"Uno" is the debut single by English

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wale ...

band

Muse In ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, mythology, the Muses (, ) were the Artistic inspiration, inspirational goddesses of literature, science, and the arts. They were considered the source of the knowledge embodied in the poetry, lyric p ...

. Written by guitarist and singer

Matt Bellamy Matthew James Bellamy (born 9 June 1978) is an English singer, songwriter and producer. He is the lead vocalist, guitarist, pianist, and lyricist for the English rock band Muse. He is recognised for his eccentric stage persona, wide tenor vocal ...

, it was released in 1999 as the band's

lead single A lead single (or first single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date. A similar term, "debut ...

from their debut studio album '' Showbiz'' (1999). It reached number 73 on the UK Singles Chart.

Background and composition

The song originally featured on Muse's second EP ''

Muscle Museum EP ''Muscle Museum'' is the second EP by English rock band Muse. Recorded in 1998 at Sawmills Studios with producer Paul Reeve, it was released on 11 January 1999 by Dangerous Records, limited to 999 hand-numbered copies. The EP features six tracks, f ...

''. During recording, the amp used for the guitar blew up. This also happened with other songs while recording '' Showbiz''.

Music videos

Three

music video A music video is a video that integrates a song or an album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device intended to ...

s were produced for "Uno". The first was recorded on

Tower Bridge Tower Bridge is a Listed building#Grade I, Grade I listed combined Bascule bridge, bascule, Suspension bridge, suspension, and, until 1960, Cantilever bridge, cantilever bridge in London, built between 1886 and 1894, designed by Horace Jones ...

and depicts the band members standing still amongst moving masses of people, with clips from a live soundcheck intercut. This video has been condemned by the band, who have described it as "shameful" and "embarrassing". The second video—directed by Wolf Gresens and Bernard Wedig—shows the band playing in a room while a woman navigates through a series of corridors in an attempt to find them. She reaches a door behind which Matthew Bellamy appears to stand, though upon opening it she finds a large pit, which she manages to avoid falling into. The video ends with the woman staring at a door numbered '1', which appears to be the same as the one she started at. The third promotional video for "Uno" is made up completely of live performances.

Release

"Uno" was issued on

7" vinyl In music, a single is a type of release of a song recording of fewer tracks than an album ( LP), typically one or two tracks. A single can be released for sale to the public in a variety of physical or digital formats. Singles may be standa ...

(backed with "Agitated") and partially transparent CD (with the B-sides "Jimmy Kane" and "Forced In"). Also, an acoustic version of the song was released on standard

Live Performances

"Uno" was performed for the first time in 1999 and for the last time in 2015. A live version of "Uno" was released on CD2 of the "

Sunburn Sunburn is a form of radiation burn that affects living tissue, such as skin, that results from an overexposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation, usually from the Sun. Common symptoms in humans and other animals include red or reddish skin tha ...

" single and in the DVD Hullabaloo: Live at Le Zenith, Paris.

Track listing

All songs written and composed by

Matthew Bellamy Matthew James Bellamy (born 9 June 1978) is an English singer, songwriter and producer. He is the lead vocalist, guitarist, pianist, and lyricist for the English rock band Muse (band), Muse. He is recognised for his eccentric stage persona, wid ...

. ;7" vinyl #"Uno" ( alternative version) – 3:44 #"Agitated" – 2:19 ;CD #"Uno" – 3:38 #"Jimmy Kane" – 3:29 #"Forced In" – 5:11 ;iTunes EP #"Uno" - 3:38 #"Jimmy Kane" - 3:29 #"Uno (Alternative Version)" - 3:44 #"Forced In" - 4:18 #"Agitated" - 2:25 "Forced In" has been shortened by one minute on the iTunes version ;CD (version allemande) #"Uno (Radio Edit)" - 3:03 #"Pink Ego Box" - 3:33 #"Do We Need This?" - 4:17 #"Uno (Album Version)" - 3:38 #"Muscle Museum (Music Video)" - 3:50 ;CD (version promotionelle) #"Uno (Radio Edit)" - 3:00 #"Uno" - 3:39 ;CD (version anglaise) #"Uno" - 3:40 #"Jimmy Kane" - 3:38 #"Forced In" - 5:04 #"Agitated" - 2:41 The durations are longer on this single, an error is indicated on the CD says that there is the title Twin but it is indeed Forced In

Personnel

Personnel adapted from ''Showbiz'' liner notes ;Muse *

–

vocals Singing is the art of creating music with the voice. It is the oldest form of musical expression, and the human voice can be considered the first musical instrument. The definition of singing varies across sources. Some sources define sing ...

guitar The guitar is a stringed musical instrument that is usually fretted (with Fretless guitar, some exceptions) and typically has six or Twelve-string guitar, twelve strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming ...

production Production may refer to: Economics and business * Production (economics) * Production, the act of manufacturing goods * Production, in the outline of industrial organization, the act of making products (goods and services) * Production as a stat ...

, mixing *

Christopher Wolstenholme Christopher Tony Wolstenholme (born 2 December 1978) is an English musician. He is the bassist and backing vocalist for the rock band Muse. He combines bass guitar with effects and synthesisers to create overdriven fuzz bass tones, a motif of m ...

–

bass guitar The bass guitar (), also known as the electric bass guitar, electric bass, or simply the bass, is the lowest-pitched member of the guitar family. It is similar in appearance and construction to an Electric guitar, electric but with a longer nec ...

, production, mixing *

Dominic Howard Dominic James Howard (born 7 December 1977) is an English musician who is the drummer and co-founder of the rock band Muse. Early life Howard was born in Stockport, Greater Manchester, England. When he was around 8 years old he moved with hi ...

–

drums The drum is a member of the percussion instrument, percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel–Sachs classification system, it is a membranophones, membranophone. Drums consist of at least one Acoustic membrane, membrane, c ...

percussion A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a percussion mallet, beater including attached or enclosed beaters or Rattle (percussion beater), rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or ...

, production, mixing ;Additional personnel *Paul Reeve – production, mixing,

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 us ...

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Uno (Song) 1999 songs 1999 debut singles Muse (band) songs Songs written by Matt Bellamy Mushroom Records singles