Sound of the Underground (song)

Infobox Single
Name = Sound of the Underground

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Artist = Girls Aloud
from Album = Sound of the Underground
B-side = "Stay Another Day"
Released = December 16, 2002
Format = CD single, Cassette , Airplay
Recorded = 2002
Genre = Pop rock
Length = 3:41
Label = Polydor
Writer = Miranda Cooper Niara Scarlett Brian Higgins Xenomania
Producer = Brian Higgins Xenomania
Certification = Platinum single - UK (600,000)
Chart position =
Last single =
This single = "Sound of the Underground" (2002)
Next single = "No Good Advice" (2003)Extra tracklisting
Album = Sound of the Underground
Type = compilation
prev_track =
prev_no =
this_track = "Sound of the Underground"
track_no = 1
next_track = "No Good Advice"
next_no = 2
Misc = Extra tracklisting
Album = The Sound of Girls Aloud
Type = compilation
prev_track =
prev_no =
this_track = "Sound of the Underground"
track_no = 1
next_track = "Love Machine"
next_no = 2Extra album cover
Upper caption = Alternate cover
| Type = single

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Lower caption = UK CD 2 cover Audiosample
Upper caption = Audio sample
Name = Sound of the Underground
Audio file= SoundOfTheUndergroundSample.ogg

"Sound of the Underground" is the first single to be released by "" winners Girls Aloud. It was released on Christmas week in the UK, and spent four weeks at #1 - being certified by the BPI as platinum. cite web | url=http://www.bpi.co.uk/platinum/platinumright.asp?rq=search_plat&r_id=30821 | title=Certified Awards - Sound of the Underground | publisher=British Phonographic Industry | date=2003-03-14 | accessdate=2008-02-24 ] The song's success was made all the more spectacular by the fact that Girls Aloud had only been formed 16 days before the song's release.

It was also the title track of their debut album, "Sound of the Underground". It was written and produced by Xenomania.

Release and reception

Girls Aloud were formed on November 30 2002 on the ITV1 programme "". The concept of the programme was to produce a boyband and a girlband who would be 'rivals' and compete for the Christmas number one single in 2002. The five girls who made it into the group were (in order) Cheryl Tweedy, Nicola Roberts, Nadine Coyle, Kimberley Walsh and Sarah Harding; Javine Hylton missed out on a place in the group, despite previous expectations that she would be placed in the line-up. cite web | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/2529373.stm | title=Popstars girl group picked | publisher=BBC News | date=2002-12-02 | accessdate=2008-02-24 ] The boy band, called One True Voice, were managed by Pete Waterman. The two groups competed for the number one position in the Christmas week UK singles chart. Girls Aloud went on a huge promotional tour. They used a combative "Buy girls, bye boys" slogan to pursuade the public to buy their single. [ cite web | url=http://arts.guardian.co.uk/features/story/0,11710,860818,00.html | title=Females with attitude | publisher=The Guardian | date=2002-12-16 | accessdate=2008-02-24 ] A cover of One True Voice's single "Sacred Trust" appears on the special edition bonus disc of Girls Aloud's greatest hits "The Sound of Girls Aloud".

Michael Osborn said that "Sound of the Underground" offers "a fresh tune that has no intentions of following the road to seasonal schmaltzville." [cite web | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/2573905.stm | title=Popstars Girls win musical war | publisher=BBC News | date=2002-12-16 | accessdate=2008-02-24 ] An article from The Guardian called the song "an icy confection very different from the normal run of girl-band things." In 2002, "Sound of the Underground" was voted Best Single at the Disney Channel Kids Awards.

Controversy

Pete Waterman who managed One True Voice, the boy band runners-up from , caused a media frenzy accusing the girls of not being original with this song (after they claimed it was better to release a new song than a cover as the A-side) and not singing on the record. [ cite web | url=http://www.soundgenerator.com/viewArticle.cfm?ArticleID=1280 | title=Waterman starts slanging match | publisher=Soundgenerator.com | date=2002-12-19 | accessdate=2008-02-24 ]

It emerged that the song was originally recorded in 2001 by London girl group Orchid, who disbanded before gaining a firm record deal. cite web | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/music/newsid_2597000/2597151.stm | title=Girls Aloud: Is it really a cover? | publisher=CBBC Newsround | date=2002-12-21 | accessdate=2008-02-24 ] Many articles falsely claim that this track was then "stolen" by Girls Aloud. Actually, the track was owned by Xenomania (Girls Aloud's chosen producers) and the original version was used as a "session singers" version. When played to the girls and their team, it was decided they would record it and be the first to release the single - making it theirs and not a cover as some articles suggest. This is not unknown in the music industry with writers employing session singers to sing their song so they could offer it to artists to sing.

Due to the press attention, the members of Orchid are credited on the single release and remain backing singers on the single. Sarah Harding explained that this just pads out the track and is not uncommon in the industry. They also sang the track live throughout promotion to prove it was them singing and rubbish Pete Waterman's attempt to sabotage the release.

Music video

The video for "Sound of the Underground" was shot in a London warehouse just days after Girls Aloud's formation on the last week of competition of .

It features the band members in various scenes "underground". In the group scene, they perform the song backed by a band in a large metal enclosure. As the song progresses, each band member also incorporates a tall microphone stand into the choreography, echoed in many live performances in the song. In the solo scenes, each member is shown sitting or standing in the "underground" setting while various other shots, such as a light bulb spontaneously cracking open and catching on fire, are shown.

Track listings and formats

These are the formats and track listings of major single releases of "Sound Of The Underground".

Cover versions

*The 4 Of Us on "Even Better than the Real Thing Vol. 1"fact|date=February 2008

References