Black Treacle

"Black Treacle" is a song by the English indie rock band Arctic Monkeys, released as the fourth single from their fourth studio album Suck It and See and was released as a digital download and a 7" vinyl on 23 January 2012. The single was limited to only 1,500 copies.

For the syrup the song is named for, see Molasses.

"Black Treacle"
Single by Arctic Monkeys
from the album Suck It and See
B-side"You and I"
Released23 January 2012
Length3:35
LabelDomino
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)James Ford
Arctic Monkeys singles chronology
"Suck It and See"
(2011)		 "Black Treacle"
(2012)		 "R U Mine?"
(2012)
Music video
"Black Treacle" on YouTube

The 7" vinyl features only one B-side titled "You and I" and is credited to Richard Hawley and The Death Ramps. The Death Ramps is a pseudonym previously adopted by the band when they released "The Hellcat Spangled Shalalala" single and a limited edition vinyl with "Teddy Picker" B-sides "Nettles" and "The Death Ramps" back in 2007.

A promo video was made for "You and I" which consists of footage while recording the song at the studio and of the band riding motorbikes on the peaks outside Sheffield near Dore.[2] The music video for the single premiered on 5 January 2012 and for "You and I" premiered on 23 January 2012 on YouTube.

Writing

The song was one of the last written during the London sessions, before recording took place.[3] About the lyrics Alex Turner told NME: "I watched a couple of westerns when we were doing this, like Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid, which gets a reference in there. I also just wanted to put 'belly-button piercings' in a tune, I thought that would be good. I'd kind of wanted to do it for a couple of weeks and then managed to fit it in there. Why? I'd not thought about them for a while and they came on my radar somehow. And then I thought about this thing of them and the stars being juxtaposed."[4]

Music video

The music video for 'Black Treacle' was released on YouTube on 5 January 2012. It was filmed in Sheffield and Los Angeles, and directed by Focus Creeps. Is part of a trilogy inspired by a story told on a documentary on the life of musician Ian "Lemmy" Kilmister.[5] It serves as a sequel to Suck It and See and stars drummer Matt Helders as the biker, now an escaped convict, looking to reunite and marry his fiancée (Breana McDow). While in prison the biker collaborates with the police and wears a wire. After escaping he recovers a knife he had hidden in the desert, and uses it to steal clothes and a car from a bystander. He picks up a prostitute and gets fellow biker (frontman Alex Turner) to drive them around. The next day they return to the desert where his fiancée, wearing a wedding dress, is waiting for him.

On the video, Focus Creeps said: "The ‘Black Treacle’ video is a compilation of the darker outtakes of ‘Suck It & See’. In the desert, the bright rays of the sun cast a long dark shadow. It's a prequel where laws get broke, and a sequel where hearts get broke. On the one hand, the song kind of says, no matter how low things go, you can always dream, and on the other hand it's a video that kind of shows - kids, don't try this at home."[6] The video was compared to Breaking Bad and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.[7]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Arctic Monkeys except where noted[1]

7" and digital download
No.TitleLength
1."Black Treacle"3:35
2."You and I" (Cook, Hawley, Helders, O'Malley, Turner)3:26

Personnel
Arctic Monkeys
  • Alex Turner – lead vocals, lead and rhythm guitar, backing vocals (track two)
  • Jamie Cook – lead and rhythm guitar
  • Nick O'Malley – bass guitar, backing vocals
  • Matt Helders – drums, backing vocals
Additional personnel

Charts
Chart (2011–12) Peak
position
UK Singles (OCC)[8] 173
UK Indie (OCC)[9] 21
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[10] 25
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[11] 38

References
  1. Suck It and See (liner notes). Arctic Monkeys. Domino. 2011.{{cite AV media}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  2. "Watch Arctic Monkeys' video for new track 'You and I'". NME. 23 January 2012. Retrieved 24 January 2012.
  3. "Alex and Matt's track by track guide on 'Suck It and See'". X-Posure (Interview). Interviewed by John Kennedy. London: Radio X. 31 May 2011. Retrieved 21 July 2023.
  4. "Arctic Monkeys – Alex Turner's Guide To 'Suck It And See'". NME. 26 April 2011. Retrieved 18 May 2023.
  5. Pinto, Natália (10 November 2014). "Director ID - Focus Creeps". Pitchfork.
  6. Millar, Paul (9 January 2012). "Arctic Monkeys unveil video for new single 'Black Treacle'". Digital Spy.
  7. Greenwald, David (9 January 2012). "New Video: Arctic Monkeys, 'Black Treacle'". MTV News.
  8. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  9. "Official Independent Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company.
  10. "Arctic Monkeys – Black Treacle" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  11. "Arctic Monkeys – Black Treacle" (in French). Ultratop 50.
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