Request for Nominations! FAVOURITE DISOWNED SINGLE

Simple Minds pretty much hate Don't You (Forget About Me), right? Screw them, I love it.

^ I think the reason they hate it so much is that it pegged them squarely for "one hit wonder" status in the States (and that for a song which they didn't even write themselves), while their longtime rivals U2 were simultaneously on their way to becoming, well, U2.

I think Robert Smith once said something along the lines of "anyone who likes 'Friday I'm in Love' isn't a Cure fan."

Fuck Robert Smith! Friday I'm in Love!

Whatever happened to U2's "A Celebration" HUH????????

It's STILL not available on CD is it? HUH????????????

I don't believe they "hate" it, but Killing Joke will never play "Eighties" again.

The Mission grew very tired indeed of "Wasteland," but I fucking love it still.

For some entirely inexplicable reason, Siouxsie & the Banshees hate "Song From the Edge of the World" (I believe it had to do with a feud with producer Mike Hedges). As such, it has only appeared on compact disc in a remix form. The original single has not.

How is it that U2 could hate "A Celebration" and not be BORED TO FUCKING TEARS by "I Will Follow" and/or "Pride (In The Name of Love)" by this point?

Re U2: Zactly.

Depeche Mode - "It's Called A Heart"

Nada Surf "Popular" (not my favorite but worth mentioning)

shiny happy people

Blur's Popscene? Oasis' Whatever?

Blur used to play Popscene live in the late 90s - I think they changed their minds on that one. Although it's still not easily available is it? I think the only way you can get it is on import copies of Modern Life Is Rubbish.

Yeah, Blur have never stopped playing "PopScene"

"Bang" however... (one official nom there)

Blur's "Country House" is a better example than "Popscene". An absolutely genius moment that is the best thing they ever did, yet they refuse to play it live anymore.

Radiohead - High and Dry. I know they only stuck it on the album to appease the record company, and Thom Yorke now refuses to have anything to do with it, but fink it's gr8 all the same.

"High and Dry" is the only thing I routinely skip on The Bends, so I'm with the band on this one.

So if I do the poll, will "High and Dry" be the runaway winner? probably.

I quite like High & Dry. Nice drum sound. it's not particularly worse than Fake Plastic Trees or Street Spirit.

Pink Floyd, well mostly Roger Waters, always seemed a bit sniffy about "See Emily Play", which is madness obviously. Also they've never had a good word to say about their let's-try-and-be-Syd singles, "It Would Be So Nice" and "Point Me At the Sky" but I love 'em both.

High & Dry is somewhat ruined by the fact Jamie whatshisface, Jamie Cullum? Jamie Cumming? the pug-faced one from a few years ago? did a cover of it. I know a lame-o cover version shouldn't ruin the original, but...

If a bit of that is true, Roger Waters would be totally crazy.

xpost

So anyway, High and Dry does not make the list as it is wayyyyyy less disowned than "Pop is Dead", and anyway, I got it there first.

"Pablo Honey" isn't particularly good as an album, but "Creep" is way better than Radiohead see it these days

Moral of this thread so far: Most bands who disown singles are British.

Speaking of which, how do Chumbawamba feel about "Tubthumping" these days (assuming they still exist)?

not all are limeys! R.E.M.'s "Shiny Happy People" (love it).

I think when Creep flopped first time, they felt it was their lost classic. They left it behind for a long time after it became a hit, as it was so much bigger than the rest of their output, until the latter "Bends" singles became hits, then "OK computer" and so on. So, they do it on occasion as it's not such a big elephant in the room if they do (or don't do) it.

Chumba's loved that their hit was big, until 'audience' met 'band' at the Top of the pops end-of-year "best of", and band were appalled at the 'approved' Down/Upagain 'dance' that the girlies did in front of them. Whether they do it anymore, I don't know. But do they "hate" it? I doubt. "Disown"? Also I doubt.

(when you're battering down the doors of the palace, do you disown yr battering ram afterwards?)

Does the Monkees' "Valleri" count if only Nesmith disowned it?

no.

wasn't the story re Popscene not that they disowned it, but that they thought it was absolutely brilliant and so the publics lack of interest in the track at the time hit them hard.
so they effectively decided to give a big 'fuck you' to the general record buying public and never release the track again or put it on an album ?

Surely if any Blur song is going to make this poll it should be Country House?

mark e is correct.

Matt, "Bang" was disowned, like , immediately. CH still got played live around the world on tours a million times (slight eggager..), "Bang" only for the "singles" gigs.

In the case of "Popscene" it was a flop commercially, so I guess that's the main reason why they don't play it much. The content of the "Best Of" CD was decided by the fans, and in spite of the fact that "Popscene" is the only Blur single not available on CD, it was not included because the fans didn't vote for it.

Small Faces didn't want "My Mind's Eye" released, they thought it was a demo recording. They also didn't want "Lazy Sunday" released as a single.

I never understood why "Drive" wasn't included on REM's Best Of. It's one of their best singles.

Geir, the fans had nowt to do with the "Best of" content. You must be thinking of some other band.

Blur's least favourite Blur single is actually "There's No Other Way", according to Steve Lamacq.

Jeff Beck's 'Hi Ho Silver Lining' is surely the daddy of disowned singles.

There must be several cash in singles by former record companies trying to recoup their investment eligible for this. Stones Roses remixes anyone?

Well, I do feel that the category should be about those that were recorded in a fit of enthusiasm and keen-ness, only for the artist to find, after it was released, that actually it was bobbins.

A bit like Julian Cope's version of "Five o clock world", apparently they were three quarters of the way through recording it when the realisation hit.

So, the Stone Roses 'post' remixes dont count. HiHo might though.

How does Paul McCartney feel about the Frog Chorus?

McCartney thinks he's great, so I doubt he dislikes anything he's ever done

You've not heard him on the album "Press to Play" recently then...

The single "Press" he described as "de-press-ing"

Right. My Bloody Valentine.

How many of those are disowned? Most of them? All but the last four?

i wish Madness would disown Driving in My Car

They did disown their cover of "The 'Sweetest' Girl"

oh yes.
forgot about that.

in fact they just about disowned the whole album if memory serves me right.
the clumsy over production aspect i think ?

not all are limeys! R.E.M.'s "Shiny Happy People"

Neither are Nada Surf or most of the Monkees, but I said "most." And since I said it, almost every single band mentioned has been British, too! I was sort of joking yesterday, but now I'm curious -- is "disowning singles" something UK bands just get preoccupied with regularly, in general? (I can think of a couple U.S. bands who've disowned albums -- well, Bad Religion with Into the Unknown anyway -- but not singles so much, I don't think. So maybe it's just a British phenomenon.)

You've not heard him on the album "Press to Play" recently then...

The single "Press" he described as "de-press-ing"

That's a good example – I love "Press."

hello Ministry

There must be several acts who went 'disco' who now disown it, or at least distance themselves from it. Doesn't Keef disown the Some Girls/Emotional Rescue period of the Stones' career.

like, "I was made for lovin you" Kiss, you mean?

I don't think Kiss disown anything they've done. At least anything which made money for them.

There must be several acts who went 'disco' who now disown it, or at least distance themselves from it. Doesn't Keef disown the Some Girls/Emotional Rescue period of the Stones' career.

He's disowned it so loudly that the band can't resist playing "Miss You" at every show.

Plus, there isn't much disco per se on Some Girls and Emotional Rescue: more like disco-influenced rock ("Dance, Pt. 1," "Emotional Rescue").

Well, it seems they were still playing it live in 1992 according to Wiki, so, not that one then. (xpost ref: Kiss "made for lovin you")

Plus, there isn't much disco per se on Some Girls and Emotional Rescue: more like disco-influenced rock ("Dance, Pt. 1," "Emotional Rescue").

Hence the quotes around 'disco' in my original post.

The Who's "Dogs." Flopped upon release in 1968, not released in the US until 1987, never played live. Daltrey called it their "wanking-off period."

Great song, though. Kinda beats the Kinks/Small Faces at their own game.

Doesn't beat them, joins in

Does Depeche Mode still own up to "Just Can't Get Enough"?

They probably regret "See You" and "The Meaning Of Love" more.

Bands disowning their most popular songs = ultimate douchebaggery.

Manic Street Preachers disowned Suicide Alley
The Verve disowned All In The Mind

re manics, don't blame them, it was terrible (though putting it on a b-side doesn't strike me as disowning much)

I think the Who have written off the entirety of 1968, except for Magic Bus. It was a transition year from the "Who Sell Out" psychedelics to the boiler-suited metallic stuff and success in the USA that was just around the corner.

Again, I wonder why these bands don't just grit their teeth, take a deep breath and open their damn concerts with song in question. 3 minutes and they're done with it. All the newbie fans are thrilled and pumped to hear their favourite number right away; longtime followers who like everything EXCEPT that one hit are relieved to get it out of the way early. Everybody wins!

But the king of this thread is Bob Seger.

"Batdance"

I think the Who have written off the entirety of 1968, except for Magic Bus. It was a transition year from the "Who Sell Out" psychedelics to the boiler-suited metallic stuff and success in the USA that was just around the corner.

they wrote of their studio stuff, sure, and there wasn't much of it ("dogs," "call me lightning," "magic bus," and whatever the b-sides were). but they toured for something like 9 months that year, mostly in the US. that was probably their most important year in terms of solidifying their chemistry as a live band, culminating in owning the "rolling stones rock & roll circus" that december.

"Friday I'm in love" is the song that non-cure fans can love the most.

Yes,if you're a cure fan, then you would love the darker stuff more.

Not the same as disowning it though.

OK, so we don't have disowned singles from MBV or Bob Seger.

Oh, and one late entrant: Everybody's Problem by Pulp.

Might wrap this and start poll tomorrow.

MBV - Strawberry Wine? Sunny Sundae Smile? AFAIK Kevin Shields hates everything prior to You Made Me Realise.

yeah, bit all-encompassing. It's different when you hate your previous incarnation.

This is more "made lots of stuff we like, made single OH NO then carried on making stuff we like"

... sort of thing.

The Clash "Remote Control" - Released without the band's consent. "Complete Control" written in response.

Steely Dan - Their first single "Dallas" has never been rereleased.

Does the Monkees' "Valleri" count if only Nesmith disowned it?

Maybe not, but the Davy-only single version of "She Hangs Out" that Don Kirshner tried to release without the band's knowledge was the direct precursor to Kirshner being ousted.

I remember reading in an interview with Joe Walsh that he said if he knew he was going to have to sing "Funk #49" for the rest of his life, he wishes he would have spent more than ten minutes on the lyrics.

With Robert Smith it's all about phases. Lately, he has mostly been into releasing dark albums, which means he is likely to regret stuff such as "Friday I'm In Love". Then, in a few years, he decides happy pop songs are cool again and he will suddenly love "Friday I'm In Love" again.

The Cure play "Friday" practically every night so I'm not sure how that can count as a disowned single.

Squeeze: "Bang Bang" and "853-5937". Difford and Tilbrook hates both singles now.

It's too late to really call this a nomination, but Ministry detest "Twitch" don't they?

anybody know if Cheap Trick still play "The Flame"?...I had heard they disowned it, even though it's their only US #1 single...

Definitely played it at ATP in 2002, because I remember Tom singing it.

It's With Sympathy Ministry hate - that kinda falls under the MBV clause though I think.

Too late, but: Climax Blues Band "I Love You"

According to this the band hated it from the first demo. Most of them refused to play on the recording, never played it live, and it's missing from nearly all their best-ofs/greatest hits comps. It was a pretty inescapable hit for a while though.

"Couldn't Get It Right" was much better.

Climax Blues Band "I Love You"

HAHA! This song just came into my mind a few weeks back for no reason at all. I was like "what the fuck made me think of that old thing?" I'm kinda glad to hear the band hated it, I mean I'd like to think they were capable of better, though I never heard anything else.