"The Shock of the Lightning"
Single by Oasis
from the album Dig Out Your Soul
B-side"Falling Down" (Chemical Brothers Remix)[1]
Released29 September 2008 (2008-09-29)[2]
Genre
Length
  • 4:59 (album version)
  • 4:13 (radio edit)
LabelBig Brother
Songwriter(s)Noel Gallagher
Producer(s)Dave Sardy
Oasis singles chronology
"Lord Don't Slow Me Down"
(2007) 		"The Shock of the Lightning"
(2008) 		"I'm Outta Time"
(2008)
Dig Out Your Soul track listing
  1. "Bag It Up"
  2. "The Turning"
  3. "Waiting for the Rapture"
  4. "The Shock of the Lightning"
  5. "I'm Outta Time"
  6. "(Get Off Your) High Horse Lady"
  7. "Falling Down"
  8. "To Be Where There Is Life"
  9. "Ain't Got Nothin'"
  10. "The Nature of Reality"
  11. "Soldier On"
Music video
"The Shock Of The Lightning" on YouTube

"The Shock of the Lightning" is a song by English rock band Oasis. It is the fourth track from the band's seventh studio album, Dig Out Your Soul (2008). The song was released as the first single from the album on 29 September 2008. It received its first airplay on 15 August 2008 on multiple UK and Irish radio stations including the Ian Dempsey Breakfast show on Today FM in Ireland, BBC 6 Music by Shaun Keaveny,[3] and by Chris Moyles on BBC Radio 1. Moyles was joined by Noel Gallagher on 15 August 2008 to make a remix.[1]

Release

Noel said of the song: "If 'The Shock of the Lightning' sounds instant and compelling to you, it's because it was written dead fast. And recorded dead fast. 'The Shock of the Lightning' basically is the demo. And it has retained its energy. And there's a lot to be said for that, I think. The first time you record something is always the best".[4] It was described by NME as "a massively improved version of 'It's Gettin' Better (Man!!)'" and featuring "love is a litany/a magical mystery" as the song's chorus.

The single is the first Oasis song to feature a remix on a studio release. The B-side is a remixed version of the album track "Falling Down" by The Chemical Brothers, with whom Noel has worked in the past. However, a promo release of Oasis' cover of "Cum On Feel the Noize" contained the "Lynchmob Beats Mix" of "Champagne Supernova" by Brandon Lynch that was also re-released as a stand-alone promo for Stop the Clocks. Consequently, this is their first official CD single release that does not contain a new track as a B-side.

Reception

On 30 July 2008, the official Oasis website posted a Dig Out Your Soul trailer which contained a 23-second clip of the intro to "The Shock of the Lightning" as well as a 20-second clip of the drum solo. On 15 August 2008, the song received its first airplay on The Chris Moyles Show on BBC Radio 1 with Noel Gallagher present. Noel said of the song on Shaun Keaveny's Radio 6 show, "It's a driving, pumping, pop, rock 'n' roll masterpiece". In NME, the song was named as 'song of the week' and received a score of 9/10, despite being referred to as "only the fifth best song on Dig Out Your Soul".

"The Shock of the Lightning" entered the UK Singles Chart at number 3, becoming the band's first lead single since their debut, "Supersonic", to fail to reach number 1 in their homeland. It peaked behind Pink's number 1 single "So What" and "Sex on Fire" by Kings of Leon at number 2 during the week of its physical release. It is still awaiting a Silver certification in the UK, making it their only lead single not to have reached this milestone. The song also reached number 12 on the Billboard Hot Modern Rock chart in the United States, making it their most successful single there since "Don't Go Away", which peaked on the chart at number 5 in 1998. It also reached number 93 on the Billboard Hot 100, their first song to chart on the Hot 100 since "Don't Look Back in Anger" in 1996.

Music video

The music video for the song (directed by Julian House and Julian Gibbs) debuted on the band's official site on 25 August at 17:30 (UK time) and was broadcast on Channel 4 at 23:40.[5] The video depicts Liam singing and the occasional appearance of the rest of the band, intercut with stock footage related to the album's artwork. The opening shot of the video of silhouetted heads is a reference to the cover of the Rolling Stones compilation record Hot Rocks 1964-1971, an idea previously used in the video for Super Furry Animals song "(Drawing) Rings Around the World".

Accolades

The track was number 96 in NME's 100 Tracks of the Decade feature and was the only Oasis song to feature in the list.[6]

Track listings

All songs were written by Noel Gallagher.

CD and 7-inch[7]

  1. "The Shock of the Lightning" – 5:02
  2. "Falling Down" (Chemical Brothers remix) – 4:32

iTunes and Oasisinet exclusive bundle[7]

  1. "The Shock of the Lightning" – 5:02
  2. "Falling Down" (Chemical Brothers remix) – 4:32
  3. "The Shock of the Lightning" (music video)

Japanese edition[8]

  1. "The Shock of the Lightning" – 5:03
  2. "The Shock of the Lightning" (The Jagz Kooner remix) – 6:38
  3. "Lord Don't Slow Me Down" – 3:18

Personnel

Charts

References

  1. ^ a b "Oasis release first ever official remix". NME. 11 August 2008. Retrieved 11 August 2008.
  2. ^ "The Shock of the Lightning". oasisinet.com. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
  3. ^ Rogers, Georgie (1 August 2008). "Oasis preview – The band preview new single – 6 Music wants your thoughts". BBC 6 Music. Archived from the original on 14 September 2008. Retrieved 11 August 2008.
  4. ^ Oasis – Official website Archived 9 December 2004 at the Wayback Machine
  5. ^ "'THE SHOCK OF THE LIGHTNING' VDEO PREMIERE". Oasis. 24 August 2008. Archived from the original on 10 October 2009. Retrieved 25 August 2008.
  6. ^ "100 Tracks of the Decade – NME". NME. 11 November 2009.
  7. ^ a b "The Shock Of The Lightning – Single Details". 11 August 2008. Archived from the original on 9 December 2004. Retrieved 11 August 2008.
  8. ^ "オアシス – ディスコグラフィ – Sony Music".
  9. ^ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 206.
  10. ^ "Oasis – The Shock of the Lightning" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 27 June 2018.
  11. ^ "Oasis – The Shock of the Lightning" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 27 June 2018.
  12. ^ "Oasis – The Shock of the Lightning" (in French). Ultratip. Retrieved 27 June 2018.
  13. ^ "Oasis Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 27 June 2018.
  14. ^ "Oasis Chart History (Canada Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
  15. ^ "Hits of the World – Euro Singles Sales" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 120, no. 42. 18 October 2008. p. 62. Retrieved 17 August 2020.
  16. ^ "Oasis – The Shock of the Lightning" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 27 June 2018.
  17. ^ "Oasis – The Shock of the Lightning" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 27 June 2018.
  18. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – The Shock of the Lightning". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 27 June 2018.
  19. ^ "Oasis – The Shock of the Lightning" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 27 June 2018.
  20. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 27 June 2018.
  21. ^ "Oasis – The Shock of the Lightning". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 27 June 2018.
  22. ^ "Oasis – The Shock of the Lightning". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 27 June 2018.
  23. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 27 June 2018.
  24. ^ "Official Independent Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 27 June 2018.
  25. ^ "Oasis Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 27 June 2018.
  26. ^ "Oasis Chart History (Adult Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 27 June 2018.
  27. ^ "Oasis Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved 27 June 2018.
  28. ^ "Official Singles Chart 2008" (PDF). UKChartsPlus. Retrieved 27 June 2018.
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