The Perfect Drug
Encyclopedia
"The Perfect Drug" or (Halo 11) is a song by Nine Inch Nails
. It was written for the David Lynch
film Lost Highway and originally appeared on the Lost Highway soundtrack and as a single from the score in 1997. Remixes of the song were released in an EP
, "The Perfect Drug" Versions.
Though "The Perfect Drug" Versions acts as a single for the titular song, the original version does not appear on the American single. A slightly extended version of "The Perfect Drug" has also been included on the foreign singles "We're in This Together
, Part 3" and "Into the Void
", but the only audio release of it in North America has been on the Lost Highway soundtrack. The music video for song was directed by Mark Romanek
, and is on the Closure
video compilation and The Work of Director Mark Romanek.
would make Jerome's arms fall off." Then-drummer Jerome Dillon
replied that they "never rule out the possibility of playing any of the songs live."
On April 6, 2005, despite the song's fast-moving worldwide success, while presenting the late-night BBC Radio 1
Rock Show in the UK, Trent Reznor
responded to the question "which piece of your own work are you least satisfied with and why?" by saying "the only thing I think I really don't like that much is The Perfect Drug song. It was one of those things where you have a week to do a track for a movie, the mindset that you kind of adapt in that situation, or I did, was 'let's go in and experiment and see what happens, and it's not, y'know, whatever comes out of it, it's not the end of the world'. And I think what came out of it, married with a bloated, over-budget video, feels like ... the least thing that I would play to somebody if they said play me, y'know, the top hundred songs you've written, that probably wouldn't be in the top hundred. I'm not cringing about it, but it's not my favorite piece."
"The Perfect Drug" was released as a track for the video game Rock Band on February 26, 2008 for Xbox 360
and on February 28 for PlayStation 3
. It is available as a standalone download or as part of the 'Nine Inch Nails' song pack along with "March of the Pigs
" and "The Collector
". It is viewed as one of the hardest songs to play on drums in the game. It later appeared in Rock Band Unplugged
.
"The Perfect Drug" has been covered
by Die Krupps
and The Chordials.
The song is one of 31 music files in RIAA v. Tenenbaum
case, which resulted in finding the individual file-sharer guilty of copyright infringement in July 2009, demanding an award of $22,500 a song.
A music video
for the single was directed by Mark Romanek
and released on January 18, 1997. It portrays a despairing father played by Reznor who mourns a dead child in his gothic estate, losing himself in the consumption of absinthe
. The theme was inspired by the art of Edward Gorey
, referencing The Gashlycrumb Tinies
. Other references include Gustav Klimt
's painting The Kiss
(1907–1908) and a "Scanning Machine" designed by Frenchman François Willème in 1860.
Charlie Clouser
, Danny Lohner
, and Chris Vrenna appear in the video, most notably playing string instruments at the beginning of the video.
Joanne Gair
's work with Nine Inch Nails on "The Perfect Drug" won her the makeup portion of the best hair/makeup in a music video at the Music Video Production Awards.
set adds an exclusive sixth remix, by Aphrodite
.
, Australia
, Japan
or EU
single.
The single is the most successful single in Canada, after sitting in the Canadian charts for 208 weeks.
at UFC 131
.
Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails is an American industrial rock project, founded in 1988 by Trent Reznor in Cleveland, Ohio. As its main producer, singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist, Reznor is the only official member of Nine Inch Nails and remains solely responsible for its direction...
. It was written for the David Lynch
David Lynch
David Keith Lynch is an American filmmaker, television director, visual artist, musician and occasional actor. Known for his surrealist films, he has developed his own unique cinematic style, which has been dubbed "Lynchian", and which is characterized by its dream imagery and meticulous sound...
film Lost Highway and originally appeared on the Lost Highway soundtrack and as a single from the score in 1997. Remixes of the song were released in an EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
, "The Perfect Drug" Versions.
Though "The Perfect Drug" Versions acts as a single for the titular song, the original version does not appear on the American single. A slightly extended version of "The Perfect Drug" has also been included on the foreign singles "We're in This Together
We're in This Together
"We're in This Together" is a 3-disc single by Nine Inch Nails for the song of the same name released in 1999. It is the fifteenth official Nine Inch Nails release and is a single for the album The Fragile....
, Part 3" and "Into the Void
Into the Void (Nine Inch Nails song)
"Into the Void" is a single by Nine Inch Nails, released in 2000. The song was the third single from the album The Fragile, released in 1999...
", but the only audio release of it in North America has been on the Lost Highway soundtrack. The music video for song 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 is on the Closure
Closure (Nine Inch Nails VHS)
Closure is a double VHS set by Nine Inch Nails released in 1997. Closure is the 12th official Nine Inch Nails release. It consists of one tape of live concert and behind-the-scenes footage from the Self-Destruct tour and one tape of music videos....
video compilation and The Work of Director Mark Romanek.
Song
Despite being a single, "The Perfect Drug" has never been performed live. On the official NIN website, "Sara" asked whether this is because "the drum soloDrum solo
A drum solo is an instrumental solo played on a drum kit. A drum solo may be set or improvised, and of any length, up to being the main performance....
would make Jerome's arms fall off." Then-drummer Jerome Dillon
Jerome Dillon
Jerome Dillon is a professional musician, best known for his tenure as drummer with industrial rock group Nine Inch Nails from 1999-2005. After his departure, his own project, Nearly, released its debut album reminder in December 2005, along with a cd maxi-single for the song Straight to...
replied that they "never rule out the possibility of playing any of the songs live."
On April 6, 2005, despite the song's fast-moving worldwide success, while presenting the late-night 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...
Rock Show in the UK, Trent Reznor
Trent Reznor
Michael Trent Reznor is an American multi-instrumentalist, composer, record producer, and leader of industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails. Reznor is also a member of How to Destroy Angels alongside his wife, Mariqueen Maandig, and Atticus Ross. He was previously associated with bands Option 30,...
responded to the question "which piece of your own work are you least satisfied with and why?" by saying "the only thing I think I really don't like that much is The Perfect Drug song. It was one of those things where you have a week to do a track for a movie, the mindset that you kind of adapt in that situation, or I did, was 'let's go in and experiment and see what happens, and it's not, y'know, whatever comes out of it, it's not the end of the world'. And I think what came out of it, married with a bloated, over-budget video, feels like ... the least thing that I would play to somebody if they said play me, y'know, the top hundred songs you've written, that probably wouldn't be in the top hundred. I'm not cringing about it, but it's not my favorite piece."
"The Perfect Drug" was released as a track for the video game Rock Band on February 26, 2008 for Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
and on February 28 for PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
. It is available as a standalone download or as part of the 'Nine Inch Nails' song pack along with "March of the Pigs
March of the Pigs
"March of the Pigs" is a song written by Trent Reznor of American industrial rock act Nine Inch Nails. It was released in 1994 as the first single from The Downward Spiral , the second album by Nine Inch Nails.-The song:...
" and "The Collector
With Teeth
With Teeth is the fourth studio album by American industrial rock act Nine Inch Nails, released on May 3, 2005, by Interscope Records. The album was produced by Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor and long-time collaborator Alan Moulder. It was Reznor's first original studio album since The...
". It is viewed as one of the hardest songs to play on drums in the game. It later appeared in Rock Band Unplugged
Rock Band Unplugged
Rock Band Unplugged is an expansion of the Rock Band series of music video games released for the PlayStation Portable. The game is developed by Backbone Entertainment in conjunction with Harmonix Music Systems and is distributed by MTV Games and Electronic Arts...
.
"The Perfect Drug" has been covered
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
by Die Krupps
Die Krupps
Die Krupps is a German industrial rock/EBM band, formed in 1980 by Jürgen Engler and Bernward Malaka in Düsseldorf.-History:Their initial sound throughout the 1980s combined synthesizers with metallic percussion...
and The Chordials.
The song is one of 31 music files in RIAA v. Tenenbaum
RIAA v. Tenenbaum
Sony BMG Music Entertainment et al. v. Tenenbaum is a court case wherein record label Sony BMG, along with Warner Bros. Records, Atlantic Records, Arista Records, and UMG Recordings accused Joel Tenenbaum of illegally downloading and sharing files, thus violating U.S. copyright law...
case, which resulted in finding the individual file-sharer guilty of copyright infringement in July 2009, demanding an award of $22,500 a song.
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...
for the single 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 released on January 18, 1997. It portrays a despairing father played by Reznor who mourns a dead child in his gothic estate, losing himself in the consumption of absinthe
Absinthe
Absinthe is historically described as a distilled, highly alcoholic beverage. It is an anise-flavoured spirit derived from herbs, including the flowers and leaves of the herb Artemisia absinthium, commonly referred to as "grande wormwood", together with green anise and sweet fennel...
. The theme was inspired by the art of Edward Gorey
Edward Gorey
Edward St. John Gorey was an American writer and artist noted for his macabre illustrated books.-Early life:...
, referencing The Gashlycrumb Tinies
The Gashlycrumb Tinies
The Gashlycrumb Tinies: or, After the Outing is an abecedarian book written by Edward Gorey that was first published in 1963. Gorey tells the tale of 26 children and their untimely deaths in rhyming dactylic couplets, accompanied by the author's distinctive black and white illustrations...
. Other references include Gustav Klimt
Gustav Klimt
Gustav Klimt was an Austrian Symbolist painter and one of the most prominent members of the Vienna Secession movement. His major works include paintings, murals, sketches, and other art objects...
's painting The Kiss
The Kiss (Klimt painting)
The Kiss was painted by Gustav Klimt, and is probably his most famous work. He began work on it in 1907 and it is the highpoint of his so-called 'Golden Period', when he painted a number of works in a similar style...
(1907–1908) and a "Scanning Machine" designed by Frenchman François Willème in 1860.
Charlie Clouser
Charlie Clouser
Charles Alexander "Charlie" Clouser is an American musician whose activities include playing keyboard, synth, theremin, and drums. He is known for his abilities in music programming, engineering, mixing, and remixing. He was a member of the band Nine Inch Nails 1994–2000. Before he was in Nine...
, Danny Lohner
Danny Lohner
Daniel Patrick "Danny" Lohner , frequently known as Renholdër, is an American rock musician who plays bass guitar, electric guitar, and keyboards. He worked with Trent Reznor on numerous occasions, both with Nine Inch Nails and on the now defunct Tapeworm project...
, and Chris Vrenna appear in the video, most notably playing string instruments at the beginning of the video.
Joanne Gair
Joanne Gair
Joanne "Kiwi Jo" or "Kiwi Joe" Gair is a New Zealand-born and raised make-up artist and body painter whose body paintings have been featured in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue from 1999 to the 2011 edition...
's work with Nine Inch Nails on "The Perfect Drug" won her the makeup portion of the best hair/makeup in a music video at the Music Video Production Awards.
EP
"The Perfect Drug" Versions is the eleventh official Nine Inch Nails release and consists of five remixes of the song "The Perfect Drug." The European, Australian, and Japanese releases append the original version of the song, while a promotional vinylGramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
set adds an exclusive sixth remix, by Aphrodite
Aphrodite (artist)
Aphrodite also known as A Zone or DJ Aphro, is a UK jungle and drum and bass DJ/producer commonly referred to as the "Godfather of Jungle", who works along with Micky Finn on their joint Urban Takeover label...
.
Track listing
Available as United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
or EU
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
single.
- "The Perfect Drug (Remixed by Meat Beat ManifestoMeat Beat ManifestoMeat Beat Manifesto, often shortened to Meat Beat or MBM, is an electronic music group originally consisting of Jack Dangers and Jonny Stephens formed in 1987 in Swindon, UK...
)" – 7:24 - "The Perfect Drug (Remixed by PlugLuke VibertLuke Vibert is a British recording artist and producer known for his work in many subgenres of electronic music. Vibert began his musical career as a member of the Hate Brothers, only later branching out into his own compositions...
)" – 6:53 - "The Perfect Drug (Remixed by Nine Inch NailsNine Inch NailsNine Inch Nails is an American industrial rock project, founded in 1988 by Trent Reznor in Cleveland, Ohio. As its main producer, singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist, Reznor is the only official member of Nine Inch Nails and remains solely responsible for its direction...
)" – 8:19 - "The Perfect Drug (Remixed by Spacetime ContinuumSpacetime ContinuumJonah Sharp alias Spacetime Continuum is a producer of electronic music. After starting his musical career as a jazz drummer in London, UK, he moved to San Francisco, USA. During the 1990s Sharp released a series of albums on the Astralwerks record label...
)" – 5:42 - "The Perfect Drug (Remixed by The OrbThe OrbThroughout 1989, the Orb, along with Martin Glover, developed the musical genre of ambient house through the use of a diverse array of samples and recordings. The culmination of its musical work came toward the end of the year when the group recorded a session for John Peel on BBC Radio 1...
)" – 6:12 - "The Perfect Drug (Original Version)" – 5:16 Non-US releases only
Chart positions
| Chart | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot Singles Sales | 17 |
| Canadian Singles Chart Canadian Singles Chart The Canadian Singles Chart is currently compiled by the U.S.-based music sales tracking company, Nielsen SoundScan . The chart is compiled every Wednesday, and is published by Jam! Canoe on Thursdays.... |
2 |
| Canadian RPM Rock/Alternative Chart 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,... |
2 |
The single is the most successful single in Canada, after sitting in the Canadian charts for 208 weeks.
In popular culture
This song was used as the entrance song for Michihiro OmigawaMichihiro Omigawa
is a Japanese mixed martial artist and Judoka who trains out of Hidehiko Yoshida's dojo. He made it to the finals in the Sengoku Featherweight Grand Prix losing to Masanori Kanehara.-Mixed martial arts career:...
at UFC 131
UFC 131
UFC 131: Dos Santos vs. Carwin was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on June 11, 2011 at the Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia.-Background:...
.
External links
- The Perfect Drug at nin.com, the official website
- The Perfect Drug at the NinWiki
- Clip of the making of "The Perfect Drug" video with Mark RomanekMark RomanekMark 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...
- Halo 11 at NIN collector
- discogs.com: The Perfect Drug (US CD5" Promo)
- discogs.com: "The Perfect Drug" Versions (US CD5")
- discogs.com: "The Perfect Drug" Versions (EU CD5")
- discogs.com: "The Perfect Drug" Versions (EU 3x12")