Best Britpop Music Tuesday :: “Female of the Species” :: Space
Space is next up for this Week’s Best Britpop Music Tuesday’s Best Britpop Song Choice. “Female of the Species” was Space’s Biggest Hits, and is definitely part of the Biggest Britpop Hits of All-Time List. The Song was an Enormous Smash off their 1996 Album Spiders. It had Heavy Radio Airplay that Year, and has continued to be the Band’s Quintessential Song, the one most thought of when the Britpop Band Space is discussed.
So, have a seat, adjust your speakers, or throw on a pair of headphones, turn that Volume Up, and let’s have a listen, and learn a bit, about one of the Best Britpop Bands and Songs with this week’s feature on Space’s Song, “Female of the Species”.
“Female of the Species”
“Frankenstein and Dracula have nothing on you.
Jekyll and Hyde join the back of the queue.
The female of the species is more deadly than the male.”
“Female of the Species” was released as Space’s 4th Single, and 2nd Single proper from their debut Album Spiders, in May of 1996. The song reached # 14 on the UK Charts. It was the Band’s only entry on any Music chart in the U.S. when it peaked at #15 on the Hot Modern Rock Tracks, in early 1997. In Australia, “Female of the Species” entered the ARIA Top 100 Singles Chart, in May of 1997, peaking at # 80 in June.
Frontman Tommy Scott Wrote and Sang this Song in tribute to his late father, who was reported to dislike his son’s taste in Music. “Female in the Species” is Funky, with an Upbeat Latin-Flavor overflowing with Feel-Good Vibes and Vocals reminiscent of Lounge Singers like Perry Como and Frank Sinatra, paired up with Keyboardist Franny Griffiths’ trademark Sound Effects and Tommy Scott’s dark humored Lyrics.
When the Song was performed at later Concerts, Tommy Scott usually walked out into the Audience to shake the front concert-goes by the hand.
The Song’s distinctive Style and Lyrics led it to be used in many TV Shows and Movies, including its use as the Theme Song to the UK Drama Cold Feet, the 1997 Film The Matchmaker (starring Janeane Garofalo), and during the end credits of the first Austin Powers’ Film. It was also heard in MTV’s Daria, during the “College Bored” episode, and gained further popularity in the UK when used in a 1998 ad campaign for the bodyspray impulse.
Impuse commercial (1988)
The Song’s name is a reference to the 1911 Rudyard Kipling Poem, “The Female of the Species”, which has as its refrain: “The female of the species is more deadly than the male”. The Song took liberties with the Poem using “deadlier” versus “deadly”.
“Female of the Species” (Live on Top of the Pops, 1996)
Thank you for joining us for another Best of Britpop Music Tuesday featuring Space’s Skyrocketed Hit “Female of the Species”, a definite Best of Britpop Song from their 1996 Album, Spiders. Tune in next Tuesday to See and Hear what Britpop Goodness will be Playing here. Until then, Turn up the Music and Enjoy.
