Brand New Friend

{{short description|1985 song by Lloyd Cole and the Commotions}}

{{Infobox song

| name = Brand New Friend

| cover = Lloyd Cole and the Commotions Brand New Friend 1985 single cover.jpg

| alt =

| type = single

| artist = Lloyd Cole and the Commotions

| album = Easy Pieces

| B-side = Her Last Fling

| released = 6 September 1985{{cite magazine |last=Smith |first=Robin |date=24 August 1985 |title=News: Friendly Commotion |magazine=Record Mirror |page=8 |issn=0144-5804}}

| recorded =

| studio =

| venue =

| genre =

| length = 4:51

| label = Polydor

| writer = * Lloyd Cole

| producer = * Clive Langer

| prev_title = Rattlesnakes

| prev_year = 1984

| next_title = Lost Weekend

| next_year = 1985

| misc = {{External music video|{{YouTube|_KqWjNryjYA|"Brand New Friend"}}}}

}}

"Brand New Friend" is a song by British band Lloyd Cole and the Commotions, released in 1985 as the lead single from their second studio album Easy Pieces. The song was written by band members Lloyd Cole and Blair Cowan, and produced by Clive Langer and Alan Winstanley. It peaked at number 19 in the UK Singles Chart and remained in the top 100 for nine weeks.

Background

In a 1985 interview with Sounds, Cole described "Brand New Friend" as being "about a character who's in a fairly pitiful position of being aware that he's not as happy as he once was, but not being sure what to do about it. He's also aware that he's verging on self-pity, which is also quite ridiculous. So it's quite funny too. He's aware it's a little cry for help."{{cite magazine |first=Carole |last=Linfield |title=Lloyd Cole: Do the lo-commotion |magazine=Sounds |date=7 September 1985 |pages=26–27}}

Critical reception

Upon its release as a single, Diane Cross of Record Mirror described "Brand New Friend" as "another slightly uptempo, soulful sound from the man with the sorrowful eyes". She felt it would "probably manage to avoid chart domination, but will more than please his many fans".{{cite magazine |last=Cross |first=Diane |date=31 August 1985 |title=Singles |magazine=Record Mirror |page=16 |issn=0144-5804}} Frank Edmonds of the Bury Free Press gave the single an 8 out of 10 rating. He noted the "striking vocal married to a lovely tune" and added, "Cole just oozes stylish moodiness and here it spills out all over the record."{{cite news |last=Edmonds |first=Frank |title=Soundscene |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000762/19850906/161/0012 |newspaper=Bury Free Press |date=6 September 1985 |page=12 |via=British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription |access-date=17 March 2023}}

Karen Swayne of Number One commented, "Lloyd's mannered vocals are as appealing as ever, though a bit uncomfortable over such a jaunty little tune. There are strings and girl backing vocals thrown in for good measure, but I'd have preferred a simpler sound. Even so, it outclasses most of the week's releases."{{cite magazine |last=Swayne |first=Karen |title=Singles |magazine=Number One |date=31 August 1985 |issue=115 |page=37}} Sean O'Hagan of NME felt both "Brand New Friend" and its B-side, "Her Last Fling", are "haunted by the ghost of vintage Dylan/Reed/Ferry". He commented, "The opening line bodes well but Lloyd is still content to slip into the guise of his heroes and revisit territory that has already been done to death."{{cite magazine |last=O'Hagan |first=Sean |title=Singles |magazine=New Musical Express |date=31 August 1985 |page=21}}

Track listing

7–inch single (UK, Europe, US, Canada and Japan){{cite AV media notes |title=Brand New Friend |others=Lloyd Cole and the Commotions |year=1985 |type=UK 7-inch single sleeve |publisher=Polydor Records |id=COLE 4}}{{cite AV media notes |title=Brand New Friend |others=Lloyd Cole and the Commotions |year=1985 |type=European 7-inch single sleeve |publisher=Polydor Records |id=883 352-7}}{{cite AV media notes |title=Brand New Friend |others=Lloyd Cole and the Commotions |year=1985 |type=US 7-inch single sleeve |publisher=Geffen Records |id=7-28724}}{{cite AV media notes |title=Brand New Friend |others=Lloyd Cole and the Commotions |year=1985 |type=Canadian 7-inch single sleeve |publisher=Geffen Records |id=92 87247}}{{cite AV media notes |title=Brand New Friend |others=Lloyd Cole and the Commotions |year=1985 |type=Japanese 7-inch single sleeve |publisher=Polydor Records |id=7DM 0152}}

  1. "Brand New Friend" – 4:46
  2. "Her Last Fling" – 2:46

7–inch single (Australasia){{cite AV media notes |title=Brand New Friend |others=Lloyd Cole and the Commotions |year=1985 |type=Australasian 7-inch single sleeve |publisher=Polydor Records |id=883 352-7}}

  1. "Brand New Friend" – 4:00
  2. "Her Last Fling" – 2:46

12–inch single (UK, Europe and Australasia){{cite AV media notes |title=Brand New Friend |others=Lloyd Cole and the Commotions |year=1985 |type=UK 12-inch single sleeve |publisher=Polydor Records |id=COLEX 4}}{{cite AV media notes |title=Brand New Friend |others=Lloyd Cole and the Commotions |year=1985 |type=European and Australasian 12-inch single sleeve |publisher=Polydor Records |id=883 352-1}}

  1. "Brand New Friend" (Long Version) – 5:34
  2. "Her Last Fling" – 2:46
  3. "2CV" (Recorded live) – 3:00
  4. "Speedboat" (Recorded live) – 4:15

Personnel

Lloyd Cole and the Commotions

Additional musicians on "Brand New Friend"

Production

  • Clive Langer – producer ("Brand New Friend")
  • Alan Winstanley – producer ("Brand New Friend")
  • Lloyd Cole and the Commotions – producers ("Her Last Fling", "2CV", "Speedboat")
  • Richard Sullivan – engineer ("Brand New Friend", "Her Last Fling")
  • Mark Saunders – engineer ("Brand New Friend", "Her Last Fling")
  • Kenny MacDonald – engineer ("Brand New Friend", "Her Last Fling")

Other

  • Peter Anderson – sleeve
  • Clare Cameron – sleeve

Charts

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
Chart (1985)

!Peak
position

scope="row"|Australia (Kent Music Report){{cite book|last=Kent|first=David|authorlink=David Kent (historian)|title=Australian Chart Book 1970–1992|edition=illustrated|publisher=Australian Chart Book|location=St Ives, N.S.W.|year=1993|isbn=0-646-11917-6|page=69}}

| style="text-align:center;"|73

scope="row"|Europe (European Top 100 Singles){{cite magazine |title=European Top 100 Singles |magazine=Eurotipsheet |volume=2 |issue=41 |date=14 October 1985 |oclc=29800226 |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/80s/1985/M&M-1985-10-14.pdf |via=World Radio History |access-date=17 March 2023}}

| style="text-align:center;"|52

{{single chart|Ireland2|11|song=Brand New Friend|rowheader=true|access-date=17 March 2023}}
{{singlechart|UKsinglesbyname|19|artist=Lloyd Cole|song=Brand New Friend|artistid=25949|rowheader=true|access-date=17 March 2023}}

References