"Tsunami" is a song by Welsh rock band Manic Street Preachers, released as a single on 5 July 1999 through Epic Records. It was the fourth and final single released from their fifth studio album, This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours (1998). All three members of the band—James Dean Bradfield, Sean Moore and Nicky Wire—share the writing credits. The single peaked at number 11 on the UK Singles Chart.

Background

"Tsunami" is the Japanese word for "big wave". The song was inspired by The Silent Twins, June and Jennifer Gibbons, who gave up speaking when they were young, became involved in crime and ended up being sent to Broadmoor Hospital. The song is unique in the band's catalogue in that it is largely built around an electric sitar and strings.

Release

The single peaked at number 11 in the United Kingdom, remaining on the UK Singles Chart for eight weeks. Of all four singles from This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours, "Tsunami" spent the fewest weeks on the chart.

  1. "Tsunami" – 3:50
  2. "Buildings for Dead People" – 5:29
  3. "A Design for Life" (video version) – 4:20

UK CD2

  1. "Tsunami" – 3:50
  2. "Tsunami" (Cornelius remix) – 4:04
  3. "Tsunami" (Electron Ray Tube mix) – 6:43

UK cassette single

  1. "Tsunami" – 3:50
  2. "Motown Junk (Medley)" (live at Muziekcentrum Vredenburg in Utrecht, Netherlands, on 29 March 1999) (lyrics: Richey James, Jones) – 4:02

Personnel

Manic Street Preachers

  • James Dean Bradfield – lead vocals, guitar, electric sitar, Omnichord
  • Sean Moore – drums
  • Nicky Wire – bass guitar

Additional musicians

  • Nick Nasmyth – keyboards
  • Martin Ditcham – percussion
  • Craig Pruess – sitar, tambura
  • Sally Herbert – string arrangement, violin
  • Jos Pook – viola
  • Claire Orsler – viola

Production

  • Mike Hedges – production
  • Ian Grimble – engineering and mixing
  • Guy Massey – mix assistant

Charts

{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

|+ Weekly chart performance for "Tsunami"

! scope="col"| Chart (1999)

! scope="col"| Peak<br />position

|-

! scope="row"| Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)

| 39

|-

|-

|-

|-

|}

References

  • Article on "The Silent Twins" from the New Yorker