"Whale" is the debut single by Welsh band

Catatonia Catatonia is a complex neuropsychiatric behavioral syndrome that is characterized by abnormal movements, immobility, abnormal behaviors, and withdrawal. The onset of catatonia can be acute or subtle and symptoms can wax, wane, or change during ...

, released in 1994 as a non-album release on the Rough Trade label. It later appeared on the compilation album ''

The Sublime Magic of Catatonia ''The Sublime Magic Of Catatonia'' is a compilation of singles and EPs released by the band Catatonia. It combined tracks from the ''Bleed'' and ''Whale'' singles and the ''Hooked'' EP. The first five tracks on this release were later re-recorde ...

'', and was re-recorded for Catatonia's first studio album, ''

Way Beyond Blue ''Way Beyond Blue'' is the debut album by Welsh band Catatonia. It has been seen by many fans as being something of a compilation album, as all but five on the album had appeared on one of the band's early EPs or singles, albeit different rendi ...

''.

Recording and release

A Welsh-language version of the song, "Gwe", was recorded as a session for Radio Cymru on 8 April 1993, and subsequently released in 1995 on an

Ankst Ankst was a Welsh independent record label formed in 1988 at the University of Wales, Aberystwyth by Alun Llwyd, Gruffudd Jones and Emyr Glyn Williams. After a handful of low key cassette releases, the label relocated to Cardiff and became a mo ...

compilation album. The English-language "Whale" was first released as part of the Rough Trade record club for new bands, formed by

Rough Trade Records Rough Trade Records is an independent record label based in London, England. It was formed in 1976 by Geoff Travis who had opened a record store off Ladbroke Grove. Having successfully promoted and sold records by punk rock and early post-pun ...

. The release was recorded at the Cabin Recording Studios in Coventry. The location was chosen as band member Paul Jones was familiar with it, and Rough Trade had indicated that they would only release the single in September 1994; the band had only been informed of this the month prior. The single was chosen from several recorded at the studio, with "You Can" as the b-side. "Whale" was later re-released as part of the compilation album, ''

''. Following a re-recording at

Townhouse Studios The Town House (also known as Townhouse Studios) was a recording studio located at 150 Goldhawk Road, Shepherd's Bush in London, built in 1978 under the direction of Richard Branson for Virgin Records. The studios changed ownership and eventuall ...

, with production by

Paul Sampson Paul Christian Sampson (born 12 July 1977) is an English rugby union and rugby league player who played at Wing (rugby union), wing or Fullback (rugby union), full-back for London Welsh, Blackheath R.C., Blackheath, Worcester Rugby Football Cl ...

, "Whale" formed part of Catatonia's first studio album, ''

''.

Reception

"Whale" was selected as ''

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 ...

'' magazine's single of the week, calling it a "breathy pop classic, loose-limbed and groovy". Further comparisons were made to popular

Britpop Britpop was a mid-1990s British-based music culture movement that emphasised Britishness. It produced brighter, catchier alternative rock, partly in reaction to the popularity of the darker lyrical themes of the US-led grunge music and to the ...

band

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 ...

Notes

References

* 1994 songs 1994 debut singles Catatonia (band) songs Rough Trade Records singles Songs written by Cerys Matthews Songs written by Mark Roberts (singer) {{1990s-rock-song-stub