"I Can Only Disappoint U" is a song by the

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national id ...

alternative rock Alternative rock (also known as alternative music, alt-rock or simply alternative) is a category of rock music that evolved from the independent music underground of the 1970s. Alternative rock acts achieved mainstream success in the 1990s w ...

band

Mansun Mansun were an English alternative rock band, formed in Chester in 1995. The band comprised vocalist/rhythm guitarist Paul Draper, bassist Stove King, lead guitarist/backing vocalist Dominic Chad, and drummer Andie Rathbone. It was annou ...

. The song was written by band-leader Paul Draper with lead guitarist

Dominic Chad Dominic Chad (born 5 June 1972 in Exeter, Devon, England) is an English musician, formerly the lead guitarist, backing vocalist, arranger and co-writer of the rock band Mansun. Biography Early days Born in Exeter, Devon, Chad grew up in Maidston ...

. It was recorded and produced by

Hugh Padgham Hugh Charles Padgham (born 15 February 1955) is an English record producer and audio engineer. He has won four Grammy Awards, for Producer of the Year and Album of the Year for 1985, Record of the Year for 1990, and Engineer of the Year for 19 ...

and co-producer Michael Hunter during sessions for the group's third studio album. The song was released as the first single in 2000 from the group's third album, ''

Little Kix ''Little Kix'' is the third album by English alternative rock band Mansun, released on 14 August 2000 and was the band's last studio album to be completed and released before their dissolution in 2003. Overview The album was recorded aboard th ...

''. The song went on to become their fourth and final top ten hit in the UK peaking at #8. A

Progressive house Progressive house is a subgenre of house music. The progressive house style emerged in the early 1990s. It initially developed in the United Kingdom as a natural progression of American and European house music of the late 1980s.Gerard, Morgan; ...

trance Trance is a state of semi-consciousness in which a person is not self-aware and is either altogether unresponsive to external stimuli (but nevertheless capable of pursuing and realizing an aim) or is selectively responsive in following the dir ...

remix A remix (or reorchestration) is a piece of media which has been altered or contorted from its original state by adding, removing, or changing pieces of the item. A song, piece of artwork, book, video, poem, or photograph can all be remixes. The o ...

Paul Oakenfold Paul Mark Oakenfold (born 30 August 1963), formerly known mononymously as Oakenfold, is an English record producer, remixer and trance DJ. He has provided over 100 remixes for over 100 artists including U2, Moby, Madonna, Britney Spears, Mas ...

preceded the release of the single during the summer of 2000. In 2004, Mansun released a demo recording of the song on the compilation album ''

Kleptomania Kleptomania is the inability to resist the urge to steal items, usually for reasons other than personal use or financial gain. First described in 1816, kleptomania is classified in psychiatry as an impulse control disorder. Some of the main ch ...

''. The demo was recorded by Paul Draper alone with guitar overdubs by Dominic Chad. In 2013,

Dev Hynes Devonté Hynes (born David Joseph Michael Hynes, 23 December 1985), also known as Blood Orange and formerly Lightspeed Champion, is an English singer, songwriter, record producer and director based in New York City. From 2004 to 2006, Hynes was ...

recording under his Blood Orange name recorded a cover of the song. The song was retitled "Always Let U Down" and released on his second studio album ''

Cupid Deluxe ''Cupid Deluxe'' is the second album by Dev Hynes as Blood Orange, and is the follow-up to 2011's '' Coastal Grooves''. The album was released on 18 November 2013 in the UK, and was available worldwide a week earlier on iTunes on 12 November 20 ...

''.

Track listing

Personnel

;Mansun *

–

electric guitar An electric guitar is a guitar that requires external amplification in order to be heard at typical performance volumes, unlike a standard acoustic guitar (however combinations of the two - a semi-acoustic guitar and an electric acoustic gu ...

backing vocals A backing vocalist is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists. A backing vocalist may also sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalist's entry or to sing a counter-melody. Backing vocalists are u ...

piano The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a musica ...

lead vocals The lead vocalist in popular music is typically the member of a group or band whose voice is the most prominent melody in a performance where multiple voices may be heard. The lead singer sets their voice against the accompaniment parts of th ...

("Golden Stone"). * Paul Draper –

acoustic guitar An acoustic guitar is a musical instrument in the string family. When a string is plucked its vibration is transmitted from the bridge, resonating throughout the top of the guitar. It is also transmitted to the side and back of the instrument, ...

, keyboards *

Andie Rathbone Andrew "Andie" Rathbone (born 8 September 1969 in Chester) is an English drummer and former member of the rock band Mansun. Rathbone grew up in Blacon, Chester and played in various local bands including "The Wandering Quatrains" and "Jonti" an ...

–

drums A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair of matching drumsticks ...

percussion A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a beater including attached or enclosed beaters or rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or struck against another similar instrument. Exc ...

Stove A stove or range is a device that burns fuel or uses electricity to generate heat inside or on top of the apparatus, to be used for general warming or cooking. It has evolved highly over time, with cast-iron and induction versions being develope ...

–

bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in the bass range: ** Bass (instrument), including: ** Acoustic bass gu ...

;Production *

– producer ("I Can Only Disappoint U", "Decisions, Decisions", "Repair Man"), Mixing ("Decisions, Decisions") * Mike Hunter - producer ("Repair Man", "My Idea Of Fun", "Golden Stone"), co-producer ("I Can Only Disappoint U", "Decisions, Decisions", "Repair Man"), mixing ("Repair Man", "My Idea Of Fun", "Golden Stone"), engineer ("My Idea Of Fun", "Golden Stone") *

Mark 'Spike' Stent Mark "Spike" Stent (born 3 August 1965) is an English record producer and mixing engineer who has worked with many international artists including Madonna, Marshmello, U2, Beyoncé, Björk, Depeche Mode, Echo & The Bunnymen, Grimes, Ed Sheer ...

– mixing ("I Can Only Disappoint U") *

Anne Dudley Anne Jennifer Dudley (née Beckingham; born 7 May 1956) is an English composer, keyboardist, conductor and pop musician. She was the first BBC Concert Orchestra's Composer in Association in 2001. She has worked in the classical and pop genr ...

- strings ("Decisions, Decisions") *

Anton Corbijn Anton Johannes Gerrit Corbijn van Willenswaard (; born 20 May 1955) is a Dutch photographer, film director and music video director. He is the creative director behind the visual output of Depeche Mode and U2,Pitman, Joanna"The silent partner"' ...

– photography * Alex Hutchinson - design

Chart positions

References

{{authority control 2000 singles 2000 songs Mansun songs Songs written by Paul Draper (musician) Song recordings produced by Hugh Padgham Parlophone singles