Stop the Clocks (song)
Encyclopedia
"Stop the Clocks" is a song by English rock
band Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds
. Written by guitarist and vocalist Noel Gallagher
in 2001, the song was originally recorded for the Oasis
album Don't Believe the Truth
in 2004, but was removed from the final track listing. When the band released a compilation of the same name
, it was rumoured that the song would appear as a bonus track on the album, but as of 2009 (and the disbandment of Oasis) the song remained unreleased. A studio performance of the song, believed to be dating from the Don't Believe the Truth recording sessions, as well as a live version performed in May 2003, were leak
ed onto the internet on 6 May 2008 by an Oasis fansite. On 6 July 2011, it was announced that "Stop the Clocks" would finally be released on Noel Gallagher's debut solo album, Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds.
", during recording sessions for Heathen Chemistry
, sometime in 2001, and was first mentioned in interviews by Noel in the Autumn of 2002. Noel told Tokyo
's J-Wave
radio station that it's about, "A dream I had one night. It's wondering about if you were dead, how would you know you were actually dead, how would you know you were actually alive. When you go to bed and you dream dreams... if you never woke up, how would you know? Maybe we're all just dreaming now." In March 2003, he told Austria
n TV show 'Arena' that, "it doesn't sound like anything we've done before or anything I've ever written... in its lyrical content it's quite near to The Masterplan".
More details about the song were revealed by Gallagher at the Glastonbury Festival
in June 2004, with Noel telling a backstage programme on BBC Three
that the track was seven minutes long and would probably never be performed live because it was, "just me and an acoustic guitar and lots of backwards stuff and it's something to be listened to when one is very high". It's not known whether Noel was referring to his original demo or if he was referring to a version which had been recorded in early Don't Believe the Truth recording sessions before Glastonbury.
. Noel, fellow Oasis guitarist Gem Archer
and part-time Oasis percussionist Terry Kirkbride played a five-song semi-acoustic set as a favour to The Bandits
, who were headlining at the time. http://www.nme.com/news/104949.htm A review passed on to NME
said that the song was as a cross between "The Hindu Times
" and "Wonderwall
", similar to late George Harrison
-penned Beatles
. It features the lyric 'Stop the clocks and leave it all behind / On the backseat of my mind'. Another review, published at AngryApe, said that the song left the crowd "divided and unsure", adding that it was "a fairly melancholic affair crossing "Fade In-Out" with "Who Feels Love?
". It's classic Oasis but with more soul, fairly mature and well structured as opposed to 3 chord catchy pop songs." http://www.angryape.com/reviews/2003/05/noel-gallagher-live-in-liverpool
in March 2005 that the song, which was tentatively slotted in at track 7, in between "The Meaning of Soul" and "Part of the Queue", might not be included on the album, adding that there was a debate taking place at that moment. The absence of the track was soon confirmed, when Oasis' official web site released the final track listing for the album, with "Stop the Clocks" nowhere to be seen.
During promotional interviews for Don't Believe the Truth, Noel was asked about the song a few times, but he never said anything about the track other than what he talked about in an Oasisinet.com webcast
on April 22, 2005. In a two-hour chat with fans, hosted by Gary Crowley, Noel was asked about the song and why it wasn't on the record. He replied: "The whole album was kind of based around that song. It was kind of a long "Champagne Supernova
"-type thing and it's got fantastic lyrics and a great vibe, but I felt that we never really got the correct version. We've got 6 or 7 versions of it and not one of them really sat in the pocket for me. But it's there and it will now be on the back burner. Originally the album was going to be called Stop the Clocks, which would have been a great title but, because these songs were so new, that song began to feel very old because it was written in 2001. But it will come out eventually."
Noel later revealed that part of Oasis' next studio album could include songs which were written for Don't Believe the Truth and are, in his opinion, equal to anything on that album, but weren't included on it as they didn't quite fit the feel of the record. However when the album Dig Out Your Soul
was released, the song once again was not included.
, fans naturally assumed that the song would be included as a bonus track on the album, as is the case with many other artists compilation albums. A track listing, first published in The Sun
and reprinted by dozens of other media outlets, included the song, plus another documented unreleased Oasis song, Liam's "The Boy with the Blues
", as the final two songs on the album. However, a denial of this tracklisted was quickly issued by the band's management. Confirmation of the tracklisting of the album came on September 11, 2006 with no new songs included.
At a Q&A with fans at the world premiere of Oasis' Lord Don't Slow Me Down
documentary in New York
on November 4, 2006, Gallagher revealed that the song had been considered for inclusion but was rejected as they still didn't have a finished version that they were happy with releasing. He also revealed that there are versions that he sings on and there are versions with Liam singing.
When asked about the absence of any new tracks on the album in press interviews, Noel Gallagher said he thought putting bonus tracks on a 'best-of' album would take the focus away on what was supposed to be a retrospective collection.
On BBC Radio 1
on December 1, 2006, Noel Gallagher said of "Stop the Clocks": "Everybody has got different favourite versions - and until we can decide on which one, then it shall remain in the vault. Hopefully we will get around to it next time." He also confirmed that the words on the cover of the Stop the Clocks album are the lyrics to the song.
In late 2006 interviews to promote the Stop the Clocks album, Noel was asked about the song repeatedly and that he'd said it was his best song ever - comments that he attempted to dampen. In an interview for The Sun, the band were asked about the song. Noel replied by saying, "Every time I write a new song I say it's the best ever! But it's not the best thing I've ever written. There are about ten different versions and I can't decide on which one. It's a good song, the lyrics are great." Liam said, "I don't think it's the best he's written — it's a tune but not his best. He's done about four versions but he's not happy with it so it's a bit of a nightmare." Andy Bell, however, called it "amazing".
In an interview for MTVU.com, Noel said "I did say at the time that it was my best song ever, but I'm kind of prone to saying things like that, as you probably know."
.
It can be found on the Album "Poet der Affen / Poet of the Apes".
Since the title is inspired by the rumors about Noel Gallagher's song, the song itself is entirely written by Finke.
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 Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds
Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds
Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds are an English rock band formed in 2010 as the solo moniker of former Oasis lead guitarist/songwriter Noel Gallagher. The band originates from Manchester and includes former Oasis session pianist Mike Rowe, drummer Jeremy Stacey of The Lemon Trees, The Zutons...
. Written by guitarist and vocalist Noel Gallagher
Noel Gallagher
Noel Thomas David Gallagher is an English musician and singer-songwriter, formerly the lead guitarist, backing vocalist and principal songwriter of the English rock band Oasis. He is currently fronting his solo project, Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds.Raised in Burnage, Manchester with his...
in 2001, the song was originally recorded for the Oasis
Oasis (band)
Oasis were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1991. Originally known as The Rain, the group was formed by Liam Gallagher , Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs , Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan and Tony McCarroll , who were soon joined by Liam's older brother Noel Gallagher...
album Don't Believe the Truth
Don't Believe the Truth
Don't Believe the Truth is the sixth studio album by English rock band Oasis, released on 30 May 2005. It reached number 1 in the UK Albums Chart with first week sales of just under 238,000, and is the 32nd fastest selling album ever in the UK. The album entered the U.S...
in 2004, but was removed from the final track listing. When the band released a compilation of the same name
Stop the Clocks
Stop the Clocks is a compilation album by English rock band Oasis, released on 20 November 2006. The "retrospective collection" is an 18-track double album with the featured songs chosen by Noel Gallagher; however, it does not actually include their song "Stop the Clocks" after which the album is...
, it was rumoured that the song would appear as a bonus track on the album, but as of 2009 (and the disbandment of Oasis) the song remained unreleased. A studio performance of the song, believed to be dating from the Don't Believe the Truth recording sessions, as well as a live version performed in May 2003, were leak
Internet leak
An Internet leak occurs when a party's confidential information is released to the public on the Internet. Various types of information and data can be, and have been, "leaked" to the Internet, the most common being personal information, computer software and source code, and artistic works such...
ed onto the internet on 6 May 2008 by an Oasis fansite. On 6 July 2011, it was announced that "Stop the Clocks" would finally be released on Noel Gallagher's debut solo album, Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds.
Background and composition (2001–2002)
In a November 2006 interview for an Italian broadcast, Noel said that he wrote the song in 2001 while in Thailand. It was written whilst Liam Gallagher was recording vocals for "Stop Crying Your Heart OutStop Crying Your Heart Out
"Stop Crying Your Heart Out" is a song by the English rock band Oasis. It was released as the second single from their fifth studio album, Heathen Chemistry, on 17 June 2002...
", during recording sessions for Heathen Chemistry
Heathen Chemistry
Heathen Chemistry is the fifth studio album by the English rock band Oasis, released in 2002.The album was written and recorded with a back-to-basics sound with a more rock feel to it; the more crude and simple sound differs from the musical grandiosity of their previous records, Be Here Now and...
, sometime in 2001, and was first mentioned in interviews by Noel in the Autumn of 2002. Noel told Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
's J-Wave
J-Wave
J-Wave is a commercial radio station based in Tokyo, Japan, broadcasting on 81.3 FM from the Tokyo Tower to the Tokyo area. J-Wave airs mostly music covering a wide range of formats. The station is considered the most popular among FM broadcasts in Tokyo, and has surprised the radio broadcast...
radio station that it's about, "A dream I had one night. It's wondering about if you were dead, how would you know you were actually dead, how would you know you were actually alive. When you go to bed and you dream dreams... if you never woke up, how would you know? Maybe we're all just dreaming now." In March 2003, he told Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n TV show 'Arena' that, "it doesn't sound like anything we've done before or anything I've ever written... in its lyrical content it's quite near to The Masterplan".
More details about the song were revealed by Gallagher at the Glastonbury Festival
Glastonbury Festival
The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts, commonly abbreviated to Glastonbury or even Glasto, is a performing arts festival that takes place near Pilton, Somerset, England, best known for its contemporary music, but also for dance, comedy, theatre, circus, cabaret and other arts.The...
in June 2004, with Noel telling a backstage programme on BBC Three
BBC Three
BBC Three is a television network from the BBC broadcasting via digital cable, terrestrial, IPTV and satellite platforms. The channel's target audience includes those in the 16-34 year old age group, and has the purpose of providing "innovative" content to younger audiences, focusing on new talent...
that the track was seven minutes long and would probably never be performed live because it was, "just me and an acoustic guitar and lots of backwards stuff and it's something to be listened to when one is very high". It's not known whether Noel was referring to his original demo or if he was referring to a version which had been recorded in early Don't Believe the Truth recording sessions before Glastonbury.
Debut live performance (2003)
On May 3, 2003, Noel played the song in public for the first time at the Zanzibar club in LiverpoolLiverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
. Noel, fellow Oasis guitarist Gem Archer
Gem Archer
Colin Murray "Gem" Archer is a member of the English rock band Beady Eye. He is, however, best known for his work with Heavy Stereo and Oasis. He joined Oasis as rhythm guitarist in November 1999, and handled lead guitarist for acoustics as well. He also contributed towards the writing of some of...
and part-time Oasis percussionist Terry Kirkbride played a five-song semi-acoustic set as a favour to The Bandits
The Bandits
The Bandits were an English blues rock band from Liverpool. They are most notable for the singles "Take it and Run" and "2 Step Rock", which both reached the Top 40 on the UK Singles Chart.-History:...
, who were headlining at the time. http://www.nme.com/news/104949.htm A review passed on to 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...
said that the song was as a cross between "The Hindu Times
The Hindu Times
"The Hindu Times" is a song by the English rock band Oasis. It was the first single released from their fifth album Heathen Chemistry on 15 April 2002. It was written by lead guitarist Noel Gallagher. Noel got the name "The Hindu Times" from a t-shirt he saw in a charity shop...
" and "Wonderwall
Wonderwall (song)
"Wonderwall" is a song by English rock band Oasis, written by the band's guitarist and main songwriter Noel Gallagher. The song was produced by Owen Morris and Gallagher for their second album, Morning Glory?...
", similar to late George Harrison
George Harrison
George Harrison, MBE was an English musician, guitarist, singer-songwriter, actor and film producer who achieved international fame as lead guitarist of The Beatles. Often referred to as "the quiet Beatle", Harrison became over time an admirer of Indian mysticism, and introduced it to the other...
-penned Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
. It features the lyric 'Stop the clocks and leave it all behind / On the backseat of my mind'. Another review, published at AngryApe, said that the song left the crowd "divided and unsure", adding that it was "a fairly melancholic affair crossing "Fade In-Out" with "Who Feels Love?
Who Feels Love?
"Who Feels Love?" is a song by the English rock band Oasis, written by the band's lead guitarist Noel Gallagher. It became the second single to be released from the album Standing on the Shoulder of Giants, peaking at number 4 in the UK charts...
". It's classic Oasis but with more soul, fairly mature and well structured as opposed to 3 chord catchy pop songs." http://www.angryape.com/reviews/2003/05/noel-gallagher-live-in-liverpool
Recording for Don't Believe the Truth (2004–2005)
The song was widely expected to be included on Oasis' 2005 album, Don't Believe the Truth, when it came out in May of that year. However, Noel revealed in a short interview to QQ (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...
in March 2005 that the song, which was tentatively slotted in at track 7, in between "The Meaning of Soul" and "Part of the Queue", might not be included on the album, adding that there was a debate taking place at that moment. The absence of the track was soon confirmed, when Oasis' official web site released the final track listing for the album, with "Stop the Clocks" nowhere to be seen.
During promotional interviews for Don't Believe the Truth, Noel was asked about the song a few times, but he never said anything about the track other than what he talked about in an Oasisinet.com webcast
Webcast
A webcast is a media presentation distributed over the Internet using streaming media technology to distribute a single content source to many simultaneous listeners/viewers. A webcast may either be distributed live or on demand...
on April 22, 2005. In a two-hour chat with fans, hosted by Gary Crowley, Noel was asked about the song and why it wasn't on the record. He replied: "The whole album was kind of based around that song. It was kind of a long "Champagne Supernova
Champagne Supernova
"Champagne Supernova" is a song by English rock band Oasis, written by guitarist Noel Gallagher. The seven-minute anthem is the closing track on the record-breaking album Morning Glory?...
"-type thing and it's got fantastic lyrics and a great vibe, but I felt that we never really got the correct version. We've got 6 or 7 versions of it and not one of them really sat in the pocket for me. But it's there and it will now be on the back burner. Originally the album was going to be called Stop the Clocks, which would have been a great title but, because these songs were so new, that song began to feel very old because it was written in 2001. But it will come out eventually."
Noel later revealed that part of Oasis' next studio album could include songs which were written for Don't Believe the Truth and are, in his opinion, equal to anything on that album, but weren't included on it as they didn't quite fit the feel of the record. However when the album Dig Out Your Soul
Dig Out Your Soul
Dig Out Your Soul is the seventh and final studio album by English rock band Oasis. It was released in October 2008. The first single, "The Shock of the Lightning", was released on 29 September 2008. In promotion of the album, the band embarked on a world tour, debuting in Seattle, Washington at...
was released, the song once again was not included.
Possible Stop the Clocks inclusion (2006)
When details were first revealed in July 2006 for an Oasis' best-of album, entitled Stop the ClocksStop the Clocks
Stop the Clocks is a compilation album by English rock band Oasis, released on 20 November 2006. The "retrospective collection" is an 18-track double album with the featured songs chosen by Noel Gallagher; however, it does not actually include their song "Stop the Clocks" after which the album is...
, fans naturally assumed that the song would be included as a bonus track on the album, as is the case with many other artists compilation albums. A track listing, first published in The Sun
The Sun (newspaper)
The Sun is a daily national tabloid newspaper published in the United Kingdom and owned by News Corporation. Sister editions are published in Glasgow and Dublin...
and reprinted by dozens of other media outlets, included the song, plus another documented unreleased Oasis song, Liam's "The Boy with the Blues
The Boy with the Blues
"Boy with the Blues" is a song by British rock band Oasis, written by frontman Liam Gallagher. The song was considered for inclusion on the band's sixth album, Don't Believe the Truth, but missed the final cut. In October 2005, Noel Gallagher announced that the song was set to lead a summer 2006 UK...
", as the final two songs on the album. However, a denial of this tracklisted was quickly issued by the band's management. Confirmation of the tracklisting of the album came on September 11, 2006 with no new songs included.
At a Q&A with fans at the world premiere of Oasis' Lord Don't Slow Me Down
Lord Don't Slow Me Down
Lord Don't Slow Me Down is a rockumentary film, looking back on British rock band Oasis' Don't Believe the Truth world tour which took place from May 2005 to March 2006. The film is directed by Baillie Walsh...
documentary in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
on November 4, 2006, Gallagher revealed that the song had been considered for inclusion but was rejected as they still didn't have a finished version that they were happy with releasing. He also revealed that there are versions that he sings on and there are versions with Liam singing.
When asked about the absence of any new tracks on the album in press interviews, Noel Gallagher said he thought putting bonus tracks on a 'best-of' album would take the focus away on what was supposed to be a retrospective collection.
On BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
on December 1, 2006, Noel Gallagher said of "Stop the Clocks": "Everybody has got different favourite versions - and until we can decide on which one, then it shall remain in the vault. Hopefully we will get around to it next time." He also confirmed that the words on the cover of the Stop the Clocks album are the lyrics to the song.
In late 2006 interviews to promote the Stop the Clocks album, Noel was asked about the song repeatedly and that he'd said it was his best song ever - comments that he attempted to dampen. In an interview for The Sun, the band were asked about the song. Noel replied by saying, "Every time I write a new song I say it's the best ever! But it's not the best thing I've ever written. There are about ten different versions and I can't decide on which one. It's a good song, the lyrics are great." Liam said, "I don't think it's the best he's written — it's a tune but not his best. He's done about four versions but he's not happy with it so it's a bit of a nightmare." Andy Bell, however, called it "amazing".
In an interview for MTVU.com, Noel said "I did say at the time that it was my best song ever, but I'm kind of prone to saying things like that, as you probably know."
Internet leaks (2008)
On May 6, 2008, an early studio performance of the song was uploaded to various Oasis forums. Also included were various alternative versions of a number of Don't Believe the Truth songs as well as two other unreleased songs. The exact date of the performance is unclear, although it's likely to be from a Don't Believe the Truth recording session, sometime in 2004. A recording of the May 2003 performance was also uploaded to Oasis forums the same day.Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds (2011)
On July 6, 2011, Noel Gallagher announced full details of his new solo debut album 'High Flying Birds' at a London press conference, with the track "Stop The Clocks" the last song on the album.By other artists
"Stop the clocks" is also the title of a song by German artist Tommy FinkeTommy Finke
Tommy Finke is a singer-songwriter of Indie, German rock and pop music, and a composer of electronic and computer music.- Bio :...
.
It can be found on the Album "Poet der Affen / Poet of the Apes".
Since the title is inspired by the rumors about Noel Gallagher's song, the song itself is entirely written by Finke.