I Shall Overcome
Encyclopedia
"I Shall Overcome" is the third single from English
indie rock
band Hard-Fi
's second album Once Upon a Time in the West
. It was released on 29 February 2008. Written and co-produced by Richard Archer
, it features a gospel choir and acoustic guitars along with a mariachi trumpet on the "Per un Pugno di Hard-Fi version". Tracy Ackerman contributes backing vocals on the song.
The song reached #35 in the UK Singles Charts, despite the fact that 1,000 copies were not counted due to a mistake made by Concert Live. It followed the success of "Suburban Knights
" and "Can't Get Along (Without You)
" in Peru
by reaching #4.
". The song is apparently based on people watching over and looking out for others, telling people not to give up and "to not let the bastards drag you down".
Going deeper, the song is a tribute to frontman Richard Archer's late father, who was one of the few people to support his musical ambitions before he became successful, he told XFM
"When you're from a town like ours and you wanna be in a band, everyone thinks you're just wasting time. There's always people out there who'll tell you 'Give it up, you're not good enough.' There's always haters that wanna criticize you and put you down just because you're there and they're not. It's about having someone standing there and saying 'I believe in you', and I was lucky enough to have that person. They're not around anymore, but this song's for them." Archer added: "It's my old man. I was lucky enough to have someone like him and he deserves these props."
Richard Archer
said that the person in the song is his father and that he loves the groove on the track.
He also announced the Per Un Pugno Di Hard-Fi version which has been stated to be different from the version that appears on Once Upon a Time in the West
, Archer explains;
The song was first announced as a single along with the live CD called Once Upon a Time in December
.
On March 10, 2008, the band promoted the single by organizing a CD signing in HMV
, Staines
. The band also performed a select set list including "I Shall Overcome" in acoustic, "Suburban Knights
" and "Hard to Beat
" plus some covers including "A Town Called Malice" and "Should I Stay or Should I Go
".
left a MySpace
blog talking about the b-sides for the single.
Archer
also went on to mention an acoustic version of the track;
The winner of the remix competition would have their remix officially released by the band and serviced to club DJs while they would also receive a framed vinyl with their remix recorded on it. Winner of the cover sleeve competition would receive a framed copy of their design signed by each member of the band.
The remix competition's winner was chosen by the public, it was possible to give each song a rating out of five. The remix by "DJ Newsagent" ended with the highest average rating and won the competition. The winners of the cover sleeve competition were chosen by the band themselves.
in west London
. The band offered a chance to fans, 18 years old or above, who looked like genuine boxing fans to appear as extras in the video through an online competition. A photo of the person had to be sent in and then the people who looked most appropriate for the video were given a phone call confirming that they had been chosen. The video is said to be inspired by the movies Raging Bull and Snatch
.
The video, filmed in black-and-white, depicts two boxers with one being the underdog who throughout the video is shown to either be given support by the crowd (with Archer standing among them as he sings) or shown on the roads of west London
, being showed encouragement by his friends. The underdog eventually wins, staying true to the song title, "I Shall Overcome".
Trellick Tower
, a block of flats which has become a London
landmark, makes a cameo appearance in the video.
It was released in various bundles, a live CD + download bundle and a bumper edition featuring the Live CD and download as well as all 3 formats of the forthcoming single "I Shall Overcome".
These bundles were exclusive to those who attended one of the concerts during the band's December tour. One of the formats, which is the limited edition CD, was available only through this promotion.
. It fared better than its predecessor "Can't Get Along (Without You)
" which peaked only at #45. This single charted ten places higher in the UK Singles Chart, peaking in the UK Top 40 at #35 on March 16, 2008, where it dropped out of the Top 75 altogether the following week.
posted a blog stating that due to an administrative mistake, around 1000 copies ordered during the December tour were not counted towards the chart position, he said, "you can imagine we're not pleased."
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
indie rock
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
band Hard-Fi
HARD-Fi
Hard-Fi are an English indie rock band formed in Staines, Surrey in 2003. The band's members are Richard Archer , Ross Phillips , Kai Stephens and Steve Kemp .They achieved chart success with their third single, "Hard to Beat" and then followed by other successful singles such as...
's second album Once Upon a Time in the West
Once Upon a Time in the West (album)
Once Upon a Time in the West is the second studio album by English indie rock band Hard-Fi. It was released on 3 September 2007 on Necessary/Atlantic and Warner Music UK. It reached #1 in the UK Album Chart in the first week of its release, unlike its predecessor Stars of CCTV, which took around...
. It was released on 29 February 2008. Written and co-produced by Richard Archer
Richard Archer
Richard John "Rich" Archer is an English singer-songwriter and guitarist. He is the lead vocalist, guitarist, principal songwriter and main composer of indie rock band Hard-Fi. Hard-Fi have produced several top 10 hits and two #1 albums. The influence of Archer's hometown of Staines is often...
, it features a gospel choir and acoustic guitars along with a mariachi trumpet on the "Per un Pugno di Hard-Fi version". Tracy Ackerman contributes backing vocals on the song.
The song reached #35 in the UK Singles Charts, despite the fact that 1,000 copies were not counted due to a mistake made by Concert Live. It followed the success of "Suburban Knights
Suburban Knights
"Suburban Knights" is the first single from British band Hard-Fi's second album Once Upon a Time in the West. The physical format of the single was released on 20 August 2007, the digital version was released on 6 August 2007...
" and "Can't Get Along (Without You)
Can't Get Along (Without You)
"Can't Get Along " is a single from indie band Hard-Fi, taken from their second album Once Upon a Time in the West. It was released on 4 November 2007. Richard Archer has said that he thought it to be one of his best songs and TV presenter Tim Lovejoy said that it was one of the best records he had...
" in Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
by reaching #4.
History
The song started off as a rough demo during the recording of "Stars of CCTVStars of CCTV
Stars of CCTV is the debut album by English indie rock band Hard-Fi. It was first released on 4 July 2005 on Necessary/Atlantic and Warner Music UK...
". The song is apparently based on people watching over and looking out for others, telling people not to give up and "to not let the bastards drag you down".
Going deeper, the song is a tribute to frontman Richard Archer's late father, who was one of the few people to support his musical ambitions before he became successful, he told XFM
Xfm
Xfm is a brand of two commercial radio stations focused on alternative music, primarily indie pop, and owned by Global Radio.-History:Xfm was created in London in 1992 by Sammy Jacob, who later co-founded NME Radio in 2008. Xfm subsequently expanded to a network of four stations; there are...
"When you're from a town like ours and you wanna be in a band, everyone thinks you're just wasting time. There's always people out there who'll tell you 'Give it up, you're not good enough.' There's always haters that wanna criticize you and put you down just because you're there and they're not. It's about having someone standing there and saying 'I believe in you', and I was lucky enough to have that person. They're not around anymore, but this song's for them." Archer added: "It's my old man. I was lucky enough to have someone like him and he deserves these props."
Richard Archer
Richard Archer
Richard John "Rich" Archer is an English singer-songwriter and guitarist. He is the lead vocalist, guitarist, principal songwriter and main composer of indie rock band Hard-Fi. Hard-Fi have produced several top 10 hits and two #1 albums. The influence of Archer's hometown of Staines is often...
said that the person in the song is his father and that he loves the groove on the track.
He also announced the Per Un Pugno Di Hard-Fi version which has been stated to be different from the version that appears on Once Upon a Time in the West
Once Upon a Time in the West (album)
Once Upon a Time in the West is the second studio album by English indie rock band Hard-Fi. It was released on 3 September 2007 on Necessary/Atlantic and Warner Music UK. It reached #1 in the UK Album Chart in the first week of its release, unlike its predecessor Stars of CCTV, which took around...
, Archer explains;
"Those of you who came along on our December tour will know that ISO live was slightly different from the album version with a mariachi trumpet - we wanted to get a bit of that Ennio Morricone does Spaghetti Western vibe, hopefully you'll agree this worked and wasn't less Fistful Of Dollars and more Three Amigos. Anyway we got Ben (who played trumpet on tour) in and did a studio version with a few extra bits and pieces."
The song was first announced as a single along with the live CD called Once Upon a Time in December
Once Upon a Time in December
Once Upon a Time in December is a live CD from Hard-Fi, their second one ever, filmed during the band's 2007 UK tour in December 2007. It is pretty much the "Once Upon a Time in the West era's answer to "In Operation"....
.
On March 10, 2008, the band promoted the single by organizing a CD signing in HMV
HMV
His Master's Voice is a trademark in the music business, and for many years was the name of a large record label. The name was coined in 1899 as the title of a painting of the dog Nipper listening to a wind-up gramophone...
, Staines
Staines
Staines is a Thames-side town in the Spelthorne borough of Surrey and Greater London Urban Area, as well as the London Commuter Belt of South East England. It is a suburban development within the western bounds of the M25 motorway and located 17 miles west south-west of Charing Cross in...
. The band also performed a select set list including "I Shall Overcome" in acoustic, "Suburban Knights
Suburban Knights
"Suburban Knights" is the first single from British band Hard-Fi's second album Once Upon a Time in the West. The physical format of the single was released on 20 August 2007, the digital version was released on 6 August 2007...
" and "Hard to Beat
Hard to Beat
"Hard to Beat" is the third single from indie band Hard-Fi, from their album Stars of CCTV. Despite being released as third single it was Hard-Fi's first top ten single, reaching #9 in the UK, and was released on 20 June 2005...
" plus some covers including "A Town Called Malice" and "Should I Stay or Should I Go
Should I Stay or Should I Go
"Should I Stay or Should I Go" is a song by the English punk rock band The Clash, from their album Combat Rock. It was written in 1981 and featured Mick Jones on lead vocals. It became the band's only number-one single on the UK Singles Chart, a decade after it was originally released. In November...
".
B-sides
On January 17, 2008, ArcherRichard Archer
Richard John "Rich" Archer is an English singer-songwriter and guitarist. He is the lead vocalist, guitarist, principal songwriter and main composer of indie rock band Hard-Fi. Hard-Fi have produced several top 10 hits and two #1 albums. The influence of Archer's hometown of Staines is often...
left a MySpace
MySpace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
blog talking about the b-sides for the single.
"Don't Wanna Fight was inspired by two things, The SlickersThe SlickersThe Slickers were a Jamaican rocksteady and reggae group in the late 1960s and early 1970s.They are best known for the song, "Johnny Too Bad", which featured on the film soundtrack of The Harder They Come, and which was sung with additional lyrics by John Martyn on his Grace and Danger album.The...
track 'Johnny Too Bad' and a documentary I saw maybe a year ago about this bloke who was caught up in gangs and petty crime. The doc was following his attempt to leave that life behind for the sake of his girlfriend and young child. No Matter what he did he always seemed to find himself back where he started, you got the impression that he didn't really want to change at all."
"Empty Streets - ever walked home alone from the pub a bit pissed and feeling a bit sorry for yourself??? Contrary to how it sounds - no weed was smoked whilst recording this track..."
"Pain In My Heart - this was written some time ago not long after I lost my old man and I guess is about that. It's been slowly put together over time, so much so that most of the recording was already done, all we did was add some real piano."
Archer
Richard Archer
Richard John "Rich" Archer is an English singer-songwriter and guitarist. He is the lead vocalist, guitarist, principal songwriter and main composer of indie rock band Hard-Fi. Hard-Fi have produced several top 10 hits and two #1 albums. The influence of Archer's hometown of Staines is often...
also went on to mention an acoustic version of the track;
"We thought about making the acoustic version of ISO something different in its own right, a bit like the acoustic version of Livin For The Weekend - but it felt best just totally stripped down, just me singing and playing it into a mic. I think it adds another dimension to the song."
Competitions
In February 2008, a minisite called I Shall Overcome.co.uk (of which is advertised on the front cover of each physical release) was opened. It stated that the band wanted fans to show off their creative skills by remixing the track or creating a cover sleeve for the single.The winner of the remix competition would have their remix officially released by the band and serviced to club DJs while they would also receive a framed vinyl with their remix recorded on it. Winner of the cover sleeve competition would receive a framed copy of their design signed by each member of the band.
The remix competition's winner was chosen by the public, it was possible to give each song a rating out of five. The remix by "DJ Newsagent" ended with the highest average rating and won the competition. The winners of the cover sleeve competition were chosen by the band themselves.
Music video
On the video from Pulse Films directing trio D.A.R.Y.L, was filmed in the All Stars boxing gym on the Harrow RoadHarrow Road
The Harrow Road is an ancient route in Greater London which runs from Paddington in a northwesterly direction to Harrow. With minor deviations in the 19th and 20th centuries, the route remains otherwise unaltered...
in west London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. The band offered a chance to fans, 18 years old or above, who looked like genuine boxing fans to appear as extras in the video through an online competition. A photo of the person had to be sent in and then the people who looked most appropriate for the video were given a phone call confirming that they had been chosen. The video is said to be inspired by the movies Raging Bull and Snatch
Snatch (film)
Snatch is a 2000 crime film written and directed by British filmmaker Guy Ritchie, featuring an ensemble cast. Set in the London criminal underworld, the film contains two intertwined plots: one dealing with the search for a stolen diamond, the other with a small-time boxing promoter named Turkish ...
.
The video, filmed in black-and-white, depicts two boxers with one being the underdog who throughout the video is shown to either be given support by the crowd (with Archer standing among them as he sings) or shown on the roads of west London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, being showed encouragement by his friends. The underdog eventually wins, staying true to the song title, "I Shall Overcome".
Trellick Tower
Trellick Tower
Trellick Tower is a 31-storey block of flats in North Kensington, Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, England. It was designed in the Brutalist style by architect Ernő Goldfinger, after a commission from the Greater London Council in 1966, and completed in 1972...
, a block of flats which has become a London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
landmark, makes a cameo appearance in the video.
Track listings
Notes- The "Per Un Pugno Di Hard-Fi Version" was originally called the "Over the top Extended Version", the name change often causes fans to think of the two names as two different versions, it is named after the ItalianItalian languageItalian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
name for the Spaghetti WesternSpaghetti WesternSpaghetti Western, also known as Italo-Western, is a nickname for a broad sub-genre of Western films that emerged in the mid-1960s in the wake of Sergio Leone's unique and much copied film-making style and international box-office success, so named by American critics because most were produced and...
film, Fistful of Dollars. It was available from March 11, 2008, exclusively through 7Digital. It was originally scheduled for release on 25 February 2008, but was pushed forward to 10 March 2008. Due to difficulties on the website it was pushed forward again to 17 March 2008 but ended up being available for download on 11 March 2008.
- The Limited Edition CD is also referred to as 'I Shall Overcome CD2' and was also available by purchasing the Once Upon a Time in DecemberOnce Upon a Time in DecemberOnce Upon a Time in December is a live CD from Hard-Fi, their second one ever, filmed during the band's 2007 UK tour in December 2007. It is pretty much the "Once Upon a Time in the West era's answer to "In Operation"....
multi format bundle.
It was released in various bundles, a live CD + download bundle and a bumper edition featuring the Live CD and download as well as all 3 formats of the forthcoming single "I Shall Overcome".
- Live album + exclusive download of "I Shall Overcome"
- Live album + exclusive download of "I Shall Overcome" + 3 physical
These bundles were exclusive to those who attended one of the concerts during the band's December tour. One of the formats, which is the limited edition CD, was available only through this promotion.
- Empty Streets
- Pain In My Heart
CD 2 - Limited edition
- I Shall Overcome (AxwellAxwellAxwell is a DJ, remixer, record producer and record label owner from Sweden. He is part of a three person group dubbed the Swedish House Mafia along with Sebastian Ingrosso and Steve Angello...
Remix) - Don't Wanna Fight
- I Shall Overcome (Video)
Digital download
- I Shall Overcome (Album Version)
- I Shall Overcome (Per Un Pugno Di Hard-Fi Version)
- I Shall Overcome (AxwellAxwellAxwell is a DJ, remixer, record producer and record label owner from Sweden. He is part of a three person group dubbed the Swedish House Mafia along with Sebastian Ingrosso and Steve Angello...
Remix) - I Shall Overcome (ShoesShoes (band)Shoes are an American power pop band, formed in Zion, Illinois, in 1974 by brothers John and Jeff Murphy, and Gary Klebe and incorporating several different drummers over the years including Skip Meyer, Barry Shumaker, Ric Menck, John Richardson, and Jeff Hunter. The Murphy brothers and Klebe were...
Remix)
Charts
"I Shall Overcome" has been listed for 1 week 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 ...
. It fared better than its predecessor "Can't Get Along (Without You)
Can't Get Along (Without You)
"Can't Get Along " is a single from indie band Hard-Fi, taken from their second album Once Upon a Time in the West. It was released on 4 November 2007. Richard Archer has said that he thought it to be one of his best songs and TV presenter Tim Lovejoy said that it was one of the best records he had...
" which peaked only at #45. This single charted ten places higher in the UK Singles Chart, peaking in the UK Top 40 at #35 on March 16, 2008, where it dropped out of the Top 75 altogether the following week.
Uncounted sales
On March 20, 2008, Richard ArcherRichard Archer
Richard John "Rich" Archer is an English singer-songwriter and guitarist. He is the lead vocalist, guitarist, principal songwriter and main composer of indie rock band Hard-Fi. Hard-Fi have produced several top 10 hits and two #1 albums. The influence of Archer's hometown of Staines is often...
posted a blog stating that due to an administrative mistake, around 1000 copies ordered during the December tour were not counted towards the chart position, he said, "you can imagine we're not pleased."
| Chart (2008) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles Chart | 35 |