"Party Fears Two"
Single by the Associates
from the album Sulk
B-side"It's Better This Way"
Released26 February 1982
Recorded1981
StudioPlayground Studios (London)
GenreArt pop
Length
  • 4:05 (7-inch single version)
  • 4:52 (album version)
  • 5:04 (remix)
  • 5:38 (12-inch extended version)
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Mike Hedges
The Associates singles chronology
"White Car in Germany"
(1981)		 "Party Fears Two"
(1982)		 "Club Country"
(1982)
Music video
"Party Fears Two" on YouTube

"Party Fears Two" is a song by Scottish new wave band the Associates, written by Billy Mackenzie and Alan Rankine. It was included on their second studio album Sulk (1982) and released as both a 7-inch and 12-inch single with the preceding track on the album, "It's Better This Way" as its B-side.

Release

The song was originally written in 1979, around a piano riff but both Alan Rankine and Billy Mackenzie initially rejected it. Rankine stated: "This was the tail-end of punk and it was too tuneful, too pretty. It wasn't hip at that time."[2] In an interview with Smash Hits magazine, Billy Mackenzie explained the origin of the song title, "My wee brother was at a party watching two girls who wanted to come in. They were smashing windows and attempting to kick the door in with their stiletto heels, which he admired, so he christened them the Party Fears Two and I pinched the title from him."[3] The lyrics begin and end with a reference to a brother but, like most of Mackenzie's lyrics, the words only seem to suggest a mood rather than give any precise meaning. Like a number of songs by Mackenzie, "Party Fears Two" finds the singer anxious about appearances, and uncertain of himself. Alan Rankine recalls that Mackenzie spent two years getting the lyrics right for this song.[4] The end of the song features the sound of three cups being smashed and Mackenzie spitting out his chewing gum.[2]

The song became their first Top 20 and best-known hit, peaking at No. 9 on the UK Singles Chart,[5] as well as charting in Ireland at No. 16.[6]

The band performed the song on the BBC television programme Top of the Pops.

Legacy

"Party Fears Two" has been covered by several artists, including the Divine Comedy, Heaven 17, King Creosote and Dan Bryk.

The track was also, for a time, the theme music for BBC Radio 4's long-running comedy satire programme, Week Ending.

Track listing

All tracks are written by Billy Mackenzie and Alan Rankine

Side A
No.TitleLength
1."Party Fears Two"4:05
Side B
No.TitleLength
2."It's Better This Way"3:39

Charts

Chart (1982) Peak
position
Ireland (IRMA)[6] 16
UK Singles (OCC)[5] 9

References

  1. ↑ "Party fears two | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company".
  2. 1 2 Doyle, Tom (2011). The Glamour Chase: The Maverick Life of Billy Mackenzie. Edinburg: Polygon.
  3. ↑ Black, Johnny (18 March 1982). "The Art of Parties". Smash Hits. 4: 6: 5.
  4. ↑ "The Glamour Chase". youtube. Retrieved 4 June 2018.
  5. 1 2 "Associates: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company.
  6. 1 2 "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Party Fears Two". Irish Singles Chart.
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