"The Drowners" is the debut single of English rock band

Suede Suede (pronounced ) is a type of leather with a fuzzy, napped finish, commonly used for jackets, shoes, fabrics, purses, furniture, and other items. The term comes from the French , which literally means "gloves from Sweden". The term was firs ...

, released on 11 May 1992 on

Nude Records Nude Records is an independent record label, established in August 1991 in London. The label was set up and operated by Saul Galpern, who had previously worked with artists such as Simply Red, The Fall, Julian Cope, The Triffids, The Slits and ...

. It was later included on the band's debut album, ''

'' (1993). "The Drowners" charted at number 49 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 ...

Background

Though not a hit at first, it amassed airplay over time and has become one of the band's definitive singles. Two different videos were produced for the song, one on rotation in the UK and the other created for the American market. The cover art features a seventies photo of German model

Veruschka Vera Lehndorff (German: Vera Anna Gottliebe Gräfin von Lehndorff; born 14 May 1939), known professionally as Veruschka, is a German aristocrat, model, actress and artist. She is considered the "first German supermodel.“ Early life von Lehn ...

body-painted with a man's suit.

Legacy

In a retrospective review of the song, Troy Carpenter of

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 databa ...

wrote: "'The Drowners' itself is a raucous anthem, lassoed by Bernard Butler's punctuated guitar riff. Singer Brett Anderson's ambiguous lyrics ("We kiss in his room/to a popular tune") and high-pitched croon recall Bowie's most theatrical moments, but in a different musical setting." It garnered much acclaim from ''

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 '' Melody Maker'', who both voted the song single of the year. In 2014, ''

'' ranked the song at number 104 in its list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. "The Drowners" was placed at number 40 in a 2016 poll of "The 100 Greatest Alternative Singles of the '90s" by music site ''

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 ...

''.

Cover versions

The song was covered by

Bristol Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city in ...

space rock Space rock is a music genre characterized by loose and lengthy song structures centered on instrumental textures that typically produce a hypnotic, otherworldly sound. It may feature distorted and reverberation-laden guitars, minimal drummin ...

band

Flying Saucer Attack Flying Saucer Attack is an English space rock band formed in Bristol in 1992, led by songwriter David Pearce. Rachel Brook (now Rachel Coe) of Movietone was a member during the band's early incarnation; other musicians contributing to the gro ...

. B-side "My Insatiable One", was covered by Morrissey during his 1992 world tour. The song was covered in concert by the

Manic Street Preachers Manic Street Preachers, also known simply as the Manics, are a Welsh rock band formed in Blackwood in 1986. The band consists of cousins James Dean Bradfield (lead vocals, lead guitar) and Sean Moore (drums, percussion, soundscapes), plus ...

. Bernard Butler played two songs at the same gig but contrary to many reports did not join them for The Drowners – a recording was released as a B-side to their single " She Is Suffering" in late 1994.

Track listings

All songs were written by

Brett Anderson Brett Lewis Anderson (born 29 September 1967) is an English singer best known as the lead vocalist and primary lyricist of the band Suede. After Suede disbanded in 2003, he fronted The Tears with former Suede guitarist Bernard Butler in 2004- ...

and

Bernard Butler Bernard Joseph Butler (born 1 May 1970) is an English musician, songwriter and record producer. He is best known as the first guitarist with Suede, until his departure in 1994. He has been hailed by some critics as the greatest guitarist of hi ...

. 7-inch vinyl # "The Drowners" # "To The Birds" 12-inch vinyl, CD # "The Drowners" # "To the Birds" # "My Insatiable One" CD (1993 US release) # "The Drowners" # "My Insatiable One" # "To the Birds" # "The Big Time" # "He's Dead" (live at Glastonbury June 1993)

Charts

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Drowners, The Suede (band) songs 1992 debut singles 1992 songs Music videos directed by Lindy Heymann Song recordings produced by Ed Buller Songs written by Bernard Butler Songs written by Brett Anderson