Signal Fire (song)
Encyclopedia
"Signal Fire" is a song from alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...

 band Snow Patrol
Snow Patrol
Snow Patrol are an alternative rock band from Bangor, County Down, Northern Ireland. Formed at the University of Dundee in 1994 as an indie rock band, the band is now based in Glasgow...

, appearing on the soundtrack
Soundtrack
A soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...

 of the film Spider-Man 3
Spider-Man 3
Spider-Man 3 is a 2007 American superhero film written and directed by Sam Raimi, with a screenplay by Ivan Raimi and Alvin Sargent. It is the third film in the Sam Raimi Spider-Man trilogy based on the fictional Marvel Comics character Spider-Man...

, released on 24 April, 30 April, 2 May and 14 May 2007, depending on the region. It was the only single released from the soundtrack. The song was initially offered to Shrek
Shrek
Shrek is a 2001 American computer-animated fantasy comedy film directed by Andrew Adamson and Vicky Jenson, featuring the voices of Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, and John Lithgow. Loosely based on William Steig's 1990 fairy tale picture book Shrek!...

. It was recorded at Grouse Lodge
Grouse Lodge
Grouse Lodge is a recording studio in County Westmeath, Ireland. Designed by Andy Munro it has two studios and living quarters in nine stone outhouses, integrating the existing 275 year old stone structure...

 and was produced by long-time Snow Patrol producer Jacknife Lee
Jacknife Lee
Garret "Jacknife" Lee is an Irish music producer and mixer. He has worked with a variety of artists, including The Cars, U2, R.E.M., Snow Patrol, Bloc Party, AFI, The Hives, Weezer, Vega4 and Editors.-Biography:...

.

The single was released as a special web-shaped vinyl in the UK and Ireland, where it proved to be a success in the charts, reaching the Top 5 in both countries. However, critical reception towards the single was generally mixed, with one critic calling it "unoriginal". The music video for the song was nominated for the "Best Video from a Film" category at the MTV Video Music Awards Japan 2008
MTV Video Music Awards Japan 2008
The 2008 MTV Video Music Awards Japan were held on Saturday, May 31 at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.- Video of the Year:* Exile — "I Believe"* Mr...

, but it did not win.

Background

The band visited Grouse Lodge with producer Jacknife Lee in early 2007 to record the song. Drummer Jonny Quinn
Jonny Quinn
Jonathan Graham "Jonny" Quinn is a Northern Irish drummer, born in Bangor. He is best known as the drummer for alternative rock band Snow Patrol, and was previously a member of bands like The Mighty Fall, The New Brontes and Disraeli Gears. As drummer for Snow Patrol, he has played on all releases...

, injured at the time because of his snowboarding accident in January, drummed with one hand during the recording sessions.

A demo of the song was initially offered by the band for Shrek the Third
Shrek the Third
Shrek the Third is a 2007 American animated film, and the third film in the Shrek series. It was produced by Jeffrey Katzenberg for DreamWorks Animation, and is distributed by Paramount Pictures. It was released in U.S. theaters on May 18, 2007...

, but was rejected. Gary Lightbody
Gary Lightbody
Gary Lightbody is an Northern Irish musician and songwriter best known as the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the alternative rock band Snow Patrol.- Early life :...

 revealed the band's involvement with Spider-Man 3
Spider-Man 3
Spider-Man 3 is a 2007 American superhero film written and directed by Sam Raimi, with a screenplay by Ivan Raimi and Alvin Sargent. It is the third film in the Sam Raimi Spider-Man trilogy based on the fictional Marvel Comics character Spider-Man...

 on 5 March 2007. Quinn later said: "Shrek didn't like it, but Spider-Man did." Though he wasn't sure where the song would be appearing in the film, he was excited at being associated with the franchise and was quoted as saying: "'Signal Fire' will be featured in the trailers and the movie itself. It may only appear over the end credits, but hey, it's Spidey!" The song was finally used at the end of the film.

Promotion and release

Snow Patrol's website organized a competition to give away two tickets for T in the Park, which was open to UK and Ireland fans. Fans were required to create a video, which could be about anything, but the song had to be used as the soundtrack. Before the song was officially released, it was put up on the band's official website as a live stream. The website also revealed the single's artwork on 5 April. The single was released in three formats: Vinyl, CD and Digital Download and first appeared on sale on the US iTunes on 24 April, followed by rest of the world on the 30th.

The physical CD single was released in Australia and Japan on 2 May. The Australian CD Single was backed with three b-sides, all songs taken from a live performance. The single was released in the UK and Ireland in two formats: Vinyl and CD. Both formats were released on 14 May, which included a remix of the song "Wow". Remixed by Eddy Temple-Morris
Eddy Temple-Morris
The Honourable Edward Temple-Morris is a British DJ, record producer and TV presenter.-Biography:Eddy Temple-Morris hosts XFM's specialist show The Remix. Before joining XFM, he was the main presenter on the MTV show Up for It Live, presented shows for Atlantic 252 & BBC Hereford & Worcester,...

, the "Eddy TM Loser Remix" was much requested on the band's website. The remix was later included on Temple-Morris' compilation album Dance Rocks. The vinyl release was on a specially created web-shaped vinyl
Unusual types of gramophone records
The overwhelming majority of records manufactured have been of certain sizes , playback speeds , and appearance...

 housed in a PVC sleeve. The single could also be pre-ordered from HMV
HMV Group
HMV is a British global entertainment retail chain and is the largest of its kind in the United Kingdom and Ireland. The company also operates in Hong Kong and Singapore. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE Fledgling Index...

 and Amazon
Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...

.

Music video

The band flew to Canada to shoot the video for the song, which premiered on the Q magazine
Q (magazine)
Q is a popular music magazine published monthly in the United Kingdom.Founders Mark Ellen and David Hepworth were dismayed by the music press of the time, which they felt was ignoring a generation of older music buyers who were buying CDs — then still a new technology...

 website on 13 April. On 16 April 2007 a 60 second promotional clip was shown on the band's official website, with members able to see the full video in the members section. The video was directed by Paul McGuigan
Paul McGuigan (filmmaker)
Paul McGuigan is a film director, best known for directing films such as Lucky Number Slevin and Push. He has also directed episodes of Sherlock and Monroe.-Filmography:-Awards:...

, who had previously worked with the band for the video to "Set the Fire to the Third Bar
Set the Fire to the Third Bar
"Set the Fire to the Third Bar" is a song from Snow Patrol's fourth album, Eyes Open, featuring Martha Wainwright on vocals. The song was released as a single on the 13 November 2006.- Background :...

". Lightbody has also expressed his desire to work with McGuigan (among other independent film directors) on a film someday in the future.

The video features school children enacting scenes from the first two Spider-Man
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...

 films on stage, with the band playing the song. It opens with a scene showing the children's parents making their way into the hall beside a board reading: "Tonight: Spider-Man". The curtain opens and children dressed as Peter Parker
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...

 and Mary Jane Watson appear on stage, with Parker taking photographs of Watson. A boy dressed as a spider is then shown being pulled up with ropes. He is then lowered down to the stage and proceeds to bite Parker on the neck. The next scenes show Parker's affinity for Watson, with Parker peeking at her through his bedroom window while she combs her hair. He then lies down to sleep as the song reaches its chorus.

During the chorus he is shown to be "writhing" in the bed, which ends with him tearing his shirt open and revealing the Spider-Man costume underneath. He is then shown crawling and climbing buildings in the city in the full costume. As Lightbody sings "In the confusion and the aftermath...", a scene shows robbers who have just come out of a bank. Spider-Man arrives and proceeds to "hit" them; signs such as "POW!" are shown to create the effect. He then "catches" them with his web and the police arrives. Throughout this there are scenes of the boy dressed as the spider looking on. A child then shows a board saying "Spider-Man saves the day!!!", and Watson is shown swooning over the hero.

The next scene shows the Green Goblin trying to kidnap Watson, but Spider-Man disorients him by throwing a web over him and Watson uses the distraction to escape. Doctor Octopus
Doctor Octopus
Doctor Octopus is a fictional character, a supervillain that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics since 1963. A highly intelligent mad scientist, Doctor Octopus is one of Spider-Man's greatest foes...

 then appears and begins to catch and kill various citizens with his claws. The next scene atop a bus shows Doctor Octopus trying to take Watson away, but she manages to run away after hitting him. Spider-Man then appears, fighting the villain and "killing" him. He is shown being lowered down and Watson comes to him, removing his goggles and revealing his identity. Then, the boy dressed as the spider comes up to her and kisses her on the cheek. The children bow down to thank the applauding audience, and a scene then shows the "spider" and Watson on a web, with the "spider" smiling for the first time. The "black Spider-Man" then makes an appearance, holding a board which reads "Coming soon! Spider-Man 3".

Track listing

  • UK/Irish CD Single:
  1. "Signal Fire" – 4:29
  2. "Wow" (Eddy TM Loser Remix) – 5:39

  • UK/Irish Web-shaped Vinyl:
A: "Signal Fire" – 4:29
B: "Wow" (Eddy TM Loser Remix) – 5:39

  • iTunes Digital Download:
  1. "Signal Fire" – 4:29

  • Australian CD Single:
  1. "Signal Fire" – 4:29
  2. "Chocolate" (Live) – 3:03
  3. "Run" (Live) – 5:38
  4. "Spitting Games" (Live) – 4:17

Live tracks recorded at Columbiahalle, Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...

 on 9 February 2007.
  • UK Promo CD:
  1. "Signal Fire" (Radio Edit) – 3:57


Reception

Critical reception of the single was generally mixed. MusicOMH's Jenni Cole reviewed the song positively, calling it "a decent song, whether it's tied to a blockbuster movie or not." She noted the crescendo at the song's end saying that it's an "unusual tempo that gives a definite impression of needing some accompanying visuals before it will make complete sense. Then it quietens down again, a bit like the fast, slow, fast, fast, slow that's supposedly the magic formula for plotting movie acts." She found the song gets "catchier the more times you hear it and it works remarkably well." She also felt the band "manage(d) to keep their own identity throughout the song - not always easy on a franchise soundtrack - and that deserves some praise on its own." The Daily Record
Daily Record (Scotland)
The Daily Record is a Scottish tabloid newspaper based in Glasgow. It had been the best-selling daily paper in Scotland for many years with a paid circulation in August 2011 of 307,794 . It is now outsold by its arch-rival the Scottish Sun which in September 2010 had a circulation of 339,586 in...

's Rick Fulton reviewed the single positively as well, writing it has Snow Patrol's "trade-mark epic quiet-slow, then loud-fast blueprint". He awarded it 4 stars out of 5 and named it the single of the week. 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...

s review was positive as well. If felt the song was "a powerful love song written in the first person". It praised Lightbody's vocals, saying that though it would be easy for a singer to overdo the chorus, Lightbody did it as if he was "unimpressed".

However, Stereogum
Stereogum
Stereogum was one of the first MP3 blogs. It was created by Scott Lapatine in January 2002 with a focus on independent and alternative music news, downloads, videos, and gossip. Stereogum has received several awards and citations, including the 2008 Plug Award for best music blog, Blender's...

's review of the single was extremely negative. It called the song "drab" and mocked the band for "doing the piano sap rock so effectively", saying only "moms and first dates" will like it. NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...

 made comparisons between Gary Lightbody and "Spider-man" Peter Parker, saying both live double lives, with Lightbody's duality being a "mainstream/indie bastard hybrid". It said that both had to choose between their "good and dark sides". It then reviewed the single negatively, writing that the single "cops out, squatting uncomfortably between the two and leaving us in a web of indifference". Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
The Manchester Evening News is a regional daily newspaper covering Greater Manchester in the United Kingdom. It is published every day except Sunday and is owned by Trinity Mirror plc following its sale by Guardian Media Group in early 2010. It has an average daily circulation of 90,973 copies...

' Glenn Meads reviewed the single negatively. He called it "samey" and "unoriginal", with "all of the usual Snow Patrol trademarks; slow burning chorus, big production values, and heart felt lyrics - it all builds to a big crescendo". He further criticized the song as "empty" as a "summer blockbuster; like Spidey". The song made its live debut on 5 June 2007 at an exclusive show at King Tut's Wah Wah Hut
King Tut's Wah Wah Hut
King Tut's Wah Wah Hut, also known as King Tut's, is a live music venue and bar in on St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Scotland. It is owned and managed by Glasgow-based gig promoters DF Concerts...

 for 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...

 to good reception by the 350-strong crowd.

Hot Press
Hot Press
Hot Press is a fortnightly music and political magazine based in Dublin, Ireland founded in 1977. The magazine has been edited since its inception by Niall Stokes. According to the Audit Bureau of Circulations, it had a circulation of 19,215 during 2007...

 had praise for the Eddy Temple-Morris remix of "Wow". The magazine also ordered ten copies of the vinyl, calling it "nifty". The single was a moderate success on the charts, charting in six charts around the world, where it spent a collective fifty-seven weeks. However, it was a success in the UK and Ireland, reaching #4 and #2 respectively. It additionally reached the Top 30 in Australia and France. Furthermore, the single is the band's biggest chart hit to date. The music video for "Signal Fire" was nominated for the "Best Video from a Film" category at the MTV Video Music Awards Japan 2008, which was won by Hikaru Utada for her song "Beautiful World
Beautiful World/Kiss & Cry
"Beautiful World/Kiss & Cry" is Utada Hikaru's 19th Japanese single . The single was released on August 29, 2007 as her second single for 2007. "Beautiful World" was re-released in 2009 as "Beautiful World " for the release of the movie Evangelion: 2.0 You Can Advance.Beautiful World / Kiss & Cry...

".

Charts

Chart (2007) Peak
position
ARIA Singles Chart
Australian Recording Industry Association
The Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry which was established in 1983 by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers which was formed in 1956...

22
French Singles Chart
Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique
The Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique is the inter-professional organization which protects the interests of the French record industry...

23
Irish Singles Chart
Irish Singles Chart
The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured...

2
Japanese Singles Chart
Japan Hot 100
The Japan Hot 100 is a music singles chart in Japan. It is compiled by Billboard and Hanshin Contents Link ever since February 2008. The chart is updated every Wednesday at billboard-japan.com and every Thursday at billboard.com ....

75
Swiss Charts
Swiss Music Charts
The Swiss Music Charts are Switzerland's main music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland.The Swiss Charts include:* Singles Top 75...

48

Chart (2007) 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 ...

4
US Billboard European Hot 100 Singles
Eurochart Hot 100 Singles
The European Hot 100 Singles has been compiled by Billboard and Music & Media magazine since March, 1984. The chart is based on national singles sales charts in 15 European countries: Austria, Belgium , Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden,...

11
US Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...

65


Personnel

Snow Patrol
  • Gary Lightbody
    Gary Lightbody
    Gary Lightbody is an Northern Irish musician and songwriter best known as the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the alternative rock band Snow Patrol.- Early life :...

     – vocals, guitar, backing vocals
  • Nathan Connolly
    Nathan Connolly
    Nathan Connolly is a Northern Irish musician, who is best known as the lead guitarist and backing vocalist for alternative rock band Snow Patrol.-Early life:...

     – guitar, backing vocals
  • Paul Wilson
    Paul Wilson (musician)
    Paul "Pablo" Wilson is a Scottish musician, who is best known as the bass guitarist for Northern Irish alternative rock band Snow Patrol. He previously played guitar in Glasgow band Terra Diablo from 2000–2005. In March 2005, he replaced bassist Mark McClelland in Snow Patrol and switched...

     – bass guitar, backing vocals
  • Jonny Quinn
    Jonny Quinn
    Jonathan Graham "Jonny" Quinn is a Northern Irish drummer, born in Bangor. He is best known as the drummer for alternative rock band Snow Patrol, and was previously a member of bands like The Mighty Fall, The New Brontes and Disraeli Gears. As drummer for Snow Patrol, he has played on all releases...

     – drums
  • Tom Simpson
    Tom Simpson (musician)
    Tom Simpson is a Scottish DJ and musician, best known as the keyboardist of the Northern Irish alternative rock band Snow Patrol. He has been with Snow Patrol as a touring member since 1997 and became a permanent one in 2005. In 2007, he was arrested on drug charges, but was later...

     – keyboards

Other personnel
  • Jacknife Lee
    Jacknife Lee
    Garret "Jacknife" Lee is an Irish music producer and mixer. He has worked with a variety of artists, including The Cars, U2, R.E.M., Snow Patrol, Bloc Party, AFI, The Hives, Weezer, Vega4 and Editors.-Biography:...

     – producer, programming, engineering
  • Cenzo Townshend – mixing
  • Neil Comber – mixing (assistant)
  • John Davis – mastering
  • James Banbury – strings arrangement

Release history

Country/Region Date Format
United States 24 April 2007 iTunes
Rest of the world 30 April 2007
Australia 2 May 2007 Compact disc
Japan
United Kingdom 14 May 2007 Compact disc, Web-shaped vinyl
Ireland
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