FEATURE:
Read It in the Papers
Supergrass’ Going Out at Thirty
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THE first single…
from Supergrass’ second studio album, In It for the Money, the supreme Going Out turns thirty on 26th February. Even though In It for the Money came out in 1997, the band released this amazing first single the summer before. Whilst not as massive as Alright from I Should Coco, Going Out was still a big success. It reached number five in the U.K. There was some tension within the band, as songwriter and lead Gaz Coombes was accused by Danny Goffey, the band’s drummer, of basing the lyrics around him and his girlfriend, Pearl Lowe. Their involvement with the tabloids and the attention they were courting. However, any spat or anger did not cause massive friction in the band and it is a song that they performed many times since 1996. I always thought that the tracklisting for In It for the Money needed a reshuffle. Richard III, the single that followed Going Out, should have been the opening track. It seems like the most natural set openers of all time, as it would whip the crowds into a frenzy! Going Out seems like a natural album closer, as it is epic and ends with those swelling and jubilant horns. Apart from the odd decision to put this whirring/machine-like sound at the end of the song – they should have just let the track fade -, it is a classic and one of my absolute favourite Supergrass songs. I love the single’s B-side, Melanie Davis, and the fact Supergrass recorded these amazing B-sides that deserve more attention. There is a lot to note about Going Out. Arriving in 1996, it announced perhaps a slightly darker, edgier and more mature – not in an insulting way – Supergrass. I see 1995’s I Should Coco as this carefree and brighter album that was released whilst Britpop was still raging. By 1996 even, the landscape of British Pop had changed. Going Out seemed to be the first sign of change and a new direction.
However, it is not to say that it is a angry or depressing song. Instead, I think it is more Supergrass reacting to things around them. Press intrusion, growing fame and that side of things. I think In It for the Money is a slightly stronger album and the shingles from it hit harder and remain in the head longer. Though this could be purely subjective. Going Out reminds me in a way of a Beatles track. Something that is a bit Psychedelic and raw at the same time, though it is has this incredible chorus. Danny Goffey reaching Ringo Starr reveals of genius with his drumming! Gaz Coombes in cool and swaggering from. Brilliant bass from Mick Quinn. Rob Coombes on piano and Hammond organ. Written by Supergrass and Rob Coombes and recorded at Sawmills Studio, Golant, Fowey, Cornwall. It was produced by Supergrass and Sam Williams. The Kick Horns provide those brilliant and rich horns. I want to delve more into this song ahead of its thirtieth anniversary. Even if Going Out could have been this Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (The Beatles, 1967) cut, it is distinctly them. Differing from songs like Alright and that image of cheeky chaps, the song retains the fun and jollity you associate with Supergrass, though there is more bite and teeth for sure. Richard III heightened that! The way Supergrass kept the jollity and this incredible spirit but created something more sophisticated for In It for the Money. Going Out a perfect lead single. Critics commended the step forward from the band. Even if the lyrics to Going Out are quite simple, they do seem relevant for the time. About press, celebrity and how that affects things. The key changes, the circus-like droning organ, the horns and this bigger and deeper sound. Supergrass finding fresh energy, impetus and ambition after the success of their debut album.
I do feel Going Out deserves more written about it. I was looking around trying to drop a feature or two in but, alas, came up with nothing! However, it is a song that deserves a lot more than it has been provided. The video is quite joyous too. Directed by Dom & Nic, it was filmed in the bandstand in Battersea Park, London (the same one that features in the video for Late in the Day). Though it looked like it was a freezing shoot, the band are in good spirits and you feel this infectiousness and energy coming from the screen. I could not let the thirtieth anniversary of this single slide by without mentioning it. A lot of critics albums and tracks turn thirty this year, and I think it is an important milestone. It also makes me feel old realising I was around when Going Out came out – even though I was only twelve at the time! However, I look back fondly. Going Out still seems so fresh and alive. Maybe talking about the end of teenage freedom and the sort of lack of responsibility they may have had, Going Out does signify a change of sorts. I am not sure whether Gaz Coombes was basing the song around Danny Goffey. I think it is a more general commentary on tabloids and musicians who were featured a lot or are out on the town every night. Maybe that idea they were courting attention or they could stop all the intrusion with a call – but did not want to. A song that still is relevant to this day. There was a sense in press interviews around the release of Going Out that Supergrass had changed.
What happened to the cheeky and fun scamps of I Should Coco? Melody Maker said this in a February 1996 piece: “Almost exactly a year ago, when The Maker put them on the cover for the first time, SUPERGRASS were pop's likeliest lads, cheeky young upstarts who seemed to enjoy nothing more than getting totally off their faces. They were brash, rude, lovable rock 'n' roll clowns and their songs were the catchiest teenage anthems we'd heard in years. A lot's happened to them in the last 12 months — a Top Five single, a Number One album, debut tours of Europe, Japan, the US and South America. They've also — gulp! — Grown Up, Come Over All Serious and Gone All Thoughtful On Us. IAN WATSON met them last week, backstage at The White Room, where they were preparing to preview their new single, 'Going Out'”. I guess there was an expectation that Supergrass might repeat what they did on I Should Coco for In It for the Money. Going Out signalled a new direction for Supergrass. But they kept their core ingredients and that incredible sound. On 26th January, we mark thirty years of Going Out. The first taste of a remarkable second album from the band, I still get a rush of energy and pleasure listening to this song. I have not seen Supergrass live, so I am not sure if this is part of their sets still. I can imagine the sort of reaction this gets when it is played live! This stunning and phenomenal song from Supergrass remains…
ONE of their best singles.