The Noel Gallagher song with The Chemical Brothers based on a Beatles classic
Noel Gallagher never had a problem taking inspiration from The Beatles. From referencing Magical Mystery Tour in ‘The Shock of the Lightning’ to using George Harrison’s solo album Wonderwall Music as the inspiration for ‘Wonderall’ to covering ‘I Am The Walrus’ as the final song Oasis ever played together, Gallagher’s history is intrinsically linked to The Beatles.
Even when he wasn’t writing and recording for Oasis, Gallagher was still tapping different parts of The Beatles’ catalogue while making his own music. When Gallagher collaborated with The Chemical Brothers on their 1996 number one single ‘Setting Sun’, the origins of the track lay in the electronic duo’s incorporation of the Revolver track ‘Tomorrow Never Knows’ into their live sets.
“In the middle of, you know, their electronic fucking thing, they used to do play ‘Tomorrow Never Knows’,” Gallagher recalled to Mix Magazine. “I had never heard that before, not in that context, in a sweaty little basement, and it’s coming in after some fucking Spoony D [sic] track!”
The combination of The Beatles and Spoonie Gee had a profound effect on Gallagher’s mind “a fucking sandwich!” he added. “I mean, it’s like, wow. They took that thing to another level. They’re fucking amazing, and ‘Setting Sun’ is one of the best things that I’ve ever done, and I love them; I’m a fan.”
When ‘Setting Sun’ debuted at number one on the UK Singles Chart in the fall of 1996, it solidified Gallagher’s position as the most influential voice in British popular music. American alternative rockers Deep Blue Something were sitting at the top of the chart when ‘Setting Sun’ came in and dethroned them, and to Gallagher, it was a point of pride.
“When I did ‘Setting Sun’ with The Chemical Brothers, it was based loosely on ‘Tomorrow Never Knows,” Gallagher told The Quietus in 2011. “Do you remember when it went to No. 1, what song we knocked off the top? ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’ by Deep Blue Something. We were like Sir Galahad. ‘And she said, ‘What about Breakfast at Tiffany’s and I said, ‘I remember the movie.’ And we came in, ‘Off with your head, you piece of shit.’”
Check out ‘Setting Sun’ down below.
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