Fluorescent Adolescent

Infobox Single
Name = Fluorescent Adolescent


Artist = Arctic Monkeys
from Album = Favourite Worst Nightmare
Released = 4 July 2007 (Japan)
9 July 2007 (UK)
Format = 7", 10", CD
Recorded = December 2006 at Miloco Studios
London, England flagicon|England
Genre = Post-punk revival
Length = 2:57
Label = Domino
Writer = Alex Turner, Johanna Bennett
Producer = James Ford, Mike Crossey
Chart position = * #4 Canada
* #5 UK
* #64 BRA
* #65 POL
Last single = "Matador" (2007)
This single = "Fluorescent Adolescent" (2007)
Next single = "Death Ramps" (2007)
Misc = Extra tracklisting
Album = Favourite Worst Nightmare
Type = studio
Tracks =
# "Brianstorm"
# "Teddy Picker"
# "D Is for Dangerous"
# "Balaclava"
# "Fluorescent Adolescent"
# "Only Ones Who Know"
# "Do Me a Favour"
# "This House Is a Circus"
# "If You Were There, Beware"
# "The Bad Thing"
# "Old Yellow Bricks"
# "505"

"Fluorescent Adolescent" is a song by the Arctic Monkeys and the second single from their second album "Favourite Worst Nightmare". [ [http://www.xfm.co.uk/Article.asp?id=395673 XFM] ] It was released on 4 July 2007 in Japan and 9 July 2007 in the United Kingdom.

Chart performance

On downloads alone, "Fluorescent Adolescent" charted in the UK Singles Chart at #55, #32 and #23 in the respective weeks commencing 25 June, 2 July and 9 July 2007. The song charted at #5 when released on CD the week commencing 16 July 2007. Since 27 June 2007, "Fluorescent Adolescent" has received significant BBC Radio 1 airplay as the first song on "The A List" Playlist. [ [http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/chart/playlist.shtml BBC Radio 1] ] The songs three B-sides - "Plastic Tramp", "The Bakery" and "Too Much to Ask" appeared on the UK Singles Chart the week of the single's physical release at #153, #161 and #178 respectively.

It received a 9/10 rating from Planet Sound, their first single to do so since "I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor". [ [http://www.teletext.co.uk/Entertainment/Planet-Sound/Single-Reviews/default.aspx Planet Sound] ]

Music video

Filmed in late April 2007, the music video was directed by Richard Ayoade ("The IT Crowd"/"Nathan Barley") and features Stephen Graham (who previously appeared on the "Scummy Man" DVD and the "When the Sun Goes Down" video) as a clown. [http://www.dominorecordco.com/site/index.php?page=news&artistID=209 Domino Records] ] [ [http://www.arctic-monkeys.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1808 Arctic-Monkeys] ] [ [http://www.mtv.co.uk/channel/mtvuk/news/20032007/exclusive_arctics_reveal_new_tune MTV] ] The music video premiered in the UK at 23:40, 5 June 2007 on Channel 4, and was available online the next day. [http://www.arctic-monkeys.com/fluorescent_adolescent.php Arctic-Monkeys] ]

The music video is based around a fight between a group of clowns and a group of non-clowns at an abandoned warehouse. The presumed leaders of the two groups have a flashback showing that they were friends when they were young children. During the flashback, photos of the band as young children are shown. Throughout the fight, each group leader attempts to kill the other. As the music video climaxes, the non-clown leader tries to run over the clown leader. However the clown leader notices the non-clown leader's car (with the non-clown leader inside) has been leaking fuel and drops his cigarette lighter. The car quickly catches fire and the clown leader looks on as his former friend burns and the music video ends. The car used is a Morris Marina. [http://www.arctic-monkeys.com/fluorescent_adolescent.php Arctic-Monkeys] ] This scene is similar to the ending of Radiohead's "Karma Police" video. A mistake in the video is when a non-clown member takes a chain out of the trunk and breaks the windshield. Later the non-clown leader jumps into the car and the windshield is fixed.

The video is loosely inspired from the John Cooper Clarke (who Turner admits he's a fan of and takes lyrical inspiration from) poem "Out of Control Circus" which is also printed inside the CD release of "Fluorescent Adolescent". The lines such as "out of control fairground" and "homicidal clowns" support this.

The video was preceded by a warning of violent images. [ [http://www.arctic-monkeys.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1821 Arctic-Monkeys] ] In an MTV interview, Turner stated that the music video "is the best thing we've ever done" while Jamie Cook hailed it as "...probably one of the best videos in the last, like, 10 years". [ [http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1561723/20070605/arctic_monkeys.jhtml MTV] ]

Track listing

Lyrics written by Alex Turner, except where noted; music by Arctic Monkeys.
* CD RUG261CD
# "Fluorescent Adolescent" (Turner/Bennett) – 3:03
# "The Bakery" – 2:56 (Additional guitar by Miles Kane)
# "Plastic Tramp" – 2:53 (Additional guitar by Miles Kane)
# "Too Much to Ask" – 3:05 [http://www.nme.com/news/arctic-monkeys/28695 NME] ]

*7" RUG261
**Side A "Fluorescent Adolescent" (Turner/Bennett) – 2:57
**Side B "The Bakery" – 2:56 (Addional guitar by Miles Kane) [http://www.nme.com/news/arctic-monkeys/28695 NME] ]

*10" RUG261T
**Side A "Fluorescent Adolescent" (Turner/Bennett) – 3:03
**Side A "The Bakery" – 2:56 (Addional guitar by Miles Kane)
**Side B "Plastic Tramp" – 2:53 (Additional guitar by Miles Kane)
**Side B "Too Much to Ask" – 3:05 [http://www.nme.com/news/arctic-monkeys/28695 NME] ]

References

External links

* [http://www.arctic-monkeys.com/fluorescent_adolescent.php "Fluorescent Adolescent" music video at ArcticMonkeys.com (download link)]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ma9I9VBKPiw "Fluorescent Adolescent" music video] at YouTube
* [http://www.dominorecordco.com/fluorescent "Fluorescent Adolescent" mini-site]