Rubberband Girl

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"Rubberband Girl"
File:Rubberband Girl.jpg
Single by Kate Bush
from the album The Red Shoes
B-side "Big Stripey Lie"
Released 6 September 1993 (1993-09-06)[1]
Genre Pop rock[2]
Length 4:44
Label EMI
Songwriter(s) Kate Bush
Producer(s) Kate Bush
Script error: The function "ucfirst" does not exist. singles chronology
"Rocket Man (I Think It's Going to Be a Long, Long Time)"
(1991)		 "Rubberband Girl"
(1993)		 "Eat the Music"
(1993)
Music video
"Rubberband Girl" on YouTube

"Rubberband Girl" is a song by English singer-songwriter Kate Bush that was the first of five singles released from her seventh studio album, The Red Shoes (1993). The song marked Bush's return from her third three-year hiatus. Not counting "Rocket Man" (her contribution to the Elton John and Bernie Taupin tribute album Two Rooms: Celebrating the Songs of Elton John & Bernie Taupin in 1991), this was her first UK release in 39 months.

Three different versions of "Rubberband Girl" were released commercially: an LP, an extended mix and a remix by American DJ Eric Kupper called the US Mix, which was released towards the end of 1994 on the "And So Is Love" single. The B-side to the single is "Big Stripey Lie" in the UK and "Show a Little Devotion" in the US.

The single was released on 6 September 1993 and peaked at number 12 on the UK Singles Chart, becoming Bush's last top-twenty hit in her native country until "King of the Mountain" reached number four in 2005.[3] The song was a moderate success worldwide, reaching the top 40 in Australia, Ireland, the Netherlands and New Zealand. In the United States, it was a number-88 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

In 2011, Kate Bush recorded a new version of the song that was included on her ninth studio album, Director's Cut.[4]

Critical reception

Alan Jones from Music Week gave the song four out of five and named it Pick of the Week, writing, "With Kate at the helm any single would be quirky but by her own otherwordly standards this is Ms. Bush at her most direct." He added, "It's a rhythmic, almost raunchy, workout with the occasional outburst of rock guitar, strange lyrics—'if I could twang like a rubberband, I'd be a rubberband girl' is as ordinary as it gets—and a weird vocal impression of said office accessory being stretched. It is also a very commercial rejoinder and will probably be Kate's first Top 10 solo hit since 'Running Up That Hill' hit the spot eight years ago."[5] Everett True of Melody Maker felt that the song is "a little too uptempo for my tastes" and noted that he prefers Bush when she is "all dreamy and mysterious". Despite this, he added, "It still has enough kookiness to draw me under, and she's still the only artist for whom the word 'kooky' isn't an insult."[6]

Another editor, Chris Roberts, praised it as "a gorgeous, daft, groovy single with a bassline to shame Bootsy Collins".[7] Terry Staunton from NME wrote, "Kate's self-doubt emerges right from the beginning on 'Rubberband Girl', the relentless one-chord single where she wishes she could learn to give, learn to bounce back on her feet."[8] Parry Gettelman from Orlando Sentinel said that "Bush waxes positively perky as she struggles to forge a 'Sledgehammer' out of a flimsy tune, dopey lyrics and bouncy dance-floor beat."[9] Richard C. Walls from Rolling Stone noted the "pure pop" of "Rubberband Girl".[10] Tom Doyle from Smash Hits also gave the song four out of five, saying that it's "a bit of a shock because she's gone all funky with Prince-ish drums all over the shop".[11]

Track listings

UK 7-inch single, UK and Canadian cassette single[12][13][14]
No. Title Length
1. "Rubberband Girl"    
2. "Big Stripey Lie"    
UK 12-inch picture disc[15]
No. Title Length
1. "Rubberband Girl" (extended remix)  
2. "Rubberband Girl"    
3. "Big Stripey Lie"    
UK CD single[16]
No. Title Length
1. "Rubberband Girl"    
2. "Rubberband Girl" (extended mix)  
3. "Big Stripey Lie"    
US CD single[17]
No. Title Length
1. "Rubberband Girl"   4:42
2. "Rubberband Girl" (extended mix) 7:07
3. "Show a Little Devotion"   4:50
4. "Home for Christmas"   1:45
US cassette single[18]
No. Title Length
1. "Rubberband Girl"    
2. "This Woman's Work"    

Personnel

Charts

Chart (1993) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[19] 39
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[20] 47
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[21] 50
Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)[22] 21
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[23] 29
Germany (Official German Charts)[24] 65
Ireland (IRMA)[25] 17
Italy (Musica e dischi)[26] 22
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[27] 37
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[28] 34
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[3] 12
US Billboard Hot 100[29] 88
US Alternative Songs (Billboard)[30] 7

References

  1. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Kate Bush: Artist Chart History" Official Charts Company. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ Gettelman, Parry (3 December 1993). "Kate Bush". Orlando Sentinel.
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  16. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  17. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  18. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  19. ↑ "Australian-charts.com – Kate Bush – Rubberband Girl". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 6 August 2019.
  20. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Kate Bush – Rubberband Girl" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 6 August 2019.
  21. ↑ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 2284." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 6 August 2019.
  22. ↑ "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 2315." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 6 August 2019.
  23. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  24. ↑ "Musicline.de – Kate Bush Single-Chartverfolgung" (in German). Media Control Charts. PhonoNet GmbH. Retrieved 6 August 2019.
  25. ↑ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Rubberband Girl". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 6 August 2019.
  26. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. Set "Tipo" on "Singoli". Then, in the "Artista" field, search "Kate Bush".
  27. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Kate Bush – Rubberband Girl" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 6 August 2019.
  28. ↑ "Charts.org.nz – Kate Bush – Rubberband Girl". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 6 August 2019.
  29. ↑ "Kate Bush – Chart history" Billboard Hot 100 for Kate Bush. Retrieved 6 August 2019.
  30. ↑ "Kate Bush – Chart history" Billboard Alternative Songs for Kate Bush. Retrieved 6 August 2019.

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