The Trick Is to Keep Breathing

Infobox Single
Name = The Trick Is to Keep Breathing


Artist = Garbage
from Album = Version 2.0
B-side = "Can't Seem to Make You Mine" "Tornado"
Released = January 7, 1999 (European radio)
February 15, 1999 (Germany)
Format = CD maxi
Recorded = March 1997 - February 1998 Smart Studios, Madison, Wisconsin
Genre = Trip hop, Electronica
Length = 4:08
Label = Mushroom/BMG
Writer = Garbage
Producer = Garbage
Chart position =
Last single = "Special" (1998)
This single = "When I Grow Up" / "The Trick Is to Keep Breathing" (1999)
Next single ="You Look So Fine" (1999)

:"For Janice Galloway's novel see: The Trick is to Keep Breathing (novel).

"The Trick Is to Keep Breathing" is a song by Garbage, released as the joint-fourth single from their platinum second album "Version 2.0". The single was only released in a few European countries such as Germany and Russia and in Israel. The single was released simultaneously alongside "When I Grow Up", which was issued in other European territories including the United Kingdom and Scandinavia, to promote the band's January 1999 arena tour.

"The Trick Is To Keep Breathing" was written and recorded by Garbage (Duke Erikson, Shirley Manson, Steve Marker and Butch Vig) at their own recording studio during the 1997 sessions for "Version 2.0". The title of the song was taken from Scottish author Janice Galloway's 1989 novel "The Trick Is To Keep Breathing", now widely considered to be a contemporary Scottish classic, which was published in the United Kingdom by Vintage (UK) and in North America by Dalkey Archive Press.

ong profile

The basis of "The Trick Is To Keep Breathing" was conceived by Garbage in March 1997, whilst they were staying at a friend's house on Friday Harbor, San Juan Island, Washington, where they spent time jamming to come up with material for their second album.

Shirley Manson later told "Pulse!" magazine "The boys were playing some of the chords, and the lyrics just came out in like two minutes. I've never had to review them really. They were perfect the way they were, and that never happened to me before." [http://www.garbage.net/garbage/articles/@pulse.htm/ Pulse magazine, issue 05/98 "Fun with Garbage"] "Garbage.net" (accessed September 27, 2006)]

"The Trick Is To Keep Breathing" started out "very simple", however over time there was a lot more recorded for it. When the band mixed the song, they made it "a lot more moody and spare".

Shirley added "It's that general feeling of just keep pushing and you'll get through it. I think everybody can connect with that feeling".

"The Trick Is To Keep Breathing" contains a violin sample inspired by the song "Cloudbusting" by Kate Bush.

ingle release

"The Trick Is To Keep Breathing" was released as a single in Europe following "Version 2.0"'s third single release "Special". It was issued in February 5 1999 following the January release of "When I Grow Up", which was released as a single in other European territories. The band had embarked upon a 21-date arena tour of Europe, of which both singles were in support of.

BMG issued a CD maxi which contained the B-sides "Tornado", a cover version of The Seeds' 1965 single "Can't Seem To Make You Mine" and an urban radio remix of "Special" by Rickidy Raw. [ [http://www.garbage-discography.co.uk/ttitkb_eu_cd1.php/ TTITKB maxi CD] "Garbage-Discography.co.uk" (accessed September 27, 2006)]

A card sleeve 2-track single was also planned to be released by BMG, but was never properly issued. The release was listed on the Garbage.com discography from 1999 onwards, and fans have tried to track the single down since. [ [http://www.garbage-discography.co.uk/ttitkb_eu_cd2.php/ TTITKB single CD] "Garbage-Discography.co.uk" (accessed September 27, 2006)]

Tracklistings

Commercial releases

*EU CD single Mushroom / BMG 74321 63577 2
#"The Trick Is To Keep Breathing" - 4:11 (Garbage)
#"Can't Seem To Make You Mine" - 2:55 (Sky Saxon)

*EU maxi CD Mushroom / BMG 74321 64576 2
#"The Trick Is To Keep Breathing" - 4:11 (Garbage)
#"Can't Seem To Make You Mine" - 2:55 (Sky Saxon)
#"Tornado" - 3:44 (Garbage)
#"Special - Rickidy Raw Mix" - 3:25 (Garbage)

Promotional releases

*EU CD promo Mushroom / BMG TRASH27
#"The Trick Is To Keep Breathing" - 3:46 (Garbage)

Credits and personnel

Album Version

*Music: Garbage
*Lyrics: Garbage
*Produced: Garbage
*Performed & mixed: Garbage
*Engineered: Billy Bush
*Additional Bass: Daniel Schulman
*Cello: Karl Levine
*Violin: Jon J. Vriesacker
*Recorded at Smart Studios, Madison, Wisconsin

Radio version

*Edited: Masterdisk, New York City

Music video

. Footage for the video was shot at the same time as shooting for the "When I Grow Up" music video.

The promotional video for the single was produced by Oil Factory films, directed by Sophie Muller. Like the "When I Grow Up" clip, the video is a live performance video; the video differs from the in that instead of showing a live show frenzy on screen, the video is more subdued and moody, with cool blue and green hues lighting the stage as the band perform. Much of the video is in slow-motion.

Music video: credits and personnel

*Production company: Oil Factory
*Director: Sophie Muller
*Running time: 4:09
*Release date: December 3, 1998
*Copyright holder: Mushroom Records UK Ltd.
*ISRC: GB-725-98-0010-0 [ [http://www.musicmall.co.uk/vpl/vpl_data.nsf/VideoDetails?SearchView&Query=FIELD%20VideoArtist=garbage&SearchMax=1000&SearchOrder=4/Video Performance Ltd search] "musicmall.co.uk" (accessed October 9, 2006)]

Live performances

"The Trick Is To Keep Breathing" was first performed live on October 19, 1998 at the band's performance at USF Special Events Center in Tampa, Florida [ [http://www.garbagebase.com/g-1998.html/ Garbage 1998 setlists] "Garbagebase.com" (accessed September 27, 2006)] during the "Version 2.0" tour. The song was performed semi-regularly until its last performance on October 3, 1999 at The Palace in Melbourne, Australia, when it was dropped from the set. [ [http://www.garbagebase.com/g-1999.html/ Garbage 1999 setlists] "Garbagebase.com" (accessed September 27, 2006)] The song was not included on the "beautifulgarbage" or "Bleed Like Me" tour set-lists.

On January 27, 1999, MTV Europe recorded the band's live show at The Zenith Arena in Paris, France. The five-song "MTV Live" special included the band's performance of "The Trick is To Keep Breathing" from the night. The show was broadcast on MTV networks worldwide, from April 1 that year.

On January 28, 1999, Garbage performed "The Trick Is To Keep Breathing" acoustically on French television show "Nulle Part Ailleurs", broadcast on the Canal+ network.

Trivia

* "The Trick Is To Keep Breathing" is published by Deadarm Music/Almo Music Corp [ [http://www.ascap.com/ace/search.cfm?requesttimeout=300&mode=results&searchstr=500599562&search_in=i&search_type=exact&search_det=t,s,w,p,b,v&results_pp=30&start=1/ ASCAP Title search] "Trick is to Keep Breathing" (accessed September 27, 2006)] (ASCAP) and Vibecrusher Music/Irving Music, Inc [ [http://repertoire.bmi.com/title.asp?blnWriter=True&blnPublisher=True&blnArtist=True&page=1&keyid=4354713&ShowNbr=0&ShowSeqNbr=0&querytype=WorkID/ BMI Repertoire] "Trick is to Keep Breathing" (accessed September 27, 2006)] (BMI). The song's full legal title is "Trick Is To Keep Breathing".
* This is the only Version 2.0 single not included on the Absolute Garbage CD.

Notes and references

External links

* [http://www.garbage.com/ Garbage official website]
* [http://www.garbage.com/exclusives/video.php?page=2/ Promo video] - watch "The Trick Is To Keep Breathing" at the band's official web-site.
* [http://www.garbage.com/discog/?v=so&a=1&id=20/ Lyrics] - read lyrics to "The Trick Is To Keep Breathing" at the band's official web-site.