Subhuman (song)

"Subhuman"
Single by Garbage
from the album Garbage (Japanese Edition)
B-side
ReleasedAugust 7, 1995 (1995-08-07)
Recorded1994–1995
StudioSarm (Madison, Wisconsin)
Genre
Length4:37
LabelMushroom
Songwriter(s)Garbage
Producer(s)Garbage
Garbage singles chronology
"Vow"
(1995) 		"Subhuman"
(1995) 		"Queer"
(1995)
Alternative cover
Limited edition 7-inch vinyl rubber wallet cover.

"Subhuman" is a 1995 song written, recorded and produced by alternative rock band Garbage, and was originally released as an international B-side on "Vow", Garbage's debut single. That song had earlier been pressed as a limited edition 7-inch vinyl in the United Kingdom for the purposes of launching the band; when it came to re-releasing "Vow", Mushroom Records felt that "Subhuman" was strong enough to be issued as an A-side to follow up "Vow".[2] A last-minute decision was made to switch the songs.[3] "Vow" was relegated to bonus track on the CD single.[4]

"Subhuman" was released as the band's second single exclusively in the United Kingdom, and it gave Garbage their first chart appearance, peaking at #50 on the UK Singles Chart.[5] The single was promoted by a press junket organised by the record label on a boat sailing down London's River Thames,[6] and attracted media attention for the distinctive rubber packaging of the vinyl format.[7]

"Subhuman" was also used by the label as an opportunity to massively raise general awareness of Garbage and as an advertising campaign to brand the "G" logo by promoting the single release with plain white flyers, stickers, carrier bags, T-shirts and subway posters emblazoned with the band's "G" logo.[8] "Subhuman" was never intended to be an album cut, and was not included on the standard editions of the band's debut album, Garbage which was released later that year.[4] The single was excluded from the 2007 greatest hits album Absolute Garbage and from the 2012 greatest hits album The Absolute Collection. It was however remastered and included in the CD and streaming editions of the 2022 greatest hits album Anthology.

  1. ^ Buckley, Peter (2003). The Rough guide to rock : the definitive guide to more than 1200 artists and bands. Rough Guides. p. 413. ISBN 1843531054.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference OHWIR was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Subhuman Sales Notes. Mushroom Records. 1995. p. 3. Retrieved July 17, 2011.
  4. ^ a b Subhuman Sales Notes. Mushroom Records. 1995. p. 2. Retrieved July 17, 2011.
  5. ^ "Chart Log UK: Gina G – GZA". Zobbel.de. Retrieved January 28, 2009.
  6. ^ "The Gar-barge junket". Flyer. Mushroom Records. Retrieved July 24, 2011.
  7. ^ Davis, Andy (1997). Three Men and A Babe; Welcome to Spooner Town; Goodbye Angelfish (#209 ed.). London: Record Collector.
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference SubhumanN3 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).