Burn Baby Burn (song)

This article is about the 2001 punk rock song. For the 1976 disco song, see Disco Inferno.

"Burn Baby Burn"
Single by Ash
from the album Free All Angels
B-side	"13th Floor", "Only In Dreams", "Thinking About You", "Submission (Arthur Baker Remix)"
Released	2 April 2001
Format	CD, 7", DVD
Recorded	2000
Genre	Power pop
Length	3:31
Label	Infectious
Writer(s)	Tim Wheeler
Producer(s)	Owen Morris
Ash singles chronology
"Shining Light" (2001) "Burn Baby Burn" (2001) "Sometimes" (2001)
Alternative cover CD 2 cover

"Burn Baby Burn" is a song by Ash, released as the second single from the Free All Angels album on 2 April 2001, reaching number 13 in the UK singles chart. It was released as a single CD (released on 2CD formats, the second of which being an enhanced CD) and as a 7" vinyl, and was also released for the first time on DVD format. The song can also be found on the Intergalactic Sonic 7″s hits collection.

Production

Release

"Burn Baby Burn" was originally written for "Nu-Clear Sounds" but did not make the cut. However, Mark very much liked the riff, and encouraged Wheeler to re-write parts of the song, namely the chorus. Even when he did so, they still were not sure if it even was going to make the album, it might have ended up as a b-side.

Originally the track was titled "This Is Slow Suicide", then simply "Slow Suicide", but was changed at the last minute to "Burn Baby Burn" to avoid radio censorship.

"Burn Baby Burn" was the first ever song played on the BBC's 6 Music station.

For release in America, the song was remixed and features a new 'mid-song breakdown' during the final bridge, which reflects the band's live arrangement. "Burn Baby Burn" has been consistently in the band's set since the song's release. As such it appears on the Tokyo Blitz live DVD.

Music video

The video for "Burn Baby Burn" is directed by Jeff Thomas. It stars the band performing the song while basketball players play around them and cheerleaders dance. The video was shot in Croydon High School, and starred carefully selected cheerleaders and the London Towers basketball team. Ash claim it to be one of their favourite videos, and one of the most enjoyable they have shot. The cheerleaders in the video also performed with the band on "Top of the Pops".

Use in the media

"Burn Baby Burn" was also released as a DVD for the first time. The DVD featured the single, acoustic versions of the 1995 single "Girl from Mars" the Free All Angels track "Someday", and "Chinese New Year" - later released as a b-side to "Polaris", and was the first episode of Ash's road movies. Entitled "Episode 1: Road Movie", it lasted 20 minutes and starred the band's usual rockstar antics, ensuring a Parental Guidance sticker for the DVD. The DVD was limited edition, and only 8,000 were produced.

The track was released in a promo EP form in many countries. In Australia, it starred all of the b-sides from the 2CDs released for "Burn Baby Burn", as well as the song itself.

The song also features on "Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2003".

"Burn Baby Burn" was used in 'Prodigal', the fifteenth episode of series 2 of the American fantasy drama Smallville, during a scene in which Clark Kent (Tom Welling) and Lucas Luthor (guest star Paul Wesley) are showing off their Basketball skills. The episode was originally broadcast in the United States on 11 February 2003.

In Japan, it was released with "Shining Light's" Radio Edit, one of "Shining Light's" b-sides "Feel No Pain", the track "Burn Baby Burn", and two of its b-sides, "Thinking About You" and "Submission (Arthur Baker Remix)". The Japanese promo sample came with a picture sleve and obi-strip.

It was used in the first episode of Irish drama Pure Mule.

The song is the theme tune to Football Years, a football nostalgia programme on Sky Television, and was used as theme tune to Euro 2008 promotion for the BBC.

In 2009 the track was used for the BBC six part series Michael McIntyre's Comedy Roadshow during the opening credits.

B-Sides

Both of the CD1 b-sides were recorded for BBC Radio 1's Evening Sessions. "13th Floor" is a fast-paced number left over from the "Free All Angels" sessions that also appears on the "Cosmic Debris" b-sides collection.

The second CD1 b-side, "Only In Dreams", is a cover of the final song of Weezer's self-titled debut album, known as "The Blue Album". It is one of Ash's longest songs at just under 8 minutes.

"Thinking About You" appears on the CD2 version of "Burn Baby Burn", as well as on "Cosmic Debris". A soft acoustic song, it's somewhat of a fan favourite due to its heart-string pulling lyrics, telling of a far-away love.

Finally, the last b-side is a remix of "Free All Angels" track "Submission", written by drummer Rick McMurray. The version on the album is thought to be one of the most experimental on the album, and this version is even more so, reaching just over 8 minutes.

Reception

Awards

The song won several awards, including:

• NME Awards 2002: Best Single
• Q Awards 2002: Best Single

Track listing

All tracks written and composed by Tim Wheeler; except where indicated.

CD one

1. "Burn Baby Burn (Radio Edit)"
2. "13th Floor"
3. "Only In Dreams" (Cuomo)

CD two (Enhanced)

1. "Burn Baby Burn (Album Version)"
2. "Thinking About You"
3. "Submission (Arthur Baker Remix)" (McMurray/Wheeler)
4. "Burn Baby Burn" (Video)

DVD

1. "Burn Baby Burn (DVD Audio)"
2. Episode 1- Road Movie
3. "Someday (Acoustic)"
4. "Girl From Mars (Acoustic)"

Promo CD

1. "Burn Baby Burn (Radio Edit)"

Australian CD'

1. "Burn Baby Burn (Album Version)"
2. "13th Floor"
3. "Only In Dreams" (Cuomo)
4. "Thinking About You"
5. "Submission (Arthur Baker Remix)" (McMurray/Wheeler)

Japanese Promo CD

1. "Burn Baby Burn (Radio Edit)"
2. "Submission (Arthur Baker Remix)" (McMurray/Wheeler)
3. "Shining Light (Radio Edit)"
4. "Thinking About You"
5. "Feel No Pain"

External links

• Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics