Randy

Album: Woman (2016)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • The lead single from Woman, this song was premiered on BBC Radio 1's Annie Mac show. "'Randy' started as an almost industrial techno track, but we were such in a good mood that day, that we ended up making the song as it is," Justice's Xavier de Rosnay told Annie Mac.
  • The song features falsetto vocals from Stockholm-based singer Morgan Phalen, formerly of the New York rock band Diamond Nights. Phalen previously worked with Justice on the Audio, Video, Disco tracks "On'n'On" and "New Lands."
  • The string parts were recorded by the same orchestra that featured on Justice's previous single, "Safe And Sound."
  • Filmed in real time, the video features an art installation made from a stack of 25 old, interconnected Sony television sets which are used to display animated graphics and film footage as well as the lyrics from the single. The clip was directed by Thomas Jumin, the same guy that designed the art installation. He said:

    "The idea for this screen installation came from an inclination for an aesthetic in live show lighting that is both powerful and minimalistic. The object itself, the CRT Trinitron by Sony, is iconic for people of a certain generation for its design and for its specific rendering of the image.

    The idea was to build an installation made of 25 screens from 1987 and to use them with video controllers and analogue converters. We simply filmed it like one would film an art installation, so as to retain the objects' authority and repetitive simplicity."
  • The lyrics are a bit naughty, but the French duo had no problem getting it past the radio censors. Xavier de Rosnay told Fact Magazine they had been initially unaware of any potential problem. "It all depends on the meaning you attribute to the word 'randy'. To us it's strictly a name. It's a name that is gender neutral.," he said. "We found out weeks later that it meant something else."

Comments: 1

  • NorimoriMorgan Phalen clearly has a very distinctive voice - "New Lands" and "Randy" are five years apart, and I'm pretty bad at recognizing voices, but when I listened to "Randy" for the first time a few minutes ago, I was like, "Wait, this voice sounds familiar…", and after some thinking and some singing under my breath, I was like, "NEW LANDS!" I love his falsetto, it's beautiful!
see more comments

Editor's Picks

70s Music Quiz 1

70s Music Quiz 1Music Quiz

The '70s gave us Muppets, disco and Van Halen, all which show up in this groovy quiz.

Al Jourgensen of Ministry

Al Jourgensen of MinistrySongwriter Interviews

In the name of song explanation, Al talks about scoring heroin for William Burroughs, and that's not even the most shocking story in this one.

The Punk Photography of Chris Stein

The Punk Photography of Chris SteinSong Writing

Chris Stein of Blondie shares photos and stories from his book about the New York City punk scene.

Mike Campbell

Mike CampbellSongwriter Interviews

Mike is lead guitarist with Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, and co-writer of classic songs like "Boys Of Summer," "Refugee" and "The Heart Of The Matter."

Songs in Famous Movie Scenes: '80s Edition

Songs in Famous Movie Scenes: '80s EditionMusic Quiz

You know the scenes - Tom Cruise in his own pants-off dance off, Molly Ringwald celebrating her birthday - but do you remember what song is playing?

Chris Squire of Yes

Chris Squire of YesSongwriter Interviews

One of the most dynamic bass player/songwriters of his time, Chris is the only member of Yes who has been with the band since they formed in 1968.