Supervixen

Infobox Single
Name = Supervixen


Artist = Garbage
from Album = Garbage
B-side =
Released = October, 1996 (US)
Format = Airplay only
Recorded = 1994 - 1995
Smart Studios,
Madison, Wisconsin
Genre = Alternative rock
Length = 3:56
3:43 (Radio edit)
Label = Almo Sounds (North America)
Writer = Garbage
Producer = Garbage
Reviews =
Last single = "Milk" (1996)
This single = "Supervixen" (1996)
Next single = "#1 Crush" (1996)

"Supervixen" is a song by Garbage, appearing as the first track from their self-titled debut album. "Supervixen" was released as an airplay-only single [citeweb | url=http://www.garbage-discography.co.uk/supervixen_usa_cd_pro.php | title="Supervixen" US CD Promo PRO-CD-8010 | publisher=Garbage-Discography.co.uk | accessdate=2008-02-04] to Modern Rock radio in North America in October, 1996. "Hits" magzine ("Supervixen" trade ad)" (Retrieved - 2008-02-04)]

"Supervixen" was titled after Russ Meyer's 1975 violent love-triangle movie "Supervixens".

Song

"Supervixen" was written by Garbage in 1994 during sessions between band members Butch Vig, Duke Erikson, Shirley Manson and Steve Marker at Smart Studios in Madison, Wisconsin. ["Q" (issue 09/01/1996)" (Retrieved - 2008-01-28)] Madison musician Mike Kashou performs bass guitar on "Supervixen" ["Garbage" album sleeve credits (Retrieved - 2008-02-04)]

Lyrically, Manson states that " ["Supervixen"] is all about saying "idolise me, I'm going to give you everything you want, but you have to do something in return". It's a bargaining song about a relationship. I'm not saying "I'm a wee Scottish lass fae Edinburgh and I'm great". It's actually about this supervixen, this Russ Meyer-type woman." [citeweb | url=http://www.geocities.com/boylikearose/articles-g-facesep96.html | title="Modern Life Is Rubbish" | publisher="The Face" magazine, Sept 1996 issue | accessdate=2008-02-04]

Release

A slightly shortened (mostly in the middle 8 section) radio edit of "Supervixen" was sent to Modern Rock format radio stations in October 1996. cite web | url=http://www.promoonly.com/search/issue_printfriendly.php?id_fp=5&year=1996&month=10 | title=Listings for Oct 1996 Modern Rock Radio | publisher=Promoonly.com| accessdate=2008-02-04] It was playlisted by KROQ, despite this the song failed to register on any Billboard charts. [cite web | url=http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/retrieve_chart_history.do?model.vnuArtistId=138644&model.vnuAlbumId=670290 | title=Single Chart History: Garbage | publisher=Billboard.com | accessdate=2008-02-04]

In late 1995, around the time of the European "Garbage" album release, a promotional disc for "Queer" was issued in Spain by BMG which also included "Supervixen". [citeweb | url=http://www.garbage-discography.co.uk/queer_spain_cd2_pro.php | title="Queer" Spain CD2 Promo 74321 35682 2 | publisher=Garbage-Discography.co.uk | accessdate=2008-02-04]

Critical reception

"Supervixen" received a largely positive response from music critics, many of whom chose to single out the track in their reviews of the "Garbage" album. "The Jewish Chronicle" wrote "from the staccato riff that dominates "Supervixen" the scene is set - Eurythmics meets Patti Smith in some Grungy nightclub where bitchy back-biting is the name of the game." ["The Jewish Chronicle", dated September 30, 1995 (Retrieved - 2008-02-04)] "Hot Press" reviewer Jackie Hayden wrote "The sound drop outs should act as a warning to be on your guard". ["Hot Press" magazine, October issue (Retrieved - 2008-02-04)] "Kerrang!"'s Paul Rees described the song as "a whirlpool of clattering synth stabs that break of in shattered shards", ["Kerrang!" magazine, September 30, 1995 issue (Retrieved - 2008-02-04)] while Paul Yates of "Q" magazine said that "Garbage's signature lies in songs like "Supervixen", good pop tunes dealt a rough treatment and brazen vocals". ["Q" magazine, issue 11/01/1995 (Retrieved - 2008-02-04)] Ikon's Jamie T. Conway gave a negative review for the album but described "Supervixen" as Pixies-lite and a "strangely appealing" exception. ["Ikon" magazine, November 1995 issue (Retrieved - 2008-02-04)]

Peter Murphy of Bauhaus (band) wrote of "Supervixen" in his biography for 2007's "Absolute Garbage" sleeve-notes: "The song used silence in a way I'd never heard before. When the music stopped, it wasn't a pause for effect. There was no residual cymbal swish or reverberation or amp hum. That silence was total. It meant business. It was a sort of black hole implosion into which you feared your soul might be sucked." ["Absolute Garbage" biography (Retrieved - 2008-02-04)]

Credits and Personnel

Garbage
* Shirley Manson – vocals, guitar
* Steve Marker – guitars, bass, samples and loops
* Duke Erikson – guitars, keyboards, six-string and fuzz bass
* Butch Vig – drums, loops, noise and efx

Additional musicians
* Mike Kashou – bass

Publishing
* Written by Garbage
* Copyright 1995 Vibecrusher Music / Irving Music, Inc (BMI) / Deadarm Music (ASCAP)

Production
*Recorded & produced by Garbage
*Recorded at Smart Studios in Madison, Wisconsin, USA
*Second engineer: Mike Zirkel
*Mastered: Howie Weinberg (Masterdisk)
*Editing & post production: Scott Hull (Masterdisk)

References

External links

* [http://www.garbage.com/ Garbage official website]
* [http://www.garbage.com/discog/?v=so&a=1&id=1/ "Supervixen" lyrics]