"Number 1" is a song by English
electronic music
Electronic music is a genre of music that employs electronic musical instruments, digital instruments, or circuitry-based music technology in its creation. It includes both music made using electronic and electromechanical means ( electroac ...
duo
Goldfrapp
Goldfrapp are an English electronic music duo from London, formed in 1999. The duo consists of Alison Goldfrapp (vocals, synthesiser) and Will Gregory (synthesiser).
Despite favourable reviews and a short-listing for the Mercury Prize, their ...
from their third studio album, ''
Supernature'' (2005). Written and produced by
Alison Goldfrapp
Alison Elizabeth Margaret Goldfrapp (born 13 May 1966) is an English musician and record producer, known as the vocalist of English electronic music duo Goldfrapp.
Early life
Goldfrapp was born on 13 May 1966, in Enfield, London, the youngest o ...
and
Will Gregory
William Owen Gregory (born 17 September 1959) is an English musician and record producer. He is best known as the lead keyboardist, producer, and composer of the electronic music duo Goldfrapp.
Early life
Gregory was born in Bristol, the son ...
, the song features a synthesiser and bass guitar arrangement and was written about the importance and meaningfulness that somebody shares with another, despite that it might not necessarily last.
["Goldfrapp Unleash ''Supernature''"]
''Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
''. 7 March 2006. Retrieved 31 May 2007.
The song was released as the album's second single in October 2005 to positive reviews from music critics. It was a commercial success, reaching the top 40 on the majority of the charts it appeared, and topped the US
Hot Dance Club Play
Dance Club Songs is a chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine in the United States. It is a national look over of club disc jockeys to determine the most popular songs being played in nightclubs across the country. It was launched as t ...
chart. The song has been remixed a number of times and was featured in advertising campaigns for the US retail company
Target
Target may refer to:
Physical items
* Shooting target, used in marksmanship training and various shooting sports
** Bullseye (target), the goal one for which one aims in many of these sports
** Aiming point, in field artillery, fi ...
.
Background and writing
"Number 1" is a mid-tempo
electronic
Electronic may refer to:
*Electronics, the science of how to control electric energy in semiconductor
* ''Electronics'' (magazine), a defunct American trade journal
*Electronic storage, the storage of data using an electronic device
*Electronic co ...
love song
A love song is a song about romantic love, falling in love, heartbreak after a breakup, and the feelings that these experiences bring. A comprehensive list of even the best known performers and composers of love songs would be a large order. ...
about the importance and meaningfulness that somebody shares with another, despite that it might not necessarily last. The song was composed as a collaborative effort between
Alison Goldfrapp
Alison Elizabeth Margaret Goldfrapp (born 13 May 1966) is an English musician and record producer, known as the vocalist of English electronic music duo Goldfrapp.
Early life
Goldfrapp was born on 13 May 1966, in Enfield, London, the youngest o ...
and
Will Gregory
William Owen Gregory (born 17 September 1959) is an English musician and record producer. He is best known as the lead keyboardist, producer, and composer of the electronic music duo Goldfrapp.
Early life
Gregory was born in Bristol, the son ...
in late 2004 in the countryside of
Bath
Bath may refer to:
* Bathing, immersion in a fluid
** Bathtub, a large open container for water, in which a person may wash their body
** Public bathing, a public place where people bathe
* Thermae, ancient Roman public bathing facilities
Plac ...
, England.
[ The song was written and recorded while Goldfrapp and Gregory were jamming in the recording studio, bouncing song ideas off each other.][Michael Gallant]
"Retro Disco Ooh La La"
. ''Keyboard Magazine
''Keyboard'' is a magazine that originally covered electronic keyboard instruments and keyboardists, though with the advent of computer-based recording and audio technology, they have added digital music technology to their regular coverage, inc ...
''. Retrieved 17 July 2009. According to Goldfrapp, the song's lyrics
Lyrics are words that make up a song, usually consisting of verses and choruses. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist. The words to an extended musical composition such as an opera are, however, usually known as a "libretto" and their writer, a ...
are "a little bit more reflective and sensual" than those she had composed on ''Felt Mountain
''Felt Mountain'' is the debut studio album by English electronic music duo Goldfrapp. It was released on 11 September 2000 by Mute Records. The album takes influence from a variety of music styles such as 1960s Pop music, pop, cabaret, Folk mus ...
'' (2000) and ''Black Cherry
''Prunus serotina'', commonly called black cherry,World Economic Plants: A Standard Reference, Second Edition'. CRC Press; 19 April 2016. . p. 833–. wild black cherry, rum cherry, or mountain black cherry, is a deciduous tree or shrub of the g ...
'' (2003).
"Number 1" is written in the common verse-chorus form and features instrumentation from synthesisers and a bass guitar. It contains a synth and bass arrangement that the duo would use frequently on the rest of ''Supernature''. Most of the song was composed on an old Roland String synth keyboard
Keyboard may refer to:
Text input
* Keyboard, part of a typewriter
* Computer keyboard
** Keyboard layout, the software control of computer keyboards and their mapping
** Keyboard technology, computer keyboard hardware and firmware
Music
* Musi ...
because Goldfrapp enjoyed the sounds that it exudes.[
]
Music video
The music video
A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a m ...
for "Number 1" was directed by Dawn Shadforth
Dawn Shadforth is a British director of music videos, TV, and film and a visual artist. She was originally a fine artist making work with objects, light, video and sound. She won the Whitworth Young Contemporaries Award for the installation "Swe ...
and filmed in London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
, England in 2005.[Goldfrapp "Number 1" music video](_blank)
mvdbase.com. Retrieved 31 May 2007. The video is set in a plastic surgery
Plastic surgery is a surgical specialty involving the restoration, reconstruction or alteration of the human body. It can be divided into two main categories: reconstructive surgery and cosmetic surgery. Reconstructive surgery includes craniofa ...
clinic where the staff and the patients, except Alison Goldfrapp, have a dog's head and a human body. The video's theme is a reference to the song's lyrics in which Goldfrapp sings "I'm like a dog to get you". The video depicts the story of a white poodle
, nickname =
, stock =
, country = Germany or France (see history)
, height =
, maleheight =
, femaleheight =
, weight =
, maleweight =
, femaleweight =
, coat ...
who is being operated on by Great Dane
The Great Dane is a large sized dog breed originating from Germany. The Great Dane descends from hunting dogs from the Middle Ages used to hunt wild boar and deer, and as guardians of German nobility. It is one of the largest breeds in the world ...
and Yorkshire Terrier
The Yorkshire Terrier (often shortened as Yorkie) is one of the smallest dog breeds of the terrier type and indeed of any dog breed. The breed developed during the 19th century in Yorkshire, England.[saluki
The Saluki, also known as the Persian Greyhound, is a standardised breed developed from sighthounds – dogs that hunt primarily by sight rather than scent – that was once used by nomadic tribes to run down game animals. The dog was origina ...]
). Scenes of Alison Goldfrapp acting like a dog and dancing with the clinic's staff are intercut throughout the video.
The video premiered in the UK in early October 2005. The complete version of "Number 1" featured in the music video has been released commercially through CD single
A CD single (sometimes abbreviated to CDS) is a music single in the form of a compact disc. The standard in the Red Book for the term ''CD single'' is an 8 cm (3-inch) CD (or Mini CD). It now refers to any single recorded onto a CD of any si ...
s and digital downloads, and some include remixes by Alan Braxe and Fred Falke.
Marketing and release
In October 2005, Goldfrapp performed "Number 1" on British television shows and toured Europe, playing the single and other new songs. The duo performed only one concert in North America at the Nokia Theatre in New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
on 5 December 2005. The US concert sold out rapidly, which overwhelmed Goldfrapp who did not expect the large turnout. In late 2006, "Number 1" was featured in Christmas
Christmas is an annual festival commemorating Nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus, Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people Observance of Christmas by country, around t ...
advertising campaigns for the US retail company Target
Target may refer to:
Physical items
* Shooting target, used in marksmanship training and various shooting sports
** Bullseye (target), the goal one for which one aims in many of these sports
** Aiming point, in field artillery, fi ...
. The song, along with "Fly Me Away
"Fly Me Away" is an electronic song performed by British group Goldfrapp. The song was written and produced by Alison Goldfrapp and Will Gregory for the duo's third album '' Supernature'' (2005). The song features a synthesizer and orchestral ar ...
", was featured in six winter-themed television commercials.
"Number 1" was released as a various formats throughout the world. In the United Kingdom, a CD single
A CD single (sometimes abbreviated to CDS) is a music single in the form of a compact disc. The standard in the Red Book for the term ''CD single'' is an 8 cm (3-inch) CD (or Mini CD). It now refers to any single recorded onto a CD of any si ...
was distributed on 31 October 2005. While most territories received a CD single and digital download release, the single was also issued as a vinyl single
Vinyl may refer to:
Chemistry
* Polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a particular vinyl polymer
* Vinyl cation, a type of carbocation
* Vinyl group, a broad class of organic molecules in chemistry
* Vinyl polymer, a group of polymers derived from vinyl m ...
in November 2005 in the UK. A DVD single
A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device ...
was also issued and included the "Postcards from the Summer" music video and a special performance film for " Satin Chic".
Critical reception
"Number 1" received positive reviews from music critics. MusicOMH.com's Michael Hubbard described it as a "warmer, calmer and cosier" song than previous single " Ooh La La", and wrote that "it maintains those Numanoid synth riffs that Goldfrapp now do so well". AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
gave the song a strong review, indicating it as a track pick from the album, commenting that "Number 1" "nails the laid-back sexiness that many of the other slower songs n ''Supernature''attempt". ''Stylus Magazine
''Stylus Magazine'' was an American online music and film magazine, launched in 2002 and co-founded by Todd L. Burns. It featured long-form music journalism, four daily music reviews, movie reviews, podcasts, an MP3 blog, and a text blog.
Addi ...
'' gave ''Supernature'' a C+ rating but called the song "refreshing and effective", while About.com
Dotdash Meredith (formerly About.com) is an American digital media company based in New York City. The company publishes online articles and videos about various subjects across categories including health, home, food, finance, tech, beauty, ...
wrote that the track was "a stunning profession of love served up over electronic burbles and bouncy bass."
Commercial performance
"Number 1" 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 ...
on 7 November 2005 at number nine, remaining on the chart for four weeks. Elsewhere, the song reached number 29 in Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
and became Goldfrapp's second top-50 single on the singles chart. The song reached the top 40 in Italy and the top 100 in Germany.
In Canada, the song was released on 1 November 2005, reaching number 10 on the Canadian Singles Chart
The Canadian Singles Chart was a chart compiled by the American-based music sales tracking company, Nielsen SoundScan, which began publication in November 1996. It was published every Wednesday and also published on Thursday by '' Jam!''/Canoe. I ...
. Due to favourable reception, "Number 1" was released in the United States. Goldfrapp had previously found success in the dance clubs
Club may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* ''Club'' (magazine)
* Club, a ''Yie Ar Kung-Fu'' character
* Clubs (suit), a suit of playing cards
* Club music
* "Club", by Kelsea Ballerini from the album ''kelsea''
Brands and enterprises
...
with "Strict Machine
"Strict Machine" is an electronic dance song written by British electronic music duo Goldfrapp and Nick Batt for Goldfrapp's second studio album, ''Black Cherry (Goldfrapp album), Black Cherry'' (2003). It was produced by Goldfrapp and describes ...
" (2003), and "Number 1" became their second consecutive release to reach the top of the ''Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
'' Hot Dance Club Play
Dance Club Songs is a chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine in the United States. It is a national look over of club disc jockeys to determine the most popular songs being played in nightclubs across the country. It was launched as t ...
chart. The song also reached number one on the Hot Dance Singles Sales
In the issue dated March 16, 1985, '' Billboard'' magazine debuted its first chart devoted exclusively to 12-inch Singles Sales. The 50-position weekly ranking joined ''Billboard''s established Club Songs chart, reduced to the same 50 positions, ...
chart and number eight on the Hot Singles Sales
This is a compendium of the best-selling music singles. The criterion for inclusion is to sell at least ten million copies worldwide. The singles listed here were cited by reliable sources from various media, such as digital journalism, news ...
chart.
Alternate versions
Alan Braxe
Alain Quême (), professionally known as Alan Braxe (born 9 July 1971), is a French electronic music artist. Braxe is most widely known for his collaborative work with electronic bassist Fred Falke and Kris Menace, and for being part of the musi ...
and Fred Falke
Frédérick Falke () (born 7 January 1973), known professionally as Fred Falke, is a French house and dance music producer and DJ.
Biography
Falke started out as a bass player before moving to production work. His first record, a collaboratio ...
made the most well-known remix of the song, titled the "Alan Braxe and Fred Falke Main Mix", which was included on the CD single. The track, over seven minutes long, uses Goldfrapp's original vocals and features more prominent beats and synthesizers. The remix received mixed reviews from music critics. ''Stylus Magazine
''Stylus Magazine'' was an American online music and film magazine, launched in 2002 and co-founded by Todd L. Burns. It featured long-form music journalism, four daily music reviews, movie reviews, podcasts, an MP3 blog, and a text blog.
Addi ...
'' labeled it one of the "best club mixes", while ''Pop Journalism Magazine'' called the remix "dismal" and a poor choice. Braxe and Falk also created two other remixes, "Alan Braxe and Fred Falke Club Remix" and "Alan Braxe and Fred Falke Instrumental Remix", which appeared on the UK vinyl single. Iceland
Iceland ( is, Ísland; ) is a Nordic island country in the North Atlantic Ocean and in the Arctic Ocean. Iceland is the most sparsely populated country in Europe. Iceland's capital and largest city is Reykjavík, which (along with its s ...
ic electronic group Múm
Múm (stylized in lowercase) () is an Icelandic indietronica band whose music is characterized by soft vocals, electronic glitch beats and effects, and a variety of traditional and unconventional instruments.
History
The band was formed in 1 ...
created the "Múm Remix", which provided the song with a minimalist ambient
Ambient or Ambiance or Ambience may refer to:
Music and sound
* Ambience (sound recording), also known as atmospheres or backgrounds
* Ambient music, a genre of music that puts an emphasis on tone and atmosphere
* ''Ambient'' (album), by Moby
* ...
sound. The remix was included on Goldfrapp's remix album
A remix album is an album consisting of remixes or rerecorded versions of an artist's earlier released material. The first act who employed the format was American singer-songwriter Harry Nilsson (''Aerial Pandemonium Ballet'', 1971). As of 2007 ...
'' We Are Glitter'' in 2006, and the home console
A home video game console is a video game console that is designed to be connected to a display device, such as a television, and an external power source as to play video games. Home consoles are generally less powerful and customizable than ...
version of the dancing video game
Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, controller, keyboard, or motion sensing device to generate visual feedback. This fee ...
Dance Dance Revolution SuperNOVA 2
, released in Europe as ''Dancing Stage SuperNova'', is an arcade and PlayStation 2 game in the ''Dance Dance Revolution'' (''DDR'') series of music video games. It was produced by Konami and released through Betson Enterprises. The game was rele ...
in 2007.
A cover version by Jont appears on the 2007 compilation album
A compilation album comprises Album#Tracks, tracks, which may be previously released or unreleased, usually from several separate recordings by either one or several Performing arts#Performers, performers. If by one artist, then generally the tr ...
, '' The Saturday Sessions: The Dermot O'Leary Show''.
Track listings
* CD single 1 (UK)
# "Number 1" – 3:25
# "Beautiful" – 4:48
* CD single 2 (UK)
# "Number 1" (Alan Braxe & Fred Falke Main Remix) – 7:21
# "Ooh La La" (Live)* – 4:37
# "Number 1" (Video) – 3:29
* DVD single (UK)
# "Number 1" (Postcards from the Summer) – 3:19
# "Satin Chic" (Special Performance Film) – 3:26
# "Lovely 2 C U" ( T.Raumschmiere Rmx) (Audio) – 5:43
* *Recorded at V Festival, 21 August 2005.
* 12-inch single (UK)
# "Number 1" (Alan Braxe & Fred Falke Club Remix) – 7:18
# "Number 1" (Alan Braxe & Fred Falke Instrumental Remix) – 7:18
* Digital single
# "Number 1" – 3:25
# "Beautiful" – 4:49
# "Number 1" (Alan Braxe & Fred Falke Main Remix) – 7:20
# "Number 1" (Alan Braxe & Fred Falke Instrumental Remix) – 7:20
# "Ooh La La" (Live)* – 4:34
# "Lovely 2 C U" (T.Raumschmiere Rmx) – 5:38
# "Lovely 2 C U" (T.Raumschmiere Instrumental Remix) – 5:36
Credits and personnel
The following people contributed to "Number 1":[''Supernature'' (CD liner notes). ]Mute Records
Mute Records is a British independent record label owned and founded in 1978 by Daniel Miller. It has featured several prominent musical acts on its roster such as Depeche Mode, Erasure, Einstürzende Neubauten, Fad Gadget, Goldfrapp, Grinderm ...
. August 2005.
*Alison Goldfrapp – lead 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 ...
, backing vocals, synthesizer
A synthesizer (also spelled synthesiser) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis and ...
*Will Gregory – synthesizer
*Nick Batt – synthesizer, programming
*Dave Bascombe - vocal arrangement
*Mark "Spike" Stent
Mark "Spike" Stent (born 3 August 1965) is an English record producer and mixing engineer who has worked with many international artists including Madonna, Marshmello, U2, Beyoncé, Björk, Depeche Mode, Echo & The Bunnymen, Grimes, Ed Sheeran ...
– mixing
*Ted Jensen – mastering
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
See also
* List of number-one dance singles of 2006 (U.S.)
These are the '' Billboard'' Hot Dance'' '' Club Play and Singles Sales number-one hits of 2006.
See also
* List of number-one dance airplay hits of 2006 (U.S.)
*2006 in music
* List of number-one dance hits (United States)
* List of artists w ...
References
{{Authority control
2005 singles
2005 songs
Goldfrapp songs
Mute Records singles
Songs written by Alison Goldfrapp
Songs written by Will Gregory