Violence of Summer (LTO) | |
single by Duran Duran | |
---|---|
B-side | "Throb" |
Released | 23 July 1990 |
Recorded | 1989-1990 |
Format | 7", 12", Cassette, CD |
Genre | Rock, new wave, synthpop |
Length | 4:20 (Album Version) 3:30 (7" Mix) 3:18 (The Story Mix) 4:56 (Power Mix) 4:01 (Power Cutdown) 4:45 (The Dub Mix) 4:23 (The Rock Mix) 6:02 (Version Maxi) |
Label | Capitol, EMI |
Writer(s) | Duran Duran |
Producer(s) | Duran Duran Chris Kimsey |
Duran Duran |
"Violence of Summer (Love's Taking Over)" is Duran Duran's 21st single and the first from their album Liberty, released by Capitol-EMI on 23 July 1990.
About the song[]
"Violence of Summer" is a bright, cheerful chunk of pop, with ringing piano-like chords over a slick bass underpinning. Lyrically, the song plays with familiar Duran Duran themes: fleeting romance in the face of sexual politics, and mars-meets-venus peculiarities between the genders. Le Bon continues to set these preoccupations into more realist scenarios, challenging himself to leave behind the opaque mysticism of the band's first three albums.
Also worth noting lyrically, is this track's return to the blatant Americana of Notorious: "going South where her mother writes", and "breaking heads in the sugar shack", which references the cover art of Marvin Gaye's "I Want You".
During Liberty recording sessions, the song was originally known as "Live-in Lover" and featured the same music but completely different lyrics. A demo of this early version was bootlegged on the unofficial Didn't Anybody Tell You? compilation.
Music video[]
The end of the 1980s marked a profound change in Duran Duran's video fortunes. MTV's interest had shifted to younger bands, and their format was changing in any case. VH-1 was friendlier, but was more interested in the band's classic videos than in their current products. Duran Duran found it harder and harder to get a new video played where the public could see it.
The video for "Violence of Summer" was filmed in Paris by the young directing duo Big TV! (more conventionally known as Andy Delaney and Monty Whitebloom). The band, with paler skin and shorter hair than before, plays energetically on a set constructed to look like a bumper-car rig (mirroring the amusement park theme of the album sleeve), while models (including Tess Daly) in platinum blonde wigs hang about outside looking seductive. Newly muscular guitarist Warren Cuccurullo is almost unrecognizable to fans who were accustomed to his formerly waif-like appearance.
Chart positions[]
Despite the myriad of mixes and release formats, the single did not do well in the charts in most countries. In Argentina, the song was #1, and a huge summer hit.
Chart (1990) | Peak position |
---|---|
Argentina | 1 |
Australia (ARIA) | 59 |
Flanders | 43 |
Canada Top Singles | 82 |
Eurochart Hot 100 | 34 |
Germany | 69 |
Ireland | 21 |
Italy (Musica e dischi) | 2 |
NDL Dutch100 | 43 |
Switzerland | 29 |
UK | 20 |
U.S Billboardhot100 | 64 |
U.S Billboard Alternative Songs | 13 |
U.S Billboard Dance Club Play | 36 |
"Violence of Summer" was not included on the Greatest compilation, partly due to its mediocre chart performance and possibly also due to the band's dislike of the track, as "Serious", the worse-performing single of the two, was chosen instead. However, the song's music video is indirectly included on the Greatest DVD, through the bonus Liberty electronic EPK.
Song versions[]
- "Violence of Summer (Love's Taking Over)" (Album Version) - 4:20
- "Violence of Summer (Love's Taking Over)" (7" Mix) - 3:30
- "Violence of Summer (Love's Taking Over)" (The Story Mix) - 3:18
- "Violence of Summer (Love's Taking Over)" (Power Mix) - 4:56
- "Violence of Summer (Love's Taking Over)" (Power Cutdown) - 4:01
- "Violence of Summer (Love's Taking Over)" (The Dub Sounds of a Powerful Mix) - 4:45
- "Violence of Summer (Love's Taking Over)" (The Rock Mix) - 4:23
- "Violence of Summer (Love's Taking Over)" (Version Maxi) - 6:02 - French cassette single
- "Violence of Summer (Love's Taking Over)" (Hostile Takeover Mix) - 6:40 - by Steve Smith for Art of Mix DJ remix service
- "Violence of Summer (Love's Taking Over)" (Hot Shop Digital Edit) - 5:54 - by Chris Cox for Hot Tracks DJ remix service (Rare)
- "Violence of Summer (Love's Taking Over)" (Early 12" Mix) - 6:13 - bootleg, Violence of Summer (Love's Taking Over) - Remixed
- "Live-in Lover" (Demo) - bootleg, Didn't Anybody Tell You?
Track listing[]
7": Parlophone DD 14 (UK)
- "Violence of Summer (Love's Taking Over)" (7" Mix) - 3:30
- "Violence of Summer (Love's Taking Over)" (The Story Mix) - 3:18
12": Parlophone 12 DD 14 (UK)
- "Violence of Summer (Love's Taking Over)" (Power Mix) - 4:56
- "Violence of Summer (Love's Taking Over)" - 4:20
- "Violence of Summer (Love's Taking Over)" (The Story Mix) - 3:18
- Released with a poster.
12": Parlophone 12 DDX 14 (UK)
- "Violence of Summer (Love's Taking Over)" (The Rock Mix) - 4:23
- "Violence of Summer (Love's Taking Over)" (The Dub Sounds of a Powerful Mix) - 4:45
- "Throb" - 4:25
CD: Parlophone CD DD 14 (UK)
- "Violence of Summer (Love's Taking Over)" - 4:20
- "Throb" - 4:25
- "Violence of Summer (Love's Taking Over)" (Power Cutdown) - 4:01
- "Violence of Summer (Love's Taking Over)" (The Story Mix) - 3:18
CD: Part of the "Singles Box Set 1986-1995"
- "Violence of Summer (Love's Taking Over)" (7" Mix) - 3:30
- "Violence of Summer (Love's Taking Over)" (The Story Mix) - 3:18
- "Violence of Summer (Love's Taking Over)" (Power Mix) - 4:56
- "Violence of Summer (Love's Taking Over)" - 4:20
- "Violence of Summer (Love's Taking Over)" (The Rock Mix) - 4:23
- "Violence of Summer (Love's Taking Over)" (The Dub Sounds of a Powerful Mix) - 4:45
- "Violence of Summer (Love's Taking Over)" (Power Cutdown) - 4:01
- "Throb" - 4:25
Personnel[]
Duran Duran are:
- Simon Le Bon - vocals
- John Taylor - bass guitar
- Warren Cuccurullo - guitar
- Nick Rhodes - keyboards
- Sterling Campbell - drums
Lyrics[]
Hey! Pick it up! This'll get you out Of your head! China's hanging out by the railings on the motor shed She goes with a real hip biker, he's a metalhead She looks me up and down, talking dirty eyes Sweet saying boy, baby I could lick you anytime Keep it up Hahaha! That's right Here we go again! Bit later I'm gonna run into her 'round the back While other guys break heads in the sugar shack Don't give me a drink, I don't wanna get too stoned Then we're gonna see who's gonna take who home The violence of summer A love's taking over It starts with desire Ends up under cover Those lips will make me rise You may look down but don't think twice (ooh hoo) Slow death is on the way So what man, I still want to play! (hey hey hey!) Oooh-ohhh Yeeeahh One-two! This'll get you out, of your mind This'll pick you up Let's go Maybe take a ride, going south where her mother writes Before bad news catches up, we still got a little time We leave it all so far away One thing is sure, we shouldn't stay I'll take it all, China gonna get the runaround A run, a runaround The violence of summer A love's taking over It starts with desire Ends up under covers China-na, China-na-na-na China-na, China-na-na-na China-na, China-na-na-na China-na, China-na-na-na The violence of summer A love's taking over It starts with desire Ends up under cover Love's taking over...
Story Mix[]
Get it(?) So (Yeah!) the girl was standing there in the sun, In the late evening English Summer sun, Standing in the dirt, in the grease, in the sun In the dirt, in the grease, in the sun He saw her standing there... And she looked at him And she looked into him And she looks into his face In the dirt, in the sun (laughter) Come on sun, Aint you gonna show me, nothing but surrender? And he knows... and he knows... Yeah he knows there's nothing he has(?) he can do And so he walks away And he's walking out down by the cool... fly... river bed In the heat, of the late English Summer sun Seven(?) Another snack on metal dream God...she's hot! (Auuughha Aaaaahh) Then a bit later on that evening, The men, are in a circle, And drinking and sweating, and cursing And breaking their balls, In The Sugar Shack In the hot, Metal Sugar Shack And the music playin' And the music playin' on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on "Hey man I just gotta get outside 'cus I can't take this no longer" (Aaarrr) "Hey China, what are you doing here?" "In just waiting for you... " "Come on boy - I can lick you any time" (Arrhh) (Get him) "Come on let's get him." "Come on give it to me." Do-do-doop and stop! (C'mon) Do-do do-do-doop (give it up) (Heee, hip-hip-heeee) Do-do (give it up) do-do-doop and stop! stop! stop! (Heee, hip-hip-heeeee) - Get up, Get up, Get up (Get up, Get up, Get up) I gotta know, I've got to know ya, I said I've got to know you now And I've got to know ya, And I've got to know you now Yet I get to know you 'Cmon, Let me take you out of here Urgh Urgh (Give it up) Urgh (Give it up, give it up, give it up) Urgh.
See also[]
- Discography 4: Violence of Summer (Love's Taking Over)
- Duran Duran: Discography
- Duran Duran: Song List
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