Login
Login

M.O.R.

{{Short description|1997 single by Blur}}

{{Other uses|MOR (disambiguation)}}

{{More citations needed|date=February 2011}}

{{Use British English|date=June 2014}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2022}}

{{Infobox song

| name = M.O.R.

| cover = Mor 7vinyl cover.jpg

| alt =

| type = single

| artist = Blur

| album = Blur

| B-side = {{ubl|"Swallows in the Heatwave"|"Movin' On" (remix)|"Beetlebum" (remix)}}

| released = {{start date|1997|9|15|df=y}}

| recorded =

| studio =

| venue =

| length = 3:27 (album version)

| label =

| writer =

  • Damon Albarn
  • Graham Coxon
  • Alex James
  • Dave Rowntree
  • David Bowie{{cite web |url=http://www.davidbowie.com/news/bowies-influence-becomes-bit-blur-37171 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150210110941/http://www.davidbowie.com/news/bowies-influence-becomes-bit-blur-37171 |archive-date=10 February 2015 |title=Bowie's Influence Becomes A Bit Of A Blur - David Bowie Latest News}}
  • Brian Eno{{cite web |url=http://www.davidbowie.com/news/bowies-influence-becomes-bit-blur-37171 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150210110941/http://www.davidbowie.com/news/bowies-influence-becomes-bit-blur-37171 |archive-date=10 February 2015 |title=Bowie's Influence Becomes A Bit Of A Blur - David Bowie Latest News}}

| producer = Stephen Street

| prev_title = On Your Own

| prev_year = 1997

| next_title = Tender

| next_year = 1999

| misc = {{External music video|{{YouTube|QEGNwMrsy30|"M.O.R."}}}}

}}

"M.O.R." is a song by English rock band Blur from their eponymous album. Released on 15 September 1997, "M.O.R." reached number 15 in the UK Singles Chart on its release as a single in September 1997. Worldwide, it reached number 45 in New Zealand and also charted in Australia, Canada, and the United States.

Composition and lyrics

The song's chord progression was borrowed from David Bowie's "Boys Keep Swinging" and "Fantastic Voyage". On the album Lodger Bowie and collaborator Brian Eno carried out a musical experiment in which multiple songs were written with the same chord progression, of which "Boys Keep Swinging" and "Fantastic Voyage" were the two that surfaced. "M.O.R." is both a continuation of, and tribute to that experiment, as its chorus also lifts the melody and call-and-response vocals from "Boys Keep Swinging" (Bowie and Eno both received credit for "M.O.R." after legal intervention).{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2007/aug/14/isdamonalbarnthenewdavid|title=Is Damon Albarn the new David Bowie?|last=Azad|first=Bharat|date=14 August 2007|website=The Guardian|language=en|access-date=6 February 2018}}{{Failed verification|date=November 2024}} "M.O.R." itself stands for "middle of the road", which appears in the lyrics.

Music video

The song's music video was directed by John Hardwick. It was shot in Sydney, Australia, and follows the misadventures of the band members (or rather, stuntmen in balaclavas pretending to be them) as they try to escape from the police. It was intended that the stuntmen wear masks of the band members to make it appear that the band were performing their own stunts, but the masks created for the video were such poor representations that the decision was made to use balaclavas instead.Conversation with the director, 1997 The video also features cameos by stunt choreographer Grant Page as a helicopter pilot, and actor Noah Taylor as a truck passenger. It is included in the Blur: The Best of DVD/VHS released on 30 October 2000.

The 'actors' in the video are all anagrams of the member of the band they play. They are as follows:

"Dan Abnormal" was an alias also used by Albarn whilst playing keyboards on the first Elastica album, as well as the title of a track on The Great Escape.

Track listings

All lyrics were written by Albarn. All music was composed by Albarn, Coxon, James, and Rowntree.

{{col-start}}

{{col-2}}

UK and European CD single{{cite AV media notes|title=M.O.R.|others=Blur|year=1997|type=UK & European CD single liner notes|publisher=Food Records, Parlophone|id=CDFOOD107, 7243 8 84656 2 5}}

  1. "M.O.R." (road version)
  2. "Swallows in the Heatwave"
  3. "Movin' On" (William Orbit remix)
  4. "Beetlebum" (Moby's minimal house remix)

UK cassette and limited-edition orange 7-inch single{{cite AV media notes|title=M.O.R.|others=Blur|year=1997|type=UK cassette single sleeve|publisher=Food Records, Parlophone|id=TCFOOD 107, 7243 8 84656 4 9}}{{cite AV media notes|title=M.O.R.|others=Blur|year=1997|type=UK limited 7-inch single sleeve|publisher=Food Records, Parlophone|id=FOOD 107, 7243 8 84656 7 0}}

  1. "M.O.R." (road version)
  2. "Swallows in the Heatwave"

German limited-edition live CD single{{cite AV media notes|title=M.O.R.|others=Blur|year=1997|type=German limited CD single liner notes|publisher=Food Records, Spin Records, Electrola|id=7243 8 84710 2 2}}

  1. "M.O.R." (live at Peel Acres) – 2:59
  2. "Beetlebum" (Viva Niteclub live acoustic) – 4:32
  3. "On Your Own" (Viva Niteclub live acoustic) – 4:10
  4. "Country Sad Ballad Man" (Viva Niteclub live acoustic) – 4:34
  5. "This is a Low" (Viva Niteclub live acoustic) – 3:29

{{col-2}}

US CD single{{cite AV media notes|title=M.O.R.|others=Blur|year=1997|type=US CD single liner notes|publisher=Virgin Records America|id=V25G-38611, 7243 8 38611 2 5}}

  1. "M.O.R." (road version) – 3:12
  2. "Popscene" (live at Peel Acres) – 2:58
  3. "Song 2" (live at Peel Acres) – 1:53
  4. "Bustin' + Dronin'" – 6:30

Australian CD single{{cite AV media notes|title=M.O.R.|others=Blur|year=1997|type=Australian CD single liner notes|publisher=Food Records, EMI Music Australia|id=8844322}}

  1. "M.O.R." (road version)
  2. "Dancehall"
  3. "Country Sad Ballad Man" (live acoustic version)
  4. "Popscene" (live at Peel Acres)
  5. "On Your Own" (live acoustic version)

Japanese CD single{{cite AV media notes|title=M.O.R.|others=Blur|year=1998|type=Japanese CD single liner notes|publisher=Food Records, EMI Music Japan, Parlophone|id=TOCP-40081}}

  1. "M.O.R." (road version)
  2. "M.O.R." (karaoke version)
  3. "I Love Her" (demo version)
  4. "Death of a Party" (live at MC Vredenburg, Holland, 24 April 1997)

{{col-end}}

Personnel and credits

  • "Bustin' + Dronin'" and "Swallows in the Heatwave" produced by Blur
  • "M.O.R." (road version) and "Dancehall" produced by Stephen Street
  • Damon Albarn – guitar, vocals
  • Graham Coxon – guitar, vocals
  • Alex James – bass guitar
  • Dave Rowntree – drums

Charts

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

!Chart (1997)

!Peak
position

scope="row"|Australia (ARIA){{cite book|last=Ryan|first=Gavin|title=Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010|year=2011|publisher=Moonlight Publishing|location=Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia}}

|68

{{single chart|Canadarock|11|chartid=7914|rowheader=true|access-date=4 March 2019}}
{{single chart|New Zealand|45|artist=Blur|song=M.O.R.|rowheader=true|access-date=6 June 2014}}
{{single chart|Scotland|15|date=19970927|rowheader=true|access-date=4 March 2019}}
{{single chart|UK|15|date=19970927|rowheader=true|access-date=4 March 2019}}
{{single chart|Billboardbubbling100|14|artist=Blur|rowheader=true|access-date=4 March 2019}}

Release history

class="wikitable plainrowheaders"

!scope="col"|Region

!scope="col"|Date

!scope="col"|Format(s)

!scope="col"|Label(s)

!scope="col"|{{abbr|Ref.|Reference}}

scope="row"|United States

|28 July 1997

|Alternative radio

|Virgin

|{{cite magazine|title=Be on the Lookout|magazine=Gavin Report|issue=2164|page=48|date=18 July 1997}}

scope="row"|United Kingdom

|15 September 1997

|{{hlist|7-inch vinyl|CD|cassette}}

|{{hlist|Food|Parlophone}}

|{{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1997/Music-Week-1997-09-13.pdf|title=New Releases: Singles|magazine=Music Week|page=33|date=13 September 1997|access-date=5 July 2021}}

scope="row"|Japan

|11 February 1998

|CD

|{{hlist|EMI|Food|Parlophone}}

|{{cite web|url=https://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/143957/products/262303/1/|title=M.O.R. {{!}} ブラー|trans-title=M.O.R. {{!}} Blur|publisher=Oricon|language=ja|access-date=18 September 2023}}

References

{{Reflist}}

{{Blur}}

{{David Bowie singles}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:1996 songs

Category:1997 singles

Category:Blur (band) songs

Category:Food Records singles

Category:Parlophone singles

Category:Songs written by David Bowie

Category:Songs written by Brian Eno

Category:Songs written by Damon Albarn

Category:Virgin Records singles

Category:Songs written by Graham Coxon

Category:Songs written by Alex James (musician)

Category:Songs written by Dave Rowntree

Category:Song recordings produced by Stephen Street