First Train Home
| "First Train Home" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Imogen Heap | ||||
| from the album Ellipse | ||||
| Released | 10 July 2009 (radio) 14 July 2009 (digital) | |||
| Genre | Electronica, ambient | |||
| Length | 4:13 (album version) 3:34 (radio edit) | |||
| Label | Megaphonic | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Imogen Heap | |||
| Producer(s) | Imogen Heap | |||
| Imogen Heap singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "First Train Home" on YouTube | ||||
"First Train Home" is a song by British singer/songwriter Imogen Heap, and the only single off her third solo album Ellipse.
Background[edit]
Imogen Heap revealed a story behind the creation of the song in a few interviews. She claimed:[1]
"I was trying to project manage my studio, and the house and moving in never having done anything like that before is EXTREMELY stressful. [...] I was so stressed out. So my friend rang me up and said “I never see you anymore, why don’t you come down, you’re not making the record yet – come down”. So I went down to Brighton and all the way on the train I was making phone calls, and I wanted to just be back home working on it. [...] So we went out this festival – it was good – but being around music made me even more jittery like I should be doing more and getting home. I didn’t really have a good night really. I was trying so hard to be into the night and they were all nice people and everything but I just wasn’t into it, but I just couldn’t escape and I couldn’t get home and it was too late and lived three hours away. So I was stuck [...] Literally, you just want to scream and slap everyone around (not really slapping everyone around - joking), but you know you just don’t want to be there. Panic attack set in. Cold sweats. And I just wanted to get on the first train home basically. I did eventually – got the first train home, stayed up all night and wrote the song on the piano at home really quickly. What’s lovely about it is that I recorded the song in the studio which is directly underneath the dining room where the piano is. And then yesterday [says very excitedly], I filmed the video for it which is where I wrote the song!"
Premiere[edit]
The song premiered on Santa Monica's KCRW radio station[2] on 10 July at 10:30 PDT, accompanying a ten-minute interview with Heap. Within hours the song was uploaded onto multiple websites.
Release[edit]
"First Train Home" was released through iTunes US and iTunes Canada on 14 July, with the option to pre-order the full album Ellipse or its deluxe version. The song was released on other iTunes internationally on 15 July, also giving the option to pre-order Ellipse or its deluxe version.[3]
The song was also released onto Amazon.com on 14 July and Amazon.co.uk on 15 July.
Music video[edit]
There are two versions of the video for First Train Home.
First version[edit]
The first one was premiered on 17 August and directed by Es Devlin.[4] The video shows Imogen trapped in a zoetrope running through various hallways, through people holding drinks and speaking, some of them almost transparent. The video features a change of different camera angles and perspectives.[5] The video shoot took place on 29 and 30 June.[6][7]
Second version[edit]
As Imogen was not happy with the result she decided to direct herself an alternative video for the song.[8][9] The shoot took place on 15 August at the artist's house.[10][11] The video shows Imogen surrounded by many party-goers in a fancy dress.
Live performances[edit]
Imogen Heap performed the song for the very first time live on the Late Show with David Letterman. The episode was taped on 24 August and aired 28 August.[12][13]
She also played the track live on WNYC's show Soundcheck along with another "Ellipse" song, "Half Life" on 25 August.[14]
Charts[edit]
The song debuted straight at number one on the P*Chart on 30 August, knocking off The Black Eyed Peas's "I Gotta Feeling" from the pole position after six consecutive weeks of reign and remaining atop for another week.
| Year | Chart | Peak position |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Canadian Top 100[15] | 63 |
Track listing[edit]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "First Train Home" | 4:13 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "First Train Home" | 4:12 |
| 2. | "First Train Home (Jon Hopkins remix)" | 3:06 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 3. | "First Train Home (Immi's party version)" | 3:33 |
| 4. | "Making of First Train Home (Immi's party version)" | 2:51 |
References[edit]
- ^ "EQ Music Blog: EQ Interview With Imogen Heap Part One - "Literally, you just want to scream and slap everyone around"". Zxlcreative.blogs.com. 15 August 2009. Retrieved 16 February 2012.
- ^ Imogen Heap surprise interview. KCRW. 10 July 2009.
- ^ "iTunes - Music - Ellipse (Bonus Track Version) by Imogen Heap". Itunes.apple.com. 21 August 2009. Retrieved 16 February 2012.
- ^ "Twitter / The Hideaway Team!: Check back on monday for t". Twitter.com. 11 August 2009. Retrieved 16 February 2012.
- ^ "Imogen Heap, 'First Train Home' - Video Premiere - Spinner Canada". Spinner.ca. 17 August 2009. Retrieved 16 February 2012.
- ^ "Twitter / Imogen Heap: On the way over to the Fir". Twitter.com. 28 June 2009. Retrieved 16 February 2012.
- ^ "Twitter / Imogen Heap". Twitter.com. 29 June 2009. Retrieved 16 February 2012.
- ^ "Twitter / Imogen Heap: Afternoon all. Today you'r". Twitter.com. 17 August 2009. Retrieved 16 February 2012.
- ^ "Twitter / Imogen Heap: A recent add for the to do". Twitter.com. 10 August 2009. Retrieved 16 February 2012.
- ^ "Twitter / Imogen Heap: The video shoot was so muc". Twitter.com. 14 August 2009. Retrieved 16 February 2012.
- ^ "Twitter / The Hideaway Team!: OH! well, looks like it's". Twitter.com. 16 August 2009. Retrieved 16 February 2012.
- ^ "Imogen Heap tweets about performance on Letterman". Tweeter.com. 24 August 2009.
- ^ "Imogen Heap performing "First Train Home" on "Late Show with David Letterman". TeleHeap.us. 24 August 2009.[dead link]
- ^ "Imogen performs 'First Train Home' and 'Half Life' live on WNYC's Soundcheck". New York City, NY, USA. 25 August 2009. Archived from the original on 17 August 2009.
- ^ "Imogen Heap - First Train Home - Music Charts". Acharts.us. Retrieved 16 February 2012.
