"March of the Pigs" was released by Nine Inch Nails on the 25th of February 1994. It was the first single released from their second studio album-The Downward Spiral (1994). It is also one of the band's shortest hit songs, clocking in at just under three minutes.

For shooting the music video, one that got regular airplay on MTV, Reznor assembled his live band for the upcoming Self Destruct Tour. It would feature drummer Chris Vrenna, keyboard player James Woolley, guitarist Robin Finck and bassist/guitarist/keyboardist Danny Lohner. Director Peter Christopherson (Coil, Throbbing Gristle, …) was told to film a stripped-down, minimalist music video for the song. The video showed the band performing the song live in front of a white-wall backdrop, with Reznor moving around aggressively, pushing the other band members, along with their instruments and repeatedly tossing his microphone away. Throughout the video, stagehands visibly move into the frame to reset the equipment he knocks over, handing Reznor a microphone each time he needs to start singing again after an instrumental section. The video uses the live performance audio of the song recorded at the video shoot, rather than synchronizing the footage to the studio-recorded version from the album as most music videos do. This version of the song is also included on the "Closer" cassette single.The single was release in numerous CD versions with and as on limited edition 7", 9" and 12" vinyl records.

The American version of the "March of the Pigs" CD single contains two mixes of the title track, two remixes of The Downward Spiral tracks "Reptile" and "A Violet Fluid", however also included was a non-album instrumental track. In the UK, the single was released as a two-disc CD single with each CD sold separately, though also adding a censored radio edit of "March of the Pigs" and "Big Man With a Gun" from The Downward Spiral release. The disc art for this single features a curled-up millipede, an image that was later used on the cover of the single "Closer".

"March of the Pigs" peaked at #98 on the Australian ARIA singles chart.

Thirteen years after its release, it debuted at #9 and peaked at #6 on the Canadian Singles Chart.

March Of The Pigs (Lyrics)

Step right up, march, push
Crawl right up on your knees
Please greed feed (no time to hesitate)

I want a little bit
I want a piece of it
I think he's losing it
I want to watch it come down

Don't like the look of it
Don't like the taste of it
Don't like the smell of it
I want to watch it come down

All the pigs are all lined up
I give you all that you want
Take the skin and peel it back
Now doesn't that make you feel better?

Shove it up inside, surprise, lies
Stains like the blood on your teeth
Bite, chew, suck (away the tender parts)

I want to break it up
I want to smash it up
I want to fuck it up
I want to watch it come down

Maybe afraid of it
Let's discredit it
Let's pick away at it
I want to watch it come down

All the pigs are all lined up
I give you all that you want
Take the skin and peel it back
Now doesn't that make you feel better?

The pigs have won tonight
Now they can all sleep soundly
And everything is all right

Songwriters: Trent Reznor
© Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.

7" vinyl (Limited Edition -Single sided - 5,000 numbered copies)

9" vinyl (Limited Edition - 5,000 numbered copies)

US CD

UK 2CD

More versions and info on DISCOGS!

Nine Inch Nails: March Of The Pigs (1994) from Nine Inch Nails on Vimeo.

Today 25 February , we mark the sad passing of Talk Talk front man Mark Hollis (25/02/19). One of the most acclaimed innovators of the eighties synth-pop and new wave scene, he rose to prominence with Talk Talk and steered the band until they disbanded in 1992.

They began life as a quartet, consisting of Mark Hollis-vocals/main songwriter, Lee Harris-drums, Paul Webb-bass guitar and keyboardist-Simon Brenner. Comparisons with Duran Duran were quickly shaken off, with a band name consisting of a repeated word, the two shared a glam rock and Roxy Music-inspired musical direction. They also shared the same producer in Colin Thurston although Talk Talk supported Duran Duran on tour in late 1981.

Their first single release-'Mirror Man', hit the streets in February 1982. The single bombed but was quickly followed by their self-titled single in April 1982 which reached No.52 in the UK. After the green shoots appeared the band released their debut album-The Party's Over released in July 1982.

The band had their first UK Top 40 hits with the singles 'Today' (No. 14) and the re-release of 'Talk Talk' (No. 23). These singles also were hits in other countries including Ireland, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. The re-release of the 'Talk Talk' single reached the U.S. Top 75.

‘The Party's Over was a moderate success in the UK reaching No.21, though reaching top-ten in the UK. Though it was Its My Life in 1984, both the album and same-titled single which broke Talk Talk into the stratosphere of the mainstream.

The genesis of the band continued through lineup changes until 1991, through an experimental phase and the album dark and claustrophobic-Laughing Stock, Talk Talk disbanded, Hollis stated that he wished to focus more on his family.

He did however come back with a self-titled solo album in 1998, though well received Hollis more or less retired fully from music shortly after.

[Kevin Burke 25/02/19]

Today, it’s 45 years ago (23 February 1978) that renowned BBC DJ John Peel broadcast the second John Peel session recorded by Siouxsie & The Banshees on 6th February at the BBC studios in Maida Vale.

At the time of broadcast all songs where previously unreleased. In fact, their very first release, the 7” Hong Kong Garden, was only released on 18th August that same year.

In 1989 these studio recordings were released by the Strange Fruit label.

The John Peel Sessions (The Second Session)

Tracklist:
Hong Kong Garden
Overground
Carcass
Helter Skelter

Discogs

Austin, Texas - based electronic act, Gleaming has just unveiled details about their new EP, We Dissolve.

We Dissolve is an ode to one's former self and depression, habits, partners, family, friends, etc. It's an attempt to bring closure to a darker past and to celebrate life in a more positive and meaningful sense.

The first single, “Run Faster” touches on this in the most literal sense with lines such as “the phone, the ego, the friends, the future, the body I’m in - all telling me to run”. The second single, “The Ashes”, further alludes to the former self with, “No, Master you are blinded. It’s only you to play the fool”. and “I hope you’re burning. I’ll watch you turn into ashes”.

"After drumming for a handful of different screamo and indie/dream-pop bands, I found my way to electronic music. I wanted to take the inspiration and influence from artists I love and blend it with my experience in the indie and dream/synth-pop bands. Creating a dark, danceable tone with really catchy melodies and lyrics, hoping to capture the perfect segue from dark to light." - Darryl Schomberg II

We Dissolve is the perfect introduction to a new and refreshing voice to keep an eye on. The EP also includes a collaboration with Vestite and was beautifully mixed and mastered by Iacopo Bigagli (Kaelan Mikla’s Live Engineer).

www.facebook.com/gleaming.atx

The severed alliance of Johnny Marr and Morrissey which exists today seemed a million miles away from the creative force that once was, 39 years ago.
On the 20th of February 1984,-35 years ago today, The Smiths self-titled debut album hit the streets. The legend was quickly born and fully impacted as the album debuted on the UK charts at number two. It was at this moment that The Smiths heralded their arrival onto the international music scene. From this point and over the next four-years they would become the dominant force on the indie and alternative music scene.

Preceded in January by the teaser single-‘What Difference Does It Make?’, supposedly Morrissey’s least favourite single, the song did however build the momentum for what was to come, hitting a high of number-twelve in the charts. The previous singles, one included here, ‘Hand In Glove’, had failed to make an impression on the charts, although the beautiful single which sparkled of Marr’s fully recognized guitar orchestra, did however catch the eye of the critics and media, they had already tipped something big from this band, thankfully they were right.

The second single ‘This Charming Man’ faired better but only broke the top-30. Such a staple of Smiths songs failed to break the top-twenty seems strange now but the public had not fully caught on. Though not originally on the album, ‘This Charming Man’ however did appear on U.S versions of the album distributed by Sire Records.

The Smiths could very well be the most significant release of the eighties. Setting a tone for the rise of other such bands at the close of the decade, unsurprisingly from the same area of Manchester-The Stone Roses, The Happy Monday’s and what came to prominence in the nineties Brit-Pop era owe a debt of gratitude to not only The Smiths as a band, but the foundations they laid in a short four-years.

The Smiths (Original 1984-Rough Trade Track List):

Side A

1. "Reel Around the Fountain" 5:58
2. "You've Got Everything Now" 3:59
3. "Miserable Lie" 4:29
4. "Pretty Girls Make Graves" 3:44
5. "The Hand That Rocks the Cradle" (quotation from "Sonny Boy" by Ray Henderson, Lew Brown and Al Jolson) 4:38

Side B

6. "Still Ill" 3:23
7. "Hand in Glove" 3:25
8. "What Difference Does It Make?" 3:51
9. "I Don't Owe You Anything" 4:05
10. "Suffer Little Children" 5:28

DISCOGS

[Kevin Burke - Feb 2019]