Dig for Fire
| "Dig for Fire" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Pixies | ||||
| from the album Bossanova | ||||
| B-side |
| |||
| Released | November 5, 1990 | |||
| Recorded | 1989 – 1990 | |||
| Studio | ||||
| Genre | Alternative rock | |||
| Length | 2:51 | |||
| Label | 4AD/Elektra | |||
| Songwriter | Black Francis | |||
| Producers | Gil Norton, Chris Sheldon | |||
| Pixies singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Audio sample | ||||
"Dig for Fire" is a song by the American alternative rock band Pixies from their third studio album Bossanova (1990) and was released as a single on November 5, 1990.
Background
[edit]"Dig for Fire" was one of the few songs on Bossanova that Francis had written prior to coming into the studio.[1] According to Pixies frontman Black Francis, the song was "a bad Talking Heads imitation."[2]
Producer Gil Norton said of the song, "'Dig for Fire' was the first time we used a drum machine. The bass drum on that is a drum machine and Dave [Lovering] played on top of it. That was the first time we'd ever used any sample-type sounds on the album."[1]
Release
[edit]"Dig for Fire" was released as the second single from Bossanova (1990) on November 5, 1990.[3] Among the B-sides was a version of Neil Young's "Winterlong."[4] "Dig for Fire" reached number 11 on the US Modern Rock Tracks chart[5] and number 62 in the UK.
The single version of "Dig for Fire" is mixed differently from the album version and also contains some overdubs.[citation needed]
Music video
[edit]The song was promoted with a music video that also featured another Bossanova track, the brief "Allison", a tribute to jazz musician Mose Allison. The combination of the two songs was a compromise, as Elektra wanted a video for "Dig for Fire," while Francis, in calling the song a "bad Talking Heads imitation," pushed for "Allison" instead.[6]
The video featured the band riding in motorcycle sidecars during "Dig for Fire," only to cut to the band performing "Allison" live on the field of Amsterdam's Olympisch Stadion.[6]
Track listing
[edit]All songs written by Black Francis, except where noted.
- "Dig for Fire" – 2:51
- "Velvety Instrumental Version" – 2:04
- "Winterlong" (Neil Young) – 3:07
- "Santo" – 2:16
Charts
[edit]| Chart (1990–91) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Ireland (IRMA)[7] | 27 |
| UK Singles (Official Charts)[8] | 62 |
| US Alternative Airplay (Billboard)[9] | 11 |
References
[edit]- 1 2 Frank, Josh; Ganz, Caryn (April 1, 2007). Fool the World: The Oral History of a Band Called Pixies. St. Martin's Publishing Group. ISBN 978-1-4299-0443-8.
- ↑ Stern, Perry. "Surf's Up." Music Express, October 1990. http://aleceiffel.free.fr/surf.html (transcript) (accessed March 10, 2013)
- ↑ "New Singles" (PDF). Music Week. November 3, 1990. p. 37. Retrieved May 10, 2026.
- ↑ Cowan, Andy (June 6, 2023). B-Side: A Flipsided History of Pop. SCB Distributors. ISBN 978-1-915316-14-1.
- ↑ "Pixies, Songs, Albums, Discography & Reviews". AllMusic.
- 1 2 Mendelssohn, John (December 15, 2009). Gigantic: The Story Of Frank Black And The Pixies. Omnibus Press. ISBN 978-0-85712-116-5.
- ↑ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Dig For Fire". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 19 June 2026.
- ↑ "Search results for "Pixies" | Official Chart". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 7 August 2017.
- ↑ "Pixies Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved 7 August 2017.
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