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Spaceman

 
Lyrics: Spaceman
 

Performed by: Babylon Zoo; The Kovenant
Written by: Jas Mann

Credits: Mann, Jas (Songwriter); EMI BLACKWOOD MUSIC INC. (Publisher)

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Wikipedia: Spaceman (song)
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"Spaceman"
Single by Babylon Zoo
from the album The Boy With The X-Ray Eyes
B-side "Blue Nude"
"Metal Vision"
"5th Dimension Remix"
"E Before I Remix"
Released 1995
Format CD, Cassette, 12"
Recorded 1995
Genre Space Rock
Alternative rock
Label EMI
Writer(s) Jas Mann
Producer Jas Mann
Steve Power
Babylon Zoo singles chronology
"Spaceman"
(1995)
"Animal Army"
(1996)

"Spaceman" is a song by Wolverhampton, England singer-songwriter Jas Mann, of Babylon Zoo. Known for its heavily distorted guitars and metallic, robotic-sounding vocals, it went straight to Number 1 on the UK singles chart on 21 January 1996, selling 418,000 copies in the first week of release. At the time it was the fastest selling single by a debut artist in the UK.

Contents

Song history

Promotional copies of "Spaceman" had been distributed, and the Arthur Baker remix was chosen to tie in with the release on 1 December 1995 of a new Levi's jeans TV advert titled "Planet" which was directed by Vaughan Arnell and Anthea Benton. The advertisement concentrated on the sped-up vocal section at the beginning and end of the song, which was the product of an Arthur Baker remix. The single went straight to Number 1 on the UK singles chart on 21 January 1996, selling 418,000 copies in the first week of release, at the time being the fastest selling single by a debut artist in the UK. The single remained at number 1 in the UK for 5 weeks, selling 893,000 copies in this period. The single also went to Number 1 in the single charts in twenty-three countries.

On the promotional version of "Spaceman" there are extra lyrics at the start of the song, with Jas saying "I killed your mother, I killed your sister" and then later "I killed you all". These lyrics were later taken out of the song and replaced with the Arthur Baker introduction; although, the "I killed you all" lyric is still buried in the song (it can be heard after the first chorus). There was a lower budget video made for this version.

In 2006 "Spaceman" featured on trailers for Ant and Dec's film Alien Autopsy, the BBC's children's channel, CBeebies for the animated pre-school series Lunar Jim, and Network Ten's advertisement for Battlestar Galactica. "Spaceman" is also used in Eesti otsib superstaari (Pop Idol Estonia).

Cover versions

Track listings

CD Promo Single 1995 WEA (YZ925CDDJ)
  1. "Spaceman" (radio version) — 3:50
  2. "Spaceman" (Arthur meets the spaceman) — 5:56
CD Promo 1995 EMI (CDEMDJ 416)
  1. "Spaceman" (radio edit) - 4.08
7" Single
  1. "Spaceman" (radio edit) — 4:08
  2. "Spaceman" (the 5th dimension) — 5:09
CD Single 1996 EMI (CDEM 416)
  1. "Spaceman" (radio edit) — 4:08
  2. "Metal Vision" — 3:48
  3. "Blue Nude" — 2:09
  4. "Spaceman" (the 5th dimension) — 5:09
CD Single ('The Only Original Remixes') 1996 EMI (7243 8 82721 2 4)
  1. "Spaceman" (radio edit) — 4:08
  2. "Spaceman" (the 5th dimension) — 5:09
  3. "Spaceman" (Arthur meets the spaceman) — 5:56
  4. "Spaceman" (E before I) — 6:37

Certifications

Country Certification Date Sales certified
Austria[2] Gold March 8, 1996 15,000
France[3] Gold 1996 250,000
Germany[4] Gold 1996 150,000
Sweden[5] Gold February 14, 1996 10,000
UK[6] Platinum March 1, 1996 600,000

Charts

Chart (1995-1996) Peak
position
Australian ARIA Singles Chart[7] 3
Austrian Singles Chart[7] 1
Belgian (Flanders) Singles Chart[7] 1
Belgian (Wallonia) Singles Chart[7] 1
Dutch Mega Top 100[7] 3
Finnish Singles Chart[7] 1
French SNEP Singles Chart[7] 1
German Singles Chart[8] 1
Irish Singles Chart[9] 1
New Zealand RIANZ Singles Chart[7] 4
Norwegian Singles Chart[7] 1
Swedish Singles Chart[7] 1
Swiss Singles Chart[7] 2
UK Singles Chart[10] 1
Preceded by
"Jesus to a Child" by George Michael
Irish IRMA number-one single
13 January 1996 – 10 February 1996 (5 weeks)
Succeeded by
"Don't Look Back in Anger" by Oasis
UK Singles Chart number-one single
21 January 1996 – 24 February 1996
Succeeded by
"Don't Look Back in Anger" by Oasis
Preceded by
"Gangsta's paradise" by Coolio
Swedish number-one single
26 January 1996 – 15 March 1996 (8 weeks)
Succeeded by
"One of Us" by Joan Osborne
Preceded by
"Jesus to a Child" by George Michael
Finnish number-one single
5/1996 - 9/1996 (5 weeks)
Succeeded by
"Born in Africa" by Dr. Alban
Preceded by
"Missing (Todd Terry remix)" by Everything but the Girl
German number-one single
16 February 1996 (1 week)
Succeeded by
"Lemon Tree" by Fool's Garden
Preceded by
"Knockin'" by Double Vision
Belgian (Flanders) number-one single
17 February 1996 – 24 February 1996 (2 weeks)
Succeeded by
"Con te partirò" by Andrea Bocelli
Preceded by
"Gangsta's paradise" by Coolio
Ö3 Austria Top 40 number-one single
18 February 1996 – 10 March 1996 (4 weeks)
Succeeded by
"Lemon Tree" by Fool's Garden
Belgian (Wallonia) number-one single
9 March 1996 – 16 March 1996 (2 weeks)
Succeeded by
"Children" by Robert Miles
Preceded by
"Gangsta's paradise" by Coolio
French SNEP number-one single
9 March 1996 (1 week)
Succeeded by
"Soirée disco" by Boris

References

  1. ^ "My week: Katie Melua". The Daily Telegraph. 4 February 2006
  2. ^ Austrian certifications ifpi.at (Retrieved 5 January 2009)
  3. ^ French certifications Disqueenfrance.com (Retrieved 5 January 2009)
  4. ^ German certifications musikindustrie.de (Retrieved 5 January 2009)
  5. ^ Swedish certifications Ifpi.se (Retrieved 5 January 2009)
  6. ^ UK certifications Bpi.co.uk (Retrieved 5 January 2009)
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Spaceman", in various singles charts Lescharts.com (Retrieved 5 January 2009)
  8. ^ German Singles Chart Charts-surfer.de (Retrieved 5 January 2009)
  9. ^ Irish Single Chart Irishcharts.ie (Retrieved 5 January 2009)
  10. ^ UK Singles Chart Chartstats.com (Retrieved 5 January 2009)

 
 
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