Bad Ambassador
Released:
>>> See history (releases, charts by countries)
14th May 2001
- Bad Ambassador CD1
- 1. Bad Ambassador [Regeneration] – without overlap
- 3:50
- 2. Edward The Confessor
- 5:24
- 3. U.S.E.
- 3:08
- 4. CD-ROM element: Bad Ambassador [Promo video without guns]
- 4:00
- Bad Ambassador CD2
- 1. Bad Ambassador [Live version, Oxford, Brookes University, 21/03/2001]
- 3:57
- 2. Pictures Of Matchstick Men [Live version, Oxford, Brookes University, 21/03/2001]
- 4:21
- 3. Sweden [Live version, Oxford, Brookes University, 21/03/2001]
- 4:33
- Bad Ambassador 7"
- 1. Bad Ambassador [Regeneration] – without overlap
- 3:50
- 2. Life On Earth [Live version, Oxford, Brookes University, 21/03/2001]
- 3:59
- Editions
>>> See credits...
Bad Ambassador was the second, and much anticipated, single from Regeneration. Originally scheduled for release on May 7th, it was delayed for a week.
The song is quite a favourite from the album, but failed to overtake Love What You Do, reaching only #34 in the charts, despite intense promotion. According to NME [1], the promo video, directed by Mike Mills, cost about £150,000.
The Claire Burbridge artwork is also quite spectacular, despite not being in relation with the song. Like the Regeneration cover, it expresses a movement.
The first CD features a couple of studio B-sides in addition to an edit of the song (without the end of ‘Timestretched’ overlapping). ‘Edwards The Confessor’ is quite a personal song from Neil Hannon, and is a less-produced version of the extra from the Japanese Regeneration release. ‘U.S.E.’ is an odd tune, with banjo it sounds different to the other Regeneration songs.
The second CD is a live one. With a live version of the title tracks, it features a couple of B-sides. These songs were taken from a performance in Bristol touring the Spring UK tour, and voted by the DC BB (Divine Comedy Bulletin Board) community members.
The Winners are ‘Sweden’ & ‘Pictures Of Matchstick Men’.
I’m sure this will be no surprise (especially ‘Sweden’) as these were by far and away the biggest draws.
A full breakdown looks like this:
First in line was the live version of ‘Sweden’ which was quite different from the FIN tour. The next choice was then a cover version of Status Quo’s ‘Pictures Of Matschtick Men’ which is quite a rocker as well.
In third position arrived ‘Your Daddy’s Car’, being an all-time favourite of the DC audience. However, this song having already been released in 5 alternate versions previously, the idea was dropped. So ‘Life On Earth’, another Fin de Siècle song re-arranged in a new form as well, was released as the B-side of the limited 7” release of the single.
[1] NME 31/10/2001
The song is quite a favourite from the album, but failed to overtake Love What You Do, reaching only #34 in the charts, despite intense promotion. According to NME [1], the promo video, directed by Mike Mills, cost about £150,000.
The Claire Burbridge artwork is also quite spectacular, despite not being in relation with the song. Like the Regeneration cover, it expresses a movement.
The first CD features a couple of studio B-sides in addition to an edit of the song (without the end of ‘Timestretched’ overlapping). ‘Edwards The Confessor’ is quite a personal song from Neil Hannon, and is a less-produced version of the extra from the Japanese Regeneration release. ‘U.S.E.’ is an odd tune, with banjo it sounds different to the other Regeneration songs.
The second CD is a live one. With a live version of the title tracks, it features a couple of B-sides. These songs were taken from a performance in Bristol touring the Spring UK tour, and voted by the DC BB (Divine Comedy Bulletin Board) community members.
The Winners are ‘Sweden’ & ‘Pictures Of Matchstick Men’.
I’m sure this will be no surprise (especially ‘Sweden’) as these were by far and away the biggest draws.
A full breakdown looks like this:
- Sweden with a massive 40% of the vote
- Pictures of Matchstick Men with 19%
- Your Daddy’s Car with 10%
- Life on Earth with 9%
- Lucy
- The Frog Princess (acoustic)
- I’m All You Need
- National Express (acoustic)
- Perfect Lovesong
- Mastermind
- Tonight We Fly
- Eye Of The Needle
- Love What You Do
First in line was the live version of ‘Sweden’ which was quite different from the FIN tour. The next choice was then a cover version of Status Quo’s ‘Pictures Of Matschtick Men’ which is quite a rocker as well.
In third position arrived ‘Your Daddy’s Car’, being an all-time favourite of the DC audience. However, this song having already been released in 5 alternate versions previously, the idea was dropped. So ‘Life On Earth’, another Fin de Siècle song re-arranged in a new form as well, was released as the B-side of the limited 7” release of the single.
[1] NME 31/10/2001