Just | |
Cover: | JustCD1.jpg |
Border: | yes |
Type: | single |
Artist: | Radiohead |
Album: | The Bends |
Released: | [1] |
Genre: | |
Label: | Parlophone |
Producer: | John Leckie |
Prev Title: | Fake Plastic Trees |
Prev Year: | 1995 |
Next Title: | Street Spirit (Fade Out) |
Next Year: | 1996 |
"Just" is a song by the English rock band Radiohead, included on their second album, The Bends (1995). It features an angular guitar riff played by Jonny Greenwood, inspired by the band Magazine. It was released as a single on 21 August 1995 and reached number 19 on the UK Singles Chart.
In 2008, "Just" was included in . The English producer Mark Ronson released a cover version on his 2008 album Version.
Much of "Just" was written by Radiohead's lead guitarist, Jonny Greenwood. According to the singer, Thom Yorke, Greenwood "was trying to get as many chords as he could into a song".[5] The angular guitar riff was influenced by John McGeoch's playing on the 1978 Magazine song "Shot by Both Sides"; Greenwood said that it was "pretty much the same kind of idea".[6] Both "Just" and "Shot by Both Sides" were produced by John Leckie.[7]
"Just" was the first song Radiohead finished while working on The Bends at RAK Studios.[8] According to the guitarist Ed O'Brien, earlier versions were about seven minutes long. At the time of recording, Yorke said it was the most exciting thing Radiohead had recorded.
"Just" begins with a strummed guitar, which the critic Mac Randall likened to the 1991 Nirvana song "Smells Like Teen Spirit". Greenwood plays octatonic scales that extend over four octaves.[9] In the solo, he uses a DigiTech Whammy pedal to pitch-shift his guitar into a high, piercing frequency. The lyrics describe someone in a bad relationship, with a "malicious" vocal vibrato from Yorke. The Guardian placed the song between grunge and Britpop.
The "Just" music video was directed by Jamie Thraves, who adapted it from an idea he had for a short film. It took two days to shoot. The street scenes were filmed on Liverpool Street, London; the scenes of the band were filmed on a set.
In the video, a man lies in the middle of the pavement, attracting attention from passersby. The members of Radiohead watch from an apartment above. The man's conversation with passersby is displayed in subtitles; they ask why he is lying down, but he refuses to explain. Eventually, the man explains, but his explanation is not subtitled. The bystanders lie down next to him.[10]
In 2007, NME named "Just" the 34th-greatest "indie anthem".[11] In 2017, NME named the guitar solo one of the greatest of all time.[12] In 2020, the Guardian named it the 32nd-greatest Radiohead song, writing: "Hailstorm distortion meets perky hooks, wily vocals and ... an absurd pageant of guitar chords. The chorus flips the grunge ethos on its head, swapping self-loathing for theatrical vitriol."[13]
UK CD1 and cassette single[14] [15]
UK CD2[16]
Australian CD single[17]
Chart (1995) | Peak position |
---|---|
Canada Rock/Alternative (RPM)[18] | 7 |
Scotland (OCC)[19] | 18 |
UK Singles (OCC)[20] | 19 |
Region | Date | Format(s) | Label(s) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
United Kingdom | 21 August 1995 | Parlophone | ||
28 August 1995 | CD2 | [21] |
Just | |
Cover: | Markronson just.JPG |
Type: | single |
Artist: | Mark Ronson featuring Alex Greenwald |
Album: | Exit Music |
Released: | [22] |
Length: |
|
Label: | RCA |
Producer: | Mark Ronson |
Chronology: | Mark Ronson |
Prev Title: | Ooh Wee |
Prev Year: | 2003 |
Next Title: | Stop Me |
Next Year: | 2007 |
Mark Ronson and Alex Greenwald covered "Just" for the Radiohead tribute album . It was released digitally on 13 March 2006 as the lead single.[22] It reached number 48 on the UK Singles Chart and at number 36 on the Scottish Singles Chart in 2006.
Just | |
Cover: | Mark Ronson featuring Phantom Planet Just.jpg |
Type: | single |
Artist: | Mark Ronson featuring Phantom Planet |
Album: | Version |
Genre: | Funk rock[24] |
Length: |
|
Label: |
|
Producer: | Mark Ronson |
Chronology: | Mark Ronson |
Prev Title: | Valerie |
Prev Year: | 2007 |
Next Title: | Bang Bang Bang |
Next Year: | 2010 |
Ronson rereleased the cover in February 2008 as the fourth single from his second album, Version, now credited as featuring Alex Greenwald's band Phantom Planet.
The music video was directed by Jim Canty, it acted as a sequel to and paid homage to the earlier Radiohead video. The video features a city sweeper finding the group people lying around on ground.[25]
The song played as the follow-up to "Valerie", which was still in the UK top 20 upon the release of "Just". "Just" reached No. 31 after its release.
CD single
CD 1 88697271202 / download
CD 2 88697272032 / download
10" vinyl 88697271211