100 Greatest Songs of the 80’s #69 Primal Scream – Velocity Girl

Released : 1986

There were fewer more pronounced transformations in rock than the one which teleported Primal Scream from the middle of the decade to the beginning of the next: whilst that would largely be credited to production maverick Andrew Wetherall, Bobby Gillespie and co. had already done much to distance themselves from effette singles like Crystal Crescent by the time acid house shared it’s stash with indie rock.

The motivation for this was probably having sand kicked in their faces over songs like it’s b-side Velocity Girl, whose eighty five seconds of pure bubblegum joy eclipsed most if not all of it’s contemporaries showcased on the now infamous NME C-86 compilation.

And yet, whilst the likes of Stump and The Bodines have long since passed back into obscurity, Velocity Girl for all it’s slightness has acquired a half life few would’ve bet on when it’s sixties jangle premiered. Gillespie has recently said that “I had an Edie Sedgwick type character in mind when I wrote ‘Velocity Girl’..shooting speed whilst looking absolutely fabulous. Super hip and beautiful. She was the muse. I love her.”

Now that’s rock n’ roll.