Baby's Got A Temper

Chart positions:
Denmark: 13
Finland: 7
Holland: 40
Switzerland: 6
United Kindom: 5
New Zealand: 28

Sleeve info:
Written by Liam Howlett, Keith Flint,
Kieron Pepper, Tony Howlett

Produced by Liam Howlett, Keith Flint, Ollie J.
Mixed by Liam Howlett and Ollie J

Additional guitar by Lalo
Firestarter funk guitar by Jim Davies

Prodigy are: Liam Howlett, Maxim and Keith Flint

www.theprodigy.com www.xl-recordings.com

Art direction Jimmy Turrell, Liam Howlett
Design & Photography Jimmy Turrell, Richard Turley
www.safe-place.net

Basic info:
After almost 5 years after the Fat of the Land XL-Recordings planned the release a new song for the beginning of March, but it was delayed once more to no one's surprise. Finally the commercial release was available on July 1st in CD format, backed by dub and instrumental mixes, and 12" vinyl format, backed by dub, instrumental and acapella mixes, while the DVD edition includes the song's music video.

This song was originally intended for the album Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned, but when the album was half ready for release in 2003, Liam cancelled it all because he felt the style was to close to the firestarter-style and he binned everything and went to NY to find inspiration again. In many interviews Liam still states that this is the worst Prodigy song ever written although many fans would not agree that.

The song is heavily censored or outright banned from more mainstream radio stations due to its recurring references to 'date rape' drug rohypnol. Here are the lyrics sang by singer Keith Flint: "We love rohypnol/She got rohypnol/We take rohypnol/Just forget it all. This baby's got a temper/You'll never tame her" and simply "Rohypnol! Rohypnol! Rohypnol!"

This new song was played live first time for North American audiences at the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival in Indio, California in May 2002.

The studio version was first aired on Finnish Radio station Radio Mafia in April 2002. The song was little bit censored to the lyrical content. Some weeks later on May 16th the song was given its world premiere on BBC Radio One but it was edited to remove any reference to the drug. Radio Mafia played the radio edit and it was nicely censored but the group had not provided a radio edit of the song for the Radio One and have no intention of doing so. The track was heavily edited by Radio One at their end so it would fit into their daytime schedules.

Rohypnol?
A pharmaceutical drug used by very sick individuals to perform date rape on unsuspecting female (and sometimes male) victims. There have been cases when it has been mixed with alcohol to incapacitate victims and prevent them from resisting sexual assault. Apparently it is nothing short of perfect for committing such a heinous crime. Rohypnol is sold in many parts of the world as a tranquilliser which causes muscle relaxation and amnesia.

It comes in pill form and is ten times more powerful than Valium. Rohypnol is a brand name for flunitrazepam. Common names include Roofies, Roche, Rib, Roachies and Stupefi. Rohypnol can be fatal, especially when combined with alcohol. It is illegal in the United States. Rohypnol is odorless, colorless, and tasteless and dissolves within seconds in any type of beverage. Within 15 to 30 minutes of taking the drug, a person can experience the following symptoms:
mental confusion/dizziness
hot and cold spells
nausea
inability to speak clearly
decreased blood pressure
drowsiness
amnesia which can last up to eight hours.

The effects of Rohypnol peak within two hours, can last 8-12 hours and may not fully wear off for several days.

Needless to say, this substance should be wiped off the face of the Earth as soon as possible. But the company manufacturing it is more interested in making profit than protecting human beings.

--Taken from Ivan 37 and break @ Everything---

Quotes:
"It's a reflection on what goes on in Keith's mad head and his mad world. The overall feel is like, Keith gets fucked up, goes out with these girls, comes back and writes a song reflecting on his nights out with these girls. he came to me with those lyrics and I'm like, 'Fucking cool'. I like it. Have I tried Rohypnol? Absolutely, yeah. It's like modern day Valium. " - Liam

Flint told NME that 'Baby's Got A Temper' has nothing to do with the date rape drug, saying: "I don't know its true medical title. Have I tried it? Oh yeah, absolutely. That's what the song's about. It's a reflection on going out, maybe doing cocaine, then doing downers. Y'know, some people do all manner of downers, and rohypnol is one of them. "

Comments/reviews:
"First impressions? Prodigy by numbers. I really can't see where the time's gone into this at all. It's like bottom-of-the-dat-drawer stuff, like you'd have over the background of a video like Electronic Punks, except We Eat Rhythm was better than this by miles. It doesn't even sound that much like Liam's work, it's like he's been teaching Keith on work experience, or like he was trying to do circa '98 Chemical Brothers. " - Chris Howe on Baby's Got A Temper, 18 May 2002.

"Aggressiivisesti eteen päin jyräävä basso, irrationaalisia synakilkatuksia, matalalta muriseva kitara, pahaenteinen tunnelma... kyllä! Vanha kunnon Prodigy on täällä taas. Ja se tuntuu olevan kovin vihainen! Baby's got a temper on röyhkeä punk-hyökkäys ja raikastava tuulahdus kaiken tämänkin session kuluessa kuullun keskivertoskeidan seassa. Kuinka olenkaan kaivannut tuota vittumaista kähinää! Baby's got a temper saa odottamaan tulevaa Prodigy-albumia vähintään levottomana. " - Finnish rock magazine Rumba

» Baby's Got A Temper review by Sarah Cohen (BBC)
» Baby's Got A Temper review by Ted Kessler (NME)
» Baby's Got A Temper review by Kerrang

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