WHATEVER PEOPLE SAY I AM, THAT'S WHAT I'M NOT


'''Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not''' is the debut album by Sheffield band Arctic Monkeys, released on 23 January 2006. Recorded at Chapel Studios, Lincolnshire, before the band's first world tour, the album became the fastest selling debut album in the UK since records began, selling over 360,000 copies in its first week. It has since gone triple platinum in the UK [1], and won the 2006 Mercury Prize [2].
The album includes both tracks from the band's original EP, ''Five Minutes with Arctic Monkeys'', as well as their first two singles and UK Number Ones, "I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor" and "When the Sun Goes Down".

Contents
Release
Name
Cover sleeve
Awards
Singles
Track listing
Statistics
Sales
Highest chart positions
Sample
References
External links

Release


The original release date was scheduled as 30 January 2006, but was brought forward to 23 January 2006 due to ''"high demand"''. Although the same was done with ''Franz Ferdinand'', there remains continued speculation that the move was an attempt to counter the effects of the album's leak onto online file-sharing sites.[3] Although many of the tracks featured on the album were freely available to download in early 2005 from uploaded demo CDs given out by the band, the re-recorded album versions had also been leaked onto the internet by December 2005.
On the first day of its release, the album became the fastest selling debut rock album in British history, selling just under 120,000 copies. By the end of the week, the album had sold 363,735 copies - more than the rest of the Top 20 combined and making it the overall fastest selling debut album in British history.
Its release in the United States on 21 February 2006 saw it become the second fastest selling debut indie album in history [4] , turning over around 34,000 copies in its first week and achieving #24 in the album charts. The album also went to #1 in Australia and Ireland.
The track "Mardy Bum", while not released as a single, appeared on radio playlists throughout the UK in mid-2006 . The track "A Certain Romance" was ranked #90 in Pitchfork Media's Top 100 Tracks of 2006[5].

Name


The week before its release, the source behind the album's name was revealed as a quote from northern actor Albert Finney and the 1960s film ''Saturday Night and Sunday Morning''. [6] The band are reportedly fans of old British '60s movies, and lead singer Alex Turner revealed to UK-tabloid ''The Sun'' that the film is what the album is about. ''"Songs including "The View from the Afternoon", "Dancing Shoes", "Still Take You Home" and "From the Ritz to the Rubble" all cover that bit of the weekend and feature the same character."'' [7]

Cover sleeve


The image on the cover of the album is a photo of Chris McClure - a friend of the band and brother of Jon McClure - taken in the early hours of the morning in Korova bar, Liverpool [8]
after the band had given him, his cousin and his best mate, "seventy quid to spend on a night out".[9] The image caused some controversy when the head of Scotland's NHS criticised the cover for "reinforcing the idea that smoking is OK". [10] The band's product manager denied the accusation, and in fact suggested the opposite - "You can see from the image smoking is not doing him the world of good". In March 2006, McClure announced that he would be giving up smoking, due to lack of funds.[11] Billboard advertisements for the album used a similar image to the cover picture, but without the cigarette.

Awards



★ '5th greatest British album' - ''NME'', January 2006

★ 'Mercury Prize Album of the Year', September 2006

★ 'Best Album' - ''Q'' Awards, October 2006

★ 'Album of the Year' - ''NME'', December 2006

★ 'Album of the Year' - ''Crossbeat'' Magazine (Japan), December 2006

★ 'Album of the Year' - ''TIME'' Magazine, December 2006

★ 'Album of the Year' - ''Hot Press'' Magazine (Ireland), December 2006

★ 'Best International Album' - Meteor Music Awards (Ireland), February 2007

★ 'Best British Album' - 2007 BRIT Awards, February 2007

★ 'Album of the Year' Rolling Stone Türkiye

Singles



★ I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor (17 October, 2005, Domino Records) #1

★ When the Sun Goes Down (January 16, 2006, Domino Records) #1

Track listing


All tracks written by Alex Turner except where stated.
#"The View from the Afternoon" – 3:38
#"I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor" – 2:53
#"Fake Tales of San Francisco" – 3:00
#"Dancing Shoes" – 2:21
#"You Probably Couldn't See for the Lights But You Were Staring Straight at Me" – 2:10
#"Still Take You Home" (Turner/Cook) – 2:53
#"Riot Van" – 2:14
#"Red Light Indicates Doors Are Secured" – 2:23
#"Mardy Bum" – 2:55
#"Perhaps Vampires Is a Bit Strong But..." – 4:30
#"When the Sun Goes Down" – 3:20
#"From the Ritz to the Rubble" – 3:13
#"A Certain Romance" – 5:31

Statistics


Sales


★ 'UK' - 1,154,694 - 3x Platinum

★ 'USA' - 305,000 [12]

★ 'Japan' - 103,734 - Gold

★ 'Australia' - 70,000 - Platinum

★ 'France' - 49,000

★ 'Argentina' - 100,000 - Platinum

★ 'Denmark' - 20,000 - Gold

★ 'New Zealand' - 7,500 - Gold

★ 'Worldwide - 2,310,000 '[1]
Highest chart positions

Highest chart positions
CountryUKAUSIRENZCANUSAJPNDANFINBELNEDSUIFRASWEAUTCH
Position
'#1'
'#1'
'#1'
#15
#46
#24
#9
#16
#8
#19
#13
#16
#17
#26
#23
#15

Sample


References


1. Arctic Monkeys make chart history
2. Arctic Monkeys win Mercury prize
3. Arctic Monkeys album rush released
4. Arctic Monkeys make chart history
5. http://pitchforkmedia.com/article/feature/40070-staff-list-the-top-100-tracks-of-2006/page_2
6. Saturday Night and Sunday Morning
7. Monkeys explain album
8. http://www.nme.com/arcticmonkeys/albumguide
9. Familiar face? Sam Wichelow
10. Arctic Monkeys defend album cover
11. Arctic Monkeys Cover Star Quits Smoking
12. Arctic Monkeys Win UK's Mercury Prize

External links



★ Arctic Monkeys website

★ Teaser site for album

★ "Arctic Monkey album details revealed" NME, 12 December 2005

★ "Arctic Monkeys album leak" NME, 3 January 2006

★ "Monkeys confirm album" Launch music news UK

★ "Arctic Monkey album rush released" NME, 6 January 2006

★ "Arctic Monkeys Release Date Change Not Caused By Leak?" Clickmusic, 6 January 2006

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