Shiver (Coldplay song)

Infobox Single
Name = Shiver


Artist = Coldplay
from Album = Parachutes
B-side = "For You"
"Careful Where You Stand"
Released = March 6, 2000
February 2001 (re-release) May 8, 2001 (U.S. rock radio)
Format = CD, EP
Recorded = 1999
Genre = Alternative rock
Length = 5:02
Label = Parlophone
Writer = Guy Berryman, Jonny Buckland, Will Champion, Chris Martin
Producer = Coldplay, Ken Nelson
Last single = "Brothers & Sisters" (1999)
This single = "Shiver" (2000)
Next single = "Yellow" (2000)
Misc =

"Shiver" is a song written and recorded by English alternative rock band Coldplay. British record producer Ken Nelson and the band produced the track for their debut album, "Parachutes". It was released as the album's lead single in United Kingdom, and second in the United States.

Writing and recording

"Shiver" was written two years before its actual release. Accordingly, band vocalist Chris Martin wrote the song while thinking of Australian singer-songwriter Natalie Imbruglia, the woman he was linked with, but later denied it.Roach, p. 33] Some accounts have claimed, however, that Imbruglia was indeed not the inspiration of Martin in writing the song. Instead, he appeared to have been inspired with girlfriends in his teenage days and early 20s. Martin actually wrote the song in a "glum" day, when he felt he would never find the right woman for her. He added it is something of a "stalking song", admitting he wrote it for a specific woman. In addition, Martin wrote the song while listening to Jeff Buckley music, and had claimed it is their "most blatant rip-off song".Roach, p. 34]

"Shiver" was recorded in Rockfield Studios in Wales, United Kingdom, where the band was booked by A&R representative Dan Keeling,cite web|url=http://www.easytoplease.net/interviews.php?page=qaugust|title=The State of Coldplay|month=August|year=2002|work=Q (Internet Archive)|accessdate=2008-09-22] and began working their debut album, "Parachutes".cite web|url=http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/oct00/articles/ken.htm|title=Recording Coldplay's Parachutes|last=Inglis|first=Sam|date=October 2000|work=SOS|accessdate=2008-09-12] Keeling was disappointed with the first demos that were presented to him, saying it "didn't have any of their passion, their energy", a result of the band's freshly solved internal pressure in the time. Keeling has deemed the demo as "limp" and asked the band to redo it. Smaller parts were recorded at the Parr Street Studios in Liverpool, England, since the band relocated there after Christmas in 1999.

The song was produced by Coldplay and British record producer Ken Nelson. As with most songs featured in the album, Nelson used an analogue desk in recording "Shiver". The guitar were re-dubbed in search of perfection, and same with Martin's vocals, it was recorded more than one take but the band chose the one with a single take. Martin de-tuned his guitar to easily generate complex chord sequences.

Music

"Shiver" is in the indie rock genre. [cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=A3h9yxdyb2ola|title=Parachutes: Coldplay|last=Wilson|first=MacKenzie|work=Allmusic|publisher=Macrovision Company|accessdate=2008-09-24] The song has been perceived to have influences of American singer-songwriter and guitarist Jeff Buckley, [cite web|url=http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/109811/review/5944377?utm_source=Rhapsody&utm_medium=CDreview|title=Coldplay: Parachutes|last=Diehl|first=Matt|date=2000-10-03|work=Rolling Stone|accessdate=2008-09-25] to whom Coldplay's early songs' influences were drawn from.Roach, p. 9]

Release and reception

"Shiver" is one of the older songs in Coldplay's catalogue, and had been performed at their early concerts since 1999. Later, it was initially released as an EP in spring of 2000.cite book|last=Bogdanov|first=Vladimir|coauthors=Woodstra, Chris; Erlewine, Stephen Thomas|title=All Music Guide to Rock: The Definitive Guide to Rock, Pop, and Soul|publisher=Backbeat Books|year=2002|pages=235|isbn=087930653X|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=1-pH4i3jXvAC&pg=PA235&dq=two+more+EPs,+Shiver+and+Yellow&sig=ACfU3U1f3huYe59vVqYCKIiBMXlFvMlcVw|accessdate=2008-09-07] It was released released as the album's lead single in the United Kingdom on March 6,2000, months before the actual release of the album,cite news|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1442014/20010322/coldplay.jhtml|title=Coldplay Giving U.S. Another Shot|last=Basham|first=David|date=2001-03-22|publisher=MTV|accessdate=2008-09-24] and second in the United States following "Yellow". The single has been picked up for B-play lists on some European prominent radio stations.Roach, p. 35] In the United States, it was released as the second single, following "Yellow". [cite news|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1484682/20040129/coldplay.jhtml|title=Coldplay Enter London Studio To Begin Work On Third Album|last=Orshoski|first=Wes|date=2004-01-29|publisher=MTV|accessdate=2008-09-24]

The single has reached number 35 on the UK Singles Chart. The song remains, until today, an audience favorite at live performances. Website IGN posted a video at the 2008 Games Convention in Leipzig, Germany, revealing "Shiver" to be part of the song list in the video game "Guitar Hero World Tour". [cite web|url=http://xbox360.ign.com/dor/objects/14222045/guitar-hero-world-tour/videos/gh4_coldplay_081808.html|title=Coldplay|publisher=IGN|accessdate=2008-09-14]

Music video

The music video for "Shiver" was directed by English film director and cinematographer Grant Gee. It features Coldplay performing in a small studio. The yellow globe featured on the "Parachutes" cover can be seen on top of an amplifier in the video. The music video received "strong exposure" in MTV.

Track listing

;CD
#"Shiver" – 5:02
#"For You" – 5:45
#"Careful Where You Stand" – 4:47

Notes

References

*cite book|last=Roach|first=Martin|title=Coldplay: Nobody Said it was Easy|publisher=Omnibus Press|date=2003|isbn=0711998108|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=wObCJcLREWoC|accessdate=2008-09-12