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Mr. Writer

{{Short description|2001 single by Stereophonics}}

{{Use British English|date=September 2015}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2020}}

{{Infobox song

| name = Mr. Writer

| cover = Mrwriter.jpg

| alt =

| type = single

| artist = Stereophonics

| album = Just Enough Education to Perform

| B-side =

  • "Maritim Belle Vue in Kiel"
  • "An Audience with Mr. Nice"

| released = {{start date|2001|3|19|df=y}}

| recorded =

| studio =

| genre =

| length =

  • 5:19 (album version)
  • 4:26 (edit)

| label = V2

| composer =

| lyricist = Kelly Jones

| producer = Bird and Bush

| prev_title = Mama Told Me Not to Come

| prev_year = 2000

| next_title = Have a Nice Day

| next_year = 2001

| misc = {{External music video|{{YouTube|IwOMnIuAGOY|"Mr. Writer"}}}}

}}

"Mr. Writer" is a song by Welsh rock band Stereophonics, taken from their third album, Just Enough Education to Perform (2001). It was released on 19 March 2001, reaching number five on the UK Singles Chart, number seven in Ireland, and number 53 in Sweden, where it was the band's first and only single to chart.

Background

"Mr. Writer" is track three on Just Enough Education to Perform. In the album's booklet, vocalist Kelly Jones explained that he first started writing the song around the same time that he wrote "I Stopped to Fill My Car Up", the closing track from Stereophonics' previous album, Performance and Cocktails (1999).{{cite AV media notes|title=Just Enough Education to Perform|title-link=Just Enough Education to Perform|others=Stereophonics|year=2001|type=UK CD album booklet|publisher=V2 Records|id=VVR1015842}}{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/performance-and-cocktails-mw0000245407?1652916966848|title=Stereophonics: Performance and Cocktails|publisher=AllMusic|access-date=18 May 2022}} He first came up with the verse chords, then the line "Mr. Writer, why don't you tell it like it is", at which point he stopped working on the lyrics for several months. While in Europe, Jones practiced the chords on touring musician Tony Kirkham's keyboard.

Later, at Monnow Valley Studio in Wales, Jones and songwriter-producer Marshall Bird were listening to Stevie Wonder's 1972 album Talking Book. The album's second track, "Maybe Your Baby", caught their attention due to its "really druggy lazy fucked up feel", and both men agreed to make "Mr. Writer" similar in tone. Together, they combined the "Mr. Writer" chords and "Maybe Your Baby"-inspired riffs while Jones wrote the lyrics to the first verse and bridge that night. Afterwards, producer Steve Bush completed the demo recording by providing bass guitar and drums.

The song was written as response to a journalist who had toured with the band and later gave them negative reviews. The song has been attributed as one of the factors that has caused the group's uneasy relationship with the media. In a 2008 interview with The Guardian, Jones admitted that "...every journalist thought ['Mr. Writer'] was about them. It took me 10 minutes to write and 10 years to explain."{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2008/oct/28/popandrock|title=Portrait of the artist: Kelly Jones, musician|last=Barnett|first=Laura|date=28 October 2008|work=The Guardian|access-date=3 September 2015}}

Versions

A live version from Millennium Stadium Cardiff appears on the "Vegas Two Times" single,{{cite AV media notes|title=Vegas Two Times|title-link=Vegas Two Times|others=Stereophonics|year=2002|type=UK CD single liner notes|publisher=V2 Records|id=VVR5019173}} and a live acoustic version appears as track one on CD2 on the "Mr. Writer" singles, which also includes live acoustic versions of "Hurry Up and Wait" and the Beatles' "Don't Let Me Down".{{cite AV media notes|title=Mr. Writer|others=Stereophonics|year=2001|type=UK CD2 liner notes|publisher=V2 Records|id=VVR5015938}}

Music video

The music video for the song was directed by David Slade[http://www.mvdbase.com/artist.php?last=Stereophonics&first= MVDBase] Music video Database – searching for Stereophonics videography. and features clips of the band performing in a snowy globe and some other clips of the band dressed as clowns driving in a car which soon catches fire and is brutally destroyed. Then the band run off into the dusk at the end of the video.

Track listings

{{col-begin}}

{{col-2}}

UK CD1{{cite AV media notes|title=Mr. Writer|others=Stereophonics|year=2001|type=UK CD1 liner notes|publisher=V2 Records|id=VVR5015933}}

  1. "Mr. Writer" (edit)
  2. "Maritim Belle Vue in Kiel"
  3. "An Audience with Mr. Nice"

UK CD2

  1. "Mr. Writer" (live acoustic version)
  2. "Hurry Up and Wait" (live acoustic version)
  3. "Don't Let Me Down" (live acoustic version)

{{col-2}}

UK cassette single and European CD single{{cite AV media notes|title=Mr. Writer|others=Stereophonics|year=2001|type=UK cassette single sleeve|publisher=V2 Records|id=VVR5015935}}{{cite AV media notes|title=Mr. Writer|others=Stereophonics|year=2001|type=European CD single liner notes|publisher=V2 Records|id=VVR5016048}}

  1. "Mr. Writer" (edit)
  2. "Maritim Belle Vue in Kiel"

Japanese CD single{{cite AV media notes|title=Mr. Writer|others=Stereophonics|year=2001|type=Japanese CD single liner notes|publisher=V2 Records|id=V2CI 98}}

  1. "Mr. Writer" (edit)
  2. "Mr. Writer" (live acoustic version)
  3. "Don't Let Me Down" (live acoustic version)
  4. "An Audience with Mr. Nice"

{{col-end}}

Credits and personnel

Credits are taken from the Just Enough Education to Perform album booklet.

Studios

Personnel

{{div col}}

{{div col end}}

Charts

{{col-begin}}

{{col-2}}

=Weekly charts=

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

!scope="col"|Chart (2001)

!scope="col"|Peak
position

scope="row"|Europe (Eurochart Hot 100){{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/00s/2001/MM-2001-04-07.pdf|title=Eurochart Hot 100 Singles|magazine=Music & Media|volume=18|issue=15|page=19|date=7 April 2001|access-date=10 September 2020}}

|22

{{single chart|Ireland2|7|song=Mr Writer|rowheader=true|access-date=9 April 2018}}
{{single chart|Dutch100|96|artist=Stereophonics|song=Mr. Writer|rowheader=true|access-date=9 April 2018}}
{{single chart|Scotland|3|date=20010331|rowheader=true|access-date=9 April 2018}}
{{single chart|Sweden|53|artist=Stereophonics|song=Mr. Writer|rowheader=true|access-date=9 April 2018}}
{{single chart|UK|5|date=20010331|rowheader=true|access-date=9 April 2018}}
{{single chart|UKindie|1|date=20010331|rowheader=true|access-date=25 May 2018}}

{{col-2}}

=Year-end charts=

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

!scope="col"|Chart (2001)

!scope="col"|Position

scope="row"|UK Singles (OCC){{cite web|url=http://www.ukchartsplus.co.uk/ChartsPlusYE2001.pdf|title=The Official UK Singles Chart 2001|work=UKChartsPlus|access-date=25 May 2018}}

|76

{{col-end}}

Release history

class="wikitable plainrowheaders"

!scope="col"|Region

!scope="col"|Date

!scope="col"|Format(s)

!scope="col"|Label(s)

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

scope="row"|United Kingdom

|19 March 2001

|{{hlist|CD|cassette}}

|rowspan="5"|V2

|align="center"|{{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-Billboard/00s/2001/BB-2001-03-24.pdf|title=U.K.'s Stereophonics, V2 Aim for Elusive Stateside Breakthrough|last=Sexton|first=Paul|magazine=Billboard|volume=113|issue=12|page=17|date=24 March 2001|access-date=11 October 2020}}{{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/2001/Music-Week-2001-03-17.pdf|title=New Releases – For Week Starting March 19, 2001: Singles|magazine=Music Week|page=23|date=17 March 2001|access-date=10 August 2021}}

scope="row"|Japan

|23 March 2001

|CD

|align="center"|{{cite web|url=https://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/95282/products/432985/1/|title=ミスター・ライター {{!}} ステレオフォニックス|trans-title=Mister Writer {{!}} Stereophonics|publisher=Oricon|language=ja|access-date=31 August 2023}}

scope="row"|United Kingdom

|26 March 2001

|7-inch vinyl

|align="center"|{{cite magazine|title=New Releases – For Week Starting March 26, 2001: Singles|magazine=Music Week|page=27|date=24 March 2001}}

scope="row" rowspan="2"|United States

|30 April 2001

|Triple A radio

|align="center"|{{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-RandR/2000s/2001/RR-2001-04-27.pdf|title=Adult Alternative: Going for Adds|magazine=Radio & Records|issue=1399|page=120|date=27 April 2001|access-date=3 June 2021}}

1 May 2001

|Alternative radio

|align="center"|{{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-RandR/2000s/2001/RR-2001-04-27.pdf|title=Alternative: Going for Adds|magazine=Radio & Records|issue=1399|page=113|date=27 April 2001|access-date=3 June 2021}}

References

{{Reflist}}

{{Stereophonics}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:2001 singles

Category:2001 songs

Category:Music videos directed by David Slade

Category:Songs written by Kelly Jones

Category:Stereophonics songs

Category:UK Independent Singles Chart number-one singles

Category:V2 Records singles