Super Furry Animals Super Furry Animals are a Welsh rock band formed in Cardiff in 1993. For the duration of their professional career, the band consisted of Gruff Rhys (lead vocals, guitar), Huw Bunford (lead guitar, vocals), Guto Pryce (bass guitar), Cian Ciar ...

Phantom Power Phantom power, in the context of professional audio equipment, is DC electric power transmitted through microphone cables to operate microphones that contain active electronic circuitry. It is best known as a convenient power source for con ...

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 ...

guitar tuning Guitar tunings are the assignment of pitches to the open strings of guitars, including acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and classical guitars. Tunings are described by the particular pitches that are made by notes in Western music. By ...

glam rock Glam rock is a style of rock music that developed in the United Kingdom in the early 1970s and was performed by musicians who wore outrageous costumes, makeup, and hairstyles, particularly platform shoes and glitter. Glam artists drew on diver ...

yeti The Yeti ()"Yeti"
''

Killa Kela Killa Kela (born Lee Potter) is a British beatboxer and rapper from West Sussex. Career Killa Kela’s career started in 1997 when he formed a 10 collective strong U.K Hip Hop crew called 360 Physicals; composed of MC’s DJ’s and graffit ...

remix of "Golden Retriever" appears on the album '' Phantom Phorce'' and the DVD release of ''Phantom Power''.

Recording and themes

"Golden Retriever" is about "the relationship between ruff Rhys'sgirlfriend's two dogs – a male and a female". Rhys has stated that the "road sign and driving theory vocabulary" that he had to absorb when he passed his driving test a few years before he wrote "Golden Retriever" found its way into the song's lyrics which are a parody of the blues. The song shares the same key,

D major D major (or the key of D) is a major scale based on D, consisting of the pitches D, E, F, G, A, B, and C. Its key signature has two sharps. Its relative minor is B minor and its parallel minor is D minor. The D major scale is: : Ch ...

, the same

guitar tuning Guitar tunings are the assignment of pitches to the open strings of guitars, including acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and classical guitars. Tunings are described by the particular pitches that are made by notes in Western music. By ...

, D–A–D–D–A–D, and was written around the same time as several other songs from ''

Phantom Power Phantom power, in the context of professional audio equipment, is DC electric power transmitted through microphone cables to operate microphones that contain active electronic circuitry. It is best known as a convenient power source for con ...

'' including the "Father Father" instrumentals, " Hello Sunshine", "Cityscape Skybaby" and "Out of Control". "Golden Retriever" was recorded at the Super Furry Animals' own studio in

Cardiff Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital and largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a Sir Caerdydd, links=no), and the city is the eleventh-largest in the United Kingd ...

along with the rest of ''Phantom Power''.

Musical style

"Golden Retriever" is 2 minutes 28 seconds long and is in the key of

D major D major (or the key of D) is a major scale based on D, consisting of the pitches D, E, F, G, A, B, and C. Its key signature has two sharps. Its relative minor is B minor and its parallel minor is D minor. The D major scale is: : Ch ...

. The track begins with a descending riff on acoustic guitar before the band joins on 2 seconds with an

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 gu ...

playing a three note riff (D, F and G) through a

fuzz pedal An effects unit or effects pedal is an electronic device that alters the sound of a musical instrument or other audio source through audio signal processing. Common effects include distortion/overdrive, often used with electric guitar in el ...

. The first verse follows on 9 seconds with

Gruff Rhys Gruffudd Maredudd Bowen Rhys (; born 18 July 1970) is a Welsh musician, composer, producer, filmmaker and author. He performs solo and with several bands, including Super Furry Animals, which obtained mainstream success in the 1990s. He formed ...

singing about meeting

The Devil Satan,, ; grc, ὁ σατανᾶς or , ; ar, شيطانالخَنَّاس , also known as the Devil, and sometimes also called Lucifer in Christianity, is an entity in the Abrahamic religions that seduces humans into sin or falsehood ...

at a roundabout. The first chorus enters at 24 seconds with Rhys being joined by falsetto harmony backing vocals and a distorted electric guitar playing

chords Chord may refer to: * Chord (music), an aggregate of musical pitches sounded simultaneously ** Guitar chord a chord played on a guitar, which has a particular tuning * Chord (geometry), a line segment joining two points on a curve * Chord ( ...

rather than single notes. A

breakdown Breakdown may refer to: Breaking down *Breakdown (vehicle), failure of a motor vehicle in such a way that it cannot be operated *Chemical decomposition, also called chemical breakdown, the breakdown of a substance into simpler components *Decompo ...

verse follows, leading into the extended second chorus which features shouted backing vocals chanting the song's title. The outro begins at 1 minute 55 seconds, with lead guitar lines and heavy drums, featuring

flanging Flanging is an audio effect produced by mixing two identical signals together, one signal delayed by a small and (usually) gradually changing period, usually smaller than 20 milliseconds. This produces a swept comb filter effect: peaks and no ...

, bringing the track to a climax.

Alternative version

A

Killa Kela Killa Kela (born Lee Potter) is a British beatboxer and rapper from West Sussex. Career Killa Kela’s career started in 1997 when he formed a 10 collective strong U.K Hip Hop crew called 360 Physicals; composed of MC’s DJ’s and graffit ...

remix of "Golden Retriever" is included on the DVD version of ''

Phantom Power Phantom power, in the context of professional audio equipment, is DC electric power transmitted through microphone cables to operate microphones that contain active electronic circuitry. It is best known as a convenient power source for con ...

'' and the album '' Phantom Phorce''. Largely dispensing with the track's instrumental backing (apart from distant bass and occasional acoustic guitar) the remix features Kela's

beatboxing Beatboxing (also beat boxing) is a form of vocal percussion primarily involving the art of mimicking drum machines (typically a TR-808), using one's mouth, lips, tongue, and voice.

alongside Rhys's lead vocal and follows the arrangement of the original. The track is 2 minutes 33 seconds long and ends with a brief clip of the band's road manager, in the guise of 'Kurt Stern', lamenting the fact that this "perfect rocking track" is simply about a dog.

Critical reception

Reception to "Golden Retriever" was generally positive and many reviewers commented on the track's

glam rock Glam rock is a style of rock music that developed in the United Kingdom in the early 1970s and was performed by musicians who wore outrageous costumes, makeup, and hairstyles, particularly platform shoes and glitter. Glam artists drew on diver ...

style—

PopMatters ''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, fi ...

described the track as "a fun blast of glam rock", the ''

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 ...

'' called it "an irresistibly catchy ... glam stomper", and ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

'' stated that the "unhinged glammy romp" cannot be faulted. The track was also described as being a parody of

Robert Johnson Robert Leroy Johnson (May 8, 1911August 16, 1938) was an American blues musician and songwriter. His landmark recordings in 1936 and 1937 display a combination of singing, guitar skills, and songwriting talent that has influenced later generati ...

type blues by

Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cu ...

and a "brilliantly catchy anthem" by Angry Ape. Several critics noted the "goofy" and "silly" nature of the song, with comparisons made between "Golden Retriever" and both the

Doctor Who theme music The ''Doctor Who'' theme music is a piece of music written by Australian composer Ron Grainer and realised by Delia Derbyshire at the BBC Radiophonic Workshop. Created in 1963, it was one of the first electronic music signature tunes for te ...

and

The KLF The KLF (also known as the Justified Ancients of Mu Mu, the JAMs, the Timelords and other names) are a British electronic band formed in London in 1987. Bill Drummond (alias King Boy D) and Jimmy Cauty (alias Rockman Rock) began by releasing ...

's "

Doctorin' the Tardis "Doctorin' the Tardis" is a 1988 electronic Novelty record, novelty pop Single (music), single by the Timelords ("Time Boy" and "Lord Rock", aliases of Bill Drummond and Jimmy Cauty, better known as The KLF). The song is predominantly a Mashup (m ...

". Some criticism was leveled at the song for being "too

Radio 1 Radio 1 or Radio One most commonly refers to: *BBC Radio 1, a music radio station from the BBC ** BBC Radio 1Xtra, a digital radio station broadcasting black music *CBC Radio One, a talk radio station operated by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporatio ...

friendly" and for simply being "more of the same" from the band. In a 2006 feature on the Super Furry Animals' back catalogue ''Incendiary Magazine'' went as far as to call the track "hogwash".

Accolades

Music video

The music video was directed by Jake & Jim and grew from an idea the band had to record a video in

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 ...

at the start of 2003 which didn't come off. The video begins with a close up of a cardboard box featuring a logo of two apples with the title 'Golden'. The band is shown playing along to "Golden Retriever" inside the box with

Gruff Rhys Gruffudd Maredudd Bowen Rhys (; born 18 July 1970) is a Welsh musician, composer, producer, filmmaker and author. He performs solo and with several bands, including Super Furry Animals, which obtained mainstream success in the 1990s. He formed ...

wearing a red

sports visor A sports visor, also called a sun visor or visor cap, is a type of crownless hat consisting simply of a visor or brim with a strap or buckle encircling the head. The top of the head is not covered and the visor protects only the face, including ...

. Bassist

Guto Pryce Guto Dafydd Pryce ( Welsh pronunciation: ; born 4 September 1972) is a Welsh musician best known as bass guitar player and songwriter in the band Super Furry Animals. With them he has recorded nine UK Albums Chart Top 25 studio albums, plus num ...

and

keyboardist A keyboardist or keyboard player is a musician who plays keyboard instruments. Until the early 1960s musicians who played keyboards were generally classified as either pianists or organists. Since the mid-1960s, a plethora of new musical inst ...

Cian Ciaran are both sat on settees with guitars on their laps which they are not playing. As the chorus begins the band transform into

yeti The Yeti ()"Yeti"
''

headbanging Headbanging is the action of violently shaking one's head in rhythm with music. It is common in the contemporary rock, punk and heavy metal music genres, where headbanging is often used by musicians on stage. Headbanging is also common in tradi ...

in time with the track. The group wear their regular clothes for the second verse before the yeti costumes reappear for the second chorus. As the video ends the camera zooms out to show a

Golden Retriever The Golden Retriever is a Scottish breed of retriever dog of medium size. It is characterised by a gentle and affectionate nature and a striking golden coat. It is commonly kept as a pet and is among the most frequently registered breeds ...

approach the box in an alleyway. The Super Furries raise their hands in the air and look up at the dog who then urinates on the box and runs away. In an interview with

BBC Manchester BBC Manchester (often known as BBC Salford) is the British Broadcasting Corporation regional headquarters for the North West, the largest BBC region in the UK. BBC Manchester is a department of the BBC North Group division. The BBC considers ...

, drummer

Dafydd Ieuan Dafydd Ieuan (born 1 March 1969) is a Welsh musician and producer, best known as the drummer with the band Super Furry Animals, The Peth and The Earth (band). Ieuan played with Gruff Rhys in their early band Ffa Coffi Pawb. He was a drummer f ...

stated that, although he finds the video fun to watch, it was hard work to make because the yeti costumes were very heavy and incredibly hot. The band took the suits on tour with them but only wore them for "the last two minutes" of concerts because they were so warm. The video appears on the DVD release of the band's greatest hits album '' Songbook: The Singles, Vol. 1''.

Single track listing

All songs by Super Furry Animals. *

Digipak Optical disc packaging is the packaging that accompanies CDs, DVDs, and other formats of optical discs. Most packaging is rigid or semi-rigid and designed to protect the media from scratches and other types of exposure damage. Jewel case ...

CD (6739062), 7" (6739067) *# "Golden Retriever" – 2:28 *# "Summer Snow" – 2:30 *# "Blue Fruit" – 4:43 * DVD (6739069) *# "Golden Retriever (Video)" – 2:28 *# "Summer Snow" – 2:30 *# "Blue Fruit" – 4:43

Personnel

*

Gruff Rhys Gruffudd Maredudd Bowen Rhys (; born 18 July 1970) is a Welsh musician, composer, producer, filmmaker and author. He performs solo and with several bands, including Super Furry Animals, which obtained mainstream success in the 1990s. He formed ...

– vocals *

Huw Bunford Huw "Bunf" Bunford (born Huw Cennydd Bunford; 15 September 1967 in Cardiff, Wales) is a musician best known as the guitarist in Super Furry Animals. Biography Bunford studied at Lanchester Polytechnic (now Coventry University) and worked as a te ...

–

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 strin ...

*

Guto Pryce Guto Dafydd Pryce ( Welsh pronunciation: ; born 4 September 1972) is a Welsh musician best known as bass guitar player and songwriter in the band Super Furry Animals. With them he has recorded nine UK Albums Chart Top 25 studio albums, plus num ...

–

bass guitar The bass guitar, electric bass or simply bass (), is the lowest-pitched member of the string family. It is a plucked string instrument similar in appearance and construction to an electric or an acoustic guitar, but with a longer neck and ...

* Cian Ciaran –

keyboards 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 ...

*

Dafydd Ieuan Dafydd Ieuan (born 1 March 1969) is a Welsh musician and producer, best known as the drummer with the band Super Furry Animals, The Peth and The Earth (band). Ieuan played with Gruff Rhys in their early band Ffa Coffi Pawb. He was a drummer f ...

– drums * Rachel Thomas – backing vocals

Singles chart positions

References

External links

*
Music video at Mtv
{{DEFAULTSORT:Golden Retriever (Song) Super Furry Animals songs Songs about dogs 2003 singles Glam rock songs