Steve McQueen (The Automatic song)

Single infobox
Name = Steve McQueen
Artist = The Automatic


from Album = This Is A Fix
B-side = "Big Ideas", "In This World", "Young Entrepreneurs"
Released = August 18 2008
Length = 3:44
Format = 7", CD, CD (maxi)
Recorded = Sage and Sound Recording Studio, West Hollywood & Warwick Hall, Cardiff
Genre = Alternative rock, Post-punk revival
Label = Polydor, B-Unique
Writer = Rob, Frost, Paul, Iwan, Pennie
Chart position =
Reviews =
Last single = "Raoul"
(2007)
This single = "Steve McQueen"
(2008)
Next single = "Magazines"
(2008)
Misc = Extra album cover 2
Upper caption =
Lower caption = Radio promo artwork
Type = CD#Single

Extra album cover 2
Upper caption =
Lower caption = 7" Picture Disc
Type = CD#Single

"Steve McQueen" is the first single from Welsh rock band The Automatic's sophomore album "This Is A Fix". It is their fifth single overall. The track began radio and video play as of July 7, 2008. [cite web |title= Rocklouder catches up with The Automatic to talk all about the new album, on the last night of their first tour with new boy Paul Mullen|work= Rocklouder (Phillip May)|date=2008-04-29 |url= http://www.rocklouder.co.uk/articles/5433/Interview-The-Automatic.html |accessdate=2008-05-03]

Production

Original performance

Written originally by Robin Hawkins, Alex Pennie, James Frost and Iwan Griffiths, the track was one of two new songs performed on the NME 2007 Indie Rock Tour, the other being "Revolution", which is now titled "Secret Police".

The original version differed slightly lyrically in the second verse with what is now "the engine was running but I couldn't get away, I didn't see any reason to stay", other differences include the use of synthesizers and keys by Alex Pennie in the original version; also before the outro in the song there was a section of screams from Pennie before breaking into the final chorus, this has now been completely removed. [cite web |title= The Automatic - New Song (Steve McQueen|work= Youtube|date= February 15, 2007|url= http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5sE6UBV7Wqw|accessdate= 2008-03-26]

Credits

The track was produced by Butch Walker, whilst Ryan Hewitt engineered, and the track was then mixed by Stephen Harris. The track was recorded at Sage & Sound Recordings in Los Angeles. Extra backing vocals came from Chris T-T and Frank Turner, whilst Paul Mullen and James Frost sing the main backing vocals and Robin Hawkins sings lead vocals. B-sides "Big Ideas", "In This World" and "Young Entrepreneurs" were produced and mixed by Richard Jackson and recorded at Warwick hall in Cardiff. [cite web |title= Steve McQueen artwork sleeve|work= Steve McQueen single Polydor Records/B-Unique|date= |url= http://www.theautomatic.co.uk|accessdate= 2008-08-18]

Artwork

The artwork for "Steve McQueen" was completed by David Bailey of Kiosk, who has previously worked with guitarist Paul Mullens band for their artwork on Print Is Dead Vol 1, "They Came From The Sun" and others. [cite web |title= Lets Kiosk art stream|work= Kiosk|date= |url= http://www.letskiosk.com|accessdate= 2008-08-18] The single also credits Shaun Bloodworth for photography on the single.

Current performance

With the addition of Paul Mullen to the band the song retains the three-part vocals seen throughout previous material. The song no longer has Pennie's high pitched backing vocals; instead, Paul sings and plays guitar throughout.

The song was performed by the band for the The Daily Telegraph and later for NME at Glastonbury Festival 2008 as an acoustic session. [cite web |title= The Automatic - Steve McQueen acoustic session|work= The Daily Telegraph|date=2008-06-28 |url= http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid1454928939?bctid=1634707820|accessdate=2008-06-30] [cite web |title= NME Video: The Automatic at Glastonbury 2008|work= NMETV|date=2008-06-28 |url= http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-_OgY-IvVE|accessdate=2008-06-30]

Release

It was originally thought that the song would be released as a non-album single in early 2007 after Frost stated in an BBC interview that the band planned on releasing a one-off single in April 2007; it is speculated that the track was recorded around this period with Alex Pennie in the band. [cite web |title= The Automatic James Frost Audio Interview (5.16 single details)|work= BBC (Nottingham)|date= February 2007|url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/nottingham/realmedia/2007/01/automatic.ram|accessdate= 2008-03-26] The release of Steve McQueen as a one-off single was then re-stated in an interview with "designer magazine" where drummer Iwan Griffiths stated they had recorded over Christmas 2006 and hoped to release the new tracks (McQueen and Revolution) in 2007 before bringing out a new album. It is still unknown whether the original recordings with Alex Pennie still with the band will ever be released in any form in the future. [cite web |title= The Automatic - 2007 - Pre-NME Tour Interview|work= designermagazine.tripod.com|date= 2007|url= http://designermagazine.tripod.com/TheAutomaticINT1.html|accessdate= 2008-06-23] The first leak of the song occurred on Youtube with a live version of the track being broadcast on February 15, 2007 with Pennie still in the band; it was not until 2008 that multiple live versions of the track appeared on Youtube. [cite web |title= The Automatic - New Song (Steve McQueen|work= Youtube|date= February 15, 2007|url= http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5sE6UBV7Wqw|accessdate= 2008-03-26]

The first official preview of the song was in the band's first 2008 tour Webisode released on June 11, 2008 where a live version of the track can be heard along with "Raoul". [cite web |title= The Automatic - This Is A Fix: Webisode #1|work= Youtube|date= June 5, 2008|url= http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L87x6bO8Y5M|accessdate= 2008-06-16]

The track premiered at 7.15 pm on the Zane Lowe show on BBC Radio 1 on July 7, 2008; moments later a clip of the track was added to the bands myspace and it was also announced that NME.com would be hosting the video premiere on July 8. The track in its first week was added to Radio 1's "C List" and Greg James' record of the week. [cite web |title= Greg James blog, The Automatic, Steve McQueen record of the week|work= BBC (Greg James)|date= July 15, 2008|url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/gregjames/2008/07/bit_of_backstage_action.html|accessdate= 2008-07-16]

The release was celebrated by an instore signing in Cardiff HMV, followed by a party and secret later on that evening in Cardiff; due to the record label's (Polydor/B-unique) stupidity the single was released a day late, August 19, 2008. [cite web |title= Little Steve Mcqueen is let out to roam the world alone....|work= theautomatic.co.uk (Iwan)|date= August 18, 2008|url= http://www.theautomatic.co.uk/myblog.php?id=117|accessdate= 2008-08-18]

Use in the media

Channel 4 program "4music: V Festival 2008" used a segment of the song during the show on August 16, 2008.

Meaning

On the BBC Radio 1 Jo Whiley show the band talked about the story behind the song "A lot of the themes of the first album were about growing up in a small town - because its all we'd ever done with our lives, and Steve McQueen is the last of that, it puts it all to bed, its about having left (Cowbridge) and then returning and just not feeling apart of the place and having moved on" - Robin Hawkins, then asked why its called when asked why its called Steve McQueen; "the escape theme, his frequent escaping in all of his films" - Frost "not all of them" - Iwan - "particulary the Great Escape" - "Did he escape in that?", Paul "no but he tries doesn't he" - Frost. [cite web |title= Exciting times! - Live Lounge|work= theautomatic.co.uk/BBC|date= August 20, 2008|url= http://www.theautomatic.co.uk/myblog.php?id=122|accessdate= 2008-08-20]

In an interview with Xtaster.co.uk Rob stated; "it’s a romantic reference to growing up in Cowbridge and dreaming of a Great Escape". [cite web |title= The Automatic - This Is A Fix - Interview|work= Xtaster|date= July 8, 2008|url= http://www.xtaster.co.uk/public/content_article.aspx?id=4739|accessdate= 2008-07-08]

Music video

The music video was filmed on June 15, 2008 in the Mojave Desert, California, the same location used for the music videos The Killers - Don't Shoot Me Santa and The All American Rejects - It Ends Tonight. [cite web |title= hello from paul & this is a fix webisode series launched!|work= Myspace blog (Paul Mullen)|date=2008-04-29 |url= http://www.myspace.com/theautomatic|accessdate=2008-06-10] [cite web |title= ..and back again... & los angeles|work= Peter Hill|date=2008-04-29 |url= http://peter-hill.livejournal.com/146166.html?view=696054#t696054|accessdate=2008-06-17] Several pieces of the plane parts seen in the music video are pieces used in the opening episodes of television series LOST.

The video itself is set around a scrap yard (the Mojave Airport & Spaceport), with wreckages of planes and engines around a desert, opening with singer Rob Hawkins pushing a motorbike through the desert (A reference to McQueen's film The Great Escape) the video continues to show the band playing in the scrapyard as well as walking around it, and as the video progresses the band are put through a sand storm. The video was directed by Paul Minor, who has previously directed videos for Queens of The Stone Age. [cite web |title= The Automatic - Steve McQueen - Music Video Stream - Premier|work= NME/del.interoute.com|date=2008-07-08 |url= http://del.interoute.com/?id=f6393c5a-75e2-444a-b49f-74674db47839&delivery=stream|accessdate=2008-07-08]

Reception

Fraser McAlpine of BBC Radio 1 "chartblog" gave the single 3/5 saying; "a muscular reworking of the band's trademark sound, only without the really trademark noise (Alex Pennies screams), which leaves them sounding a bit like just another rock band, but a million per cent less irritating than they used to" [cite web |title= The Automatic - 'Steve McQueen'|work= BBC Radio 1 Chart Blog (Fraser McAlpine)|date=2008-07-18 |url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/chartblog/2008/08/the_automatic_steve_mcqueen.shtml|accessdate=2008-08-19] Alex Fletcher of Digital Spy wrote "With a beefed-up arsenal of guitars and a snarling, infectious chorus, 'Steve McQueen' is a brilliant slice of old fashioned rawk" giving it 4/5 [cite web |title= The Automatic: 'Steve McQueen'|work= Digital Spy|date=2008-08-18 |url= http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/music/amusic/a120585/the-automatic-steve-mcqueen.html|accessdate=2008-08-19] Nicole Kenny of Manchester Evening News also gave the single 4/5 "In a nutshell Steve McQueen is a raucous rock song with a very addictive chorus that will get you singing along on the first hear of it" [cite web |title= The Automatic – Steve McQueen - Nicole Kenny|work= Manchester Evening News|date=2008-08-13 |url= http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/entertainment/music/single_reviews/s/1062326_the_automatic__steve_mcqueen_bunique|accessdate=2008-08-19] Sean Smith and James Davies of The Blackout praised the band in Rock Sound, saying "I like it, they've grown up. Its catchy", with James saying "Its a bit more chunky than their earlier stuff, well done, good effort."cite news |first= Tim|last= Newbound|coauthors= |title= The Automatic - Second Album! - Easy?|url= http://www.rock-sound.net/|work= Rock Sound|date= 2008-08-01|accessdate=2008-08-19 ]

Chart Performance

Track Listing

tracklist
headline = Vinyl
title1 = Steve McQueen
length1 =
title2 = In This World
length2 = tracklist
headline = CD#1
title1 = Steve McQueen
length1 =
title2 = Big Ideas
length2 = tracklist
headline = CD#2
title1 = Steve McQueen
length1 =
title2 = Young Entrepreneurs
length2 = tracklist
headline = Digital Download
title1 = Steve McQueen (Acoustic)
length1 =
title2 = Steve McQueen (Live)
length2 =

External links

* [http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=ssXBmSu7b_Q Official music video] at Youtube
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anRob3tnKKo The Making of Steve McQueen] at Youtube by Peter Hill
* [http://www.peterhill.net/photos/main-archive/the-automatic/steve-mcqueen-video-shoot-june-2008 Behind the scenes video shoot photos] by Peter Hill

References