Jonathan David (song)

"Jonathan David"
Single by Belle and Sebastian
B-side	"Take Your Carriage Clock and Shove It" "The Loneliness of a Middle Distance Runner"
Released	18 June 2001 (2001-06-18)
Length	3:00
Label	Jeepster Matador Spunk
Songwriter(s)	Isobel Campbell Richard Colburn Mick Cooke Chris Geddes Stevie Jackson Sarah Martin Stuart Murdoch
Producer(s)	Belle and Sebastian Tony Doogan
Belle and Sebastian singles chronology
"Legal Man" (2000) "Jonathan David" (2001) "I'm Waking Up to Us" (2001)

"Jonathan David" is a song by Scottish indie pop band Belle and Sebastian. The song gets its name from the biblical duo of Jonathan and David, while B-side "The Loneliness of a Middle Distance Runner" is a reference to Alan Sillitoe's short story "The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner." The front cover features band members Mick Cooke and Bobby Kildea with Gill Dodds. All three tracks from the single were later collected on the Push Barman to Open Old Wounds compilation. The title track was the band's first single to feature lead vocals from guitarist Stevie Jackson.

Upon its release on 18 June 2001, the single reached number nine in Canada, number 31 in the United Kingdom, and number 46 in Sweden.

Reception

Online magazine PopMatters said the song "isn't just guitarist Stevie Jackson's most triumphant non-album contribution to the Belle and Sebastian canon, it might be the best example of what his songwriting is capable of. [It] impeccably blends in with his band's MO, with its dense '70s-ish melody and pitch-perfect orchestration. Thematically, it fits with Belle and Sebastian's underdog narrative too."^[1]

Track listings

CD and 12-inch EP^[2][3]

1. "Jonathan David"
2. "Take Your Carriage Clock and Shove It"
3. "The Loneliness of a Middle Distance Runner"

7-inch single^[4]

A. "Jonathan David"

B. "The Loneliness of a Middle Distance Runner"

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (2001) Peak position Canada (Nielsen SoundScan)[5] 9 Scotland (OCC)[6] 16 Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[7] 46 UK Singles (OCC)[8] 31 UK Indie (OCC)[9] 3

Year-end charts Chart (2001) Position Canada (Nielsen SoundScan)[10] 71

Release history

Region	Date	Format(s)	Label(s)	Ref.
United Kingdom	18 June 2001	7-inch vinyl 12-inch vinyl CD	Jeepster	[11]
Japan	20 June 2001	CD		[12]
Australia	25 June 2001		Jeepster Spunk	[13]

References

1. Pan, Arnold (17 November 2021). "The 10 Best Belle and Sebastian Non-Album Songs". PopMatters. Retrieved 24 April 2022.
2. Jonathan David (UK CD EP liner notes). Belle and Sebastian. Jeepster Records. 2001. JPRCDS 022.
3. Jonathan David (UK 12-inch EP sleeve). Belle and Sebastian. Jeepster Records. 2001. JPR12 022.
4. Jonathan David (UK 7-inch single sleeve). Belle and Sebastian. Jeepster Records. 2001. JPR7 022.
5. "Belle and Sebastian Chart History (Canadian Digital Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 19 November 2018.
6. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 19 November 2018.
7. "Belle & Sebastian – Jonathan David". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 19 November 2018.
8. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 19 November 2018.
9. "Official Independent Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 19 November 2018.
10. "Canada's Top 200 Singles of 2001". Jam!. Archived from the original on 26 January 2003. Retrieved 26 March 2022.
11. "New Releases – For Week Starting June 18, 2001: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 16 June 2001. p. 25. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
12. "最新のCD リリース一覧" [Latest CD Releases] (in Japanese). Oricon. Archived from the original on 21 July 2001. Retrieved 23 August 2023.
13. "The ARIA Report: New Releases Singles – Week Commencing 25th June 2001" (PDF). ARIA. 25 June 2001. p. 24. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 February 2002. Retrieved 14 August 2021.

External links

• "Jonathan David" at belleandsebastian.com
• "Jonathan David" at jeepster.co.uk