"From the Hip" is a song by British band Lloyd Cole and the Commotions, released in 1988 as an extended play from their third and final studio album Mainstream (1987). The song was written by the band and produced by Ian Stanley. It peaked at number 59 in the UK Singles Chart and remained in the top 75 for two weeks.
| "From the Hip" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Song by Lloyd Cole and the Commotions | ||||
| from the album Mainstream | ||||
| Released | 11 April 1988[1] | |||
| Length |
| |||
| Label | Polydor | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Lloyd Cole and the Commotions | |||
| Producer(s) | Ian Stanley | |||
| Lloyd Cole and the Commotions singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "From the Hip" on YouTube | ||||
Background
edit"From the Hip" was Lloyd Cole and the Commotions' final release before their split in 1989. For its release on the EP, "From the Hip" was remixed by Gavin MacKillop and the band. The EP's three additional tracks, "Please", "Lonely Mile" and "Love Your Wife", were new songs recorded by the band during what would be their final recording sessions in February 1988.[1] By this time, the band were reduced to a four piece as keyboardist Blair Cowan had left in 1987.[2] In 2008, Cole recalled of the band's final sessions, "I guess we were interested in being more of a rock band, yes. We had no keyboard player – that's a start!"[3]
Critical reception
editUpon its release as an EP, Tom Doyle of Smash Hits praised the song as "a very clever ditty" and "one of the better tracks on Mainstream", but felt that "it's really more of an LP cut than a hit single". He added, "But since this is a four track EP with three quite good brand new songs included, there'll no doubt be a lot of fans who'll rush out to [buy] it."[4] Jerry Smith of Music Week drew attention to the EP's "three brand new, and rather effective, numbers".[5] Marcus Alton of the Newark Advertiser commented, "It's best to sit in a dark room when listening to this EP. Then you'll match the depressing mood Lloydie must have been in when he wrote three quarters of it". He described "From the Hip" as a "beautifully bitter number", "Please" and "Lonely Mile" as "topping the sad scale" and "Love Your Wife" as the track that "adds hope". He added that the EP represented "good value" for money.[6] Tom Jones, writing for The Ayrshire Post, stated, "Once again Cole demonstrates true style as an artiste. Great vocals, great song, great production."[7]
Track listing
edit7–inch EP (UK and Europe)[8]
- "From the Hip" (Remix) – 3:53
- "Please" – 3:55
- "Lonely Mile" – 4:00
- "Love Your Wife" – 3:47
12–inch EP (UK and Europe)[9]
- "From the Hip" (Extended Remix) – 4:37
- "Lonely Mile" – 4:00
- "Love Your Wife" – 3:47
- "Please" – 3:55
CD EP (UK and Europe)[10]
- "From the Hip" (Remix) – 3:53
- "Lonely Mile" – 4:00
- "Love Your Wife" – 3:47
- "Please" – 3:55
Personnel
editLloyd Cole and the Commotions
- Lloyd Cole – vocals, guitar
- Neil Clark – guitar
- Blair Cowan – keyboards (on "From the Hip" only)
- Lawrence Donegan – bass
- Stephen Irvine – drums
Production
- Ian Stanley – producer ("From the Hip")
- Gavin MacKillop – remixing ("From the Hip")
- The Commotions – remixing ("From the Hip"), producers ("Please", "Lonely Mile" and "Love Your Wife")
- Kenny MacDonald – producer ("Please", "Lonely Mile" and "Love Your Wife")
Other
- Russell Young – photography
- Michael Nash Associates – sleeve
Charts
edit| Chart (1988) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles (OCC)[11] | 59 |
References
edit- ^ a b Robin Smith, ed. (9 April 1988). "News: Four Track Commotions". Record Mirror. p. 6. ISSN 0144-5804.
- ^ Cole, Lloyd (9 January 2007). "Mainstream Dedication". lloydcole.com. Retrieved 2 March 2023.
- ^ Cole, Lloyd (18 March 2008). "You will never be no good??". lloydcole.com. Retrieved 2 March 2023.
- ^ Hibbert, Tom (6 April 1988). "Review: Singles". Smash Hits. p. 53.
- ^ Smith, Jerry (16 April 1988). "A&R: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. p. 23. ISSN 0265-1548. Retrieved 2 March 2023 – via World Radio History.
- ^ Alton, Marcus (22 April 1988). "Street Beat: Hit the Deck". Newark Advertiser. p. 24. Retrieved 2 March 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ Jones, Tom (22 April 1988). "Street Buzz: 45s". The Ayrshire Post. p. 73. Retrieved 2 March 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ From the Hip (UK and European 7-inch extended play sleeve). Lloyd Cole and the Commotions. Polydor Records. 1988. COLE 9, 887 510-7.
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ From the Hip (UK and European 12-inch EP sleeve). Lloyd Cole and the Commotions. Polydor Records. 1988. COLEX 9, 887 510-1.
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ From the Hip (UK and European CD EP liner notes). Lloyd Cole and the Commotions. Polydor Records. 1988. COLCD 9, 887 510-2.
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ "Lloyd Cole: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2 March 2023.