"Frankenstein" is an instrumental track by the American rock band the Edgar Winter Group that was featured in the 1972 album They Only Come Out at Night and additionally released as a single. The piece was composed by Edgar Winter and the single produced by Rick Derringer.
The song topped the US Billboard Hot 100 chart for one week in May 1973. Frankenstein sold over one million copies. It fared equally well in Canada reaching number 1 on the RPM 100 Top Singles Chart the following month. That same month, the song peaked at number 18 in the UK Singles Chart. The following month, the song peaked at number 10 in Mexico. The song also peaked at number 39 in West Germany, remaining on the chart for one week. The single was certified gold on June 19, 1973, by the RIAA. As the release's only instrumental cut, the song was not initially intended to be on the album, and was only included on a whim as a last-minute addition. It was originally released as the B-side to "Hangin' Around", but the two were soon reversed by the label when disc jockeys nationwide in the United States, as well as in Canada, were inundated with phone calls and realized this was the hit. The group performed the song, with Rick Derringer on guitar, on The Old Grey Whistle Test in 1973.
In live performances of the song, Edgar Winter further pioneered the advancement of the synthesizer as a lead instrument by becoming the first person to strap a keyboard instrument around his neck, giving him the on-stage mobility and audience interaction of guitar players. The song was performed three years prior to its release when Edgar was playing with his older brother Johnny Winter at the Royal Albert Hall in 1970. This rare recording was released in 2004 as one of several live bonus tracks included in the two-disc Legacy Edition CD of Johnny Winter's Second Winter.
In 1983, Winter released a beat-heavy, more-synthesizer-heavy reworking of the song; its contemporaneous video, an homage with Winter appearing as Dr. Frankenstein, was added to MTV's playlist in November of that year.
Reception
The song is described as a hard rock, progressive rock, and blues rock instrumental, and an example of art rock by non-art rock bands.
Record World called the song "a thumping instrumental featuring fine performances by each member [of the group]." Rolling Stone listed it number 7 on their top 25 best rock instrumentals.
Personnel
- Edgar Winter – ARP 2600 synthesizer, electric piano, alto saxophone, timbales
- Ronnie Montrose – guitar (1958 Gibson Les Paul Standard)
- Dan Hartman – bass
- Chuck Ruff – drums
- Rick Derringer – producer
Chart performance
{| class="wikitable sortable"
!Chart (1973)
!align="center"|Peak<br />position
|-
|style='background: #EAECF0;' align="left" |Australia (Kent Music Report)
| style="text-align:center;"|19
|-
|style='background: #EAECF0;' align="left" |Canadian Singles Chart
|align="center"|1
|-
|style='background: #EAECF0;' align="left" |West German Singles Chart
|align="center"|39
|-
|style='background: #EAECF0;' align="left"|Mexican Singles Chart
|align="center"|10
|-
|style='background: #EAECF0;' align="left"|New Zealand (Listener)
|align="center"|19
|-
|style='background: #EAECF0;' align="left"|UK Singles Chart
|align="center"|18
|-
|style='background: #EAECF0;' align="left" |Billboard Hot 100 (US)
|align="center"|1
|}
Year-end charts
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!align="left"|Chart (1973)
! style="text-align:center;"|Rank
|-
|Canada
| style="text-align:center;"|22
|}
Certifications
Cover versions
A cover version performed by WaveGroup Sound was featured in the video game Guitar Hero as one of five tracks in its sixth and highest difficulty tier, referred to in-game as "Face Melters".
The band Phish has played the song live 94 times in the course of all their live shows.
Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band performed the song while Edgar Winter was part of the band, with Winter playing synthesizer, alto saxophone and timbales.
References
External links
- A second-by-second analysis by Chuck Klosterman