Chime (song)
| "Chime" | ||||
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| Single by Orbital | ||||
| Released | 12 March 1990 | |||
| Format | 7", 12" | |||
| Recorded | 1989 | |||
| Genre | Acid house, electronic, techno, dance | |||
| Length | 3:14 (edit) 12:40 (12" version) |
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| Label | FFRR | |||
| Writer(s) | P&P Hartnoll | |||
| Producer(s) | P&P Hartnoll | |||
| Orbital singles chronology | ||||
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"Chime" is the first single from the British electronic group Orbital.
It was originally recorded on tape and allegedly cost less than £1 to produce. The track was originally released in December 1989 and was a big underground success. In 1990, it had a wider release on FFRR Records, and reached number 17 on the UK Singles Chart.
The track has been referred to as the British equivalent to Derrick May's seminal classic "Strings of Life" and was included at number 11 on Mixmag magazine's 100 Greatest Dance Singles of All Time. Mixmag also included on two "best ever dance" compilations, B!g Tunes: The Greatest Dance Singles of All Time (2001) and The Greatest Dance Tracks of All Time (2013).
According to Paul Hartnoll, the track was recorded in Orbital's "under the stairs" home studio - "a knocked-through stair cupboard that my dad set up as a home office" in Sevenoaks, Kent. Key amongst the band's equipment at this time was their Roland TB-303 synthesiser which had been acquired for £100 from a northern working men's club keyboard player who was living in London.
Paul stated that he recorded "Chime" in the home studio before he went down to the pub. He played the cassette to pirate DJ Jazzy M at his record store in London. The DJ loved the track but insisted that it be extended for another couple of minutes. The tape recorder they recorded the track onto ran too fast, resulting in it being slightly slower than intended when played back on other decks. The track ended being 12 mins 40 after largely reprising the first half and improvising with the drum machine and TB-303 synth. The B-side of the record was the track "Deeper", featuring samples from a spoken-word relaxation record.
The original pressing (the first on Jazzy M's Oh'Zone records) of 1,000 records sold out quickly. Record labels clamoured to give "Chime" a full release and in the end they went with Pete Tong's FFRR record label. An edited version was produced and created in a more professional studio. It was downsized using fewer elements from the original 12-inch version, shortening it to 3 minutes and 14 seconds.
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