Take a Picture (Filter song)

"Take a Picture"
Single by Filter
from the album Title of Record
B-side"Take a Picture" (live)
ReleasedJanuary 18, 2000 (2000-01-18)[1]
GenreAlternative rock[2][3]
Length
  • 6:03 (album version)
  • 3:41 (radio edit)
LabelReprise
Songwriter(s)Richard Patrick
Producer(s)
Filter singles chronology
"Welcome to the Fold"
(1999) 		"Take a Picture"
(2000) 		"The Best Things"
(2000)
Music video
"Take a Picture" on YouTube

"Take a Picture" is a song by American rock band Filter, released to radio in September 1999 as the second single from their second studio album, Title of Record (1999). The song became a hit at the start of 2000 following its January 18 retail release, peaking at number 12 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number three in Canada. It also became a top-10 hit in New Zealand, peaking at number eight on the RIANZ Singles Chart.

Background and lyrics

Filter frontman and founding member Richard Patrick has said that the song is about him getting drunk on an airplane and taking off all of his clothes.[4] Patrick expanded in greater detail in a 2008 retrospective interview:

"When I wrote the chorus to "Take a Picture" [...] it was just after my friend was like, "Do you remember anything you did last night?" And I was like, "What are you talking about?" She said, "My God, you were throwing beer bottles out of a cab window at a cop car. Do you remember that?" And I said, "Good lord, could you take my picture, 'cuz I won't remember." And that line just kinda stuck. Weeks later, I had another drunken experience – being on a plane and being blacked out and not feeling good and taking my shirt off, half in and out of consciousness – and I'm in the back of a paddy wagon. I'm thinking, "Oh my God, what is my dad gonna think of this shit?" Y'know, "Dad, what do you think about your son now?" So, the song is this amazing thing for me to look back on now."[5]

Patrick's father was offended by this line, but Patrick explained to his father that each time he sings the line it has a different meaning because Patrick changes the tone in which he delivers the line each time it's sung.[6] The song was intended as a tribute to the Was (Not Was) song "Dad, I'm in Jail", from their album What Up, Dog?.[7]

Chart performance

"Take a Picture" reached number 12 on the US Billboard Hot 100 on February 5, 2000, after reaching the top 40 on December 14, 1999. The song hit number one on Billboard's Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart on February 5, 2000.[8] It became a top-five hit on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart at number four and the Modern Rock Tracks chart at number three. It was also a top-ten hit on the Adult Top 40 at number seven and a top-twenty hit on the Mainstream Top 40 at number 15, giving the band their only hit on these two charts. Internationally, "Take a Picture" reached number three in Canada, number eight in New Zealand, number 25 in the United Kingdom and number 32 in Australia.

Music video

A music video, directed by David Meyers, featured the band in a dreamlike sequence taking place in five different main scenes: a crashed and burning jet airplane in the middle of the ocean, underwater below it without scuba gear on, on a tiny search rowboat in the middle of the ocean, a room in a house being flooded by water, and on the roof of this flooding house. Several segments include supermodel Jaime King.[9]

Filter appeared two years in a row at popular Washington, D.C./Baltimore radio station 99.1 HFStival. The first year's performance in September 1999 did not include the song. Mass requests and increasing popularity (as stated all day during the second year's performance in May 2000) resulted in the song being played as their closer.

Track listings

All live tracks were recorded at Hammerstein Ballroom, New York City, in November 1999.

Charts

Release history

Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref(s).
United States September 28, 1999 Alternative radio Reprise [47]
November 15, 1999
[48][49]
November 16, 1999 Contemporary hit radio [50]
January 18, 2000
  • 7-inch vinyl
  • CD
  • cassette
 [1]
Canada February 15, 2000 CD [51]
United Kingdom March 6, 2000
  • CD
  • cassette
 [52]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Pietroluongo, Silvio (January 29, 2000). "Hot 100 Spotlight" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 112, no. 5. p. 93. Retrieved October 5, 2020.
  2. ^ "The Ultimate Nineties Alt-Rock Playlist". The Atlantic. May 21, 2007.
  3. ^ Brian Galindo, Alex Naidus & Ryan Creed (November 5, 2023). "37 Alt Rock Songs You Haven't Thought About Since The Late '90s". BuzzFeed. Retrieved November 19, 2015.
  4. ^ "Filter: Title Of Feature". MTV. November 2, 1999. Archived from the original on November 6, 2001.
  5. ^ "Folk Top Artists". Archived from the original on April 6, 2015. Retrieved March 26, 2015.
  6. ^ Enhanced "Making Of" on the CD-single
  7. ^ "Take A Picture by Filter".
  8. ^ a b "Filter Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved October 6, 2019.
  9. ^ Sanchez, Karizza (July 13, 2013). "A Brief History of '90s Supermodels in Music Videos". Complex.
  10. ^ Take a Picture (US 7-inch single vinyl disc). Filter. Reprise Records. 2000. 7-16889.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  11. ^ Take a Picture (US CD single liner notes). Filter. Reprise Records. 2000. 9 16889-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  12. ^ Take a Picture (US cassette single sleeve). Filter. Reprise Records. 2000. 9 16889-4.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  13. ^ Take a Picture (US maxi-CD single liner notes). Filter. Reprise Records. 2000. 9 44788-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  14. ^ Take a Picture (Canadian CD single liner notes). Filter. Reprise Records. 2000. CD 44788.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  15. ^ Take a Picture (UK cassette single sleeve). Filter. Reprise Records. 2000. W515C, 5439 16880 4.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  16. ^ Take a Picture (UK CD1 liner notes). Filter. Reprise Records. 2000. W515CD, 9362 44836 5.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  17. ^ Take a Picture (UK CD2 liner notes). Filter. Reprise Records. 2000. W515CDX, 9362 44833 5.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  18. ^ Take a Picture (Australian maxi-CD single liner notes). Filter. Reprise Records. 1999. 9362448032.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  19. ^ "Filter – Take a Picture". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  20. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 8304." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved October 6, 2019.
  21. ^ "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 9754." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved October 7, 2019.
  22. ^ "Top RPM Rock/Alternative Tracks: Issue 10022." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved October 6, 2019.
  23. ^ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 17, no. 13. March 25, 2000. p. 11. Retrieved August 24, 2020.
  24. ^ "Filter – Take a Picture" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved October 6, 2019.
  25. ^ "Íslenski Listinn Sætin 21 til 40 (02.3– 09.3 2000)". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). March 3, 2000. Retrieved October 6, 2019.
  26. ^ "Latvian Airplay Top 330 of 2000" (in Latvian). Lanet.lv. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
  27. ^ "Éxitos discográficos internacionales". El Siglo de Torreón. April 17, 2000. Retrieved March 21, 2023.
  28. ^ "Filter – Take a Picture". Top 40 Singles.
  29. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 6, 2019.
  30. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 6, 2019.
  31. ^ "Filter Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved October 6, 2019.
  32. ^ "Filter Chart History (Adult Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved October 6, 2019.
  33. ^ "Filter Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved October 6, 2019.
  34. ^ "Filter Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved October 6, 2019.
  35. ^ "Filter Chart History (Dance Singles Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved August 2, 2021.
  36. ^ "Filter Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved October 6, 2019.
  37. ^ "Filter Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved October 6, 2019.
  38. ^ "Most Played Modern Rock Songs of 1999". Airplay Monitor. Vol. 7, no. 52. December 24, 1999. p. 36.
  39. ^ "Billboard Top 100 – 2000". Billboardtop100of.com. Retrieved October 6, 2019.
  40. ^ "Most Played Adult Top 40 Songs of 2000" (PDF). Airplay Monitor. Vol. 8, no. 51. December 22, 2000. p. 48. Retrieved March 28, 2021.
  41. ^ "The Year in Music 2000: Hot Dance Club-Play Singles". Billboard. Vol. 112, no. 53. December 30, 2000. p. YE-59.
  42. ^ "Most Played Mainstream Rock Songs of 2000" (PDF). Airplay Monitor. Vol. 8, no. 51. December 22, 2000. p. 33. Retrieved March 28, 2021.
  43. ^ "Most Played Mainstream Top 40 Songs of 2000" (PDF). Airplay Monitor. Vol. 8, no. 51. December 22, 2000. p. 54. Retrieved March 28, 2021.
  44. ^ "The Year in Music 2000: Hot Dance Maxi-Singles Sales". Billboard. Vol. 112, no. 53. December 30, 2000. p. YE-60.
  45. ^ "Most Played Modern Rock Songs of 2000" (PDF). Airplay Monitor. Vol. 8, no. 51. December 22, 2000. p. 38. Retrieved March 28, 2021.
  46. ^ "The Best of 2000: Most Played Triple-A Songs" (PDF). Airplay Monitor. Vol. 8, no. 51. December 22, 2000. p. 44. Retrieved December 16, 2023.
  47. ^ "Alternative: Going for Adds". Radio & Records. No. 1318. September 24, 1999. p. 138.
  48. ^ "Hot AC: Going for Adds". Radio & Records. No. 1325. November 12, 1999. p. 95.
  49. ^ "Gavin AC/Hot AC: Impact Dates". Gavin Report. No. 2280. November 15, 1999. p. 32.
  50. ^ "CHR/Pop: Going for Adds". Radio & Records. No. 1325. November 12, 1999. p. 51.
  51. ^ "Album Releases: February 2000". Jam!. Archived from the original on August 17, 2000. Retrieved January 6, 2023.
  52. ^ "New Releases – For Week Starting March 6, 2000: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. March 4, 2000. p. 25. Retrieved August 2, 2021.