Motown Junk
Encyclopedia
"Motown Junk" is an early stand alone single from the rock band Manic Street Preachers
. It was released on January 21, 1991, and peaked at #94 on the UK Singles Chart. The track has long been a live favourite from the earlier part of their career to the present day. The title track shows the band during their pinnacle of iconoclastic attitude, such as in the lyric, "I laughed when Lennon
got shot". The Motown in the title refers to famed 60s and 70s label Motown Records. The song also displayed their diverse cultural scope with a Public Enemy-sampling intro and an outro sample of The Skids
.
Both B-sides featured on the single ("Sorrow 16" and "We Her Majesty's Prisoners") were on the later singles "Slash 'n' Burn
" - "You Love Us
" respectively - from the band's debut album, Generation Terrorists
. The single was the band's first from their then record label, Heavenly Records
. Despite its relatively poor charting, the single gained the band much attention from the press.
The single's cover features a watch recovered from the Hiroshima bomb site depicting the exact moment of detonation.
In 2008, the band added a Johnny Boy Anniversary Mix free embedded version to their official website, which featured spoken dialogue by Richey Edwards.
In 2011, Heavenly Records
re-released Motown Junk to sell at the Manic Street Preachers gig on the 21st of May 2011 and at the Berwick Independent Marker.
Manic Street Preachers
Manic Street Preachers are a Welsh alternative rock band, formed in 1986. They are James Dean Bradfield, Nicky Wire, Richey Edwards and Sean Moore. The band are part of the Cardiff music scene, and were at their most prominent during the 1990s...
. It was released on January 21, 1991, and peaked at #94 on the UK Singles Chart. The track has long been a live favourite from the earlier part of their career to the present day. The title track shows the band during their pinnacle of iconoclastic attitude, such as in the lyric, "I laughed when Lennon
John Lennon
John Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
got shot". The Motown in the title refers to famed 60s and 70s label Motown Records. The song also displayed their diverse cultural scope with a Public Enemy-sampling intro and an outro sample of The Skids
The Skids
Skids were an art-punk/punk rock and new wave band from Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland, founded in 1977 by Stuart Adamson , William Simpson , Thomas Kellichan and Richard Jobson...
.
Both B-sides featured on the single ("Sorrow 16" and "We Her Majesty's Prisoners") were on the later singles "Slash 'n' Burn
Slash 'N' Burn
"Slash 'n' Burn" was released by the Welsh rock band Manic Street Preachers on March 16, 1992 and was the fourth single to be released from the band's debut album, Generation Terrorists....
" - "You Love Us
You Love Us
"You Love Us" is a single by the Welsh rock band Manic Street Preachers. It was released on January 16, 1992 and was the third single to be released from their debut album, Generation Terrorists....
" respectively - from the band's debut album, Generation Terrorists
Generation Terrorists
- Personnel :Manic Street Preachers*James Dean Bradfield – lead vocals, guitar*Richey Edwards – guitar*Sean Moore – drums, percussion, backing vocals*Nicky Wire – bass, piano on Little Baby NothingAdditional personnel...
. The single was the band's first from their then record label, Heavenly Records
Heavenly Records
Heavenly Records, aka Heavenly Recordings, is a London-based record label, distributed by EMI. Founded by Jeff Barrett, a former press officer for Creation Records and many successful indie bands of the time including Happy Mondays, Heavenly Recordings' first releases were 7" and 12" singles for...
. Despite its relatively poor charting, the single gained the band much attention from the press.
The single's cover features a watch recovered from the Hiroshima bomb site depicting the exact moment of detonation.
In 2008, the band added a Johnny Boy Anniversary Mix free embedded version to their official website, which featured spoken dialogue by Richey Edwards.
In 2011, Heavenly Records
Heavenly Records
Heavenly Records, aka Heavenly Recordings, is a London-based record label, distributed by EMI. Founded by Jeff Barrett, a former press officer for Creation Records and many successful indie bands of the time including Happy Mondays, Heavenly Recordings' first releases were 7" and 12" singles for...
re-released Motown Junk to sell at the Manic Street Preachers gig on the 21st of May 2011 and at the Berwick Independent Marker.