Downtown (Lloyd Cole song)

"Downtown" is a song by English singer, songwriter and musician Lloyd Cole, released in 1990 as the third and final single from his self-titled studio album. The song was written by Cole and Blair Cowan, and produced by Cole, Fred Maher and Paul Hardiman. It failed to enter the UK Singles Chart but reached number 5 on the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart.[2] The song was included in the soundtrack of the 1990 American psychological thriller film Bad Influence.[3]

"Downtown"
Single by Lloyd Cole
from the album Lloyd Cole
Released15 October 1990[1]
Length
  • 5:20 (album version)
  • 4:15 (single version)
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Lloyd Cole singles chronology
"Don't Look Back"
(1990)		 "Downtown"
(1990)		 "She's a Girl and I'm a Man"
(1991)
Music video
"Downtown" on YouTube

Music video

The song's music video achieved medium rotation on MTV.[4]

Critical reception

Upon its release as a single, Andrew Collins of NME described "Downtown" as "a grateful, sublimely-paced evening song" which "enjoys a harmonica as jam-hot" as the one played on David Bowie's 1977 track "A New Career in a New Town". He praised the decision to release the song as a single, noting that "as someone at Polydor has finally spotted", it is "the premier track on Lloyd's accomplished and surprisingly unpretentious solo LP".[5] Selina Webb of Music Week commented that the "warm and touching" song is "classic Cole", "although never quite delivering the full melancholy promised by the intro". She believed the song would "tempt back any stray fans lost when the Commotions split".[6]

Steve Stewart of the Press and Journal awarded the single five out of five stars and described it as a "wonderfully moody cut, with the cool Cole casual vocal".[7] Everett True of Melody Maker was critical of the song, stating, "You suspect he thinks he's making 'art' here. You suspect he thinks he's making something of worth here – and that's why everything's so polite, so mannered, so fucking boring."[8]

Track listing

7–inch and cassette single (UK and Europe)[9][10]

  1. "Downtown" – 4:15
  2. "A Long Way Down" (Recorded live in Los Angeles) – 3:50

12–inch single (UK) and CD single (UK and Europe)[11][12]

  1. "Downtown" – 4:15
  2. "A Long Way Down" (Recorded live in Los Angeles) – 3:50
  3. "Sweetheart" (Recorded live in Los Angeles) – 4:45

12–inch limited edition and numbered single (UK)[13]

  1. "Downtown" – 4:15
  2. "A Long Way Down" (Recorded live in Los Angeles) – 3:50
  3. "Rattlesnakes" (Recorded live in Los Angeles) – 3:43

12-inch promotional and CD promotional single (US)[14][15]

  1. "Downtown" (Edit) – 4:15
  2. "Downtown" (LP Version) – 5:20

Personnel

Credits are adapted from the Lloyd Cole CD album liner notes and the UK CD single.[16][12]

"Downtown"

Production

  • Lloyd Cole – producer, mixing (live tracks)
  • Fred Maher – producer
  • Paul Hardiman – producer
  • John Herman – additional engineering ("Downtown")
  • Tim Young – mastering ("Downtown")
  • Jim Rondinelli – mixing (live tracks)

Other

  • Anders Thessing – photography
  • Michael Nash Associates – design

Charts
Chart (1990) Peak
position
US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks[2] 5

References
  1. Smith, Robin (13 October 1990). "This Week - The Next Seven Days in View". Record Mirror. p. 32. ISSN 0144-5804.
  2. "Album Rock Tracks". Billboard. Vol. 102, no. 23. Billboard Publications, Inc. 9 June 1990. p. 20. ISSN 0006-2510.
  3. Russell, Ian (2 March 1990). "Music Matters: Live from Cole". The Kilmarnock Standard. p. 6.
  4. "The Clip List". Billboard. Vol. 102, no. 23. Billboard Publications, Inc. 9 June 1990. p. 60. ISSN 0006-2510.
  5. Collins, Andrew (27 October 1990). "Singles". New Musical Express. p. 20.
  6. Webb, Selina (27 October 1990). "A&R: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. p. 25. ISSN 0265-1548. Retrieved 6 January 2023 – via World Radio History.
  7. Stewart, Steve (1 November 1990). "Record Round-Up: Singles". Press and Journal. p. 6.
  8. True, Everett (3 November 1990). "Singles". Melody Maker. p. 35.
  9. Downtown (UK and European 7-inch single sleeve). Lloyd Cole. Polydor Records. 1990. COLE 13, 879 084-7.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  10. Downtown (UK and European cassette single liner notes). Lloyd Cole. Polydor Records. 1990. COLCS 13, 879 084-4.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  11. Downtown (UK 12-inch single sleeve). Lloyd Cole. Polydor Records. 1990. COLEX 13.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  12. Downtown (UK and European CD single liner notes). Lloyd Cole. Polydor Records. 1990. COLCD 13, 879 085-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  13. Downtown (UK 12-inch limited edition and numered single sleeve). Lloyd Cole. Polydor Records. 1990. COLXP 13.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  14. Downtown (US 12-inch promotional single sleeve notes). Lloyd Cole. Capitol Records. 1990. SPRO-79077.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  15. Downtown (US CD promotional single sleeve notes). Lloyd Cole. Capitol Records. 1990. DPRO-79033.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  16. Lloyd Cole (UK and European CD album liner notes). Lloyd Cole. Polydor Records. 1990. 841 907-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
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