Saturday Night (Suede song)

"Saturday Night"
Single by Suede
from the album Coming Up
B-side	"W.S.D." "Jumble Sale Mums" "This Time" "Picnic by the Motorway" (live)
Released	13 January 1997 (1997-01-13)
Length	4:32
Label	Nude
Songwriter(s)	Brett Anderson Richard Oakes
Producer(s)	Ed Buller
Suede singles chronology
"Beautiful Ones" (1996) "Saturday Night" (1997) "Lazy" (1997)

"Saturday Night" is the third single from English rock band Suede's third studio album, Coming Up (1996), released on 13 January 1997 through Nude Records. The single continued the success of Suede's previous two hits by entering the top 10 of the UK Singles Chart, peaking at number six. Outside the UK, the song peaked at number one in Iceland, number seven in Finland, number eight in Denmark, and number 11 in Sweden.

Critical reception

A reviewer from Music Week rated the song three out of five, adding, "Evoking the melody of Elton John's Song For Guy, this slowie lacks the anthemic quality of many of their previous ballads, but fans will buy for the bonus tracks."^[1] Ben Marshall in The Guardian was unforgiving in his review of the song. He said that [Anderson's] "lyrics are a dreary and breathtakingly desperate attempt to prove that he's had it and done it." Noting the similarity with the song's melody to Eric Clapton's "Wonderful Tonight", he said that "Suede are as mindless and self-serving as an ancient, arid sponge."^[2] Music writer James Masterton said that "the plaintive Saturday Night evokes memories of their 1994 hit Wild Ones and surely ranks alongside it as one of the best singles they have ever released."^[3]

Music video

The accompanying music video for the song was directed by Pedro Romhanyi, who previously made videos for the band's songs "Animal Nitrate" and "Beautiful Ones". The clip stars British actress Keeley Hawes.^[4] It was shot in the London Underground at a disused Piccadilly line platform at Aldwych station. Aldwych station is notable as the only platform in London's underground network where filming is allowed.

Track listings

All songs were written by Brett Anderson and Richard Oakes except where noted.

UK CD1[5] "Saturday Night" "W.S.D." (Anderson) "Jumble Sale Mums" UK CD2[6] "Saturday Night" "This Time" "Saturday Night" (original demo) UK 2×7-inch single[7] A. "Saturday Night" B. "This Time" C. "Beautiful Ones" D. "Sound of the Streets"

UK cassette single[8] "Saturday Night" "Picnic by the Motorway" (live) European CD single[9] "Saturday Night" – 4:34 "This Time" – 5:46 Japanese CD single[10] "Saturday Night" "W.S.D." (Anderson) "Jumble Sale Mums" "This Time" "Saturday Night" (original demo)

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (1997) Peak position Denmark (IFPI)[11] 8 Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[12] 46 Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[13] 7 Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40)[14] 1 Scotland (OCC)[15] 10 Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[16] 11 UK Singles (OCC)[17] 6

Year-end charts Chart (1997) Position Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40)[18] 51 UK Singles (OCC)[19] 195

Release history

Region	Date	Format(s)	Label(s)	Ref.
United Kingdom	13 January 1997	CD cassette	Nude	[20]
	27 January 1997	2×7-inch vinyl		[21]
Japan	26 February 1997	CD		[22]

References

1. "Reviews: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 28 December 1996. p. 17. Retrieved 6 October 2021.
2. Marshall, Ben (18 January 1997). "Suede: Saturday Night (Nude)". The Guardian.
3. Masterton, James (19 January 1997). "Week Ending January 25th 1997". Chart Watch UK. Retrieved 1 July 2024.
4. [1]
5. Saturday Night (UK CD1 liner notes). Suede. Nude Records. 1997. NUD 24CD1.
6. Saturday Night (UK CD2 liner notes). Suede. Nude Records. 1997. NUD 24CD2.
7. Saturday Night (UK 2×7-inch single sleeve). Suede. Nude Records. 1997. NUD 24S.
8. Saturday Night (UK cassette single sleeve). Suede. Nude Records. 1997. NUD 24MC.
9. Saturday Night (European CD single liner notes). Suede. Nude Records. 1997. NUD 663976 1.
10. Saturday Night (Japanese CD single liner notes). Suede. Nude Records. 1997. ESCA 6667.
11. "Top National Sellers" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 14, no. 6. 8 February 1997. p. 21. Retrieved 16 February 2020.
12. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 14, no. 6. 8 February 1997. p. 19. Retrieved 16 February 2020.
13. "Suede: Saturday Night" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat. Retrieved 16 February 2020.
14. "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (13.2. '97 –19.2. '97)". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). 14 February 1997. p. 16. Retrieved 16 February 2020.
15. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 16 February 2020.
16. "Suede – Saturday Night". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 16 February 2020.
17. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 16 February 2020.
18. "Árslistinn 1997 – Íslenski Listinn – 100 Vinsælustu Lögin". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). 2 January 1998. p. 25. Retrieved 16 February 2020.
19. "Najlepsze single na UK Top 40–1997" (in Polish). Archived from the original on 4 June 2015. Retrieved 16 February 2020.
20. "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 11 January 1997. p. 25. Retrieved 2 July 2021.
21. "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. 25 January 1997. p. 33.
22. "サタデイ・ナイト | スウェード" [Saturday Night | Suede] (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved 17 January 2024.