Warm Leatherette

"Warm Leatherette" is a song by Daniel Miller's project The Normal, released in 1978.

This article is about the Daniel Miller song. For the Grace Jones album, see Warm Leatherette (album).
"Warm Leatherette"
Single by The Normal
A-side"T.V.O.D."
ReleasedNovember 1978
GenreIndustrial
Length6:15
LabelMute
Songwriter(s)Daniel Miller
Producer(s)Daniel Miller

The Normal original

Overview

The lyrics of "Warm Leatherette" reference J.G. Ballard's controversial 1973 novel Crash, which had heavily influenced Daniel Miller.[1] Together with his college friend, he had worked on a film script based on the book, but after the project was abandoned, Miller decided to "write a song encapsulating [the script] in 2 and a half minutes".[2] The song was recorded in Miller's apartment using two Revox B-77 tape machines. A series of sawtooth waves were recorded on a Korg 700S synthesizer.

Miller took the record to a few independent music shops, including Rough Trade in London, where it would be played to customers.[2] "Warm Leatherette" was released as the B-side to "T.V.O.D.", the only single by Miller's musical project The Normal, and the very first release on his Mute Records label. However, since it was "Warm Leatherette" that gained more public attention,[3] it was featured as the lead song on subsequent single re-releases. Although Miller did not expect the single to be successful,[4] it sold thirty thousand copies.[5]

The single was an early example of industrial music, emerging on a wave of numerous electronic pop experiments of the late 1970s in the UK.[6] It has since been described as having "revolutionised electronic music with its punk aesthetic, stark sound and dark subject matter"[2] and has been covered by numerous artists.[4] The song is featured in the 2020 American horror film Antebellum.

Track listing
A. "T.V.O.D." – 2:51
B. "Warm Leatherette" – 3:20
A. "Warm Leatherette" – 3:24
B. "T.V.O.D." – 2:52

Grace Jones version
"Warm Leatherette"
Single by Grace Jones
from the album Warm Leatherette
Released1980
Length4:25
LabelIsland
Songwriter(s)Daniel Miller
Producer(s)Chris Blackwell, Alex Sadkin
Grace Jones singles chronology
"Breakdown"
(1980)		 "Warm Leatherette"
(1980)		 "The Hunter Gets Captured by the Game"
(1980)

Grace Jones recorded "Warm Leatherette" for her 1980 album of the same name. The song was released as a promotional only 12" single. In 1981 it became the opening song on her A One Man Show tour.

Track listing
A1. "Warm Leatherette" – 4:25
A2. "Love Is the Drug" – 7:15
B1. "The Hunter Gets Captured by the Game" – 3:50
B2. "Bullshit" – 5:20

Chart performance
Chart Peak
position
United States (Dance Music/Club Play)[10] 20

Other cover versions
  • Die Tödliche Doris recorded a cover of this song in December 1980, and released it on their 2000 compilation Kinderringellreihen für Wahren Toren des Grals.[11]
  • Sleep Chamber covered the song in 1985.[12]
  • Peter Rauhofer has recorded multiple covers of this song as Club 69, first on two 1995 releases,[13][14] then on a 1999 album, Re-Styled,[15] on a 2007 electronic compilation album, Naughty Holiday Collection[16] and a 2007 Star 69 Trax promo disc.[17]
  • Chicks on Speed and DJ Hell covered this song on a split 7" in 1998 with different versions of the song.[18] Chicks on Speed later re-released their cover on a 2000 CD, The Re-Releases of the Un-Releases, with an additional intro.[19]
  • Belgian band Dive recorded a cover of this song, released in June 2000 on the electronic compilation CD Heaven & Hell.[20]
  • Richard X, as Girls on Top, mashed up this song with Missy Elliott's "She's a Bitch" to produce "Warm Bitch" in 2000.[21]
  • Takkyu Ishino covered this song on his March 2004 single "The Rising Suns".[22]
  • Vitalic performed a live version of "Warm Leatherette" on BBC Radio 1. A recording of the performance was included on his 2005 single "My Friend Dario"[23] and a 2006 collector's edition of his album OK Cowboy.[24]
  • Erik Friedlander and Teho Teardo covered this song in their 2006 album Giorni Rubati.[25]
  • Zombie-Zombie covered this song in their 2006 EP, Zombie-Zombie.[26]
  • Trent Reznor, Peter Murphy, Jeordie White and Atticus Ross covered this song live on the radio in Boston in June 2006 during the Nine Inch Nails tour that year.[27]
  • Duran Duran performed the song at their run of ten concerts in New York City in November 2007, and as part of an electronic medley portion of their set list on the subsequent 2008 Red Carpet Massacre tour.
  • Rubin Steiner covered this song on his 2008 album Weird Hits, Two Covers & A Love Song[28]
  • Absolute Body Control covered this song on a 7" released in July 2008.[29]
  • J. G. Thirlwell covered this song on the September 2008 compilation album Recovery.[30]
  • Giddle Partridge and Boyd Rice covered this song on an August 2010 single titled "Warm Leatherette".[31]
  • Laibach performed a cover with German lyrics of the song titled "Warme Lederhaut" at the end of their set at the Mute Records Short Circuit Festival at the Roundhouse, London, on 14 May 2011.[32] They have also performed it as part of their 30th anniversary tour.
  • NON aka Boyd Rice covered the song again for the Short Circuit edition of the Mute compilation Vorwärts.[33]
  • Artist and musician Florian-Ayala Fauna covered the song for her 2012 sing, Warm Leatherette.[34][35]
  • Decoded Feedback covered this song on their 2016 album, Dark Passenger.[36]
  • Vitalic released a heavily re-worked version as "Sweet Cigarette" in their 2017 album "Voyager".
  • Suzi Quatro released a version within her 2014 four cd box set The Girl from Detroit City.[37]

References
  1. "DANIEL MILLER: Mute Records, Depeche Mode & Home Studio". Soundonsound.com. December 1998. Retrieved 2012-06-18.
  2. "Daniel Miller - Exclusive Interview For ElektroDiskow.com!". www.elektrodiskow.com. Retrieved 2012-12-13.
  3. "T.V.O.D./Warm Leatherette - The Normal : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". Allmusic. Retrieved 2012-11-19.
  4. "Interview: Daniel Miller". Emusic. Retrieved 2012-12-13.
  5. Simon Reynolds (2006). Rip It Up and Start Again: Postpunk 1978-1984. Penguin Books. p. 31.
  6. "RA: Daniel Miller: Muting the noise - Interview". www.residentadvisor.net. Retrieved 2012-12-13.
  7. "Normal, The - T.V.O.D. / Warm Leatherette (Vinyl) at Discogs". www.discogs.com. Retrieved 2012-11-19.
  8. "Normal, The - Warm Leatherette (CD) at Discogs". www.discogs.com. Retrieved 2012-11-19.
  9. "Grace Jones - Warm Leatherette (Vinyl) at Discogs". www.discogs.com. Retrieved 2012-11-19.
  10. "Grace Jones - Awards : AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 2012-08-21.
  11. "Die Tödliche Doris - Kinderringellreihen Für Wahren Toren Des Grals (CD, Album) at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2012-06-18.
  12. "Sleep Chamber - Warm Leatherette (Vinyl) at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2012-06-18.
  13. "Club 69 - Sugar Pie Guy / Warm Leatherette (Vinyl) at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2012-06-18.
  14. "Club 69 - Diva (Remixes) / Warm Leatherette (Vinyl) at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2012-06-18.
  15. "Club 69 - Re-Styled at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2012-06-18.
  16. "Various - Naughty Holiday Collection 1 (File, MP3) at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2012-06-18.
  17. "Various - Star 69 Trax Promo Disc (CD) at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2012-06-18.
  18. "Chicks On Speed / Hell - Warm Leatherette (Vinyl) at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2012-06-18.
  19. "Chicks On Speed - The Re-Releases Of The Un-Releases (CD, Album) at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2012-06-18.
  20. "Various - Heaven & Hell (CD) at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2012-06-18.
  21. "Girls On Top (2) - Warm Bitch (Vinyl) at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2012-06-18.
  22. "Takkyu Ishino - The Rising Suns (CD) at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2012-06-18.
  23. "Vitalic - My Friend Dario (CD) at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2012-06-18.
  24. "Vitalic - OK Cowboy (CD, Album, Album) at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2012-12-12.
  25. "ERIK FRIEDLANDER AND TEHO TEARDO: giorni rubati (Bleep 34)". Pandemoniumrecords.com. Retrieved 2012-06-18.
  26. "Zombie-Zombie* - Zombie-Zombie EP (Vinyl) at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2012-06-18.
  27. "Warm Leatherette - Trent Reznor, Jeordie White, Peter Murphy". YouTube. 2006-07-02. Retrieved 2012-03-13.
  28. "Rubin Steiner - Weird Hits, Two Covers & A Love Song at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2012-12-12.
  29. "Absolute Body Control - Blue Monday / Warm Leatherette (Vinyl) at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2012-12-12.
  30. "Various - Recovery (Vinyl) at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2012-06-18.
  31. "Amazon.com: Warm Leatherette: Giddle and Boyd: MP3 Downloads". Retrieved 2012-06-18.
  32. "Laibach - Warm Leatherette - Mute Short Circuit @ The Roundhouse 14.05.11". YouTube. 2011-05-15. Retrieved 2012-03-13.
  33. "Various - Vorwärts (Short Circuit 13/14 May 2011) (CD) at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2012-12-12.
  34. "Florian-Ayala Fauna Discography at Discogs". Discogs. Retrieved 14 April 2017.
  35. "uncertain Albums: songs, discography, biography, and listening guide - Rate Your Music". Rate Your Music. Retrieved 14 April 2017.
  36. "Decoded Feedback - Dark Passenger - Releases - Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2019-01-09.
  37. "Warm Leatherette: Suzi Quatro, 'The Girl From Detroit City'". dangerousminds.net. Retrieved 26 October 2014.
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