Baby's Got a Temper

"Baby's Got a Temper" is a song by English electronica group the Prodigy, released as a non-album single in July 2002 by record labels XL and Maverick. It was the band's first single in five years after 1997's "Smack My Bitch Up", and was also their first release after dancer Leeroy Thornhill left the band in 2000.

"Baby's Got a Temper"
Single by the Prodigy
Released	1 July 2002
Recorded	Essex, England
Genre	Big beat electronic
Length	4:27
Label	XL Maverick
Songwriter(s)	Liam Howlett Keith Flint Kieron Pepper Tony Howlett
Producer(s)	Liam Howlett
The Prodigy singles chronology
"Smack My Bitch Up" (1997) "Baby's Got a Temper" (2002) "Girls" (2004)

The single, as well as the accompanying music video, was controversial, and was met with a negative response from critics. The song's lyrics, written by Keith Flint, were criticised in particular for heavily playing upon the misuse of the "date rape" drug Rohypnol. Liam Howlett later disowned the single.[1] Despite this criticism, the song was a top-five hit on the Canadian Singles Chart and UK Singles Chart.

Recording and composition

The song was written by Keith Flint when he was in Flint, a side project of the Prodigy who co-wrote the song. The band performed several gigs, with their first being a brief set at the Download Festival on 1 June 2003. Having thought that the band were in the industrial metal genre, Flint decided that the song would largely contrast with the band's style, and invited Jim Davies to be featured in the song. Liam Howlett, the song's producer, would later argue he disowned the single.[1]

"Baby's Got a Temper" briefly samples the Prodigy's earlier hit "Firestarter", while its tempo is set in 100 BPM. The band generated controversy by including references to the so-called "date rape" drug Rohypnol in the lyrics; however, they explained that the song mentions only personal use and makes no statements on drugging others.[2] Howlett later described the song as "too introverted", as it focuses on Flint's personal experiences with the drug.[3]

Release and reception

The single was initially intended to support their then-upcoming album, Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned. However, the album got reworked and the song was removed from its track listing. Because of the song's release as a non-album single, in 2008, the band's official website's discography classified it as an EP.[4]

Many critics disliked "Baby's Got a Temper" when released. PopMatters commented that the song "doesn’t sound like a great leap forward from the last Flint-fronted tracks, and that's a big disappointment considering that we've been waiting five years for it."[5] In addition, NME panned the song, and called the Prodigy "just total fucking idiots" while unfavorably comparing it to glue.[6] The song was banned from radio stations in the UK due to "glamorising" Rohypnol. BBC Radio 1 thought that the record would be "too strong to stomach".[7]

Despite negative reviews, it was a commercial success, with the single being a top-five hit on the Canadian Singles Chart and the UK Singles Chart.[8][9]

Music video

A Traktor-directed music video for the song was released as a DVD single that included a short "making of" film. It featured three ordinary men, dressed in suits, who walk into a disused funfair. They enter a makeup trailer, dress up and apply makeup, turning out to be the band members, Howlett, Flint, and Maxim. The group go onstage where they perform before a crowd consisting of cattle, which are milked by women dressed like strippers. The milk is then passed to a booth and sold to the public waiting outside who is desperate to get some in an addict manner. The video was apparently based upon one of Howlett's dreams.[10]

The video was shot in June 2002 in Kladno, Czech Republic (around 50.151°N 14.124°E / 50.151; 14.124). There are many Czechoslovak communist era properties—the car in the opening scene is the last model Škoda 120 L, the time clock is classical Elektročas model and the carousels include flying (hydraulic arm) swans made in Bílovice.

Track listing

XL Recordings

12" vinyl record

A-side

1. "Baby's Got a Temper" (Main mix) – 4:24
2. "Baby's Got a Temper" (Dub mix) – 5:28

B-side

1. "Baby's Got a Temper" (Instrumental) – 4:24
2. "Baby's Got a Temper" (Acapella) – 3:25

CD single

1. "Baby's Got a Temper" (Main mix) – 4:24
2. "Baby's Got a Temper" (Dub) – 5:58
3. "Baby's Got a Temper" (Instrumental) – 4:24

DVD single

1. "Baby's Got a Temper" (Main mix) – 4:24
2. "A Day at Work" – 1:56

Maverick Records CD single

1. "Baby's Got a Temper" (Main mix) – 4:24
2. "Baby's Got a Temper" (Dub mix) – 5:28
3. "Baby's Got a Temper" (Instrumental) – 4:23
4. "Baby's Got a Temper" (Acapella) – 3:25

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (2002) Peak position scope="row" Australia (ARIA)[11] 36 scope="row" Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[12] 35 scope="row" Belgium (Ultratip Flanders)[13] 16 scope="row" Belgium (Ultratip Wallonia)[14] 15 Canada (Nielsen SoundScan)[8] 5 scope="row" Denmark (Tracklisten)[15] 13 scope="row" Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[16] 7 scope="row" France (SNEP)[17] 73 scope="row" Germany (Official German Charts)[18] 37 Greece (IFPI)[19] 3 scope="row" Ireland (IRMA)[20] 14 Ireland Dance (IRMA)[21] 2 scope="row" Italy (FIMI)[22] 18 scope="row" Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[23] 40 scope="row" Netherlands (Single Top 100)[24] 39 scope="row" New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[25] 50 scope="row" Norway (VG-lista)[26] 13 Poland (LP3)[27] 38 scope="row" Scotland (Official Charts Company)[28] 9 scope="row" Spain (PROMUSICAE)[29] 3 scope="row" Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[30] 33 scope="row" Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[31] 31 scope="row" UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[9] 5 scope="row" UK Dance (Official Charts Company)[32] 4 scope="row" UK Indie (Official Charts Company)[33] 2 US Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales (Billboard)[34] 7

Year-end charts Chart (2002) Position UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[35] 198

References

1. Nekozine online interview on 17 December 2003 by Andrea Schnepf with Liam Howlett, published 7 January 2004. Retrieved 4 May 2007.
2. James, Martin. "Liam Howlett: Punk and disorderly". The Independent. Retrieved 12 September 2016.
3. Vaziri, Aidin (12 September 2004). "POP QUIZ: LIAM HOWLETT OF PRODIGY". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 12 September 2016.
4. EPs on 11 March 2008. Retrieved 8 July 2008.
5. Robinson, Charlotte. "Review: "Baby's Got a Temper"". PopMatters. Retrieved 22 December 2010.
6. Kessler, Ted (25 June 2002). "Review: "Baby's Got a Temper"". 46. NME. IPC Media. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
7. "Prodigy in date-rape lyric ban - Scottish Daily Record & Sunday 2002". The Free Library. Retrieved 22 February 2018.
8. Canadian Chart - allmusic.com
9. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 24 November 2018.
10. Hodges, Jessica. "The Prodigy: Baby's Got a Temper - PopMatters Music Video Review". PopMatters. Retrieved 6 May 2011.
11. "Australian-charts.com – The Prodigy – Baby's Got a Temper". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 18 July 2012.
12. "Austriancharts.at – The Prodigy – Baby's Got a Temper" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 18 July 2012.
13. "Ultratop.be – The Prodigy – Baby's Got a Temper" (in Dutch). Ultratip. Retrieved 18 July 2012.
14. "Ultratop.be – The Prodigy – Baby's Got a Temper" (in French). Ultratip. Retrieved 18 July 2012.
15. "Danishcharts.com – The Prodigy – Baby's Got a Temper". Tracklisten. Retrieved 18 July 2012.
16. "The Prodigy: Baby's Got a Temper" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 18 July 2012.
17. "Lescharts.com – The Prodigy – Baby's Got a Temper" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 18 July 2012.
18. "Offiziellecharts.de – The Prodigy – Baby's Got a Temper". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 22 October 2018.
19. IFPI Greece Top 50 Singles Chart
20. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Baby's Got a Temper". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 15 January 2020.
21. "Top 10 Dance Singles, Week Ending 4 July 2002". GfK Chart-Track. Retrieved 5 June 2019.
22. "Italiancharts.com – The Prodigy – Baby's Got a Temper". Top Digital Download. Retrieved 18 July 2012.
23. "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 28, 2002" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40 Retrieved 24 November 2018.
24. "Dutchcharts.nl – The Prodigy – Baby's Got a Temper" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 24 November 2018.
25. "Charts.nz – The Prodigy – Baby's Got a Temper". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 18 July 2012.
26. "Norwegiancharts.com – The Prodigy – Baby's Got a Temper". VG-lista. Retrieved 18 July 2012.
27. "Notowanie nr1071" (in Polish). LP3. 9 August 2002. Retrieved 2 March 2019. Cite magazine requires |magazine= (help)
28. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 24 November 2018.
29. "Spanishcharts.com – The Prodigy – Baby's Got a Temper" Canciones Top 50. Retrieved 24 November 2018.
30. "Swedishcharts.com – The Prodigy – Baby's Got a Temper". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 18 July 2012.
31. "Swisscharts.com – The Prodigy – Baby's Got a Temper". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 18 July 2012.
32. "Official Dance Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 24 November 2018.
33. "Official Independent Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 24 November 2018.
34. Allmusic.com
35. "The Official UK Singles Chart 2002" (PDF). UKChartsPlus. Retrieved 24 November 2018.