September Gurls

"September Gurls" is a song by the rock band Big Star. Written by Alex Chilton, it was featured on the group's second studio album Radio City. The track was released in 1974.

For the band, see September Girls.
"September Gurls"
Single by Big Star
from the album Radio City
ReleasedAugust 1974[1]
Recorded1973
Genre
Length2:41
LabelArdent
Songwriter(s)Alex Chilton
Producer(s)John Fry and Big Star

Background

The song was named in tribute to the Beach Boys' "California Girls".[4]

"September Gurls" was also released as a single.[5] While it never was a big seller, it is considered a classic song by publications such as Rolling Stone and Allmusic.[6][7]

The track was rated #180 by Rolling Stone in the magazine's top 500 songs of all time, and is described as a "power pop classic".[6]

Jason Ankeny of Allmusic describes the song as "sweetly gorgeous sound that's both familiar and novel; poignantly ragged and breathlessly reckless..." and says it "reveals a surprising tenderness, tempering its venom with achingly lovely vocals and sun-kissed harmonies".[7]

Novelist Michael Chabon calls the song "the pocket history of power pop" and claims that it is "the greatest number-one song that never charted".[8]

Covers

The Bangles released a cover of this song on their 1986 album Different Light. Other bands who have recorded the song include Superdrag[9] and The Searchers.[10]

Tributes

The title of Katy Perry's 2010 number one hit "California Gurls" was spelled thus as a tribute to Chilton and Big Star. Perry's manager is a fan of the band, and asked her to spell "girls" with a "u".[11]

References
  1. "Big Star - September Gurls". Retrieved April 16, 2019 – via www.45cat.com.
  2. Lester, Paul (February 11, 2015). "Powerpop: 10 of the best". The Guardian. Guardian News and Media. Retrieved July 29, 2016.
  3. LaBate, Steve (December 18, 2009). "Jangle Bell Rock: A Chronological (Non-Holiday) Anthology… from The Beatles and Byrds to R.E.M. and Beyond". Paste. Retrieved March 2, 2017.
  4. George-Warren, Holly (March 2014). A Man Called Destruction: The Life and Music of Alex Chilton, from Box Tops to Big Star to Backdoor Man. Viking. p. 142. ISBN 978-0-670-02563-3.
  5. Buskin, Richard (April 2006). "CLASSIC TRACKS: Big Star: 'September Gurls'". Sound on Sound. Retrieved January 1, 2009.
  6. "The RS 500 Greatest Songs of All Time". Rolling Stone. December 9, 2004. Archived from the original on August 20, 2006. Retrieved January 1, 2009.
  7. Ankeny, Jason. "September Gurls". Allmusic. Retrieved January 2, 2009.
  8. "Michael Chabon - Tragic Magic". archive.is. April 11, 2013. Archived from the original on April 11, 2013. Retrieved April 16, 2019.
  9. "superdrag.com". Retrieved January 2, 2009.
  10. Eder, Bruce. "allmusic ((( Love's Melodies > Overview )))". Allmusic. Retrieved January 2, 2009.
  11. "Katy Perry's 'California Gurls' Is A Nod To ... Big Star?". mtv.com. May 13, 2010. Retrieved August 31, 2010.

Further reading
  • Klosterman, Chuck. (2016) But What If We're Wrong? Penguin Publishing Group.
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