"Londinium" is a song by Welsh band Catatonia from their third studio album, ''

Equally Cursed and Blessed ''Equally Cursed and Blessed'' is the third studio album by Welsh band Catatonia, released in April 1999 via Blanco y Negro Records. It reached number one in the UK Album Chart, and three singles were released from it: " Dead from the Waist Down ...

'' (1999). It was written by Mark Roberts with Catatonia and produced by TommyD and the band. Released on 12 July 1999, the song reached number 20 on 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 ...

Recording and release

"Londinium" was released as the second single from the album ''

'' against the wishes of the band, who wanted to release "

Karaoke Queen "Karaoke Queen" is a song by Welsh rock group Catatonia taken from the album '' Equally Cursed and Blessed'' and inspired by the talent-TV show ''Stars in Their Eyes''. "Karaoke Queen" was originally intended as the follow-up single to "Dead fro ...

" instead. Singer Cerys Matthews was also equally annoyed that the studio had spent more on the video than it had cost to produce the album. She was open about it in interviews, saying as much both to ''

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 ...

'' and when interviewed by Jo Whiley on

BBC Radio 1 BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including electronica, dance, ...

. The song was released on 12 July 1999 and was supported by a string of appearances on television shows such as '' CD:UK'', '' The Pepsi Chart Show'' and ''

Top of the Pops ''Top of the Pops'' (''TOTP'') is a British Record chart, music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly between 1January 1964 and 30 July 2006. The programme was the world's longest-running weekly music show ...

''. However, it did not pick up a great deal of airplay amid fears that it contained inflammatory lyrics about London, and the line "sushi bars, wet fish, it just sucks the life out of me" was removed for the radio edit. It peaked in the UK charts at number 20.

Track listings

UK and Australian CD single # "Londinium" (album version) – 4:36 # "Apathy Revolution" – 4:20 # "Intercontinental Sigh" – 2:56 UK 7-inch and cassette single # "Londinium" (album version) – 4:36 # "Intercontinental Sigh" – 2:56

Credits and personnel

Credits are lifted from the ''Equally Cursed and Blessed'' album booklet. Studios * Recorded at Monnow Valley Studios (Rockfield, Wales) * Mixed at Whitfield Street Studios (London, England) Personnel * Catatonia – writing, production ** Mark Roberts – writing * TommyD – production, mixing * Joe Gibb – engineering * Roland Herrington – mixing

Charts

References

* {{Authority control Catatonia (band) songs 1999 singles 1999 songs Blanco y Negro Records singles Songs about London Songs written by Cerys Matthews Songs written by Mark Roberts (singer)