1.Don't Think You're the First (4:08) 2.Witchcraft (3:39) 3.See-Through Bergerac (3:06) plus Don't Think You're the First [video]
This is not The Coral's first appearance here, so I shall spare you the backstory. Suffice it to say that this single was their first of 2003 and the follow-up to the aforementioned 'Dreaming of You'.
Oddly enough, Dreaming of You received a slightly cool reception. Although initial sales were sufficient for a Top Ten chart position, radio stations seemingly couldn't wait to go back to playing the previous single. Me, I loved it; spaghetti-western guitars, deft percussion and some neat flute accents (played by Louis Baccino). Excellent use of stereo too. The sleeve describes this as the "album version" - and it certainly is, but I've never come accross any other version.
Witchcraft is pure B-side material, a fairly self-explanatory goth rumble which slightly outstays its welcome.
Better skip to the curiously-titled See-Through Bergerac, co-written by guitarist Lee Southall. It's one of their most convincing folk-rock numbers, with chiming guitars, beautifully layered vocal harmonies and a pretty accodion solo all adorning its subtly infectious melody. The accent aside, it would scarcely sound out of place on the Beach Boys' Sunflower album. This is also the B-side of the 7".
The video persists with the 1968 theme, a grainy monochrome montage of the band playing and larking about in a forest. Not an all-time classic bit of film-making, but entirely appropriate. The CD-ROM track also includes the very same advert for the debut album that graced the 'Dreaming of You' single, as this song's parent LP, Magic and Medicine was still some months away.
The Coral's next single was the Top 5 smash 'Pass It On', which helped the album to top the chart. They've since made a brief return to the Top five with January 2004's Night Freak and the Sons of Becker mini-set.
ONLINE:
The band's official site is as quirky as you'd expect, albeit not ideally suited to slow connections. There's a video clip in the discography area if you can, er, click on the right pigeon.
Sony Music liked them so much, they bought the company.
Back to the random single project