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Tomorrow (Silverchair song)

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"Tomorrow"
UK single cover
Single by Silverchair
from the album Frogstomp
B-side"Blind" (live)
Released16 September 1994
Recorded1994
StudioTriple J (Sydney, Australia)
GenreGrunge[1][2]
Length4:25
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Kevin "Caveman" Shirley
Silverchair singles chronology
"Tomorrow"
(1994) 		"Pure Massacre"
(1995)

"Tomorrow" is a song by Australian rock band Silverchair, which was released on 16 September 1994 on their debut extended play, also titled Tomorrow. The song was re-recorded and included on Frogstomp, the band's debut studio album, released six months later on 27 March 1995. Written by singer and lead guitarist Daniel Johns and drummer Ben Gillies, it was produced and engineered by Phil McKellar at the national radio station Triple J's studios for SBS-TV's show Nomad, which aired on 16 June 1994. After the broadcast, Silverchair were signed to the Murmur record label – a Sony Music subsidiary – which subsequently issued the Tomorrow EP.

"Tomorrow" became a breakthrough hit for Silverchair when it reached number one on the ARIA Singles Chart on 30 October 1994 and remained there for six weeks. A re-recorded version was issued in 1995 in the United States and also peaked at number one on both the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks and the Album Rock Tracks charts; it made No. 28 on the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay chart. In the United Kingdom, the song made No. 59 on the UK Singles Chart in September 1995. At the ARIA Music Awards of 1995, the song "Tomorrow" won three awards in the categories 'Single of the Year', 'Highest Selling Single', and 'Breakthrough Artist – Single'; they won two further awards for Frogstomp.

In January 2018, as part of Triple M's "Ozzest 100", the 'most Australian' songs of all time, "Tomorrow" was ranked number 36.[3] In November 2020, the EP recording of "Tomorrow" was inducted into the NFSA (National Film and Sound Archive of Australia).[4][5][6][7][8]

History

[edit]

Ben Gillies (on drums and percussion) and Daniel Johns (on vocals and lead guitar) co-wrote "Tomorrow" when they were performing with Chris Joannou (on bass guitar) as Innocent Criminals, which formed in 1992.[9][10] Tobin Finnane was Innocent Criminals' second guitarist, though he would later leave the band.[11][9] Innocent Criminals entered YouthRock, a competition for school-based bands, in 1994.[12] Early in that year, they recorded demos of "Acid Rain", "Cicada", "Pure Massacre", and "Tomorrow" at Platinum Sound Studios.[9] Johns recalled making the demos "[w]e had just recorded that at a really cheap studio ... It cost about $75. We weren't in there for more than an hour. The version we entered went for about six minutes".[13]

In April 1994, the band won a national band competition called Pick Me, using their demo of "Tomorrow".[9][14] The competition was conducted by the SBS TV show Nomad and Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) alternative radio station Triple J.[9][14]

As part of the prize, Triple J recorded the song and ABC filmed a music video, which was aired on 16 June.[9][15] For the video's broadcast, they had changed their name to Silverchair (styled as silverchair until 2002).[9][16][17] On 16 September, the Triple J recording of "Tomorrow" was released on a four-track extended play of the same name, which also included the songs "Acid Rain", "Blind", and "Stoned".[9][18][19] From late October, it spent six weeks at number-one on the ARIA Singles Chart.[20][21] It also reached number one on the New Zealand Singles Chart in February 1995.[22]

In 1995, a re-recorded version of "Tomorrow" (and a new music video) was made for the United States market, becoming the most-played song on US modern rock radio that year.[15] Serviced to US alternative radio on 5 June 1995,[23] it peaked at number one on both the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks and the Album Rock Tracks charts; it made No. 28 on the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay chart.[24][25] In the United Kingdom, the song was released as Silverchair's second single on 28 August 1995, one month after "Pure Massacre".[26][27] It reached No. 59 on the UK Singles Chart the following month.[28]

Inspiration

[edit]

In January 1996, when asked about where the inspiration for "Tomorrow" came from, Johns said:

That was on a TV show. There was this poor guy taking a rich guy through a hotel to experience the losses of the less fortunate than him. The rich guy is just complaining because he just wants to get out and the poor guy is saying you have to wait till tomorrow to get out. That's one of our least serious songs but it still has meaning to it.[29]

In June 2024, Gillies said about when first playing the song, "It felt like an electric spark" and "We were all doing our own thing, but we were in sync."[30]

Music videos

[edit]

Two different music videos were released to promote "Tomorrow". The original version was directed by Robert Hambling for the SBS-TV show Nomad,[9] which was produced by former Triple J broadcaster Tracee Hutchison. [31] It was broadcast on 16 June 1994 as part of the group's prize for winning the Pick Me competition. This version of the video was filmed at the 1861 Old Newcastle Police Station & Goal.[32]

The second version was shown in the US in 1995 and directed by Mark Pellington. This video has been described as mirroring the music video for the 1991 Pearl Jam song "Jeremy", also directed by Pellington, as well as the work of directors Samuel Bayer and Matt Mahurin. Like many grunge videos popular on MTV at the time, the US "Tomorrow" video includes harsh lighting, especially on the face; various disturbing images, such as a pig eating money and shots of a spider-like creature; jump cuts between random images; and scribbled handwritten notes. The video's high rotation on MTV "led to an abundance of radio requests".[13] This version of the video was included on the Frogstomp: 20th Anniversary Deluxe Edition bonus DVD in March 2015.

Reception

[edit]

ARIA Music Awards

[edit]

On 20 October 1995, at the ARIA Music Awards, "Tomorrow" won three categories: 'Single of the Year', 'Highest Selling Single', and 'Breakthrough Artist – Single'; the group won two further awards for their work on the related album, Frogstomp.[33][34] At the ceremony they performed a cover version of Radio Birdman's "New Race" with Tim Rogers (of You Am I) joining them on stage.[35] Their trophies were collected by Josh Shirley, the young son of Frogstomp's producer, Kevin Shirley.[35]

Critical response

[edit]

AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine described the "angst-ridden single" as "from the standard grunge formula".[15][36]

In February 2004, Australian rock musician Scott Owen of the Living End was asked for "the most influential Australian music release" and answered that it was Silverchair's "Tomorrow", he explained "it taught kids that if you give it a go you have the chance to take on the world".[37]

In September 2021, Ultimate Guitar placed "Tomorrow" at number 6 on their "Top 10 Grunge Songs That Prove Grunge Never Tried to Kill the Guitar Solo" list. They described it as "An outstanding exercise in quiet-loud dynamics, it features a wah-soaked guitar solo that showcases Johns' exquisite taste for melodic earworms."[38]

In April 2022, The Guardian ranked "Tomorrow" at #1 on their "The 25 best Silverchair songs - sorted" list, saying "The EP version is slightly preferable to the one re-recorded for Frogstomp, mostly because it sounds a little rougher around the edges – clearly made by three teenagers who just wanna throw every idea they have into the pot and see how it tastes."[39]

Live performances

[edit]

On 9 December 1995, Silverchair performed the songs "Tomorrow" and "Pure Massacre" on Saturday Night Live, hosted by David Alan Grier.[40][41]

Soundtrack appearances

[edit]

"Tomorrow" was used in "The Mystery of Morning Wood", an episode on season six of Beavis and Butt-head, in 1995.[42] At the start of the episode the two main characters are singing Boston's "More Than a Feeling", then concluded that the song was stupid and ended by stating how the video fails to disturb them. The version of "Tomorrow" included on Frogstomp appeared on the ARIA Awards 20th Anniversary compilation in 2006.[43] The song was also released as downloadable content for the video games Guitar Hero World Tour in 2009,[44] Rock Band in 2010,[45] and Rocksmith 2014 in 2014.[46]

Parody

[edit]

Australian band Silverpram released a parody version of "Tomorrow", titled "Frogstamp", in October 1995. The lyrics of the parody focused on the young age of the Silverchair band members at the time, with the chorus lyrics changed to "I turn four tomorrow." The single peaked at No. 72 on the Australian ARIA Singles Chart[47] and was nominated for "Best Comedy Release" at the ARIA Music Awards of 1996.[48]

Tomorrow EP and other releases

[edit]

The Tomorrow EP was released on 16 September 1994 by record label Murmur. 200,000 units of the EP were sold in three months.[30] The song "Blind" was included on Triple J: Eleven – A Very Loud Compilation in 1994.[49] The song was later included on the vinyl release of Frogstomp in 1995.

A version of "Stoned" with re-recorded vocals was included on the Mallrats soundtrack on October 17, 1995.[50] A re-recorded version of "Blind" appeared on The Cable Guy soundtrack on May 21, 1996.[51] The re-recorded version of "Blind" was included on Silverchair's compilation albums The Best Of: Volume 1 in November 2000 and Rarities 1994–1999 in December 2002. The Tomorrow EP and live recordings of "Tomorrow" and "Blind" were included on the bonus "Rarities" CD on the Frogstomp: 20th Anniversary remaster, released on 27 March 2015.[52] Live video performances of "Blind" and "Tomorrow" from June 1995 are included on the Frogstomp: 20th Anniversary Deluxe Edition bonus DVD. On the 2015 remaster, a portion of the guitar solo is omitted on the track "Acid Rain".

The band said the following about the four songs included on the Tomorrow EP during an interview with The Buzz Magazine in September 1994:

Blind, that's the heavier one, that's a really good song, that really gets you going and it's a lot heavier than the other ones and we've probably started up more of those heavier ones than ballady ones. Acid Rain we like. Tomorrow was probably the first strong original that came out of the band. Stoned, well none of us really liked that but Sony thought it sounded great so we thought we'll just put it on there for a throwaway song or something.[53]

Tomorrow
EP by
Silverchair
Released16 September 1994 (1994-09-16)
Recorded1994
GenreGrunge
Length15:33
LabelMurmur
ProducerPhil McKellar
Silverchair chronology
Tomorrow
(1994) 		Frogstomp
(1995)

All tracks are written by Ben Gillies and Daniel Johns.[10]

Tomorrow CD/MC EP (Original Australian version) (MATTCD001)/(MATTC001)
No.TitleLength
1."Tomorrow"4:25
2."Acid Rain"3:26
3."Blind"4:52
4."Stoned"2:50
Total length:15:33
Tomorrow 7" EP (MATTV001) Limited edition, 2,000 copies
No.TitleLength
1."Tomorrow"4:25
2."Acid Rain"3:26
3."Blind"4:52
4."Stoned"2:50
Total length:15:33
"Tomorrow" European CD single, black cover (6614942)
No.TitleLength
1."Tomorrow"4:27
2."Faultline (Live)" (Recorded live at 'The Furnace' Newcastle and mixed at Triple J Studios Sydney)2:58
3."Stoned (Live)" (Recorded live at 'The Furnace' Newcastle and mixed at Triple J Studios Sydney)2:48
Total length:10:13
"Tomorrow" European limited 7" single, black cover (6623957)
No.TitleLength
1."Tomorrow"4:25
2."Blind (Live)" (Recorded live at The Big Day Out in Melbourne on the 3RPR Mobile, mixed by Phil McKellar and Toby Learmont)5:14
Total length:9:39
"Tomorrow" UK CD single, black cover (6623952)
No.TitleLength
1."Tomorrow"4:28
2."Leave Me Out (Live)" (Recorded live at The Big Day Out in Melbourne on the 3RPR Mobile, mixed by Phil McKellar and Toby Learmont)3:08
3."Undecided (Live)" (Recorded live at The Big Day Out in Melbourne on the 3RPR Mobile, mixed by Phil McKellar and Toby Learmont)4:24
4."Tomorrow (Demo Version)" (Australian single version)4:25
Total length:16:22
"Tomorrow" US single (ESK7137)
No.TitleLength
1."Tomorrow (Album Version)"4:27
2."Tomorrow (Demo Version)" (Australian single version)4:25
Total length:8:52
"Tomorrow" Canadian single (cdnk1066)
No.TitleLength
1."Tomorrow"4:27
Total length:4:27

Personnel

[edit]
Silverchair
Production and artwork

Awards and nominations

[edit]

ARIA Music Awards

Year Award Work Result
1995[33][34] Single of the Year "Tomorrow" Won
Highest Selling Single "Tomorrow" Won
Breakthrough Artist - Single "Tomorrow" Won
Song of the Year "Tomorrow" Nominated

Charts

[edit]

Certifications

[edit]
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[68] 4× Platinum 280,000‡
New Zealand (RMNZ)[69] Gold 5,000*

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Danaher, Michael (4 August 2014). "The 50 Best Grunge Songs". Paste.
  2. ^ Tremayne, Jim (20 February 1999). "Silverchair Graduates from Grunge". Billboard. Vol. 111, no. 8. p. 10. ISSN 0006-2510.
  3. ^ "Here Are The Songs That Made Triple M's 'Ozzest 100'". Musicfeeds. 27 January 2018. Retrieved 4 January 2020.
  4. ^ "Tomorrow by Silverchair | National Film and Sound Archive of Australia". National Film and Sound Archive of Australia. 2020. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  5. ^ "Sounds of Australia 2020 | National Film and Sound Archive of Australia". National Film and Sound Archive of Australia. 2020. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  6. ^ "True Blue, Whitlam's campaign song and Silverchair officially inducted as sounds that made Australia". ABC News. 17 November 2020. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  7. ^ "Silverchair, The Master's Apprentices to be added into Australia's National Film and Sound Archive". 18 November 2020. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  8. ^ Bruce, Jasper (19 November 2020). "'Tomorrow' by Silverchair added to National Film & Sound Archive's 'Sounds of Australia' library". NME. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h i McFarlane, 'silverchair' entry. Archived from the original on 19 April 2004. Retrieved 29 July 2013.
  10. ^ a b "'Tomorrow' at APRA search engine". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). Retrieved 28 May 2013. Note: User may have to supply further information, e.g. at 'Performer:' enter Silverchair
  11. ^ "Chairpage News Archive".
  12. ^ "Past performers". YouthRock. Archived from the original on 22 April 2008. Retrieved 29 July 2013.
  13. ^ a b Blum, Kim (8 December 1995). "Silverchair Enjoys Success Despite Adult Criticism". The Daily Egyptian. Carbondale, Il. Retrieved 30 July 2013.
  14. ^ a b "Silverchair". Music Australia. National Library of Australia. 10 April 2003. Archived from the original on 13 April 2014. Retrieved 29 July 2013.
  15. ^ a b c Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Silverchair – Biography". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 29 July 2013.
  16. ^ Nimmervoll, Ed. "Silverchair". HowlSpace – The Living History of Our Music. White Room Electronic Publishing Pty Ltd. Archived from the original on 22 January 2012. Retrieved 29 July 2013.
  17. ^ Jenkins, Jeff; Meldrum, Ian (2007). Molly Meldrum presents 50 years of rock in Australia. Melbourne, Vic: Wilkinson Publishing. pp. 86, 231, 261–262. ISBN 978-1-921332-11-1.
  18. ^ Spencer, Chris; McHenry, Paul; Nowara, Zbig (2007) [1989]. "'silverchair' entry". The Who's Who of Australian Rock. Moonlight Publishing. ISBN 978-1-86503-891-9.
  19. ^ Tomorrow (Media notes). Silverchair. Murmur Records. 1994. MATTCD001.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
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  25. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits, 8th Edition (Billboard Publications), page 571.
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  28. ^ Roberts, David, ed. (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). HIT Entertainment. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  29. ^ Davis, Dan (17 January 1996). "Here Today, Here Tomorrow: Interview with Daniel Johns". The Aquarian Weekly. Retrieved 9 June 2021.
  30. ^ a b Jenkins, Jeff (14 June 2024). "All Tomorrow's Parties... The Amazing True Story Of Silverchair's First Single". themusic.com.au. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  31. ^ Silverchair Recovery Special, ABCTV https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDCdPj0b5E4
  32. ^ Leeson, Josh (18 September 2023). "Silverchair drummer Ben Gillies reveals the "acute psychotic break" that plagued his memories of Diorama". Newcastle Herald. Retrieved 9 June 2024.
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  35. ^ a b Jenkins, Jeff; Meldrum, Ian (2007). Molly Meldrum Presents 50 Years of Rock in Australia. Melbourne, Vic: Wilkinson Publishing. p. 231. ISBN 978-1-921332-11-1.
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  37. ^ Owen, Scott (23 February 2004). "The Living End Are Back!!!". Australian Music Online. Archived from the original on 21 November 2005. Retrieved 29 July 2013.
  38. ^ "Top 10 Grunge Songs That Prove Grunge Never Tried to Kill the Guitar Solo". Ultimate Guitar. 12 September 2021. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
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  40. ^ "Chairpage News Archive".
  41. ^ "Episode: December 9, 1995". SNL Archives. Retrieved 29 July 2013.
  42. ^ "Beavis and Butt-Head – Season 6, Episode 2: 'The Mystery of Morning Wood'". TV.com. Retrieved 30 July 2013.
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  44. ^ "Guitar Hero World Tour DLC tracks for January". 15 July 2016.
  45. ^ "Rock Band DLC: Silverchair, Flyleaf, and Busted". 23 April 2010.
  46. ^ "Rocksmith: All-new 2014 Edition - Silverchair: Tomorrow for PlayStation 4 (2014)".
  47. ^ "The ARIA Australian Top 100 Singles Chart – Week Ending 12 Nov 1995". Retrieved 17 May 2016 – via Imgur.
  48. ^ "ARIA Awards Best Comedy Release". Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). Retrieved 28 June 2024.
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  50. ^ "Mallrats [Original Soundtrack]". allmusic.com. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  51. ^ "The Cable Guy". allmusic.com. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
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  53. ^ "Chairpage News Archive". Archived from the original on 19 October 2006.
  54. ^ "Silverchair – Tomorrow". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  55. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 2801." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 22 February 2019.
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  57. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 22 February 2019.
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  63. ^ "ARIA Charts – End of Year Charts – Top 50 Singles 1994". Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). Retrieved 30 July 2013.
  64. ^ "ARIA Charts – End of Year Charts – Top 50 Singles 1995". Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). Retrieved 30 July 2013.
  65. ^ "RPM Top 50 Alternative Tracks of 1995". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. 17 July 2013. Retrieved 22 February 2019.
  66. ^ "End of Year Charts 1995". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 3 December 2017.
  67. ^ "Here's a Look at Year's Top Music". Orlando Sentinel. 29 December 1995. Retrieved 22 February 2019.
  68. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2020 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 19 March 2020.
  69. ^ "New Zealand single certifications – Silverchair – Tomorrow". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 22 February 2019.
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