In just 82 seconds, Primal Scream’s ‘Velocity Girl’ became a landmark moment in the nascent indie scene and ignited a band who would become a pivotal part of British music culture. First released as the b-side to their second single ‘Crystal Crescent’ in 1986, ‘Velocity Girl’ reached a wider audience as the opening track on NME’s highly influential ‘C86’ compilation.
Despite the track’s renown, Primal Scream have never reissued ‘Velocity Girl’ or included it on any retrospective albums… until now. The track is now available on 7”, streaming and download along with the brand new song ‘Broken’. This limited edition, single run release is available exclusively via your local independent retailer.
To coincide with its re-release, Primal Scream also share its first official video – some 33 years after the track was first released. It weaves between frontman Bobby Gillespie’s performance of the song with footage of the iconic actress and model Edie Sedgwick in ‘Ciao! Manhattan’, a film that was completed and released in 1972, a year after her death.
“I had an Edie Sedgwick type character in mind when I wrote ‘Velocity Girl’,” says Gillespie. “I read Jean Stein’s biography about her and I wanted to meet a girl like that. Hanging out with Warhol, The Velvet Underground , Bob Dylan and shooting speed whilst looking absolutely fabulous. Super hip and beautiful. She was the muse. I love her.”
The video was directed by filmmaker, cinephile and musician Douglas Hart, who first worked with Primal Scream on the ‘Screamadelica’ film in 1992.
Check out the video for ‘Velocity Girl’ – BELOW:
‘Velocity Girl’ features on Primal Scream’s ‘Maximum Rock ‘n’ Roll: The Singles’ which is out now via Sony. A celebration of a band with a killer collection of singles, it evolves from rock ‘n’ roll infused with gospel and soul in ‘Movin’ On Up’, to the Stonesy strut of ‘Rocks’ and industrial-funk in the shape of ‘Kill All Hippies’. And that freewheeling attitude never stopped, as evidenced by the anthemic garage-rock meets vintage R&B of ‘Country Girl’ and the creativity of the songs taken from their most recent album, 2016’s ‘Chaosmosis’.
Last month Primal Scream announced a full UK and Ireland tour which spans November and December. The dates, listed below, include a London gig at the O2 Forum Kentish Town and culminate with a homecoming show at Glasgow’s Barrowlands:
NOVEMBER
19th– Oxford, O2 Academy
20th– Southampton, Guildhall
21st– Brighton, Dome
23rd– Cardiff, Great Hall
24th– Liverpool, O2 Academy
26th– Manchester, Albert Hall
27th– Norwich, UEA
29th– London, O2 Forum Kentish Town
DECEMBER
1st– Coventry, Empire
3rd– Nottingham, Rock City
4th– Hull, University – Asylum
6th– Leeds, O2 Academy
7th– Newcastle, Boiler Shop
9th– Dublin, National Stadium
10th– Belfast, Ulster Hall
13th– Inverness, Ironworks
14th– Aberdeen, Music Hall
15th– Perth, Concert Hall
17th– Glasgow, Barrowlands
Tickets are available for the UK HERE, Dublin HERE and Belfast HERE.
In addition to the headline tour, Primal Scream’s summer festival schedule includes UK shows at Latitude (July 19th) and Edinburgh Summer Sessions (August 10th).
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