The Adventure

Infobox Single
Name = The Adventure


Artist = Angels & Airwaves
from Album = We Don't Need to Whisper
Released = May 18, 2006
Format = CD
Recorded = 2005
Genre = Alternative rock
Length = 5:40
Label = Geffen
Producer = Tom DeLonge
Reviews =
Last single =
This single = "The Adventure"
(2006)
Next single = "It Hurts"
(2006)

"The Adventure" is a song by Angels & Airwaves. It appears on the band's debut album, "We Don't Need to Whisper", and was the band's first single. It was also the first full song to be heard by fans.

On February 3, 2006, a preliminary version of the song was Internet leaked, as a result of someone hacking Tom DeLonge's e-mail. It lasted five minutes and forty seconds and showed the band's previously stated style and departure from previous works. Listeners described the song's Edge-like guitars and '80s synthesizer sounds like a cross between The Alarm, U2, and "Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me"-era Cure, with Tom's trademark Blink-182 vocal harmonies and guitar melodies on top. It gave the listener a very clear idea of what direction the band was taking. The song was widely distributed on many fan-sites and MySpace pages. The leaked version is slightly different from the released version; gasping that was evident after each line on the leaked version is removed.

The song entered the UK singles chart at its peak position #20. This can be seen as quite an achievement, considering the song's leak months earlier and the absence of any other b-side on the single. This would normally be an incentive for people owning the song to purchase the CD single.

In the live version of the song on their first tour, Tom DeLonge used both "Down" and "I Miss You" by Blink-182 for the intro.

Track listing

#"The Adventure" (Album Version) - 5:03
#"The Adventure" (Radio Edit) - 4:40

Acoustic version

An acoustic version of "The Adventure" appears as a b-side on the "Everything's Magic" single.

hort film

The song was released on February 20, 2006, as an internet-only short film. Although Tom had stated something different, it had the same version of the song that had been leaked previously. It is shot on 8mm black and white, and it's very sci-fi. DeLonge stated that "it kind of looks like George Lucas' THX 1138, where it's all beautiful naked women and fast cars and concrete and glass architecture".The only noticeable difference between it and the leaked version was a sound-byte dubbed into the intro of the song proclaiming, "It's too bad she won't live! ...But then again, who does?", a line taken from the movie "Blade Runner". The subsequent short-film, "It Hurts," was released on April 18th and continues the story where "The Adventure" left off.

Music video

The music video for the song was directed by The Malloys and was shot in March 2006. It was released on April 5. The video leaked onto the internet soon after. It begins with the band boarding a spacecraft to pick up their instruments and begin playing, and then moves to Tom walking along the countryside. For the relief of many, Tom still plays electric guitar, as seen in the picture on the band's MySpace, but rather dances and plays it in a few scenes. The video continues, eventually ending with clips of World War II and Tom walking off into the distance in a meadow with the sky lit with planets. It doesn't have the long intro from the leaked version, nor the full outro. The video was nominated for Best Effects by the 2006 MTV Video Music Awards, including Best New Artist and Best Editing. It was also number one on MuchTopTens: "Top Ten Out of This World Videos" on December 14, 2006.

Use in popular media

Radio, TV and Film

* "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip" (NBC): in a trailer.
* "Bowl Championship Series" selection show (FOX): in 2006 and 2007.
* "Smallville" (The WB)): in a trailer for early seasons.
* "One Tree Hill" (The WB): in episode 20 of season 3.
* "Heroes" (NBC): in promotions for the second season.
* "On the Lot" (FOX): in commercials hyping the reality show.
* "" (NBC): in the first episode.
* "Holiday" (BBC One).
* "Beauty and the Geek" (The CW): episode 1 of season 5.
* "Celebrity Circus" (NBC): first episode.
* "X-Play" (G4).
* "In the Land of Women": in a trailer.
* "Elvis Duran & The Morning Zoo": opening theme from May 2006 until summer 2007.
* "Gossip Girl": in early episode. 2007.
* "The Hills : during the Season Finale.
* "Two-a-days : during the Season Finale.

Commercials

* Fox Business Network: part of the theme.
* Microsoft Windows Vista (at the 2007 Consumer Electronics Show).
* Ford Motor Company 'Quality' commercial.

ports

* In the highlights video of the "California Golden Bears" victory over the Oregon Ducks in October 2006.
* In a commercial for the 2007 NLCS for MLB.
* During the pre-race show on ESPN during NASCAR Nextel Cup's Season Finale at Homestead, Florida.
* In Ducks TV during the 2008 Stanley Cup playoffs of the NHL.
* During commercials for X games 12
* In the 2008 Beijing Olympics

Other uses

* Boston's New Years fireworks celebration in 2007: first song to be played just after midnight.
* At campaign stops by John Edwards presidential campaign, 2008 right before Edwards addressed an audience.
* At rallies for Senator Barack Obama in Virginia, Minnesota and Wisconsin.
* In a memorial video for Anna Sviderski

External links

* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dIZ0iVi4hmM Watch "The Adventure" on YouTube]