Slight Return

"Slight Return"
"Slight Return"
Single by the Bluetones
from the album Expecting to Fly
B-side	"Don't Stand Me Down"; "Nae Hair On't";
Released	22 January 1996
Recorded	Mid-1995
Studio	Ridge Farm (Surrey, England)
Genre	Britpop; jangle pop;
Length	3:21
Label	Superior Quality
Songwriters	Mark Morriss; Eds Chesters; Adam Devlin; Scott Morriss;
Producer	Hugh Jones
The Bluetones singles chronology

"Slight Return"
"Slight Return"
Single by the Bluetones
from the album Expecting to Fly
B-side	"The Fountainhead"
Released	February 1995
Studio	Ridge Farm (Surrey, England)
Genre	Britpop; jangle pop;
Length	3:21
Label	Superior Quality
Songwriters	Eds Chesters; Adam Devlin; Mark Morriss; Scott Morriss;
The Bluetones singles chronology

"Slight Return" is a song by English indie rock band the Bluetones, released as their first single in February 1995, in blue vinyl, limited to 2000 copies.^{[citation needed]} The song is named after the subtitle for "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)" by Jimi Hendrix. It was then re-released on 22 January 1996, as the second single from their 1996 debut album, Expecting to Fly. It was originally issued with "The Fountainhead" as the B-side. "Slight Return" peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart and is the band's highest-placing single. Bluetones frontman Mark Morriss said that the title of the song was initially a nickname, but as he was not good with naming songs, it eventually became the official title.^[4]

Track listings

UK limited-edition blue vinyl 7-inch single (1995)^[5]

A. "Slight Return"

B. "The Fountainhead"

UK 7-inch and cassette single; European CD single (1996)^[6]^[7]^[8]

"Slight Return"
"Don't Stand Me Down"

UK, Australian, and Japanese CD single (1996)^[9]^[10]^[11]

"Slight Return"
"Don't Stand Me Down"
"Nae Hair On't"

US CD single (1996)^[12]

"Slight Return"
"Don't Stand Me Down"
"Nae Hair On't"
"Are You Blue or Are You Blind?"

Credits and personnel

Credits are taken from the Expecting to Fly album booklet.^[13]

Studio

Recorded in mid-1995 at Ridge Farm Studios (Surrey, England)

Personnel

Mark Morriss – writing, vocals
Eds Chesters – writing, drums, percussion
Adam Devlin – writing, six-string guitar, twelve-string guitar
Scott Morriss – writing, vocals, electric bass guitar
Hugh Jones – production, mixing
Helen Woodward – mix engineering
Geoff Pesche – mastering

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1996)	Peak position
Australia (ARIA)^[14]	60
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)^[15]	13
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)^[16]	19
Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40)^[17]	5
Ireland (IRMA)^[18]	15
Scotland (OCC)^[19]	3
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)^[20]	52
UK Singles (OCC)^[21]	2
UK Indie (Music Week)^[22]	1

Year-end charts

Chart (1996)	Position
Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40)^[23]	49
UK Singles (OCC)^[24]^[25]	59

Certifications


Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)^[26]	Silver	200,000^{^}
^{^} Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Region	Date	Format(s)	Label(s)	Ref.
United Kingdom	February 1995	7-inch vinyl	Superior Quality
United Kingdom	22 January 1996	7-inch vinyl CD cassette	Superior Quality	^[27]
Japan	25 February 1996	CD	A&M	^[28]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Stiernberg, Bonnie (11 June 2014). "The 50 Best Britpop Songs". Paste. Retrieved 2 May 2025. ...a jangly acoustic pop song that offered a nice alternative to the Britpop heavyweights...
^ Hawking, Tom (14 May 2013). "A Selection of Criminally Underrated Britpop Anthems". Flavorwire. Retrieved 18 May 2025.
^ Hawking, Tom (14 May 2013). "A Selection of Criminally Underrated Britpop Anthems". Flavorwire. Retrieved 18 May 2025.
^ Publisher (20 February 2014). "Interview: The Bluetones' Mark Morriss". Songwriting Magazine. Retrieved 24 February 2021.
^ Slight Return (UK 7-inch single sleeve). The Bluetones. Superior Quality Recordings. 1995. TONE 001.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^ Slight Return (UK 7-inch single sleeve). The Bluetones. Superior Quality Recordings. 1996. BLUE 003X.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^ Slight Return (UK cassette single sleeve). The Bluetones. Superior Quality Recordings. 1996. BLUE 003MC.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^ Slight Return (European CD single liner notes). The Bluetones. Superior Quality Recordings. 1996. 581 360-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^ Slight Return (UK CD single liner notes). The Bluetones. Superior Quality Recordings. 1996. BLUE 003CD.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^ Slight Return (Australian CD single liner notes). The Bluetones. Superior Quality Recordings. 1996. 581 361-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^ Slight Return (Japanese CD single liner notes). The Bluetones. A&M Records. 1996. POCM-1154.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^ Slight Return (US CD single liner notes). The Bluetones. A&M Records. 1996. 31458 1555 2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^ Expecting to Fly (UK CD album booklet). The Bluetones. Superior Quality Recordings. 1996. BLUECD 004, 540 475-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^ "Australian ARIA Top 100 Singles Chart – Week Ending 30 Jun 1996". ARIA. Retrieved 12 April 2018 – via Imgur. N.B. The HP column displays the highest peak reached.
^ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 13, no. 6. 10 February 1996. p. 15. Retrieved 25 January 2020.
^ "The Bluetones: Slight Return" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat. Retrieved 20 March 2018.
^ "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (30.3. – 5.4. '96)". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). 30 March 1996. p. 52. Retrieved 2 October 2019.
^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Slight Return". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 20 March 2018.
^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 20 March 2018.
^ "The Bluetones – Slight Return". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 20 March 2018.
^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 20 March 2018.
^ "Independent Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 17 February 1996. p. 38. ISSN 0265-1548 – via World Radio History.
^ "Árslistinn 1996". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). 2 January 1997. p. 16. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
^ "Top 100 Singles 1996". Music Week. 18 January 1997. p. 25.
^ "Najlepsze single na UK Top 40–1996 wg sprzedaży" (in Polish). Archived from the original on 4 June 2015. Retrieved 28 March 2019.
^ "British single certifications – Bluetones – Slight Return". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 28 March 2019.
^ "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 20 January 1996. p. 31. Retrieved 30 June 2021.
^ "Bluetones Discography" (in Japanese). PolyGram. Archived from the original on 20 February 1999. Retrieved 27 August 2023.

[Paste-1] Stiernberg, Bonnie (11 June 2014). "The 50 Best Britpop Songs". Paste. Retrieved 2 May 2025. ...a jangly acoustic pop song that offered a nice alternative to the Britpop heavyweights...

[2] Hawking, Tom (14 May 2013). "A Selection of Criminally Underrated Britpop Anthems". Flavorwire. Retrieved 18 May 2025.

[3] Hawking, Tom (14 May 2013). "A Selection of Criminally Underrated Britpop Anthems". Flavorwire. Retrieved 18 May 2025.

[4] Publisher (20 February 2014). "Interview: The Bluetones' Mark Morriss". Songwriting Magazine. Retrieved 24 February 2021.

[5] Slight Return (UK 7-inch single sleeve). The Bluetones. Superior Quality Recordings. 1995. TONE 001.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)

[6] Slight Return (UK 7-inch single sleeve). The Bluetones. Superior Quality Recordings. 1996. BLUE 003X.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)

[7] Slight Return (UK cassette single sleeve). The Bluetones. Superior Quality Recordings. 1996. BLUE 003MC.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)

[8] Slight Return (European CD single liner notes). The Bluetones. Superior Quality Recordings. 1996. 581 360-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)

[9] Slight Return (UK CD single liner notes). The Bluetones. Superior Quality Recordings. 1996. BLUE 003CD.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)

[10] Slight Return (Australian CD single liner notes). The Bluetones. Superior Quality Recordings. 1996. 581 361-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)

[11] Slight Return (Japanese CD single liner notes). The Bluetones. A&M Records. 1996. POCM-1154.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)

[12] Slight Return (US CD single liner notes). The Bluetones. A&M Records. 1996. 31458 1555 2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)

[13] Expecting to Fly (UK CD album booklet). The Bluetones. Superior Quality Recordings. 1996. BLUECD 004, 540 475-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)

[14] "Australian ARIA Top 100 Singles Chart – Week Ending 30 Jun 1996". ARIA. Retrieved 12 April 2018 – via Imgur. N.B. The HP column displays the highest peak reached.

[15] "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 13, no. 6. 10 February 1996. p. 15. Retrieved 25 January 2020.

[sc_Finland_The_Bluetones-16] "The Bluetones: Slight Return" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat. Retrieved 20 March 2018.

[17] "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (30.3. – 5.4. '96)". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). 30 March 1996. p. 52. Retrieved 2 October 2019.

[sc_Ireland2_-18] "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Slight Return". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 20 March 2018.

[sc_Scotland_-19] "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 20 March 2018.

[sc_Sweden_The_Bluetones-20] "The Bluetones – Slight Return". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 20 March 2018.

[sc_UK_-21] "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 20 March 2018.

[22] "Independent Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 17 February 1996. p. 38. ISSN 0265-1548 – via World Radio History.

[23] "Árslistinn 1996". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). 2 January 1997. p. 16. Retrieved 30 May 2020.

[24] "Top 100 Singles 1996". Music Week. 18 January 1997. p. 25.

[25] "Najlepsze single na UK Top 40–1996 wg sprzedaży" (in Polish). Archived from the original on 4 June 2015. Retrieved 28 March 2019.

[United_KingdomBluetonesSlight_ReturnsingleCertRef-26] "British single certifications – Bluetones – Slight Return". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 28 March 2019.

[27] "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 20 January 1996. p. 31. Retrieved 30 June 2021.

[28] "Bluetones Discography" (in Japanese). PolyGram. Archived from the original on 20 February 1999. Retrieved 27 August 2023.

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v t e The Bluetones
Mark Morriss Adam Devlin Scott Morriss Eds Chesters Richard Payne
Studio albums	Expecting to Fly Return to the Last Chance Saloon Science & Nature Luxembourg The Bluetones A New Athens
Compilations	The Singles
Singles	"Slight Return" "Are You Blue or Are You Blind?" "Bluetonic" "Slight Return" (reissue) "Cut Some Rug/Castle Rock" "Marblehead Johnson" "Solomon Bites the Worm" "If..." "Sleazy Bed Track" "4-Day Weekend" "Keep the Home Fires Burning" "Fast Boy/Liquid Lips" "Never Going Nowhere" "My Neighbour's House"

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