AKA... What a Life!

"AKA... What a Life!"
Single by Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds
from the album Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds
B-side "Let the Lord Shine a Light on Me"
Released 9 September 2011
Format Digital download, 7" vinyl, CD single
Recorded 2010
Genre Alternative rock
Length 4:24
Label Sour Mash
Writer(s) Noel Gallagher
Producer(s) Dave Sardy
Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds singles chronology
"The Death of You and Me"
(2011)		 "AKA... What a Life!"
(2011)		 "If I Had a Gun..."
(2011)
Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds track listing

"AKA... What a Life!" is a song by the English rock band Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds. The song was written by Noel Gallagher and was released through Gallagher's own label, Sour Mash Records and produced by Dave Sardy whom Noel had previously worked with on Oasis records.

It was released on 9 September 2011 as the second single from the band's eponymous studio album, Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds (2011). Following the success of "The Death of You and Me", "AKA... What a Life!" was released as a digital UK single on 9 September 2011,[1] alongside "If I Had a Gun...", which was released as a North American (digital) single on 31 August 2011. It was later physically released as a CD single, 7" vinyl on 17 October 2011. It reached number twenty on the UK Singles Chart.

Background

On 1 September 2011, a minute and thirty second preview of "...What a Life!" was released through a sponsorship commercial by Vauxhall on YouTube, which supposedly gave attention to the commercial.

"AKA...What a Life!" is only available for digital download in the United Kingdom.

Originally the single was to be called "Ride the Tiger" but was changed after a couple of months, due to Noel feeling uncomfortable with the title.

Vauxhall TV Ad

On 1 September 2011, Vauxhall Motors released a brand new commercial TV advert to advertise their three and a half year deal sponsorship of the England national football team. Vauxhall had also previewed one minute and thirty seconds of Noel's to be released track single "AKA... What a Life!". The commercial includes Frank Lampard, Wayne Rooney, Jack Wilshere, Ashley Cole, Joe Hart, Darren Bent, James Milner and Scott Parker alongside football fans of the team, and the Vauxhall staff at Wembley Stadium. Vauxhall hopes the campaign captures "how football brings people together" and highlights the car brand’s support of the women’s, youth and disability teams as well as the men’s team. The campaign was developed by McCann Erickson Birmingham.[2][3]

Music video

A 36-second teaser was uploaded on the Oasis website on 3 October 2011. The clips starts straight after The Death of You and Me where The Waitress, after entering the wagon, is greeted by a man (played by Russell Brand) wearing a top hat sitting on a throne flanked with two flaming torches. He says that he can see that she, like most people who have crossed the threshold, has many questions. The rest of the clip sees the waitress wandering in a desert, running from a woman dressed in black and then back in the wagon being pinned down by two other women and finally a car is seen speeding off.

On 6 October 2011 the full 8 minute video for AKA...What A Life! was released on the Noelgallaghervevo page. The psychedelic video features Russell Brand portraying an evil being who tries to poison The Waitress (who acts as a protagonist) until Noel Gallagher appears to save her from Brand's two nieces. The video is notable for including snippets of a reworked version of The Death Of You And Me, causing speculation that it has been taken from Noel's second solo album with the Amorphous Androgynous.

This video also appears to finish an apparent 3 video story, starting with "If I Had a Gun" and "The Death of You and Me", in which we see Noel first as a priest at a wedding, then in the bar "Last Chance" where he pushes The Waitress into a pool of water, in which case is presumed she is being baptized and, as she lands, she looks somewhat like an angel. We see Noel finish the story in a Ford Mustang with the two females mentioned earlier, along with a device that at first looks like an 8mm film camera, but we later see is called the "SoulSucker". He uses this device to remove the 2 females from the video near the end, who have locked The Waitress in the back of the Ford Mustang. Noel frees her from the car and places the "SoulSucker", inside a locked wooden case, into the back of the car. Directed by Mike Bruce and Blake West; with producer Camille LaBry West of United Film House.

Track listing

  1. "AKA... What a Life!" - 4:27
  2. "Let the Lord Shine a Light on Me" - 4:15
  1. "AKA... What a Life!" - 4:24
  2. "Let the Lord Shine a Light on Me" - 4:15
  3. "AKA... What a Life!" (music video)

Charts

Chart (2011) Peak
position
Scotland (Official Charts Company)[4] 15
UK Indie (Official Charts Company)[5] 2
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[6] 20
US Alternative Songs 36

References

  1. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 25 December 2011. Retrieved 2011-09-11.
  2. ↑ http://www.marketingweek.co.uk/sectors/automotives/vauxhall-takes-to-tv-with-england-football-team/3029798.article
  3. ↑ Vauxhall TV ad
  4. ↑ "Archive Chart: 11-09-24". Scottish Singles Top 40.
  5. ↑ "Archive Chart: 11-09-24" UK Indie Chart.
  6. ↑ "Archive Chart: 11-09-24" UK Singles Chart.
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