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Damage I've Done
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Wikipedia article
"'Damage I've Done'" is a song from American band The Heads, which was released in 1996 as the lead single from their only studio album 'No Talking, Just Head'. A collaboration between the Heads and Johnette Napolitano, "Damage I've Done" was written by Napolitano (lyrics), and Chris Frantz, Jerry Harrison, T. "Blast" Murray and Tina Weymouth (music). It was produced by the Heads.
Background
The Heads were formed by the members of Talking Heads after their unsuccessful attempts to convince lead singer and lyricist David Byrne to return to work with the band. The three remaining members decided to record new material as the Heads and collaborate with various artists who would primarily provide the lyrics and vocals. The backing tracks for 'No Talking, Just Head', including that which became "Damage I've Done", were recorded in November 1994. Once completed, the band began contacting other artists they wanted to collaborate with, including Johnette Napolitano of Concrete Blonde fame. Speaking to 'Billboard' in 1996, drummer Chris Frantz said, "We had never met her before. We just admired her work. I went to see her show in a club, and I was just amazed at the power she has."
Napolitano returned a few months later with a set of lyrics to form "Damage I've Done", and she then recorded her vocals and provided 'buzz guitar' on the track. Napolitano also contributed vocals on another album track, "Punk Lolita", alongside Debbie Harry and the Heads' bassist Tina Weymouth, as well as backing vocals on "Blue Blue Moon". The subsequent tour to promote the album featured Napolitano as the band's lead vocalist.
Release
"Damage I've Done" was released as the album's first single, with promotional copies being sent out to US modern and mainstream rock stations in late August 1996. The song generated airplay in the United States and peaked at number 32 on the 'R&R' Alternative Top 50 chart in November 1996. A number of remixes were created for the single's September release, including by Moby. The single reached number five on the 'Billboard' Hot Dance Breakouts Club Play chart in January 1997.
Music video
The song's music video was directed by Kevin Donovan. It reached number 33 on the 'Billboard' Video Monitor list for MTV in November 1996, which recorded the top 50 most played clips on the channel.
Critical reception
On its release, Larry Flick of 'Billboard' described "Damage I've Done" as a "murky, oddly appealing rocker" and "derivative but undoubtedly hit-bound". He commented, "The band has clearly been listening to alterna-rock radio, given the way the track flows from sullen verses into screaming, distorted choruses." He noted the song's similarity to recent hits from artists such as Tracy Bonham, Alanis Morissette and Hole. In a review of 'No Talking, Just Head', David John Farinella of the 'San Francisco Examiner' considered the song to sound "more like an old Concrete Blonde song than a tune this band would have penned".
Dirk Lammers of 'The Tampa Tribune' wrote, "Napolitano eases into 'Damage I've Done', then her grating voice slams into high gear on the chorus." Tom Long of the Gannett News Service considered "Damage I've Done" to be the album's best track. He wrote, "Accompanied by fuzz guitar drones and a nice slinky bass riff, Napolitano moves between fear in the verse and hysteria in the treated chorus, trapped by her own life's indiscretions."
Formats
Personnel
Credits are adapted from the US CD single liner notes and the 'No Talking, Just Head' CD booklet.
'Damage I've Done'
* Johnette Napolitano vocals, buzz guitar
* T. "Blast" Murray guitar
* Tina Weymouth bass guitar
* Jerry Harrison keyboard
* Chris Frantz drums
'Production'
* Chris Frantz, Jerry Harrison, Tina Weymouth producers
* Moby additional production and remix on "Moby Sad Gospel Mix" and "Moby Melodic Deep Mix"
* Bill Coleman, Ted Ottaviano post production and remix on "Sound/Bisquit Vocal Mix"
* Doug McKean recording
* Alex Gordon additional recording
* Geoff Gibbs additional recording assistant
* Tom Lord-Alge engineer
* Fernio Hernandez assistant engineer
* Ted Jensen mastering
Charts
References
Category:1996 songs
Category:1996 singles
Category:MCA Records singles
Category:Songs written by Johnette Napolitano
Category:Songs written by Chris Frantz
Category:Songs written by Jerry Harrison
Category:Songs written by Tina Weymouth
Category:Song recordings produced by Jerry Harrison
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