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Dusk Till Dawn (Ladyhawke song)
Encyclopedia
"Dusk Till Dawn" is a song by New Zealand recording artist Ladyhawke, released as the third single
from her self-titled debut album, Ladyhawke
. The song was featured on the third episode of Gossip Girl
, "Poison Ivy", originally aired 3 October 2007.
, "Dusk Till Dawn" was written at the same session as "My Delirium
", their first and only together. The lyrics came about from brainstorming
the ideas they had. At the time Ladyhawke had just landed off a flight from New Zealand and was feeling very jet-lagged
.
that "Dusk Till Dawn" "marches along to the beat of both the urban white chic of Gwen Stefani
and the coke-nosed disco rock of Franz Ferdinand
." Emily Tartanella of PopMatters
described the song as a "hybrid between Franz Ferdinand and Madonna
", and Ben Norman of About.com
stated that it "sounds like a (better) Ting Tings
number."
for the issue dated 21 September 2008, spending only one week on the chart.
The video opens with Ladyhawke in a bed with a man. She looks out of the window at a ghost, next she runs downstairs, where she starts to get haunted by monsters. She then gets circled by monsters, each wearing a mask with a corresponding T-shirt. She tries to awake her boyfriend, but as it fails, she tries to call someone but is tracked down by the monsters and runs away. She then starts to dance with the monsters. She then wakes up and pulls the cover off her boyfriend and realizes in fear that he is dead. She goes into the bathroom, washes her hands and then leans down and when she arises she has a mask which resembles her face and a T-shirt which says "Ladyhawke", she then starts dancing again. The video finishes when she wakes up in the daytime.
Ladyhawke made an alternate homemade video where she appears in front of a webcam performing the song, along with friends such as Sia
, Peaches
and JD Samson
. She shows her geeky side from the start, when she is seen playing with a Kermit the Frog
toy dressed as Luke Skywalker
and a Mr. Potato Head
toy as Darth Vader
. Sia appears with her face being drawn with a marker in a style similar to the her 2008 "Buttons" video.
(MODCDS061; Released: 15 September 2008)
UK 7" single
(MODVL105; Released: 15 September 2008)
UK iTunes single
(Released: 14 September 2008)
UK iTunes B-side bundle
(Released: 14 September 2008)
UK iTunes single – Radio Edit
(Released: 14 September 2008)
Australian iTunes EP
(Released: 1 November 2008)
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
from her self-titled debut album, Ladyhawke
Ladyhawke (album)
Ladyhawke is the eponymous debut album by New Zealand recording artist Ladyhawke, released on 22 September 2008 by Modular Recordings. Produced by Pascal Gabriel, Greg Kurstin, Kid Gloves, Kish Mauve's Jim Eliot, Paul Harris and Van She's Michael Di Francesco, the album incorporates...
. The song was featured on the third episode of Gossip Girl
Gossip Girl
Gossip Girl is an American young adult novel series written by Cecily von Ziegesar and published by Little, Brown and Company, a subsidiary of the Hachette Group. The series revolves around the lives and romances of the privileged teenagers at the Constance Billard School for Girls, an elite...
, "Poison Ivy", originally aired 3 October 2007.
Background and writing
According to co-writer Hannah RobinsonHannah Robinson
Hannah Robinson is a British songwriter. Her best known compositions include the "Some Girls", a UK #2 for British pop star Rachel Stevens and Ladyhawke's "My Delirium". She also a vocalist and in 2006 achieved a #1 on the U.S...
, "Dusk Till Dawn" was written at the same session as "My Delirium
My Delirium
"My Delirium" is a New Wave song performed by New Zealander musician Ladyhawke. The third track on Ladyhawke's eponymous debut album, the song was released as a single on 8 December 2008...
", their first and only together. The lyrics came about from brainstorming
Brainstorming
Brainstorming is a group creativity technique by which a group tries to find a solution for a specific problem by gathering a list of ideas spontaneously contributed by its members...
the ideas they had. At the time Ladyhawke had just landed off a flight from New Zealand and was feeling very jet-lagged
Jet lag
Jet lag, medically referred to as desynchronosis, is a physiological condition which results from alterations to the body's circadian rhythms; it is classified as one of the circadian rhythm sleep disorders...
.
Critical reception
Mike Orme wrote for Pitchfork MediaPitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
that "Dusk Till Dawn" "marches along to the beat of both the urban white chic of Gwen Stefani
Gwen Stefani
Gwen Renée Stefani is an American singer-songwriter and fashion designer. Stefani is the lead vocalist for the rock and ska band No Doubt. Stefani recorded her first solo album Love. Angel. Music. Baby. in 2004. The album was inspired by music of the 1980s, and was a success with sales of over...
and the coke-nosed disco rock of Franz Ferdinand
Franz Ferdinand (band)
Franz Ferdinand are a Scottish post-punk revival band formed in Glasgow in 2002. The band is composed of Alex Kapranos , Bob Hardy , Nick McCarthy , and Paul Thomson .The band first experienced chart success when their second single, "Take Me Out", reached #3 in...
." Emily Tartanella of PopMatters
PopMatters
PopMatters is an international webzine of cultural criticism that covers many aspects of popular culture. PopMatters publishes reviews, interviews, and detailed essays on most cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, films, books, video games, comics, sports, theater,...
described the song as a "hybrid between Franz Ferdinand and Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
", and Ben Norman of About.com
About.com
About.com is an online source for original information and advice. It is written in English, and is aimed primarily at North Americans. It is owned by The New York Times Company....
stated that it "sounds like a (better) Ting Tings
The Ting Tings
The Ting Tings are an English music duo comprising Jules de Martino and Katie White . They formed in December 2007 while based at Islington Mill Studios in Salford...
number."
Chart performance
The single debuted at number seventy-eight on the UK Singles ChartUK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
for the issue dated 21 September 2008, spending only one week on the chart.
Music video
Ladyhawke made an alternate homemade video where she appears in front of a webcam performing the song, along with friends such as Sia
Sia Furler
Sia Kate Isobelle Furler or simply Sia, is an Australian pop, downtempo, and jazz singer and songwriter. In 2000, her single, "Taken for Granted" was a top 10 hit in the United Kingdom. Her 2008 album, Some People Have Real Problems peaked in the top 30 on the Billboard 200...
, Peaches
Peaches (musician)
Merrill Beth Nisker , better known by her stage name Peaches, is a Canadian electronic musician and performance artist who lives in Berlin, Germany. Her songs are noted for disregarding traditional gender norms and their use of sexually explicit lyrics...
and JD Samson
JD Samson
JD Samson is the stage name of Jocelyn Samson, a member of the feminist electropunk band Le Tigre. Samson grew up in the Cleveland suburb of Pepper Pike, Ohio and attended Orange High School. She came out as a lesbian at age 15...
. She shows her geeky side from the start, when she is seen playing with a Kermit the Frog
Kermit the Frog
Kermit the Frog is puppeteer Jim Henson's most famous Muppet creation, first introduced in 1955. He is the protagonist of many Muppet projects, most notably as the host of The Muppet Show, and has appeared in various sketches on Sesame Street, in commercials and in public service announcements over...
toy dressed as Luke Skywalker
Luke Skywalker
Luke Skywalker is a fictional character and the main protagonist of the original film trilogy of the Star Wars franchise, where he is portrayed by Mark Hamill. He is introduced in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, in which he is forced to leave home, and finds himself apprenticed to the Jedi master...
and a Mr. Potato Head
Mr. Potato Head
Mr. Potato Head! is an American toy consisting of a plastic model of a potato which can be decorated with a variety of plastic parts that can attach to the main body. These parts usually include ears, eyes, shoes, a hat, a nose, and a mouth. The toy was invented and developed by George Lerner in...
toy as Darth Vader
Darth Vader
Darth Vader is a central character in the Star Wars saga, appearing as one of the main antagonists in the original trilogy and as the main protagonist in the prequel trilogy....
. Sia appears with her face being drawn with a marker in a style similar to the her 2008 "Buttons" video.
Track listings
UK CD single(MODCDS061; Released: 15 September 2008)
- "Dusk Till Dawn" (Original) – 2:37
- "Dusk Till Dawn" (Simon & Shaker Remix) – 9:37
- "Dusk Till Dawn" (The Shoes Remix) – 4:09
- "Dusk Till Dawn" (Canyons Remix) – 4:25
UK 7" single
(MODVL105; Released: 15 September 2008)
- A. "Dusk Till Dawn" – 2:37
- B. "Danny and Jenny" – 3:34
UK iTunes single
(Released: 14 September 2008)
- "Dusk Till Dawn" (Radio Edit) – 2:36
- "Dusk Till Dawn" – 2:46
- "Dusk Till Dawn" (Live) – 2:43
- "Dusk Till Dawn" (Simon & Shaker Remix) – 9:37
- "Dusk Till Dawn" (The Shoes Remix) – 4:08
- "Dusk Till Dawn" (The Canyons Remix) – 4:24
- "Dusk Till Dawn" (Linus LovesLinus LovesLinus Loves is a British dance music group and remix/production musical ensemble. The group originally consisted of DJs and producers Duncan Reid and Kevin McKay, after they co-founded Breastfed Recordings together in 2002 with Myles MacInnes...
Remix) – 5:19
UK iTunes B-side bundle
(Released: 14 September 2008)
- "Dusk Till Dawn" – 2:37
- "Danny and Jenny" – 3:34
UK iTunes single – Radio Edit
(Released: 14 September 2008)
- "Dusk Till Dawn" (Tom ElmhirstTom ElmhirstTom Elmhirst is a British specialist music producer and mix engineer. He began his career at SARM studios in the early 90s at a time when digital audio was already becoming mainstream. Elmhirst’s experiences at SARM and with Trevor Horn have clearly influenced his current working methods...
Radio Mix) – 2:36
Australian iTunes EP
(Released: 1 November 2008)
- "Dusk Till Dawn" – 2:36
- "Dusk Till Dawn" (Simon & Shaker Remix) – 9:37
- "Dusk Till Dawn" (The Shoes Remix) – 4:07
- "Dusk Till Dawn" (The Canyons Remix) – 4:24
- "Dusk Till Dawn" (Linus Loves Remix) – 5:19
Personnel
- Pip Brown – lead vocalsLead vocalistThe lead vocalist is the member of a band who sings the main vocal portions of a song. They may also play one or more instruments. Lead vocalists are sometimes referred to as the frontman or frontwoman, and as such, are usually considered to be the "leader" of the groups they perform in, often the...
, backing vocalsBacking vocalistA backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...
, guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with... - Pascal GabrielPascal GabrielPascal Richard Marcel Gabriel is a Belgian-born musician based in London. His musical career began in 1977 in the punk rock band The Razors...
– producerRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, engineerAudio engineeringAn audio engineer, also called audio technician, audio technologist or sound technician, is a specialist in a skilled trade that deals with the use of machinery and equipment for the recording, mixing and reproduction of sounds. The field draws on many artistic and vocational areas, including...
, mixingAudio mixing (recorded music)In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may...
, keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, guitar, bass synthesizer, drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, percussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration... - Alex Gray – Rhodes drums, keyboards
- Hannah RobinsonHannah RobinsonHannah Robinson is a British songwriter. Her best known compositions include the "Some Girls", a UK #2 for British pop star Rachel Stevens and Ladyhawke's "My Delirium". She also a vocalist and in 2006 achieved a #1 on the U.S...
– backing vocals
Charts
| Chart (2008) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
78 |