“The Universal”
Single by Blur from the album The Great Escape
Released	13 November 1995
Format	7" vinyl (jukebox only), cassette, 2 x CD
Recorded	1995
Genre	Britpop
Length	3:59
Label	EMI, Food Records
Producer	Stephen Street
Blur singles chronology
"Country House" (1995) "The Universal" (1995) "Stereotypes" (1996)

"The Universal" is a song by British band Blur and is featured on their fourth studio album, The Great Escape. Blur are an English Alternative rock band that formed in London in 1989 The Great Escape is the fourth album by English Alternative rock band Blur, released on 11 September 1995. Events 1002 - English king Ethelred orders the killing of all Danes in England, known today as the St Year 1995 ( MCMXCV) was a Common year starting on Sunday. Events of 1995 A gramophone A cassette single ( CS, also known by the trademark " Cassingle " or capitalized as the trademark " Cassette Single " is a music single A CD single (abbreviated to CDS) is a music single in the form of a standard size Compact disc, not to be confused with the 3-inch CD single Year 1995 ( MCMXCV) was a Common year starting on Sunday. Events of 1995 A music genre is a categorical and typological construct that identifies musical sounds as belonging to a particular category and type of music that can be distinguished from other Britpop is a subgenre of Alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom. In the Music industry, a record label can be a Brand and a Trademark associated with the Marketing of music recordings and Music The EMI Group is a British music company comprising the major record company EMI Music – which operates several labels and is based in Kensington in Food Records was a Record label set up in 1984 by Andy Ross and David Balfe. In the Music industry, a record producer or music producer has many roles among them controlling the recording sessions coaching and guiding the musicians organizing Stephen Brian Street is a music producer best known for his work with The Smiths in the 1980s The Sundays and Blur (often regarded as the Blur are an English Alternative rock band that formed in London in 1989 " Country House " is a song by the English Alternative rock band Blur. " Stereotypes " is a song by British band Blur and is the opening track to their fourth studio Album, The Great Escape The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located A musical ensemble is a group of two or more Musicians who perform instrumental or vocal Music. Blur are an English Alternative rock band that formed in London in 1989 An album or record album is a collection of related audio or Music tracks distributed to the public The Great Escape is the fourth album by English Alternative rock band Blur, released on 11 September 1995. It was released 13 November 1995 as the second single from that album, charting at #5 in the UK Singles Chart (see 1995 in British music). Events 1002 - English king Ethelred orders the killing of all Danes in England, known today as the St Year 1995 ( MCMXCV) was a Common year starting on Sunday. Events of 1995 The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official UK Charts Company (OCC on behalf of the British record industry This is a summary of 1995 in music in the United Kingdom, including the official charts from that year

In keeping with the song's science fiction theme, the single's cover art is an allusion to the opening shot of 2001: A Space Odyssey, and the music video, directed by Jonathan Glazer, is a tribute to the movie A Clockwork Orange, with the band dressed up in costumes similar to Alex and his droogs. 2001 A Space Odyssey is a 1968 Science fiction film directed by Stanley Kubrick, written by Kubrick and Arthur C For actor and comedian Jon Glaser see Jon Glaser. Jonathan Glazer (born 1966 in London) is an English director of films commercials and A Clockwork Orange is a 1971 Satirical Science fiction Film adaptation of a 1962 novel of the same name, by Anthony Both films were directed by Stanley Kubrick.

The song has increased in stature since its release; this is proved by it being voted second best of all Blur singles on blurtalk. com Singles Vote. In addition, on Rate Your Music the song is often in the Top 25 for 1995 as well as being in the Top 500 of all time. Rate Your Music is a Metadata database where musical Albums EPs, singles, Videos and bootlegs are rated and reviewed

Music video

The band is presented in imitation of the opening scenes from the 1971 film A Clockwork Orange. A Clockwork Orange is a 1971 Satirical Science fiction Film adaptation of a 1962 novel of the same name, by Anthony Blur star as the gang of Droogs, with Damon Albarn apparently as Alex (complete with the famous eyeliner makeup effect). Damon Albarn, ˈdɛɪmən ˈɔːɫbɑːn (b March 23 1968 in Leytonstone, London) is an English Singer-songwriter who gained fame as the lead They are dressed in off-white, much like the walls of the film's famous milk bar, which is fairly faithfully replicated. During the video they appear in two places, firstly slouching on a couch admiring the other patrons, and secondlly on the bar's stage performing the song.

The patrons in the milk bar differ from those in the film. They consist of different groups; a lone female executive-type entertains her male business colleagues by exploiting their sexual interest in her; two odd men entirely coloured red and blue conduct a stilted (subtitled) conversation; and two male colleagues – one of them in a priest in a vicar's dog collar – become increasingly drunk on cocktails, laughing more and more hysterically until a final shock moment. In the broadest sense a vicar (from the Latin Vicarius) is a representative anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior . .

The golf ball-shaped speaker featured in the video broadcasting across high-rise housing estates was sold in a charity auction in 1999. A golf ball is a Ball designed to be used in the game of Golf. ^[1]

Track listings

• CD1 CDFOODS69

1. "The Universal"
2. "Ultranol"
3. "No Monsters in Me"
4. "Entertain Me" (The Live It! remix)

• CD2 CDFOOD69: "The Universal II - Live At The Beeb"

1. "The Universal" (live)
2. "Mr Robinson's Quango" (live)
3. "It Could Be You" (live)
4. "Stereotypes" (live)

• Cassette TCFOOD69

1. "The Universal"
2. "Entertain Me" (The Live It! remix)

• 7" FOODLH69

1. "The Universal"
2. "Entertain Me" (The Live It! remix)

• Note: the 7" vinyl edition was pressed for use on jukeboxes and was not issued commercially. jukebox is a partially automated music-playing device usually a Coin -operated machine that can play specially selected songs from self-contained media

References

1. ^ Auction takes Blur back to their roots - BBC News Online

External links

• Watch the video on IFILM