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The Dark of the Matinée

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"The Dark of the Matinée" (known as "Matinée" on single versions) is a song by Scottish indie rock band Franz Ferdinand. It was released as the third single from their eponymous debut studio album on 19 April 2004. The song reached number eight on the UK Singles Chart. In Australia, the song was ranked number 50 on Triple J's Hottest 100 of 2004.[2]

"The Dark of the Matinée"
Single by Franz Ferdinand
from the album Franz Ferdinand
B-side
  • "Better in Hoboken"
  • "Forty Feet"
  • "Michael" (live)
Released19 April 2004 (2004-04-19)[1]
StudioGula (Malmö, Sweden)
Length4:03
LabelDomino
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Tore Johansson
Franz Ferdinand singles chronology
"Take Me Out"
(2004) 		"The Dark of the Matinée"
(2004) 		"Michael"
(2004)

Background

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The song is about walking home from Bearsden Academy fantasising about a better life in the future, telling Terry Wogan about it on UK national television, then being shaken from the fantasy as its own ridiculousness shatters its very existence. The chorus and title were inspired by bassist Bob Hardy remarking that the dark of a matinée performance was a utopian environment to play in.[3]

Music video

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The video features the band dressed as schoolboys, dancing in an automatic, almost possessed, fashion and miming along to the main vocal track. It was inspired by Dennis Potter's television play Blue Remembered Hills (1979), which features adults playing children, and the lip-sync device Potter used in his 'serials with songs' Pennies from Heaven (1978) and The Singing Detective (1986).

Another part of the video sees the band dressed in white clothing and standing in front of a large photograph of Terry Wogan (who is namechecked in the song).

The finale of the video also takes several visual cues from the "Dry Bones" sequence in Singing Detective.[citation needed] Kapranos wanted to shoot the video in the corridors of Bearsden Academy and approached the school who, while initially receptive,[citation needed] ultimately rejected the idea, as the idea of schoolboys in their early 30s was too reminiscent of the recent scandal involving Brian MacKinnon.

Track listings

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All lead vocals are performed by Alex Kapranos.

Charts

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References

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  1. ^ "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. 17 April 2004. p. 27.
  2. ^ "Hottest 100 2004". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 2 April 2022.
  3. ^ Sadler, Denham (7 February 2014). "10 Years On: Franz Ferdinand — Franz Ferdinand". The Brag Media. Retrieved 9 June 2022.
  4. ^ Matinée (UK CD single liner notes). Franz Ferdinand. Domino Recording Company. 2004. RUG176CD.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  5. ^ Matinée (UK 7-inch single sleeve). Franz Ferdinand. Domino Recording Company. 2004. RUG176.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  6. ^ Matinée (UK 12-inch single sleeve). Franz Ferdinand. Domino Recording Company. 2004. RUG176T.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  7. ^ Matinée (UK DVD single liner notes). Franz Ferdinand. Domino Recording Company. 2004. RUG176DVD.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  8. ^ Matinée (European CD single liner notes). Franz Ferdinand. Domino Recording Company. 2004. RUG176CDW.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  9. ^ "Franz Ferdinand – Matinée" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 14 December 2018.
  10. ^ "Franz Ferdinand – Matinee" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 7 February 2016.
  11. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Matinée". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 16 January 2020.
  12. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 14 December 2018.
  13. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 7 February 2016.
  14. ^ "Official Independent Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 6 March 2016.
  15. ^ "The Official UK Singles Chart 2004" (PDF). UKChartsPlus. Retrieved 14 December 2018.
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