Warm Leatherette
Encyclopedia
Overview
"Warm Leatherette" was released as the B-side to "T.V.O.D.", the only single by Miller's musical project The NormalThe Normal
The Normal is the recording artist name used by English music producer Daniel Miller, a film editor at the time, who is best known as the founder of the record label Mute Records.-Background:...
. It was the very first release on his Mute Records
Mute Records
Mute is an independent record label based in the UK. It was founded in 1978 by Daniel Miller and featured several prominent musical acts on its roster such as Goldfrapp, Depeche Mode, Yazoo, Erasure and Fad Gadget.-Beginnings:...
label, and an early example of the then-burgeoning industrial music
Industrial music
Industrial music is a style of experimental music that draws on transgressive and provocative themes. The term was coined in the mid-1970s with the founding of Industrial Records by the band Throbbing Gristle, and the creation of the slogan "industrial music for industrial people". In general, the...
genre. The lyrics of the song reference J.G. Ballard's controversial 1973 novel Crash.
Miller plays a series of sawtooth wave
Sawtooth wave
The sawtooth wave is a kind of non-sinusoidal waveform. It is named a sawtooth based on its resemblance to the teeth on the blade of a saw....
s on a $150 Korg
Korg
is a Japanese multinational corporation that manufactures electronic musical instruments, audio processors and guitar pedals, recording equipment, and electronic tuners...
700S synthesizer
Synthesizer
A synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
. It was recorded in his apartment using 2 ReVox
Revox
ReVox is a brand name of Swiss audio equipment created by Studer on March 27, 1951.The ReVox brand name was spun off into Studer Revox AG in 1990. During Studer's acquisition by Harman International Industries, Revox was sold separately to a group of private investors...
B-77 tape machines. With 'Mute 1' written on it, it sold thirty thousand copies.
Cover versions
- Grace JonesGrace JonesGrace Jones is a Jamaican-American singer, model and actress.Jones secured a record deal with Island Records in 1977, which resulted in a string of dance-club hits. In the late 1970s, she adapted the emerging electronic music style and adopted a severe, androgynous look with square-cut hair and...
famously covered "Warm Leatherette" and is the title track on her 1980 album of the same name. - Die Tödliche DorisDie Tödliche DorisDie Tödliche Doris was a German performance art and music group based in Berlin from 1980 to 1987. It was founded by band members Wolfgang Müller and Nikolaus Utermöhlen and later joined by Chris Dreier, Dagmar Dimitroff, Tabea Blumenschein and Käthe Kruse .Die Tödliche Doris was part of the...
recorded a cover of this song in December 1980, later released on their 2000 CD, "Kinderringellreihen Für Wahren Toren Des Grals" - Sleep ChamberSleep ChamberSleep Chamber is an American industrial band fronted by John Zewizz. The band is known for using S&M, bondage and Magick imagery on their art work, during their performances, and within their lyrics...
covered this song on a 1985 7" - PankowPankow (Italian band)Pankow is an Italian/German Electronic & EBM band, formed in 1979 and headed by Maurizio Fasolo. In its early days, the songs were in German , with singer Alex Spalck. Like the East German band of the same name, Pankow was named after the Pankow district of Berlin...
covered this song on their 1989 LP "Freedom for the Slaves" - Prayer Tower covered this song in a 1990 12" single, "Warm Leatherette"
- Blok 57 covered this song on their eponymous album in 1992
- Club 69 recorded multiple covers of this song, first on a 1995 release (the "Love Leatherette", "Wild Club Mix", "Spicy Dub", and "Wild Beats" mixes), then on another 1995 release (the "Quick Mix"), on a 1999 album, "Re-Styled", (the "Danny Tenaglia Mix"), then on a 2007 electronic compilation album, Naughty Holiday Collection, (the "Piliavin & Zimbardo Remix"), then on a 2007 Star 69 Trax promo disc (the "Saeed Younan Remix")
- Chicks on SpeedChicks on SpeedChicks on Speed is a multi-national musical ensemble, formed in Munich in 1997, when members Melissa Logan, Kiki Moorse and Alex Murray-Leslie met at the Academy of Fine Arts....
/HellDJ HellThis article is about Helmut Josef Geier. You may also be looking for Darryl Hell.Helmut Josef Geier, professionally known as DJ Hell is a German house-techno DJ...
covered this song on a split 7" in 1998 with different versions of the song. Chicks on Speed later re-released their cover on a 2000 CD, "The Re-Releases Of The Un-Releases" with an additional intro - Girls on Top (aka Richard X) mashed up this song with Missy Elliott'sMissy ElliottMelissa Arnette "Missy" Elliott , is an American rapper, singer-songwriter, record producer, and actressA five-time Grammy Award winner, Elliott, with record sales of over seven million in the United States, is the only female rapper to have five albums certified platinum by the RIAA, including one...
She's a BitchShe's a Bitch"She's a Bitch" is a song recorded by Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott for her second album, Da Real World . Produced by Timbaland, it was released as the album's debut single, and despite an expensive music video directed by noted video director Hype Williams, the song peaked only at number 90 on the U.S...
to produce "Warm Bitch" in 2000 - Velocity Star recorded a cover of this song for the 2000 compilation album "The Final Solstice II"
- Dive recorded a cover of this song, released in June 2000 on the electronic compilation CD "Heaven & Hell"
- Analogue Brain covered this song, released on an industrial compilation CD, "Septic III", in October, 2002
- The Former Yugoslavia, in 2003, released a "dictionaraoke" cover of the song, leaving the underlying music as originally written, but replacing the sung words with Merriam-Webster'sMerriam-WebsterMerriam–Webster, which was originally the G. & C. Merriam Company of Springfield, Massachusetts, is an American company that publishes reference books, especially dictionaries that are descendants of Noah Webster’s An American Dictionary of the English Language .Merriam-Webster Inc. has been a...
recordings of each word in the lyrics. - Takkyu IshinoTakkyu Ishino, born December 26, 1967 in Shizuoka, Japan, is a Japanese composer and music producer. He is a member of the technopop group Denki Groove.- Singles :* anna - letmein letmeout （1999）* Stereo Nights （2001）* Takbam （2001）...
covered this song on his March 2004 single "The Rising Suns" - Signal Electrique covered this song on their October 2004 album, "Acid Library"
- VitalicVitalicVitalic is an electronic music artist. He was born in France and is of Spanish and Italian descent.-History:His first singles were released in 1996 and 1997, but were confined to the underground electronic music scene...
performed a live version of "Warm Leatherette" on BBC Radio 1. A recording of the performance was included on Vitalic's 2005 single "My Friend DarioMy Friend Dario"My Friend Dario" is the first single from Vitalic's debut album, OK Cowboy. It is the first single from Vitalic to use "Brigitte", a vocal synthesis program. "No Fun", which is another track on OK Cowboy, also uses Brigitte....
" and a collector's edition of his 2006 album OK CowboyOK CowboyOK Cowboy is the debut album of Vitalic, first released in 2005. After a year, the album was re-released featuring a second, enhanced CD.-Reception:...
. - Destruction Unit covered this song on their 2006 album "Death To The Old Flesh"
- Erik FriedlanderErik FriedlanderErik Friedlander is an American cellist and composer based in New York City.A veteran of NYC's experimental downtown scene, Friedlander has worked in many contexts, but is perhaps best known for his frequent collaborations with saxophonist/composer John Zorn...
and Teho TeardoTeho TeardoTeho Teardo is an Italian musician and composer.He is a founding member of the rock band Meathead. In 1990s he collaborated with Mick Harris, Jim Coleman or Lydia Lunch. With Scott McCloud he started a new project called Operator. Together they released an album titled Welcome To The Wonderful...
covered this song in their 2006 album "Giorni Rubati" - Zombie-ZombieZombie Zombie (band)Zombie Zombie are a French electro-pop duo, who re-interpret the music of John Carpenter. Their performances include classic electronic instruments such as the Therimin....
covered this song in their 2006 EP, "Zombie-Zombie" - BlizzFrizz covered this song live at Veilchen in Graz, Austria as early as 2006
- Trent ReznorTrent ReznorMichael Trent Reznor is an American multi-instrumentalist, composer, record producer, and leader of industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails. Reznor is also a member of How to Destroy Angels alongside his wife, Mariqueen Maandig, and Atticus Ross. He was previously associated with bands Option 30,...
, Peter MurphyPeter Murphy (musician)Peter John Murphy is an English rock vocalist. He was the vocalist of the rock group Bauhaus, and later went on to release a number of solo albums, such as Deep and Love Hysteria...
, Jeordie WhiteJeordie WhiteJeordie Osbourne White , better known by his pseudonym Twiggy Ramirez , is an American musician, who is best known for being the bassist and guitarist for Marilyn Manson. He was also the bassist for A Perfect Circle, and Nine Inch Nails...
, and Atticus RossAtticus RossAtticus Ross is an English musician, composer and producer. Ross, along with Trent Reznor, won the Academy Award for Best Original Score for The Social Network in 2011.-Early career:...
covered this song live on the radio in BostonBostonBoston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
on 6-23-06 during the Nine Inch NailsNine Inch NailsNine Inch Nails is an American industrial rock project, founded in 1988 by Trent Reznor in Cleveland, Ohio. As its main producer, singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist, Reznor is the only official member of Nine Inch Nails and remains solely responsible for its direction...
tour that year. - Duran DuranDuran DuranDuran Duran are an English band, formed in Birmingham in 1978. They were one of the most successful bands of the 1980s and a leading band in the MTV-driven "Second British Invasion" of the United States...
performed the song at their run of ten concerts in New York CityNew York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in November 2007, and as part of an electro medley portion of their set listSet listA set list, or setlist, is a document that lists the songs that a band or musical artist intends to play, or has played, during a specific concert performance...
on the subsequent 2008 Red Carpet MassacreRed Carpet MassacreRed Carpet Massacre is the 12th studio album by English pop rock band Duran Duran. It was released on 19 November 2007 in Europe, and on the 13th in the United States....
tour - HIV+ (aka Pedro Peñas y Robles) recorded a cover of this song ("Normotone Remix") on the 2008 album "Babylone Chaos", followed by the "Club Amour Rmx" on the February 2009 compilation album "Electronic Manifesto: French Tribute To Mute Records", followed by the "LAAG Remix" on the March 2009 compilation album "STUMM + BONG: An Independent Tribute To Mute Records", followed by the "Cruise [ctrl] Rmx Feat. Cosyma" on the May 2009 compilation album "Elegy Sampler 59", followed by the "AQL Rmx" on the 2010 compilation album "Club Respekt 2010"
- Rubin Steiner covered this song on his 2008 album Weird Hits, Two Covers & A Love Song
- Absolute Body ControlAbsolute Body ControlAbsolute Body Control is an electronic music project from Belgium. It is notable as the first significant project of musicians Dirk Ivens and Eric Van Wonterghem.-History:...
covered this song on a 7" released in July, 2008 - J.G. Thirlwell covered this song on the September 2008 compilation album "Recovery"
- Genevieve Pasquier covered this song in her October 2009 album "Le Cabaret Moi"
- Tarsus covered this song on their May 2010 MP3 release (with To-Bo) "Split Wars 054"
- Giddle Partridge and Boyd RiceBoyd RiceBoyd Blake Rice is an American experimental sound/noise musician using the name of NON since the mid-1970s, archivist, actor, photographer, author, member of the Partridge Family Temple religious group, co-founder of the UNPOP art movement and current staff writer for Modern Drunkard...
covered this song on an August 2010 single titled "Warm Leatherette" - Naith Vault covered this song in an October 2010 single
- LaibachLaibach (band)Laibach is a Slovenian avant-garde music group associated with industrial, martial, and neo-classical musical styles. Laibach formed June 1, 1980 in Trbovlje, Slovenia . Laibach represents the music wing of the Neue Slowenische Kunst art collective, of which it was a founding member in 1984...
performed a cover of the song at the end of their set at the Mute Records Short Circuit Festival at the Roundhouse, London, on May 14, 2011. They have also performed it as part of their 30th Anniversary tour. - NON aka Boyd RiceBoyd RiceBoyd Blake Rice is an American experimental sound/noise musician using the name of NON since the mid-1970s, archivist, actor, photographer, author, member of the Partridge Family Temple religious group, co-founder of the UNPOP art movement and current staff writer for Modern Drunkard...
covered the song again for the Short Circuit edition of the Mute compilation "Vorwärts"