Released back in 2006, it’s worth remembering just how Arctic Monkeys‘ debut album ‘Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not‘ seemed to change everything. As we celebrate its anniversary, here are 10 nerdy facts that every fan needs to know about their earth-shaking debut.
1
The title of the album is a quote from the novel Saturday Night And Sunday Morning, which was penned by Notts author Alan Sillitoe in 1958.
2
‘I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor’s lyric, “Your name isn’t Rio, but I don’t care for sand” is a direct reference to Duran Duran’s ’80s hit ‘Rio’. The band would reference the band again in their 2007 song, ‘Teddy Picker’.
3
It remains the fastest selling debut album by a British band, shifting 363,735 copies in its release week and 113,000 on its first day alone.
4
Though recorded around the time of the album sessions, ‘Leave Before The Lights Come On’ was not included and was instead released as a standalone single in August 2006. It remains the only single the band have released not to feature on a studio album.
5
The song ‘Still Take You Home’ is the only track on an Arctic Monkeys album that features a writing credit for any other band member than Alex Turner – with guitarist Jamie Cook contributing to the lyrics.
6
‘Chun-Li’s Spinning Bird Kick’, the B-Side to ‘I Bet You Look Good on The Dancefloor’ garnered the band a Grammy nominations in 2007 for Best Instrumental Rock Song.
7
Their debut album won Best Album and ‘I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor’ nabbed Best Track at the 2006 NME Awards, and it also helped them scoop Best New Band and Best Band – the first time anyone has picked up all four gongs in a single year.
8
The album is the only that frequent collaborator James Ford didn’t produce for the group. Ford has since produced or co-produced each of their following studio albums. He did, however, play electric piano and organ on ‘Riot Van’.
9
Eight of the songs on the album – including ‘Mardy Bum’, ‘I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor’ and ‘A Certain Romance’ – had been floating around on the internet since late 2004, owing to the band’s tendency to give away free CDs of their music at early shows.
10
To shoot the iconic album cover, the band gave friend Chris McClure £70 for a night out in Liverpool, and took the shot in the wee hours of the city’s Korova bar.