on 28 August 2004. The group wore summer dresses similar to those in the video. They performed on the show once more on 11 September, ahead of the single's release. Girls Aloud also performed on children's television programmes such as Diggin' It, GMTV
, Ministry of Mayhem
, Popworld
, Simply the Best
, and Top of the Pops
. They have performed "Love Machine" on The Paul O'Grady Show
twice - once in 2004 to promote What Will the Neighbours Say?
and once in 2006 to promote their greatest hits. They also performed the song when it was nominated for ITV1's annual Record of the Year
prize in December 2004, however they lost out to Busted
who won with their track Thunderbirds
.
The song was also performed at the 2004 Disney Channel Kid Awards, the 2004 Smash Hits Poll Winners Party
, the 2005 TMF Awards, and the group's MTV special (as seen on Girls on Film
DVD). Girls Aloud performed "Love Machine" at a number of live festivals and open-air concerts throughout 2004 and 2005, such as O2 in the Park, Pop Beach, CBBC
's Junior Great North Run
charity concert, Jetix Planet Live
, and Dublin's 2005 ChildLine Concert
, as well as the 2005 Children in Need
telethon. "Love Machine" was later performed at V Festival
and Twickenham Stadium
in 2006, T4 on the Beach
and Live at the Local (acoustic) in 2007, The Girls Aloud Party
in 2008, and Wembley Stadium
(opening for Coldplay
) in 2009.
Girls Aloud have included "Love Machine" in all of their tours. For their debut tour, 2005's What Will the Neighbours Say? Live
, Girls Aloud perform the song in schoolgirl uniforms
. For 2006's Chemistry Tour, there was an interlude where the group danced to "1 Thing
" by Amerie
. There was a similar interlude during 2007's The Sound of Girls Aloud: The Greatest Hits Tour
, where a big band
breakdown was included and Cheryl disrupted the routine by taking a swig of champagne. "Love Machine" was also performed on 2008's Tangled Up Tour
and 2009's Out of Control Tour
. For the latter, the song was given a brassier
, retro
arrangement and included a dance break.
UK CD2 (Polydor / 9867984)
UK 7" picture disc
The Singles Boxset (CD6)
Girls Aloud
Girls Aloud are a British and Irish pop girl group based in London. They were created through the ITV1 talent show Popstars The Rivals in 2002. The group consists of Cheryl Cole , Nadine Coyle, Sarah Harding, Nicola Roberts and Kimberley Walsh. They are signed to Fascination Records, a Polydor...
, taken from their second studio album What Will the Neighbours Say?
What Will the Neighbours Say?
What Will the Neighbours Say? is the second album by British all-female pop group Girls Aloud. It was released in the United Kingdom on 29 November 2004 by Polydor Records. Brian Higgins and his production team Xenomania were enlisted to produce the entire album, allowing for more inventive ideas...
(2004). The song was written by Miranda Cooper
Miranda Cooper
Miranda Eleanor De Fonbrune Cooper has been on the UK charts longer than any other female songwriter in the country. In 2007 Harper's Bazaar wrote of her: ‘If it's a hit you want, you'd better talk to Cooper...
, Brian Higgins
Brian Higgins (producer)
Brian Thomas Higgins is a British music producer who has written and produced albums and tracks for several highly successful pop music singers and groups, most notably Girls Aloud, through his Xenomania production group...
and his production team Xenomania
Xenomania
Xenomania is a British songwriting and production team founded by Brian Higgins and based in Kent, England. Formed after Higgins met Miranda Cooper, Xenomania has written and produced for renowned artists such as Cher, Kylie Minogue, Dannii Minogue, Pet Shop Boys, and Sugababes...
, and produced by Higgins and Xenomania. Known for its nonsensical lyrics and a backing track inspired by The Smiths
The Smiths
The Smiths were an English alternative rock band, formed in Manchester in 1982. Based on the song writing partnership of Morrissey and Johnny Marr , the band also included Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce...
, "Love Machine" was released as a single in September 2004. It continued Girls Aloud's string of hits by becoming their third consecutive single to chart within the top four on the 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 ...
.
The music video follows Girls Aloud on a night out, dealing with male affection at a fictitious nightclub. "Love Machine" was promoted through numerous live appearances and has since been performed on each one of Girls Aloud's concert tours. The song and its "bouncy drums, perky guitars and ditsy lyrics" received praise from contemporary music critics. Research carried out for Nokia
Nokia
Nokia Corporation is a Finnish multinational communications corporation that is headquartered in Keilaniemi, Espoo, a city neighbouring Finland's capital Helsinki...
showed "Love Machine" to be the second "most exhilarating" song ever.
Background and composition
The song is written in C majorC major
C major is a musical major scale based on C, with pitches C, D, E, F, G, A, and B. Its key signature has no flats/sharps.Its relative minor is A minor, and its parallel minor is C minor....
with a time signature
Time signature
The time signature is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats are in each measure and which note value constitutes one beat....
in common time
Common Time
"Common Time" is a science fiction short story written by James Blish. It first appeared in the August 1953 issue of Science Fiction Quarterly and has been reprinted several times: in the 1959 short-story collection Galactic Cluster; in The Testament of Andros ; in The Penguin Science Fiction...
and a tempo
Tempo
In musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:...
of 88 beats per minute. The vocal range spans from F3
F (musical note)
F is a musical note, the fourth above C. It is also known as fa in fixed-do solfège.When calculated in equal temperament with a reference of A above middle C as 440 Hz, the frequency of Middle F is approximately 349.228 Hz. See pitch for a discussion of historical variations in...
to B4
B (musical note)
B, also known as H, Si or Ti, is the seventh note of the solfège. It lies a chromatic semitone below C and is thus the enharmonic equivalent of C-flat....
. The chord progression
Chord progression
A chord progression is a series of musical chords, or chord changes that "aims for a definite goal" of establishing a tonality founded on a key, root or tonic chord. In other words, the succession of root relationships...
varies throughout the song, but chords used include G, F, E, D, Bb, and C. The song loosely follows verse-chorus form
Verse-chorus form
Verse-chorus form is a musical form common in popular music and predominant in rock since the 1960s. In contrast to AABA form, which is focused on the verse , in verse-chorus form the chorus is highlighted...
. After each verse, there is a build
Song structure (popular music)
The structures or musical forms of songs in popular music are typically sectional, repeating forms, such as strophic form. Other common forms include thirty-two-bar form, verse-chorus form, and the twelve bar blues...
, a slower-paced bridge
Bridge (music)
In music, especially western popular music, a bridge is a contrasting section which also prepares for the return of the original material section...
, and then the chorus
Refrain
A refrain is the line or lines that are repeated in music or in verse; the "chorus" of a song...
. The song ends with a middle 8 and an outro
Conclusion (music)
In music, the conclusion is the ending of a composition and may take the form of a coda or outro.Pieces using sonata form typically use the recapitulation to conclude a piece, providing closure through the repetition of thematic material from the exposition in the tonic key...
.
Xenomania
Xenomania
Xenomania is a British songwriting and production team founded by Brian Higgins and based in Kent, England. Formed after Higgins met Miranda Cooper, Xenomania has written and produced for renowned artists such as Cher, Kylie Minogue, Dannii Minogue, Pet Shop Boys, and Sugababes...
came up with some of the song's lyrics by singing "nonsense lyrics" over a backing track, which eventually evolved into real songwords. The backing track, created by Xenomania musicians Tim Powell and Nick Coler, was inspired by The Smiths
The Smiths
The Smiths were an English alternative rock band, formed in Manchester in 1982. Based on the song writing partnership of Morrissey and Johnny Marr , the band also included Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce...
. An early demo of "Love Machine" was included on the Popjustice
Popjustice
Popjustice is a music website founded in 2000 and is the work of UK freelance music journalist Peter Robinson, who has worked for NME, The Guardian, Attitude and many others....
compilation album
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
Popjustice: 100% Solid Pop Music and later on an official Girls Aloud singles boxset; this version was sung by Cheryl Cole
Cheryl Cole
Cheryl Ann Cole is an English pop and R&B recording artist, songwriter, dancer, actress and model. She rose to fame in late 2002 when she auditioned for the reality television show Popstars: The Rivals on ITV. The programme announced that Cole had won a place as a member of the girl group, Girls...
, Nadine Coyle
Nadine Coyle
Nadine Coyle is an Irish singer, songwriter, actress, and model who rose to fame in the early 2000s as a member of the band Six before becoming a member of successful girl-group Girls Aloud. The group amassed a joint fortune of £25 million by May 2009...
and Sarah Harding
Sarah Harding
Sarah Nicole Harding is an English singer-songwriter, actress and model best known for being a member of the pop group Girls Aloud, formed through ITV's reality television programme Popstars: The Rivals...
and features radically different lyrics from the released versions, even excluding the phrase "Love Machine".
The song's lyric "What will the neighbours say / This time?" lent itself to the album title What Will the Neighbours Say?
What Will the Neighbours Say?
What Will the Neighbours Say? is the second album by British all-female pop group Girls Aloud. It was released in the United Kingdom on 29 November 2004 by Polydor Records. Brian Higgins and his production team Xenomania were enlisted to produce the entire album, allowing for more inventive ideas...
.
Release
The single was released on three CD singleCD single
A CD single is a music single in the form of a standard size Compact Disc, not to be confused with the 3-inch CD single, which uses a smaller form factor. The format was introduced in the mid-1980s, but did not gain its place in the market until the early 1990s...
formats, as well as an additional 7" picture disc, making it Girls Aloud's first single available on vinyl. The first disc included a Flip & Fill
Flip & Fill
Flip & Fill are a Manchester, England based electronic dance music duo, consisting of the producers/remixers, DJs Graham Turner and Mark Hall. They are signed to the All Around The World record label.-Career:...
remix of "The Show". For the sleeve of the second CD, Artwork design group Form invented five fake magazines, one for each member, and used "Love Machine" lyrics as the headlines. The disc included an exclusive previously unreleased b-side entitled "Androgynous Girls". The song had been considered for the lead single
Lead single
A lead single is usually the first single released by a musician or a band before the release of its home album.During the era of the grammophone record, all music arrived in the marketplace as what is now termed a single, one potential hit song backed by an additional song of generally less...
from What Will the Neighbours Say?
What Will the Neighbours Say?
What Will the Neighbours Say? is the second album by British all-female pop group Girls Aloud. It was released in the United Kingdom on 29 November 2004 by Polydor Records. Brian Higgins and his production team Xenomania were enlisted to produce the entire album, allowing for more inventive ideas...
, but "The Show" was chosen. The Gravitas Disco Mix of "Love Machine was also included. The maxi-CD also included a task-based game, created by design agency Holler. The 7" picture disc included the radio edit and Tony Lamezma Remix of "Love Machine".
Two live versions of "Love Machine" have also been released. A recording from the Hammersmith Apollo is included on the "Long Hot Summer" single, while a version from Girls Aloud's Live at the Local concert is featured on Girls A Live
Out of Control (Girls Aloud album)
Out of Control is the fifth studio album by British all-female pop group Girls Aloud. It was released in the United Kingdom on 3 November 2008 by Fascination Records. Like their previous albums, Out of Control was crafted by the production team of Brian Higgins and Xenomania...
.
"Love Machine" appeared in television advertisement
Television advertisement
A television advertisement or television commercial, often just commercial, advert, ad, or ad-film – is a span of television programming produced and paid for by an organization that conveys a message, typically one intended to market a product...
s for Homebase
Homebase
Homebase is a British home improvement store and garden centre, with 350 stores across the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. It is well known by its green and orange colour scheme. Together with its sister company Argos , it forms part of Home Retail Group. Homebase recorded sales figures...
from 2006-2009.
Critical reception
"Love Machine" was very well received by most music critics. The GuardianThe Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
called the song a "perfect example of Xenomania's uniquely rousing approach to pop." A reviewer for Virgin Media
Virgin Media
Virgin Media Inc. is a company which provides fixed and mobile telephone, television and broadband internet services to businesses and consumers in the United Kingdom...
said that the song's "bouncy drums, perky guitars and ditsy lyrics will probably cause a seizure." They also added that "it sounds so unlike anything else in the charts right now...proving once again that they're still one of the most exciting bands in pop right now." BBC Music
BBC Music
BBC Music is a team working in the department of Audio and Music Interactive at the BBC. Responsible for the BBC Music website - the portal site to music content across the BBC website....
, however, called it "upbeat but not particularly tuneful".
According to research carried out for Nokia
Nokia
Nokia Corporation is a Finnish multinational communications corporation that is headquartered in Keilaniemi, Espoo, a city neighbouring Finland's capital Helsinki...
in 2006, "Love Machine" is the second "most exhilarating" song ever, after "Song 2
Song 2
"Song 2" is a song by English alternative rock band Blur, the second track on and second single released from their fifth album Blur in April 1997...
" by Blur
Blur (band)
Blur is an English alternative rock band. Formed in London in 1989 as Seymour, the group consists of singer Damon Albarn, guitarist Graham Coxon, bassist Alex James and drummer Dave Rowntree. Blur's debut album Leisure incorporated the sounds of Madchester and shoegazing...
.
Chart performance
"Love Machine" debuted on the UK Singles ChartUK 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 ...
at number two, behind Eric Prydz
Eric Prydz
Eric Sheridan Prydz is a Swedish DJ and producer based in London, United Kingdom. The pronunciation of his surname is often questioned; it is pronounced "prids", but when under his alias, Pryda, it is pronounced "pride-ah"...
's "Call on Me
Call on Me (Eric Prydz song)
"Call on Me" is a song performed by Swedish DJ, producer Eric Prydz. The single received huge sales success and topped several record charts. "Call on Me" is known for its music video, which features several women and a man performing aerobics in a sexually suggestive manner.-Background:"Call on...
." The single stayed at number two for a second consecutive week. The song spent one further week in the top ten at number eight, and stayed in the top 75 for a total of ten weeks all together. "Love Machine" also reached number six on the UK Downloads Chart. On the Irish Singles Chart
Irish Singles Chart
The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured...
, "Love Machine" became Girls Aloud's first single to fail to enter the top five, instead placing at number nine for three weeks. It spent one last week in the top ten at number ten.
Music video
The video for "Love Machine" was directed by Stuart Gosling for Image Dynamic Pictures. It was filmed at the Titanic restaurant on LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
's Brewer Street.
The music video takes place at the fictitious nightclub, the Eskimo Club. Girls Aloud enter the club dressed for a night on the town. Though Cheryl initially sets her eye on a musician at the club, the girls make their way to a table. However, they are soon distracted by the men in the Eskimo Club and the tricks they pull to try to get the girls' attention. Girls Aloud also dance in a separate setting of a dark background with flashing lights, and eventually they release their inhibitions and begin dancing in the Eskimo Club as well. At the end of the video, Girls Aloud walk out of the club tired and barefoot.
The music video is available on Girls Aloud's 2005 DVD release Girls on Film
Girls on Film (DVD)
Girls On Film is the first music DVD by Girls Aloud and was released in 2005. The video contained all of their music videos at the time of release. It contained some of their most memorable television performances, and footage from their MTV special Girls Aloud - The Show...
and 2007's Style
Style (DVD)
Style is the fifth DVD featuring Girls Aloud, was released on November 12, 2007. It features commentary from Girls Aloud on all of their favourite and least favourite outfits from their careers, as well as fashion tips...
.
Live performances
"Love Machine" was performed for the first time live on CD:UKCD:UK
CD:UK was a British music television programme. Originally run in conjunction with SMTV Live, the programme was first aired on ITV on 29 August 1998 to rival the BBC's Live & Kicking and was the replacement for The Chart Show, which had been airing on the network for nine and a half years.In...
on 28 August 2004. The group wore summer dresses similar to those in the video. They performed on the show once more on 11 September, ahead of the single's release. Girls Aloud also performed on children's television programmes such as Diggin' It, GMTV
GMTV
GMTV was the national Channel 3 breakfast television contractor, broadcasting in the United Kingdom from 1 January 1993 to 3 September 2010. It became a wholly owned subsidiary of ITV plc. in November 2009. Shortly after, ITV plc announced the programme would end...
, Ministry of Mayhem
Holly & Stephen's Saturday Showdown
The Ministry of Mayhem was a CITV show which broadcast on the ITV Network from January 2004. As of January 2006, the onscreen name was Holly & Stephen's Saturday Showdown. It was the last regular studio-based Saturday morning show on ITV....
, Popworld
Popworld
Popworld was a British television programme that was broadcast on Channel 4, offering pop news, trivia, gossip, interviews and music videos, as well as musical performances from the most recent top artists....
, Simply the Best
Simply the Best (TV series)
Simply the Best was a game show broadcast on the UK terrestrial network ITV in 2004.Filmed in Jersey as a co-production of Channel Television and Carlton Television, it was hosted by Phil Tufnell and Kirsty Gallacher, and featured the cheerleaders from the American football team the Scottish...
, and Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops, also known as TOTP, is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly from 1 January 1964 to 30 July 2006. After 25 December 2006 it became a radio program, now hosted by Tony Blackburn...
. They have performed "Love Machine" on The Paul O'Grady Show
The Paul O'Grady Show
The Paul O'Grady Show was a BAFTA award-winning British comedy chat show hosted by Birkenhead-born comedian Paul O'Grady. The format was originally devised by Granada Television and was broadcast on ITV before moving to Channel 4...
twice - once in 2004 to promote What Will the Neighbours Say?
What Will the Neighbours Say?
What Will the Neighbours Say? is the second album by British all-female pop group Girls Aloud. It was released in the United Kingdom on 29 November 2004 by Polydor Records. Brian Higgins and his production team Xenomania were enlisted to produce the entire album, allowing for more inventive ideas...
and once in 2006 to promote their greatest hits. They also performed the song when it was nominated for ITV1's annual Record of the Year
The Record of the Year
The Record of the Year is an award voted by the UK public. For many years it was given in conjunction with television programmes of the same name...
prize in December 2004, however they lost out to Busted
Busted
Busted were an English pop band consisting of members James Bourne and Matt Willis and previously Charlie Simpson who left the band in 2005. Busted split up in January 2005 after Simpson decided to leave to join his own band Fightstar. During their run, they released two studio albums, a...
who won with their track Thunderbirds
Thunderbirds/3am
"3AM / Thunderbirds Are Go!" is a double A-side single by UK pop band, Busted, as the fourth single from their second album A Present for Everyone Released in July 2004, "Thunderbirds Are Go!" was not originally included on A Present for Everyone, and written for the 2004 film Thunderbirds,...
.
The song was also performed at the 2004 Disney Channel Kid Awards, the 2004 Smash Hits Poll Winners Party
Smash Hits Poll Winners Party
The Smash Hits Poll Winners Party was an awards ceremony which ran from 1988 to 2005. Each award winner was voted by readers of the Smash Hits magazine. It ended with the closure of the magazine in February 2006....
, the 2005 TMF Awards, and the group's MTV special (as seen on Girls on Film
Girls on Film (DVD)
Girls On Film is the first music DVD by Girls Aloud and was released in 2005. The video contained all of their music videos at the time of release. It contained some of their most memorable television performances, and footage from their MTV special Girls Aloud - The Show...
DVD). Girls Aloud performed "Love Machine" at a number of live festivals and open-air concerts throughout 2004 and 2005, such as O2 in the Park, Pop Beach, CBBC
CBBC
CBBC is one of two brand names used for the BBC's children's television strands. Between 1985 and 2002, CBBC was the name given to all the BBC's programmes on TV for children aged under 14...
's Junior Great North Run
Great North Run
The Bupa Great North Run is the world's largest half marathon, taking place annually each September. Participants run between Newcastle upon Tyne and South Shields in England. The run was devised by former Olympic 10,000 m bronze medallist and BBC Sport commentator Brendan Foster.The first Great...
charity concert, Jetix Planet Live
Jetix (Netherlands)
Jetix was a children's television programming brand owned by Disney-ABC Television Group broadcast in the Netherlands. It was previously known as Fox Kids. This version of the channel was also available in Belgium on Telenet and TV Vlaanderen and Belgacom TV...
, and Dublin's 2005 ChildLine Concert
ChildLine Concert
The ChildLine Concert is an annual pop music charity event which has taken place in Ireland since 1997. As the name suggests the money raised by the concert is donated to the young person's charity, ChildLine and many of the attendants are also children...
, as well as the 2005 Children in Need
Children in Need 2005
Children in Need 2005 was a campaign held in the United Kingdom to raise money for the charity Children in Need. It culmunated in a live broadcast on BBC One on the evening of Friday 18 November and was hosted by Terry Wogan, Natasha Kaplinsky, Fearne Cotton and, from RAF Brize Norton, Matt...
telethon. "Love Machine" was later performed at V Festival
V Festival
The V Festival is an annual music festival held in England during the penultimate weekend in August. The event is held at two parks simultaneously which share the same bill; artists perform at one location on Saturday and then swap on Sunday. The sites are located at Hylands Park in Chelmsford and...
and Twickenham Stadium
Twickenham Stadium
Twickenham Stadium is a stadium located in Twickenham, in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. It is the largest rugby union stadium in the United Kingdom and has recently been enlarged to seat 82,000...
in 2006, T4 on the Beach
T4 on the Beach
T4 On The Beach is a British one day music event which is held on the beach at Weston-super-Mare and televised for Channel 4. The event began in 2003 as Pop Beach in Great Yarmouth, changing to the current title and venue in 2005....
and Live at the Local (acoustic) in 2007, The Girls Aloud Party
The Girls Aloud Party
The Girls Aloud Party was a one-off Christmas variety show starring British girl group Girls Aloud, produced for ITV. The show was aired on 13 December 2008, in between The X Factor series finale and its results show....
in 2008, and Wembley Stadium
Wembley Stadium
The original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007...
(opening for Coldplay
Coldplay
Coldplay are a British alternative rock band formed in 1996 by lead vocalist Chris Martin and lead guitarist Jonny Buckland at University College London. After they formed Pectoralz, Guy Berryman joined the group as a bassist and they changed their name to Starfish. Will Champion joined as a...
) in 2009.
Girls Aloud have included "Love Machine" in all of their tours. For their debut tour, 2005's What Will the Neighbours Say? Live
What Will the Neighbours Say? Live
What Will the Neighbours Say? Live is Girls Aloud's first concert tour, in support of the group's second studio album What Will the Neighbours Say?...
, Girls Aloud perform the song in schoolgirl uniforms
School uniform
A school uniform is an outfit—a set of standardized clothes—worn primarily for an educational institution. They are common in primary and secondary schools in various countries . When used, they form the basis of a school's dress code.Traditionally school uniforms have been largely subdued and...
. For 2006's Chemistry Tour, there was an interlude where the group danced to "1 Thing
1 Thing
"1 Thing" is a song written by American R&B singer-songwriter Amerie and Rich Harrison for Amerie's second studio album, Touch . The song is influenced by go-go rhythms and features a prominent sample of The Meters' 1970 funk recording of "Oh, Calcutta!", written by Stanley Walden...
" by Amerie
Amerie
Amerie Mi Marie Rogers , known professionally as Amerie or Ameriie, is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. She debuted in 2002 with the album All I Have, primarily co-written and produced by Rich Harrison, and was well-received in the urban market...
. There was a similar interlude during 2007's The Sound of Girls Aloud: The Greatest Hits Tour
The Sound of Girls Aloud
The Sound of Girls Aloud: The Greatest Hits is the first greatest hits anthology by British and Irish all-female pop group Girls Aloud. It was released in the United Kingdom on 30 October 2006 and entered the UK Albums Chart at number one, making it Girls Aloud's first number one album. As of...
, where a big band
Big band
A big band is a type of musical ensemble associated with jazz and the Swing Era typically consisting of rhythm, brass, and woodwind instruments totaling approximately twelve to twenty-five musicians...
breakdown was included and Cheryl disrupted the routine by taking a swig of champagne. "Love Machine" was also performed on 2008's Tangled Up Tour
Tangled Up Tour
The Tangled Up Tour was the fourth concert tour third arena tour, by British pop group Girls Aloud, in support of the group's fourth studio album Tangled Up. The tour was initially announced to reach arenas across the United Kingdom in November 2007. The shows commenced in Belfast on 3 May 2008 and...
and 2009's Out of Control Tour
Out of Control Tour
The Out of Control Tour is Girls Aloud's fourth arena-based concert tour and their fifth tour overall. The tour started on 24 April 2009 in Manchester's MEN Arena, with the final show on 6 June 2009 in Newcastle's Metro Radio Arena...
. For the latter, the song was given a brassier
Brass instrument
A brass instrument is a musical instrument whose sound is produced by sympathetic vibration of air in a tubular resonator in sympathy with the vibration of the player's lips...
, retro
Retro
Retro is a culturally outdated or aged style, trend, mode, or fashion, from the overall postmodern past, that has since that time become functionally or superficially the norm once again. The use of "retro" style iconography and imagery interjected into post-modern art, advertising, mass media, etc...
arrangement and included a dance break.
Covers
- Arctic MonkeysArctic MonkeysArctic Monkeys are an English indie rock band. Formed in 2002 in High Green, a suburb of Sheffield, the band currently consists of Alex Turner , Jamie Cook , Nick O'Malley and Matt Helders...
on BBC Radio 1BBC Radio 1BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
's Live LoungeLive LoungeThe Live Lounge is a segment on the British radio station BBC Radio 1. Originally hosted by Jo Whiley on her mid-morning radio show and now hosted by Fearne Cotton, it exhibits well-known artists usually performing one song of their own and one by another artist, in an acoustic format... - TiffanyTiffany (singer)Tiffany Renee Darwish , known popularly as Tiffany, is an American singer and former teen icon. She is most notable for her 1987 cover version of "I Think We're Alone Now", originally recorded by Tommy James and the Shondells in 1967. Released as the second single from her eponymous album, Tiffany,...
on Hit Me, Baby, One More Time - Blue PeterBlue PeterBlue Peter is the world's longest-running children's television show, having first aired in 1958. It is shown on CBBC, both in its BBC One programming block and on the CBBC channel. During its history there have been many presenters, often consisting of two women and two men at a time...
presenter Zöe SalmonZöe SalmonZöe Salmon is a television presenter who hosted the children's television show Blue Peter from 23 December 2004 to 25 June 2008. She also appeared on Dancing on Ice in early 2009.-Life and career:...
on Comic Relief Does Fame AcademyComic Relief Does Fame AcademyComic Relief Does Fame Academy is a spin-off of the original Fame Academy show where celebrities sing as students of the Academy. The programme was launched in 2003 to help raise money for the charities supported by Comic Relief, with the final of the show occurring on Red Nose Day...
Track listings and formats
UK CD1 (Polydor / 9867983)- "Love Machine" — 3:25
- "The Show" (Flip & Fill Remix) — 5:35
UK CD2 (Polydor / 9867984)
- "Love Machine" — 3:25
- "Love Machine" (Gravitas Disco Mix) — 7:30
- "Androgynous Girls" (Cooper, Higgins, Powell, Coler, Cowling, Lee) — 4:39
- "Love Machine" (video) — 3:39
- "Love Machine" (karaoke video) — 3:39
- "Love Machine" (game) — 3:39
UK 7" picture disc
- "Love Machine" — 3:25
- "Love Machine" (Tony Lamezma Mix) — 6:15
The Singles Boxset (CD6)
- "Love Machine" — 3:25
- "The Show" (Flip & Fill Remix) — 5:35
- "Love Machine" (Gravitas Disco Mix) — 7:30
- "Androgynous Girls" — 4:39
- "Love Machine" (Tony Lamezma Mix) — 6:15
- "Love Machine" (video) — 3:39
- "Love Machine" (karaoke video) — 3:39
- "Love Machine" (game) — 3:39
Credits and personnel
- Drums: Stuart Wilkinson, Shawn Lee
- Guitar: Nick Coler, Shawn Lee
- Keyboards: Brian HigginsBrian Higgins (producer)Brian Thomas Higgins is a British music producer who has written and produced albums and tracks for several highly successful pop music singers and groups, most notably Girls Aloud, through his Xenomania production group...
, Tim Powell - Mastering: Dick Beetham for 360 Mastering
- Mixing: Brian Higgins, Matt Tatt at Metropolis
- Production: Brian Higgins, XenomaniaXenomaniaXenomania is a British songwriting and production team founded by Brian Higgins and based in Kent, England. Formed after Higgins met Miranda Cooper, Xenomania has written and produced for renowned artists such as Cher, Kylie Minogue, Dannii Minogue, Pet Shop Boys, and Sugababes...
- Programming: Brian Higgins, Tim Powell, Nick Coler
- Songwriting: Miranda CooperMiranda CooperMiranda Eleanor De Fonbrune Cooper has been on the UK charts longer than any other female songwriter in the country. In 2007 Harper's Bazaar wrote of her: ‘If it's a hit you want, you'd better talk to Cooper...
, Brian Higgins, Tim Powell, Nick Coler, Lisa Cowling, Myra Boyle, Shawn Lee - Vocals: Girls AloudGirls AloudGirls Aloud are a British and Irish pop girl group based in London. They were created through the ITV1 talent show Popstars The Rivals in 2002. The group consists of Cheryl Cole , Nadine Coyle, Sarah Harding, Nicola Roberts and Kimberley Walsh. They are signed to Fascination Records, a Polydor...
- Published by Warner/Chappell MusicWarner/Chappell MusicWarner/Chappell Music, Inc. is an American music publishing company, and a division of the Warner Music Group. The company traces its origins back to 1811 and the founding of Chappell & Company, a music publishing company and instrument shop on London’s Bond Street that, in 1929, began a rapid...
and Xenomania Music
Charts
| Chart (2004) | Peak position |
|---|