Sex Type Thing
Encyclopedia
"Sex Type Thing" is the debut single released in 1992 by American rock
band Stone Temple Pilots
from their debut studio album, Core
. "Sex Type Thing" also appears on the greatest hits compilation album Thank You
. The song spawned a music video
which received moderate rotation on MTV
(at the height of the early 1990s grunge
music scene). The single peaked at number 23 on the US Modern Rock chart.
was inspired to write the lyrics after an incident in which a girl he was dating was raped by three high school football players after a party. Thus, Weiland has stated the song is an anti-rape statement, not a song simply about sex, saying:
"This song is really not about sex at all. It's about control, violence and abuse of power."
According to guitarist Dean DeLeo
, the song "In the Light
" by Led Zeppelin
had a direct influence on the main riff in "Sex Type Thing".
In an October 1997 interview in Seconds magazine, Glenn Danzig
mentions the similarity of the main riff to the Danzig
song "Snakes of Christ
".
. The song continues to remain a staple at STP shows.
fashion, with the band members playing their various instruments in the background. Various shots of women are shown being hung by chains. This video is rather distinctive because it is the first to showcase Scott Weiland's
trademark "dance".
The set was used again for Sunny Day Real Estate
's "In Circles" music video in 1994.
. Weiland found himself in the position of defending "Sex Type Thing" to individuals who took the first-person approach he used in the song ("I am a man, a man/I'll give ya something that ya won't forget/I said ya shouldn't have worn that dress") literally. In a 1993 interview with Rolling Stone
, Weiland expressed his frustration with the song's reception by saying "It was, 'All right, the "Cop Killer
" controversy's dead, let's try to find something else'...I never thought that people would ever seriously think that I was an advocate of date rape."
The main riff is copied by many bands. Finnish metal
band Kotiteollisuus
has copied the riff on their track "Rakastaa ei Rakasta". Also the Finnish Eurovision Song Contest 2006
winner, Lordi
, has the same riff on their newest single "This is Heavy Metal".
CD Single #2
Note: Live versions recorded at the Reading Festival 1993.
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band Stone Temple Pilots
Stone Temple Pilots
Stone Temple Pilots is an American rock band from San Diego, California that consists of Scott Weiland , brothers Robert DeLeo and Dean DeLeo , and Eric Kretz ....
from their debut studio album, Core
Core (Stone Temple Pilots album)
The album was released on September 29, 1992 on Atlantic, the same day Alice in Chains released Dirt, another important album of the grunge era. Despite high sales, the album received mixed to negative reviews. Critics blasted the band as "rip-offs" of grunge bands such as Pearl Jam and Alice in...
. "Sex Type Thing" also appears on the greatest hits compilation album Thank You
Thank You (Stone Temple Pilots album)
-Charts:Album - Billboard Singles - Billboard -References:...
. The song spawned a music video
Music 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...
which received moderate rotation on MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
(at the height of the early 1990s grunge
Grunge
Grunge is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged during the mid-1980s in the American state of Washington, particularly in the Seattle area. Inspired by hardcore punk, heavy metal, and indie rock, grunge is generally characterized by heavily distorted electric guitars, contrasting song...
music scene). The single peaked at number 23 on the US Modern Rock chart.
Lyrics and composition
Scott WeilandScott Weiland
Scott Weiland is an American musician, lyricist, and vocalist, most notable for his work with Grammy Award-winning rock band Stone Temple Pilots. Weiland is also known for his five-year career with supergroup Velvet Revolver as well as his own solo career...
was inspired to write the lyrics after an incident in which a girl he was dating was raped by three high school football players after a party. Thus, Weiland has stated the song is an anti-rape statement, not a song simply about sex, saying:
"This song is really not about sex at all. It's about control, violence and abuse of power."
According to guitarist Dean DeLeo
Dean DeLeo
Dean DeLeo is an American guitarist for the rock band Stone Temple Pilots.He is also known for his role in the short-lived bands Talk Show and Army of Anyone, which featured his younger brother Robert DeLeo, Filter frontman Richard Patrick, and session drummer Ray Luzier...
, the song "In the Light
In the Light
"In the Light" is a song by English rock band Led Zeppelin from their 1975 album Physical Graffiti. Most of it was composed by bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones on his synthesizer...
" by Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
had a direct influence on the main riff in "Sex Type Thing".
In an October 1997 interview in Seconds magazine, Glenn Danzig
Glenn Danzig
Glenn Danzig Glenn Danzig Glenn Danzig (born Glenn Allen Anzalone; June 23, 1955 is an American singer-songwriter, musician, author, entrepreneur, and a progenitor of the horror punk subgenre of music. He is a founder of bands the Misfits, Samhain, and Danzig...
mentions the similarity of the main riff to the Danzig
Danzig (band)
Danzig is an American heavy metal band, formed in 1987 in Lodi, New Jersey. The band serves as a musical outlet for the singer/songwriter Glenn Danzig. Danzig can be seen as the third stage in Glenn Danzig's musical career, preceded by the horror punk bands The Misfits and Samhain...
song "Snakes of Christ
Danzig II: Lucifuge
Danzig II: Lucifuge is the second album by Danzig. It was released in 1990 on Def American Recordings and was reissued in the USA and UK in 1998 by Def American's successor, American Recordings.-Music and recording:...
".
Live performances
Over time, "Sex Type Thing" became the band's traditional closer at live shows. During some performances from 1999 until STP's 2003 break-up, the band would extend the song's bridge into a jam session where Weiland would strip naked in front of the audience and then wrap his lower body in an American flagFlag of the United States
The national flag of the United States of America consists of thirteen equal horizontal stripes of red alternating with white, with a blue rectangle in the canton bearing fifty small, white, five-pointed stars arranged in nine offset horizontal rows of six stars alternating with rows...
. The song continues to remain a staple at STP shows.
Music video
During the grunge explosion of the 90's, the music video for "Sex Type Thing" is usually denoted as the single factor that drove Stone Temple Pilots into the scene. The video was in medium-heavy rotation on MTV during the time, and helped make STP a contender in the grunge war. The video itself hosts a very dark motif, with Scott Weiland (who bleached his hair blond) being tortured in a rather BDSMBDSM
BDSM is an erotic preference and a form of sexual expression involving the consensual use of restraint, intense sensory stimulation, and fantasy power role-play. The compound acronym BDSM is derived from the terms bondage and discipline , dominance and submission , and sadism and masochism...
fashion, with the band members playing their various instruments in the background. Various shots of women are shown being hung by chains. This video is rather distinctive because it is the first to showcase Scott Weiland's
Scott Weiland
Scott Weiland is an American musician, lyricist, and vocalist, most notable for his work with Grammy Award-winning rock band Stone Temple Pilots. Weiland is also known for his five-year career with supergroup Velvet Revolver as well as his own solo career...
trademark "dance".
The set was used again for Sunny Day Real Estate
Sunny Day Real Estate
Sunny Day Real Estate is an American rock band from Seattle, Washington. In the 1990s, the group expanded upon the grunge style that was popular in the local scene to make a more melodic sound. While not the first band to be classified as emo, they were instrumental in establishing the genre. In...
's "In Circles" music video in 1994.
Controversy
Upon the success of "Sex Type Thing", controversies regarding the song's lyrics emerged while STP was on tour opening for MegadethMegadeth
Megadeth is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California which was formed in 1983 by guitarist/vocalist Dave Mustaine, bassist Dave Ellefson and guitarist Greg Handevidt, following Mustaine's expulsion from Metallica. The band has since released 13 studio albums, three live albums, two...
. Weiland found himself in the position of defending "Sex Type Thing" to individuals who took the first-person approach he used in the song ("I am a man, a man/I'll give ya something that ya won't forget/I said ya shouldn't have worn that dress") literally. In a 1993 interview with Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
, Weiland expressed his frustration with the song's reception by saying "It was, 'All right, the "Cop Killer
Cop Killer (song)
"Cop Killer" is a song by American band Body Count, from its 1992 self-titled debut album. The lyrics are sung from the point of view of an individual who is outraged by police brutality and decides to take the law into his own hands by killing police officers...
" controversy's dead, let's try to find something else'...I never thought that people would ever seriously think that I was an advocate of date rape."
The main riff is copied by many bands. Finnish metal
Metal
A metal , is an element, compound, or alloy that is a good conductor of both electricity and heat. Metals are usually malleable and shiny, that is they reflect most of incident light...
band Kotiteollisuus
Kotiteollisuus
Kotiteollisuus is a Finnish hard rock/heavy metal band that was formed in 1991 in Lappeenranta. The band released its first demo tape in 1993 under the name "Hullu ukko ja Kotiteollisuus" . The shortened name and current line-up was established in 1997.Kotiteollisuus is said to combine "furious...
has copied the riff on their track "Rakastaa ei Rakasta". Also the Finnish Eurovision Song Contest 2006
Eurovision Song Contest 2006
The Eurovision Song Contest 2006 was the 51st Eurovision Song Contest, held at the Olympic Indoor Hall in Athens, Greece on 18 May and 20 May 2006 . The hosting national broadcaster of the contest was Ellinikí Radiofonía Tileórasi . The Finnish band Lordi won the contest with the song "Hard Rock...
winner, Lordi
Lordi
Lordi is a Finnish hard rock/heavy metal band, formed in 1996 by the band's lead singer, songwriter and costume-designer, Mr. Lordi. The band is known for wearing monster masks and using pyrotechnics during concerts...
, has the same riff on their newest single "This is Heavy Metal".
Track listing
CD Single #1- "Sex Type Thing" - 3:38
- "Piece of Pie" - 5:28
- "Wicked GardenWicked Garden"Wicked Garden" is a song by Stone Temple Pilots that appears on their debut studio album, Core. The song was never released as a commercial single but is still considered to be one of the band's biggest hits and appears on their greatest hits compilation, Thank You...
" [Live] - 4:26 - "Sin" [Live] - 7:52
CD Single #2
- "Sex Type Thing" - 3:38
- "Piece of Pie" - 5:28
- "Dead and Bloated" [Live] - 4:53
- "Sex Type Thing" [Live] - 4:01
Note: Live versions recorded at the Reading Festival 1993.
Appearances and covers
- "Sex Type Thing" was featured on the soundtrack of the American version of Gran Turismo 2Gran Turismo 2is a driving simulator / racing game for the Sony PlayStation. Gran Turismo 2 was developed by Polyphony Digital and published by Sony Computer Entertainment in 1999. The games serves as a sequel to Gran Turismo...
. - Along with "Interstate Love SongInterstate Love Song"Interstate Love Song" is a song by the American rock band Stone Temple Pilots, from their second studio album, Purple, released in 1994. The song, considered to be one of the band's biggest hits, hit number one on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart on September 17, 1994. The song it replaced at...
", "Sex Type Thing" is one of the first two STP songs available as a downloadable master track for Rock BandRock BandRock Band is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games and Electronic Arts. It is the first title in the Rock Band series. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were released in the United States on November 20, 2007, while the PlayStation 2 version was...
. - The song has been covered live by Velvet RevolverVelvet RevolverVelvet Revolver is an American hard rock supergroup consisting of former Guns N' Roses members Slash, Duff McKagan, and Matt Sorum, alongside Dave Kushner formerly of punk band Wasted Youth. Stone Temple Pilots vocalist Scott Weiland was Velvet Revolver's lead singer from their formation until...
, a supergroupSupergroup (music)In the late 1960s, the term supergroup was coined to describe "a rock music group whose performers are already famous from having performed individually or in other groups"....
in which Weiland fronted from 2003-2008. - EvanescenceEvanescenceEvanescence is an American rock band founded in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1995 by singer/pianist Amy Lee and guitarist Ben Moody. After recording private albums, the band released their first full-length album, Fallen, on Wind-up Records in 2003. Fallen sold more than 17 million copies worldwide...
, FuelFuel (band)Fuel is an American rock band formed by guitarist/songwriter Carl Bell and bassist Jeff Abercrombie in 1989. Originally known as Small the Joy, they changed the group's name to Fuel sometime in 1994...
, Papa RoachPapa RoachPapa Roach is an American rock band from Vacaville, California. Their first major-label release was the triple-platinum album Infest . The group's success continued with their gold album Lovehatetragedy , their platinum album Getting Away with Murder , The Paramour Sessions , and Metamorphosis...
and Theory of a DeadmanTheory of a DeadmanTheory of a Deadman is a Canadian rock band from Delta, British Columbia, formed in 2001. The band is currently signed to Roadrunner Records as well as Island Records. The band also includes traits of other music styles, such as country and acoustic, as well as their post-grunge and alternative...
have also covered the song live. - The song is part of the main setlist featured in Guitar Hero: AerosmithGuitar Hero: AerosmithGuitar Hero: Aerosmith is a music video game developed by Neversoft and distributed by Activision. It was released on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 consoles, with a Wii version developed by Vicarious Visions, a PlayStation 2 version by Budcat Creations and with a PC and Mac version by Aspyr Media...
. - "Weird Al" Yankovic"Weird Al" YankovicAlfred Matthew "Weird Al" Yankovic is an American singer-songwriter, music producer, accordionist, actor, comedian, writer, satirist, and parodist. Yankovic is known for his humorous songs that make light of popular culture and that often parody specific songs by contemporary musical acts...
covered part of "Sex Type Thing" in his song "The Alternative Polka" off the album Bad Hair DayBad Hair DayBad Hair Day is the 9th studio album by "Weird Al" Yankovic, released in 1996. This album was the third studio album self-produced by Yankovic. The musical styles on Bad Hair Day are built around parodies and pastiches pop and rock music of the mid 1990s, targeting alternative rock and hip-hop...
. - An electronic reworking of the song appeared in the episode "Let it Bleed" of CSI: Crime Scene InvestigationCSI: Crime Scene InvestigationCSI: Crime Scene Investigation is an American crime drama television series, which premiered on CBS on October 6, 2000. The show was created by Anthony E. Zuiker and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer...
. - The song was released as Downloadable Content on June 1, 2010 as part of Stone Temple Pilots Track Pack with "PlushPlush (song)"Plush" is a song by American rock band Stone Temple Pilots. It is one of the band's biggest hits, and was released as the second single from the band's debut studio album, Core .-Composition and inspiration:...
" and "Between the Lines" for Guitar Hero 5Guitar Hero 5Guitar Hero 5 is a music video game and the fifth main entry in the Guitar Hero series. The game was developed by Neversoft and published by RedOctane and Activision, and released internationally in September 2009 for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 2, 3 and Wii consoles...
.