Novocaine for the Soul
Encyclopedia
"Novocaine for the Soul" is the first single
released by American rock band Eels
. The track comes from their 1996 debut album, Beautiful Freak
. "Novocaine for the Soul" was the first song that gave Eels international success, most notably in the UK, where it hit number 10 in the UK Singles Chart
in February 1997. It also hit number one on the Billboard
Modern Rock Tracks chart for two weeks in October 1996, and remained on the chart for 25 weeks.
The song samples Fats Domino
's 1961 U.S. Top 20 single "Let the Four Winds Blow".
The song's popularity was also aided by its later use in the British television show Trigger Happy TV
.
was directed by Mark Romanek
and features E and the other band members suspended on wires, making them appear to be flying. Romanek states that he was inspired by Mary Poppins
, a film he had seen as a child.
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...
released by American rock band Eels
Eels (band)
Eels is an American indie rock band formed by singer/songwriter Mark Oliver Everett, better known as E...
. The track comes from their 1996 debut album, Beautiful Freak
Beautiful Freak
Beautiful Freak is a 1996 album by musician Mark Oliver Everett, his first using a full band and the name Eels...
. "Novocaine for the Soul" was the first song that gave Eels international success, most notably in the UK, where it hit number 10 in the 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 ...
in February 1997. It also hit number one on the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Modern Rock Tracks chart for two weeks in October 1996, and remained on the chart for 25 weeks.
The song samples Fats Domino
Fats Domino
Antoine Dominique "Fats" Domino, Jr. is an American R&B and rock and roll pianist and singer-songwriter. He was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana, and Creole was his first language....
's 1961 U.S. Top 20 single "Let the Four Winds Blow".
The song's popularity was also aided by its later use in the British television show Trigger Happy TV
Trigger Happy TV
Trigger Happy TV was a hidden camera/practical joke reality television program. The original British edition of the show, produced by Absolutely Productions, starred Dom Joly and ran for two series on the British television channel Channel 4 from 2000 until 2002...
.
Music video
The music videoMusic video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
was directed by Mark Romanek
Mark Romanek
Mark Romanek is an American filmmaker, whose directing work includes feature films, music videos and commercials.He wrote and directed the critically acclaimed 2002 film One Hour Photo starring Robin Williams...
and features E and the other band members suspended on wires, making them appear to be flying. Romanek states that he was inspired by Mary Poppins
Mary Poppins (film)
Mary Poppins is a 1964 musical film starring Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke, produced by Walt Disney, and based on the Mary Poppins books series by P. L. Travers with illustrations by Mary Shepard. The film was directed by Robert Stevenson and written by Bill Walsh and Don DaGradi, with songs by...
, a film he had seen as a child.
Track listing
- "Novocaine for the Soul"
- "Guest List"
- "My Beloved Monster" (Live from Tennessee)
- "Fucker"
Charts
| Chart (1996) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canadian RPM RPM (magazine) RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,... Alternative 30 Canadian rock/alternative chart The Canadian rock/alternative chart was first published on June 11, 1995 by RPM magazine under the name Alternative 30. The song which held the number-one spot on this first chart was "More Human than Human" by White Zombie... |
1 |
| 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 ... |
10 |
| US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks | 1 |
See also
- Number one modern rock hits of 1996Number one modern rock hits of 1996These are the Billboard magazine Modern Rock Tracks number one hits of 1996....
- List of RPM Rock/Alternative number-one singles (Canada)