Breathe (The Prodigy song)

"Breathe" is a song by English band the Prodigy. It was released in November 1996 as the second single from the album The Fat of the Land. The song became the group's second consecutive number-one in the United Kingdom and also topped the charts in the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Hungary, Ireland, Norway, and Sweden. The song features a drum break from the song "Johnny the Fox Meets Jimmy the Weed" of the group Thin Lizzy. The whiplashing sword sound effect is a sample of the song "Da Mystery of Chessboxin", by Wu-Tang Clan. As in "Firestarter", Jim Davies played the guitar in the song. In 2003, Q Magazine ranked "Breathe" at number 321 in their list of the "1001 Best Songs Ever".[2]

"Breathe"
Single by the Prodigy
from the album The Fat of the Land
Released11 November 1996
Recorded1995
StudioEarthbound Studios, Braintree, Essex, England
Genre
Length
  • 5:35 (album version)
  • 3:59 (edit)
LabelXL
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Liam Howlett
The Prodigy singles chronology
"Firestarter"
(1996)		 "Breathe"
(1996)		 "Smack My Bitch Up"
(1997)

History

The first ever performance of the song was held at a concert at the Pionir hall in Belgrade, Republic of Serbia, on December 8, 1995, 11 months prior to its release.[3] It was the first major international music act to play in Belgrade since the breakup of Yugoslavia, and came shortly after UN sanctions were partially lifted. Breathe thus became an iconic song for Serbia's urban youth.[4]

Critical reception

Larry Flick from Billboard commented that the song "with its jittery, faux funk beat, caustic synths, and snarling vocals" gets stronger with repeated spins.[5]

Music video

The music video was directed by Walter Stern and took place in what resembled an abandoned, decrepit apartment building, with the band members experiencing various aural, visual and psychological phenomena, with Keith Flint and Maxim representing the phenomena. Various animals, like an alligator, and crickets, make an appearance, evoking different types of phobias. The music video won the 1997 MTV Video Music Award for Viewer's Choice and International Viewer's Choice Award for MTV Europe. The video was also the band’s final video to feature dancer Leeroy Thornhill.

An edited version of the song is featured as the opening track on MuchMusic's Diamond-Certified compilation album, Big Shiny Tunes 2. The song also featured in a 2012 television commercial for Tooheys Extra Dry.[6][7][8]

Al Snow used this song as his entrance theme during his days with Extreme Championship Wrestling.

Up until the 2012 PDC World Darts Championship, Dutch darts player Michael van Gerwen used the song as his walk-on theme.[9]

Track listing

12" vinyl record
  1. "Breathe" (Edit) – 3:59
  2. "The Trick" – 4:25
  3. "Breathe" (Instrumental) – 5:35
  4. "Their Law" (Live at Phoenix Festival '96) – 5:24
  • Track 1 written by Liam Howlett, Keith Flint and Maxim Reality
  • Tracks 2–3 written by Liam Howlett
  • Track 4 written by Liam Howlett & Laurence Donaldson
  • Track 4 featuring live guitar from Gizz Butt

CD single
  1. "Breathe" (Edit) – 3:59
  2. "Their Law" (Live at Phoenix Festival '96) – 5:24
  3. "Poison" (Live at Torhout & Werchter Festival '96) – 5:17
  4. "The Trick" – 4:25

Cassette single XLC 80
  1. "Breathe" (Edit) – 3:59
  2. "The Trick" – 4:25

Chart performances

The song was a major worldwide hit, reaching the top 10 in several countries such as Australia, Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands, New Zealand and Switzerland. "Breathe" was a number-one hit in Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom. The song was also a hit in France, reaching number 26.[10]

In the United States, the song reached number 18 on the US Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart.[11] The single also returned to the Billboard charts after Flint's death, entering number 14 on its Dance/Electronic Digital Songs Sales chart in its 16 March 2019 issue.[12]

Charts and certifications
gollark: I'm glad my scheme to make arbitrarily large amounts of people run Minoteaur worked.
gollark: Maybe the database is not working for whatever reason? Check your permissions.
gollark: Gibson apparently doesn't seem to have needed to, so who knows.
gollark: I think I had to manually patch some of the library I used and I forgot how.
gollark: I'm always online, for some definition of "online".

References
  1. "Keith Flint of The Prodigy Was the Face and Voice of America's '90s Electronic Boom". www.billboard.com.
  2. "Q - 1001 best songs ever (2003)".
  3. 5hand00 (2009-08-10), The Prodigy - Breathe (Live @ Pionir Hall, Belgrade, Serbia, 08-12-1995), retrieved 2018-11-05
  4. "The Prodigy Belgrade 95 - The Prodigy Fanboy - Liam Howlett Keith Flint & Maxim".
  5. "Single Reviews" (PDF). Billboard. 7 June 1997. p. 78. Retrieved 6 February 2020.
  6. "Tooheys Extra Dry "Nocturnal Migration" TVC - AdNews". YouTube. 2011-09-25. Retrieved 2014-03-31.
  7. "MTV Video Music Awards | Highlights, Winners, Performers and Photos from the 1997 MTV Video Music Awards". MTV.com. 1997-09-04. Retrieved 2014-03-31.
  8. "1997 MTV Video Music Awards". Rock On The Net. 1997-09-04. Retrieved 2014-03-31.
  9. "Michael van Gerwen: Is Mighty Mike the next dominant force?". BBC. 19 December 2012. Retrieved 21 December 2013.
  10. "The Prodigy - Breathe". australian-charts.com. Retrieved 2014-03-31.
  11. "The Prodigy | Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 2014-03-31.
  12. "The Prodigy Return to Billboard's Charts After Keith Flint's Death" from Billboard (13 March 2019)
  13. "Australian-charts.com – The Prodigy – Breathe". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 18 July 2012.
  14. "Austriancharts.at – The Prodigy – Breathe" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 18 July 2012.
  15. "Ultratop.be – The Prodigy – Breathe" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 18 July 2012.
  16. "Ultratop.be – The Prodigy – Breathe" (in French). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 18 July 2012.
  17. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 3321." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 22 June 2019.
  18. "Top RPM Rock/Alternative Tracks: Issue 8351." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 22 June 2019.
  19. "The Prodigy Chart History (Canadian Digital Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 2 March 2019.
  20. "Top 10 Czech Republic" (PDF). Music & Media. Retrieved 3 December 2019.
  21. "Hits of the World". Billboard. 108 (52): 51. 28 December 1996. ISSN 0006-2510.
  22. "Prodigy: Breathe" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 18 July 2012.
  23. "Lescharts.com – The Prodigy – Breathe" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 18 July 2012.
  24. "Offiziellecharts.de – The Prodigy – Breathe". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 22 October 2018.
  25. "Top 10 Hungary" (PDF). Music & Media. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
  26. "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (NR. 202 Vikuna 26.12. '96 – 8.1. '97)". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). 27 December 1996. p. 20. Retrieved 22 July 2018.
  27. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Prodigy". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 20 July 2020.
  28. "Hits of the World". Billboard. 109 (6): 40. 8 February 1997. ISSN 0006-2510.
  29. "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 48, 1996" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40 Retrieved 18 July 2012.
  30. "Dutchcharts.nl – The Prodigy – Breathe" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 22 June 2019.
  31. "Charts.nz – The Prodigy – Breathe". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 18 July 2012.
  32. "Norwegiancharts.com – The Prodigy – Breathe". VG-lista. Retrieved 18 July 2012.
  33. "Swedishcharts.com – The Prodigy – Breathe". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 18 July 2012.
  34. "Swisscharts.com – The Prodigy – Breathe". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 18 July 2012.
  35. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 18 July 2012.
  36. "Official Dance Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 20 July 2020.
  37. "The Prodigy Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved 22 June 2019.
  38. "2019 Archive: Dance/Electronic Digital Song Sales (March 16, 2019)". Billboard. Retrieved 13 March 2019.
  39. "Top 40 – Jaargang 32, 1996". Dutch Top 40 (in Dutch). Stichting Nederlandse Top 40. Retrieved 28 July 2012.
  40. "Årslista Singlar, 1996" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved 4 May 2020.
  41. "Top 100 Singles 1996". Music Week. 18 January 1997. p. 25.
  42. "ARIA Charts – End of Year Charts – Top 100 Singles 1997". ARIA. Retrieved 22 June 2019.
  43. "Rapports annuels 1997" (in French). Ultratop. Retrieved 22 June 2019.
  44. "1997 Year-End Sales Charts: Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Retrieved 20 December 2019.
  45. "Top 100 Single–Jahrescharts 1997" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 17 April 2018.
  46. "End of Year Charts 1997". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 22 June 2019.
  47. "Romanian Top 100 Singles Airplay – Top of the Year 1997" (in Romanian). Romanian Top 100. Archived from the original on 22 January 2005. Retrieved 4 May 2020.
  48. "Årslista Singlar, 1997" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved 4 May 2020.
  49. "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 1997" (in German). Retrieved 22 June 2019.
  50. "Najlepsze single na UK Top 40–1997" (in Polish). Archived from the original on 4 June 2015. Retrieved 2 July 2019.
  51. "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 1997 Singles". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 18 July 2012.
  52. "Ultratop − Goud en Platina – singles 1997". Ultratop. Hung Medien. Retrieved 9 September 2012.
  53. "Prodigy" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 28 July 2012.
  54. "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Prodigy; 'Breathe')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved 28 July 2012.
  55. "New Zealand single certifications – The Prodigy – Breathe". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 19 November 2019.
  56. "Polish album certifications – Prodigy – Breathe" (in Polish). Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 18 July 2012.
  57. "Guld- och Platinacertifikat − År 1987−1998" (PDF) (in Swedish). IFPI Sweden. Retrieved 18 July 2012.
  58. "British single certifications – Prodigy – Breathe". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 18 July 2012. Select singles in the Format field. Select Platinum in the Certification field. Type Breathe in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
  59. Copsey, Rob (5 March 2019). "The Prodigy's biggest singles and albums on the Official Chart". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 5 March 2019.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.