From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia The Universal
The Universal
"The Universal" The song has increased in stature since its release;
this is proved by it being voted second best of all Blur sin-
gles on blurtalk.com.[1] In addition, on Rate Your Music
the song is often in the Top 5 for 1995 as well as being in
the Top 500 of all time. It is also Blur’s highest rated song
at the site.
Music video
A highly-acclaimed music video for the song was directed
by Jonathan Glazer.[2] The band is presented in imitation
of the opening scenes from the 1971 film A Clockwork
Orange, in the Milk Bar. Blur star as the quasi-Droogs,
complete with Damon Albarn wearing eyeliner similar to
the character Alex DeLarge. They perform in the bar in
Single by Blur all-white. Though the band do not engage in their usu-
al vibrant stage demeanor, Damon frequently turns to
from the album The Great Escape the camera and gives a sly, crooked smile. Graham Coxon
Released 13 November 1995 spends the majority of the video sitting against the wall
while playing.
Format 7" vinyl (jukebox only), cassette, 2 x CD
The bar patrons consist of different groups; a lone fe-
Recorded 1995 male entertains male business colleagues by exploiting
their sexual interest in her; two men, one identified as a
Genre Britpop
’red man’ (dressed entirely in red) who used to be ’blue’,
Length 3:59 conduct a stilted (subtitled) conversation; two other men
Label EMI, Food Records
– one of them wearing a vicar’s clerical collar – become
increasingly drunk on cocktails, laughing more and more
Producer Stephen Street hysterically until the clergyman tells his friend some-
Blur singles chronology thing to which the viewer is not privy, causing his friend
to withdraw into stunned silence (a device similar to that
"Country House" "The Universal
The Universal" "Stereotypes" used in Radiohead’s promotional video for the song
(1995) (1995) (1996) "Just" in the same year). There are also two old men who
make a few comments marveling at the scene.
Music video These clips are interchanged with scenes of a crowd
"The Universal" on YouTube
of ordinary people standing motionless before an oddly
shaped speaker. Similarities between them and the pa-
trons in the milk bar, as well as behavior mimicking be-
"The Universal is a song by English alternative rock
The Universal" tween the two scenes, indicate that the patrons in the
band Blur and is featured on their fourth studio album, milk bar are the people in the crowd, captivated and
The Great Escape. It was released 13 November 1995 as the transported by the music into the ethereal, seemingly
second single from that album, charting at #5 in the UK utopian world.
Singles Chart (see 1995 in British music). Minimalistic stills can also be seen scattered through-
In keeping with the song’s science fiction theme, the out the video, used to accentuate certain aspects of the
single’s cover art is an allusion to the opening shot of video. For example, when the man in the clerical collar
2001: A Space Odyssey, and the music video is a tribute to and his friend begin their drinking binge, a still showing
the movie A Clockwork Orange, with the band dressed up a fetus in a cocktail glass is shown where the glass seems
in costumes similar to Alex and his droogs. Both movies to represent a womb. When the female begins entertain-
were directed by Stanley Kubrick. ing her fellow patrons, a still of handcuffs is shown, sug-
gesting that though she seems happy, she is really feeling
trapped and dehumanized. A similar still of a magnet
1
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia The Universal
drawing a man is shown, directly after the man in the • The song is currently used on a British TV
clerical collar whispers something to his friend, which advertisement for British Gas.
prompts a reaction of quiet dismay. The still in this case • The song features for PJ Ladd’s video part in PJ
seems to have a dual-meaning, representing the band’s Ladd’s wonderful horrible life.
ability to attract people and doubling as a euphemism for • The song was used in a 2002 ad for the Chrysler
homosexuality, as at the end of the video the man with Concorde.[4]
the clerical collar attempts to kiss his shocked friend.
The golf ball-shaped speaker featured in the video
was sold in a charity auction in 1999.[3]
Production credits
• "The Universal", "Ultranol" and "No Monsters in
Me" produced by Stephen Street
Track listings
•
1. "The Universal"
References
2. "Ultranol" [1] "Blur - Blur Talk - Think Tank - Blur - Damon
3. "No Monsters in Me" Albarn - Graham Coxon - Gorillaz - The Good, The
4. "Entertain Me" (the live it! remix) Bad and The Queen - Hurculean - Kingdom of Doom
• - Blur Blur - June". Blur Talk.
1. "The Universal" (live) http://www.blurtalk.com/
2. "Mr Robinson’s Quango" (live) Vote.asp?pagename=Blur. Retrieved 2010-06-28.
3. "It Could Be You" (live) [2] "Blur - "The Universal [version 1]"". mvdbase.com.
4. "Stereotypes" (live) http://www.mvdbase.com/video.php?id=3747.
• Retrieved 2010-06-28.
1. "The Universal" [3] Auction takes Blur back to their roots - BBC News
2. "Entertain Me" (the live it! remix) Online
• [4] "Chrysler Drive = Love" -
1. "The Universal" [1] The song was featured in an ad for VH1, Latin-
2. "It Could Be You" (live) America.
3. "Stereotypes" (live) YouTube
4. "Entertain Me" (the live it! remix)
• Note: the 7" vinyl edition was pressed for use on
jukeboxes and was not issued commercially.
External links
• Watch the video on IFILM
Uses in popular culture
• The song was used during the closing montage of
ITV’s Rugby World Cup 2003 footage.
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Universal&oldid=464193744"
Categories:
• Blur (band) songs
• 1995 singles
• Music videos directed by Jonathan Glazer
• Songs produced by Stephen Street
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