Virginia Plain

"Virginia Plain"
Single by Roxy Music
B-side	"The Numberer"
Released	August 1972
Recorded	10-12 July 1972 at Command Studios, London
Genre	Art rock, Glam rock
Length	2:58
Label	E.G. WIP6144
Writer(s)	Bryan Ferry
Producer	Peter Sinfield
Roxy Music singles chronology
"Virginia Plain" (1972) "Pyjamarama" (1973)

"Virginia Plain" is a song by British glam rock group Roxy Music, released as their debut single in August 1972. Written by Roxy frontman Bryan Ferry, "Virginia Plain" was recorded by his band in July 1972 at London's Command Studios. Backed with "The Numberer" (an instrumental composed by Andy Mackay), as a single the song became a Top 10 hit in the UK, peaking at number four.

The song was not present on the original UK LP version of the band's debut, Roxy Music, and had not even been recorded when the album was released. After the success of the album in the UK, it was included on later reissues. In 1977, it was re-released as a single, together with "Pyjamarama", originally the second Roxy Music single, to promote their Greatest Hits album, and reached number 11.

"Virginia Plain" features bass guitarist Rik Kenton, who joined after Graham Simpson left the band. It begins with a deceptively quiet introduction, followed by an instant increase of volume as soon as the vocals come in on the first verse, this apparently being a deliberate ploy by Bryan Ferry to trap unwary radio and club DJs. The song was also notable at the time for its lack of chorus and for its synthesizer work by Brian Eno.

Former art student Ferry took the title "Virginia Plain" from one of his own paintings, featuring images of the cigarette brand of the same name. Warhol superstar Baby Jane Holzer is also referenced in the lyrics "Baby Jane's in Acapulco / We are flying down to Rio" and "can't you see that Holzer mane?".

Phil Manzanera's guitar solo was totally improvised. He later claimed he played the first thing that came into his head. ^[1]

Musicians

• Bryan Ferry - vocals, Hohner pianet, Mellotron, harmonica (on "The Numberer")
• Andrew Mackay - oboe, saxophone
• Brian Eno - VCS3 synthesizer, treatments
• Paul Thompson - drums
• Phil Manzanera - electric guitar
• Rik Kenton - bass guitar

Appearances in popular culture

• Ferry's idiosyncratic appearance and vocal delivery on this song was affectionately parodied on sketch show Big Train, where actor Kevin Eldon played Ferry as Chairman Mao on his death-bed inexplicably returning to life and singing the song with the rest of Roxy Music.

• Along with a number of other Roxy Music songs, it features prominently in the 1998 Todd Haynes film Velvet Goldmine.

• Olivier Assayas's 1994 film Cold Water uses the song as a framing device.

• Virgin Atlantic Airways operates a Boeing 747 aircraft named Virginia Plain [1]

References