Getting a Drag
{{Short description|Second single released by Lynsey de Paul}}
"Getting a Drag" was the second single released by Lynsey de Paul. The song was co-written with David Jordan,{{cite web|url=http://repertoire.bmi.com/title.asp?blnWriter=True&blnPublisher=True&blnArtist=True&keyID=466233&ShowNbr=0&ShowSeqNbr=0&querytype=WorkID |title=Getting a Drag |website=Repertoire.bmi.com |access-date=2016-12-19}} and featured the de Paul penned b-side "Brandy". Released in November 1972 on MAM Records, the single entered the UK Singles Chart and peaked at number 18 and was still in the charts in early 1973.{{cite web|url=http://www.officialcharts.com/search/singles/getting%20a%20drag/ |title=getting+a+drag | full Official Chart History |website=Officialcharts.com |date= |access-date=2016-10-25}} The single also reached number 46 on the German Singles Chart{{cite web|url=https://www.offiziellecharts.de/titel-details-26866 |title=Offizielle Deutsche Charts |website=Offiziellecharts.de |date= |access-date=2016-10-25}} and had a four week run on the Dutch Single Tip chart where it peaked at number 7.{{Cite web|url=https://dutchcharts.nl/weekchart.asp?cat=st&year=1972&date=19721209|title=Dutch Charts|website=Dutchcharts.nl|access-date=19 September 2019}} It reached number 1 on the Israeli Galei Tzahal chart,{{cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/Lynsey-De-Paul-Getting-A-Drag/master/208160 |title=Lynsey De Paul - Getting A Drag at Discogs |website=Discogs.com |date=2016-12-09 |access-date=2016-12-19}} No. 2 on the Radio Northsea International chart,{{cite web|url=http://hitnoteringen.nl/hitlijsten/radio-northsea-international-top-30-1972/ |title=Radio Northsea International Top 30 – 1972 – Hitnoteringen |website=Hitnoteringen.nl |date=2016-12-14 |access-date=2016-12-19}} No. 12 in January 1973 on the Turkish singles chart as published in Milliyet,{{Cite web|url=https://artisteschartsventes.blogspot.com/p/turkey.html|title=World singles charts and sales TOP 50 in 58 countries: TURKEY|website=Artisteschartsventes.blogspot.com|access-date=18 January 2022}} and No. 19 on the Swedish Poporama charts.{{Cite web|url=https://www.nostalgilistan.se/lynsey-de-paul-14316/getting-a-drag-50836|title=Getting A Drag av Lynsey De Paul|website=NostalgiListan.se|access-date=2025-02-01}}
Chart performance
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| Chart (1973)
! Peak |
|---|
| Israel
| style="text-align:center;"|1 |
| Turkey
| style="text-align:center;"|12 |
| UK
| style="text-align:center;"|18 |
| Germany
| style="text-align:center;"|46 |
Reviews for the single from the music were positive, with the American magazine, Record World, writing "Ms De Paul, who scored quite a hit in England with "Sugar Me", returns with a "Lola" like story of sexual identity confusion. The rocking beat and expertly produced by Gordon Mills keeps this clever song a winner.{{cite web|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Record-World/70s/72/RW-1972-12-23.pdf\format=PDF|title=Record World|date=1972-12-23|page=18|website=Worldradiohistory.com|access-date=2023-08-16}} Commenting on her song, De Paul later said "This was my comment on the times and is about a girl who finds her boyfriend wearing her clothes and is angry, not because he is wearing them, but because he looks better than she does. It was tongue-in-cheek. I did it on Top Of The Pops when Marc Bolan was on set and was waiting to perform his song immediately afterwards".{{cite web|url=http://www.lynseydepaul.com/musicstore/product.php?id_product=30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160508162651/http://www.lynseydepaul.com/musicstore/product.php?id_product=30 |url-status=usurped |archive-date=May 8, 2016 |title=Getting A Drag (re-recording) - From the Album 'Hit Singles Album' - LdP Music Store |website=Lynseydepaul.com |date=2010-07-15 |access-date=2016-10-25}} In his article "'Children of the Revolution': Glam Rock and the 70s" published in the New Socialist, Toby Manning wrote "'Getting a Drag' cleverly using gender performativity to queer gender roles (“I thought you were a brother but you turned out like my mother”)".{{Cite web|url=http://newsocialist.org.uk/children-revolution-glam-rock-and-70s/|title='Children of the Revolution': Glam Rock and the 70s|website=Newsocialist.org.uk|access-date=24 February 2022}}'Children of the Revolution': Glam Rock and the 70s by Toby Manning, New Socialist, 16 October 2021 The song appeared on the 2023 LP album Queer Sounds La Musique De Genres.{{Cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/release/30528031-Various-Queer-Sounds-La-Musique-De-Genres|title=Queer Sounds La Musique De Genres|website=Discogs.com|access-date=October 24, 2024}}
Cover versions
The song has also been covered by Franz Lambert, Excelsior on the album Música Em Sua Vida,{{cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/Excelsior-Música-Em-Sua-Vida-Vol3/release/10034929|title=Excelsior : Musica Em Sua Vida|website=Discogs.com|year=1973 |access-date=29 November 2018}} and most recently by a group named Grease Jar.{{cite web|url=https://www.iheart.com/artist/grease-jar-31940978/songs/getting-a-drag-72559487/|title=Grease Jar : Getting a Drag : 70's Rock Flashback, 2m 54sec|website=Iheart.com|access-date=30 May 2019}} A Japanese language version by Kuko & Angels was released as their debut single in 1973.{{cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/クーコエンジェルス-愛のときめき/release/11739919|title=クーコ&エンジェルス* – 愛のときめき|website=Discogs.com|year=1973 |access-date=2018-04-08}} The B-side was also covered by Miki Asakura with new lyrics as "Friday Night"{{cite web|url=https://musicbrainz.org/work/90c39c9c-b2b2-4e01-9901-1100113b2735|title=Song "Friday Night" |website=Musicbrainz.org|access-date=4 November 2018}} on her 1981 album Sexy Elegance.{{cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/Miki-Asakura-麻倉未稀-Sexy-Elegance-セクシーエレガンス/release/8174032|title=Miki Asakura = 麻倉未稀* – Sexy Elegance = セクシーエレガンス|website=Discogs.com| date=21 November 1981 |access-date=4 November 2018}} In 1994, De Paul released a re-recorded and radically different version of the song on her Just a Little Time CD, as well as a remixed club version of the updated song.{{cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/release/14875581-Lynsey-De-Paul-Just-A-Little-Time|title=Lynsey De Paul – Just A Little Time|website=Discogs.com|year=1994 |access-date=15 May 2023}}{{cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/release/2774133-Lynsey-De-Paul-Lynsey-De-Paul|title=Lynsey De Paul – Lynsey De Paul|website=Discogs.com|year=1994 |access-date=15 May 2023}}
Awards
De Paul's performance of "Getting a Drag" was a prize winning song at the second International Contest of the Tokyo Music Festival in 1973.Billboard, 12 May 1973 The song title was translated as "Sigh of Love" and De Paul was presented with the top singer performer award.Record Mirror, 5 May 1973, p. 5 She was competing against other international artists such as Olivia Newton-John, Paul Williams, Lauren Copley and Mickey Newbury.Billboard, 17 March 1973, pp. 51/2
Mentions in books
The song is mentioned in a number of published books, such as In Perfect Harmony Singalong Pop in '70s Britain, by Will HodgkinsonIn Perfect Harmony Singalong Pop in '70s Britain, Will Hodgkinson, Publisher: AbeBooks, September 2022, {{ISBN|9781788705639}} and Mixing Pop and Politics: A Marxist History of Popular Music.Mixing Pop and Politics: A Marxist History of Popular Music, Toby Manning, Publisher: Repeater, 14 May 2024, {{ISBN|9781913462673}}