65. ‘Girls And Boys’

Single, released 7/3/94. Also on ‘Parklife’. Produced by Stephen Street.

If ‘Popscene’ was Blur’s transitional single and ‘For Tomorrow’ the record that ushered in a new and productive era, ‘Girls And Boys’ was the song that inspired the whole country to buy Blur records: career rejuvenation at a stroke. And they did it with a disco song.

In recent years, commercial dance music has rooted itself in two speeds: a loping 100bpm (hip hip, Happy Mondays) or a frantic 130bpm (house). ‘Girls And Boys’ was pitched intentionally at the long forgotten 120bpm (Chic, disco, New Romantic pop). Almost all of the drum track is mechanical, with a few cymbal overdubs (“It was sitting-down-with-a-book day for me,” recalls Dave.) The bassline – of bubbling octave leaps – is pure Duran Duran and the lyric is nicely ambiguous: is Damon contemptuous of the holiday “herd”, or is he celebrating their hedonism and joie de vivre? So great was Blur’s enthusiasm for ‘Girls And Boys’ that it was mixed immediately after its recording – which is rare – and it became a gift-wrapped, talismanic inspiration for the rest of ‘Parklife’. Street had forewarned Andy Ross that ‘Girls And Boys’ was a sure thing, and Ross agreed when he heard it. “It’s a blatantly contrived hit, a sales pitch for the whole album,” Ross admits. “And it was ironic that Balfe was now leaving the Food camp, because this was exactly the kind of record that he wanted them to make.” ‘Girls And Boys’ was (and still is) Blur’s biggest hit. Early fans of the tune included the Pet Shop Boys who undertook, at their own instigation, a remix without charge. Alex has his doubts about remixes. “It’s like giving your dog to someone to take for a walk,” he says, “and when they bring it back it’s a different dog.”