"Daddy's Gone" is a song by Scottish

indie rock Indie rock is a Music subgenre, subgenre of rock music that originated in the United States, United Kingdom and New Zealand from the 1970s to the 1980s. Originally used to describe independent record labels, the term became associated with the mu ...

band

Glasvegas Glasvegas are a Scottish indie rock band from Glasgow. The band consists of James Allan (vocals), Rab Allan (lead guitar) and Paul Donoghue (bass guitar), with Swedish drummer Jonna Löfgren joining the group in 2010 until her departure in 2020 ...

. The song was written and composed by the band's singer and guitarist James Allan. "Daddy's Gone" was originally released as a limited edition 7" and a

download In computer networks, download means to ''receive'' data from a remote system, typically a server such as a web server, an FTP server, an email server, or other similar system. This contrasts with uploading, where data is ''sent to'' a remote s ...

single through Sane Man on 5 November 2007. The song received mostly positive reception from music journalists, with single reviews praising its lyrical content and production. The single was re-released as part of the promotion for ''

''. The newer version has a slower tempo and slightly rougher sound. It was released on 25 August 2008 as a CD, a download EP, and two different 7" singles. It entered the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

at number 12 and the

Scottish Singles Chart The Scottish Albums Chart is a chart compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC) which is based on how physical and digital sales towards the UK Albums Chart fare in Scotland. The official singles chart for Scotland, the Scottish Singles Chart, ...

at number two on the chart dated 31 August 2008. It also found minor popularity in Flemish Belgium, appearing on the

Ultratip Ultratop is an organization which generates and publishes the official record charts in Belgium. Ultratop is a non-profit organization, created on the initiative of the Belgian Entertainment Association (BEA), the Belgian member organization of ...

chart at number 12. The song featured in the hit American TV Series 'Chuck', Season 2 Episode 19.

Origins and recording

James Allan wrote and composed the song prior to the recording sessions at Central Sound Studios in

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

, where the band recorded their previous single, "

Go Square Go! "Go Square Go!" is a song by Scottish Indie rock band Glasvegas. The song was written by the band's singer and guitarist James Allan. It was released as the band's debut 7" single through WaKS on 30 October 2006, as well as a download. The b ...

." James Allan handled all production duties as well as its B-side, "Flowers & Football Tops."

Musical content

"Daddy's Gone" is in

A major A major (or the key of A) is a major scale based on A, with the pitches A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. Its key signature has three sharps. Its relative minor is F-sharp minor and its parallel minor is A minor. The key of A major is the only k ...

and in

4/4 time The time signature (also known as meter signature, metre signature, or measure signature) is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats (pulses) are contained in each measure (bar), and which note value ...

. The song is based around I-VI-IV-V and I-III-VI-V chord progressions for the verses and the choruses, respectively.

Formats and B-sides

The song was first released as a 7" single, limited to 1000 copies, and a

through Sane Man on 5 November 2007. A

promo CD A promotional recording, or promo, or plug copy, is an audio or video recording distributed free, usually in order to promote a recording that is or soon will be commercially available. Promos are normally sent directly to broadcasters, such as ...

was also released. The artwork featured on the sleeve of the 7" is by

Rob Biddulph Rob Biddulph is a British children's author and illustrator. Early life Biddulph was born on 12 October 1972 in Barnet, London. He attended Dame Alice Owen's School. He graduated with a BA(Hons) degree in Visual Communication and Design from ...

, and was designed in the style of singles from the 1960s. Biddulph also designed the artwork for the band's following single, "

It's My Own Cheating Heart That Makes Me Cry "It's My Own Cheating Heart That Makes Me Cry" is a song by Scottish Indie rock band Glasvegas. The song was written and composed by the band's singer and guitarist James Allan. The lyrics explore the concepts of self-loathing, inevitable guilt ...

," in the same style. The 2008 re-release CD and one of the 7" singles has a new song called "A Little Thing Called 'Fear'" as the b-side, while the alternate 7" single has a

cover version In popular music, a cover version, cover song, remake, revival, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording by a musician other than the original performer or composer of the song. Originally, it referred to a version of a song release ...

Nirvana ( , , ; sa, निर्वाण} ''nirvāṇa'' ; Pali: ''nibbāna''; Prakrit: ''ṇivvāṇa''; literally, "blown out", as in an oil lampRichard Gombrich, ''Theravada Buddhism: A Social History from Ancient Benāres to Modern Colombo.' ...

's " Come as You Are." All three formats feature the album version of "Daddy's Gone."

Critical reception

During professional reviews, "Daddy's Gone" received positive reception. James McMahon of ''

NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...

'' named the song Track of the Week and praised the song's subject matter, stating "the love between a young man and his absent dad is rarely visited ..which makes this second single from Glasvegas ..all the more touching." McMahon also referred to the band's genre, stating "they sound like an amalgamation of every great single

Creation Creation may refer to: Religion *''Creatio ex nihilo'', the concept that matter was created by God out of nothing * Creation myth, a religious story of the origin of the world and how people first came to inhabit it * Creationism, the belief tha ...

Records released pre-

Oasis In ecology, an oasis (; ) is a fertile area of a desert or semi-desert environment'ksar''with its surrounding feeding source, the palm grove, within a relational and circulatory nomadic system.” The location of oases has been of critical imp ...

(

The Jesus and Mary Chain The Jesus and Mary Chain are a Scottish alternative rock band formed in East Kilbride in 1983. The band revolves around the songwriting partnership of brothers Jim and William Reid. After signing to independent label Creation Records, they rele ...

The Pastels The Pastels are an indie rock group from Glasgow formed in 1981. They were a key act of the Scottish and British independent music scenes of the 1980s, and are specifically credited for the development of an independent and confident music scen ...

and Saint Etienne), while at the same time managing to tap into the disparate brilliance of the likes of

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...

, early-

Beatles The Beatles were an English rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the most influential band of all time and were integral to the developme ...

The Stone Roses The Stone Roses were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Manchester in 1983. One of the pioneering groups of the Madchester movement in the late 1980s and early 1990s, the band's classic and most prominent lineup consisted of vocalist I ...

Orange Juice Orange juice is a liquid extract of the orange (fruit), orange tree fruit, produced by squeezing or reaming oranges. It comes in several different varieties, including blood orange, navel oranges, valencia orange, clementine, and tangerine. A ...

Roy Orbison Roy Kelton Orbison (April 23, 1936 – December 6, 1988) was an American singer, songwriter, and musician known for his impassioned singing style, complex song structures, and dark, emotional ballads. His music was described by critics as ...

The Velvet Underground The Velvet Underground was an American rock band formed in New York City in 1964. The original line-up consisted of singer/guitarist Lou Reed, multi-instrumentalist John Cale, guitarist Sterling Morrison, and drummer Angus MacLise. MacLise w ...

and

The Proclaimers ''The'' () is a grammatical Article (grammar), article in English language, English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite ...

." ''NME'' later awarded the song number two in a list of Best Tracks of 2007. Andrew Farley of

Drowned in Sound ''Drowned in Sound'', sometimes abbreviated to ''DiS'', is a UK-based music webzine financed by artist management company Silentway. Founded by editor Sean Adams, the site features reviews, news, interviews, and discussion forums. History ''D ...

praised the song; hailing it as "fantastic," noting the song's individuality, saying, "it's not every day you come across a song of this stature," and referred to the production, stating "

Phil Spector Harvey Phillip Spector (born Harvey Philip Spector; December 26, 1939January 16, 2021) was an American record producer and songwriter, best known for his innovative recording practices and entrepreneurship in the 1960s, followed decades later by ...

would be proud." Farley also describes it as "one of the breakthrough tracks of 2007." ''

The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally. It was fo ...

'' rock critic Neil McCormick was extremely impressed with the song, going as far as placing it at number 18 in his list of the 100 Greatest Songs of All Time in 2009. He described the track as an "epic, emotional, boldly prosaic rock and roll ballad of paternal abandonment.". In October 2011, ''

'' placed it at number 123 on its list "150 Best Tracks of the Past 15 Years".

Track listings

''All songs written by James Allan, except where noted.''

2007 version

7" vinyl (SAN001); download; CDR promo # "Daddy's Gone" – 4:08 # "Flowers & Football Tops" – 5:38

2008 version

Promo CD (GOWOW006) # "Daddy's Gone" (Clean Radio Edit) – 3:41 # "Daddy's Gone" (Radio Edit) – 3:41 # "Daddy's Gone" (Album Version) – 4:25 # "Daddy's Gone" (Instrumental) – 4:25 CD (GOWOW007) # "Daddy's Gone" – 4:25 # "A Little Thing Called 'Fear'" – 3:43 7" #1 (GOWOW008) * ''Limited numbered edition red-colored vinyl.'' # "Daddy's Gone" – 4:25 # "A Little Thing Called 'Fear'" – 3:43 7" #2 (GOWOW009) # "Daddy's Gone" – 4:25 # "Come as You Are" (written by

Kurt Cobain Kurt Donald Cobain (February 20, 1967 – April 5, 1994) was an American musician who served as the lead vocalist, guitarist and primary songwriter of the rock band Nirvana. Through his angst-fueled songwriting and anti-establishment persona ...

) – 3:22 Download EP # "Daddy's Gone" – 4:25 # "A Little Thing Called 'Fear'" – 3:43 # "Come as You Are" – 3:22 # "Daddy's Gone" (Live Acoustic Version) – 4:17

Credits and personnel

Glasvegas * James Allan –

guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected stri ...

vocals Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or without ...

, * Rab Allan –

electric guitar An electric guitar is a guitar that requires external amplification in order to be heard at typical performance volumes, unlike a standard acoustic guitar (however combinations of the two - a semi-acoustic guitar and an electric acoustic gui ...

* Paul Donoghue – bass * Caroline McKay –

drum The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel-Sachs classification system, it is a membranophone. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a she ...

Production * James Allan – Producer * Kevin Burleigh –

Engineer Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who invent, design, analyze, build and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while considering the l ...

Charts

References

{{authority control 2007 singles Glasvegas songs 2008 singles Songs written by James Allan (musician) 2007 songs