Surrender (The Chemical Brothers album)

1999 studio album

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Surrender

Studio album by

the Chemical Brothers

Released| 21 June 1999 (1999-06-21)
Recorded| 1999
Genre|

* Big beat[1]
* electronica[1]

Length| 58:58
Label|

* Freestyle Dust
* Virgin (UK)
Astralwerks (US)

Producer| The Chemical Brothers
The Chemical Brothers chronology
| Dig Your Own Hole
(1997)  | Surrender
(1999)  | Come with Us
(2002)

|
|

Singles from  Surrender

1. "Hey Boy Hey Girl"
Released: 26 May 1999
2. "Let Forever Be"
Released: 23 July 1999
3. "Out of Control"
Released: 8 October 1999

Surrender is the third studio album by English electronic music duo the Chemical Brothers. It was released on 21 June 1999 in the United Kingdom by Freestyle Dust and Virgin Records and in the United States by Astralwerks. The album saw the duo exploring further various electronic styles, including house music.[1] Four singles were released from the album: "Hey Boy Hey Girl", "Let Forever Be", "Out of Control", and "Music: Response". The album received critical acclaim.

## Content

[edit]

Surrender features guest vocalists Noel Gallagher (Oasis), Hope Sandoval (Mazzy Star), Bernard Sumner (New Order) and Jonathan Donahue (Mercury Rev).

The album is more experimental than previous efforts. "Let Forever Be" is a clear tribute to the Beatles' "Tomorrow Never Knows". "Out of Control" is house influenced, and the breakout single "Hey Boy Hey Girl" has a rave sound.

Of "The Sunshine Underground", Tom Rowlands said: "I think the title came from those psychedelic poster books. We wanted it to sound like a live band finding its feet. It was influenced by a live version of 'Angel Sigh' on Spiritualized's Fucked Up Inside. It went through a lot of versions and this one's a composite of a lot of different takes. I love the mad bit in the middle when it goes into hyperspace and turns into this huge, gurning monster."[2]

Many of the artists that the duo worked with on this album, they would work with again. The duo were quick to work again with Bobby Gillespie, who appears on the third track and third single "Out of Control", providing backing vocals: they remixed Gillespie's Primal Scream song "Swstk Ys" (as it was titled on the 1999 single release), which later appeared on the band's 2000 album Xtrmntr.

Surrender was the first Chemical Brothers album not to feature an appearance by Beth Orton, though she would appear on the following album Come with Us, on the song "The State We're In".

### Album cover

[edit]

The album and singles artwork were provided by London-based silkscreen artist and illustrator Kate Gibb, using screen prints of photographs found in the Hulton Picture Library. Gibb also went on to illustrate the Chemical Brothers albums Come with Us, We Are the Night, and Brotherhood. The cover image was a treatment of a photograph called Jesus Amongst the Fans taken by Richard Young at The Great British Music Festival at the Kensington Olympia in 1976. The "Jesus" in question was a music fan called William Jellett, who had adopted the divine moniker and was often seen dancing ecstatically at concerts across the UK from the 1960s to the 1990s. His "miracles" were to give dried fruit and nuts to strangers.[3][4] Ed Simons said of the album cover in Q magazine, "We liked the idea of everyone else sitting down and being chilled out and just one person really getting it, like one of our gigs in the Midwest, actually". The magazine stated, however, in February 1999 the duo were confronted with a novel problem: they had, in Simons' words "about two weeks" to sort out an album cover, plan a live show, and do endless promotional duties in Japan. At one point, the image that was used as the single cover for "Out of Control", released later in 1999, was intended to be the album cover of Surrender.[5]

## Release

[edit]

Professional ratingsReview scores

Source| Rating
AllMusic| [1]
Entertainment Weekly| B+[6]
The Guardian| [7]
Los Angeles Times| [8]
Melody Maker| [9]
NME| 8/10[10]
Pitchfork| 9.0/10[11]
Q| [12]
Rolling Stone| [13]
Select| 4/5[14]

The album was the band's second number one album. It was certified 2× Platinum by the BPI on 30 September 2005.[15] A special tour edition of the album was released in Australia and New Zealand, which contained a second disc of B-sides from the album.

### Singles

[edit]

"Under the Influence" was released in June 1998 on vinyl as "Electronic Battle Weapon 3", exclusively for use for club DJs. "Hey Boy Hey Girl" was released on 26 May 1999 as the first official single from the album.[16] It reached number 3 on the UK Singles Chart.[17] The second single, "Let Forever Be", was released on 23 July 1999 and reached number 9 in the UK Singles Chart.[17][18] This was followed by "Out of Control" which was released on 8 October 1999 and reached number 21 in the UK Singles Chart.[17][19] "Music: Response" was released on 6 March 2000.[20] It was not eligible for the UK charts because it contains five songs instead of three, which is required for qualification.

### 20th Anniversary Edition

[edit]

On 10 June 2019, the Chemical Brothers announced a 20th Anniversary special edition re-release of Surrender, featuring five unreleased "secret psychedelic mixes", a collection of b-sides and remixes, a DVD of restored promo videos, live footage of their performance at Glastonbury 2000, art prints, and a book. The set was released on 3CD and 4xLP on 22 November 2019.[21][22]

## Legacy

[edit]

The album cover appeared in Q magazine's 2001 list of "Q's 100 Best Record Covers of All Time".[citation needed] and is ranked number 981 in All-Time Top 1000 Albums (3rd. edition, 2000).[23]

Leeds band the Sunshine Underground took their name from the sixth track on the album.[citation needed]

## Track listing

[edit]

No.| Title| Writer(s)| Length

|
|
|

1.| "Music:Response"|

* Tom Rowlands
* Ed Simons
* Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott
* Tim Mosley
* Aleesha Richards

| 5:20
2.| "Under the Influence"|

* Rowlands
* Simons

| 4:16
3.| "Out of Control"|

* Rowlands
* Simons
* Bernard Sumner

| 7:20
4.| "Orange Wedge"|

* Rowlands
* Simons

| 3:07
5.| "Let Forever Be"|

* Rowlands
* Simons
* Noel Gallagher

| 3:56
6.| "The Sunshine Underground"|

* Rowlands
* Simons
* James Asher

| 8:38
7.| "Asleep from Day"|

* Rowlands
* Simons
* Hope Sandoval

| 4:47
8.| "Got Glint?"|

* Rowlands
* Simons
* Bernard Fevre
* Jacky Giordano

| 5:27
9.| "Hey Boy Hey Girl"|

* Rowlands
* Simons
* Gregory Wigfall
* Richard Fowler
* Charles Pettiford
* Celite Evans
* Jerry Bloodrock

| 4:51
10.| "Surrender"|

* Rowlands
* Simons

| 4:30
11.| "Dream On" (contains a hidden track, which is a reprise of the same song)|

* Rowlands
* Simons
* Jonathan Donahue

| 6:47
Total length:| 58:53

Australian limited edition bonus discNo.| Title| Writer(s)| Length

|
|
|

1.| "Hey Boy Hey Girl" (Extended Version)|

* Rowlands
* Simons
* Wigfall
* Fowler
* Pettiford
* Evens
* Bloodrock

| 6:04
2.| "Flashback"|

* Rowlands
* Simons

| 5:18
3.| "Power Move"|

* Rowlands
* Simons

| 4:09
4.| "Out of Control" (Sasha Remix)|

* Rowlands
* Simons
* Sumner

| 7:19
Total length:| 22:50

20th Anniversary Edition: Disc 2 (The Secret Psychedelic Mixes)No.| Title| Length

|
|

1.| "Hey Boy Hey Girl" (Secret Psychedelic Mix)| 5:32
2.| "Let Forever Be" (Secret Psychedelic Mix)| 5:20
3.| "Out of Control" (21 Minutes of Madness Mix)| 21:07
4.| "Flashback" (Secret Psychedelic Mix)| 5:30
5.| "Dream On" (Secret Psychedelic Mix)| 4:21

20th Anniversary Edition: Disc 3 (B-Sides & Remixes)No.| Title| Length

|
|

1.| "Flashback"| 5:20
2.| "Scale"| 3:45
3.| "The Diamond Sky"| 3:38
4.| "Studio K"| 5:49
5.| "Power Move"| 4:11
6.| "Enjoyed"| 8:09
7.| "Electronic Battle Weapon 4" (Freak of the Week)| 6:06
8.| "Out of Control" (Sasha Club Mix)| 11:03
9.| "Music: Response" (Gentleman Thief Mix)| 7:36
10.| "Music: Response" (Futureshock Main Response)| 8:21
11.| "Hey Boy Hey Girl" (Soulwax Remix)| 7:14
12.| "Hey Boy Hey Girl" (KiNK Remix)| 5:55

Sample credits[24]

* "Music:Response" contains samples of "Make It Hot", written by Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott, Tim Mosley and Aleesha Richards, and performed by Nicole.
* "The Sunshine Underground" contains samples of "Asian Workshop", written and performed by James Asher.
* "Got Glint?" contains samples of "Earth Message", written by Bernard Fevre and Jacky Giordano, and performed by Bernard Fevre.
* "Hey Boy Hey Girl" contains samples of "The Roof Is on Fire", written by Gregory Wigfall, Richard Fowler, Charles Pettiford, Celite Evans and Jerry Bloodrock, and performed by Rock Master Scott & the Dynamic Three.

## Personnel

[edit]

Credits for Surrender adapted from album liner notes.[24]

The Chemical Brothers

* Tom Rowlands - production
* Ed Simons - production

Additional musicians

* Bernard Sumner - vocals and guitar on "Out of Control"
* Bobby Gillespie - additional vocals on "Out of Control"
* Noel Gallagher - vocals on "Let Forever Be"
* Hope Sandoval - vocals on "Asleep from Day"
* Jonathan Donahue - vocals, guitar, and piano on "Dream On"

Additional technical personnel

* Cheeky Paul - editing
* Steve Dub - engineering
* Jon Collyer - engineering (assistant)
* Ray Mascarenas - engineering (assistant)
* Mike Marsh - mastering

Design

* Blue Source - art direction
* The Chemical Brothers - art direction
* Kate Gibb - screen prints

|

## Charts

[edit]

### Weekly charts

[edit]

| Chart (1999–2000)  | Peak
position

|

Australian Albums (ARIA)[25] | 5
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[26] | 16
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[27] | 6
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[28] | 14
Canadian Albums (Billboard)[29] | 8
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[30] | 14
Eurochart (Music & Media)[31] | 3
Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)[32] | 10
French Albums (SNEP)[33] | 8
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[34] | 7
Irish Albums (IRMA)[31] | 4
Italian Albums (Musica e Dischi)[31] | 6
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[35] | 7
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[36] | 7
Scottish Albums (OCC)[37] | 1
Spanish Albums (AFYVE)[38] | 14
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[39] | 2
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[40] | 17
UK Albums (OCC)[41] | 1
US Billboard 200[42] | 32
Chart (2019)  | Peak
position
UK Dance Albums (OCC)[43] | 2

### Year-end charts

[edit]

| Chart (1999)  | Position

|

Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[44] | 67
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[45] | 94
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[46] | 96
UK Albums (OCC)[47] | 34
Chart (2000)  | Position

|

Australian Albums (ARIA)[48] | 58
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[49] | 40
UK Albums (OCC)[50] | 95

## Certifications and sales

[edit]

Region  | Certification | Certified units/sales

|
|

Australia (ARIA)[51] | 2× Platinum  | 140,000‡
Canada (Music Canada)[52] | Platinum  | 100,000^
France (SNEP)[53] | Gold  | 100,000*
Germany  | —  | 120,000[54]
Italy (FIMI)[55] | Gold  | 80,000[55]
Japan (RIAJ)[56] | Gold  | 100,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[57] | 2× Platinum  | 30,000^
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[58] | Gold  | 70,000[54]
United Kingdom (BPI)[59] | 2× Platinum  | 600,000^
United States  | —  | 402,000[60]
Summaries
Europe (IFPI)[61] | Platinum  | 1,000,000*
Worldwide  | —  | 2,300,000[62]

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

## Release history

[edit]

Region | Release date | Label | Format | Catalogue

|
|
|
|

Japan | 7 June 1999 | Virgin Japan | CD | VJCP-68137
UK | 21 June 1999 | Freestyle Dust | CD | XDUSTCD4
2×LP | XDUSTLP4
MC | XDUSTMC4
MD | XDUSTMD4
USA | 22 June 1999 | Astralwerks | CD | ASW 47610-2
2×LP | ASW 47610-1

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c d Bush, John. "Surrender – The Chemical Brothers". AllMusic. Retrieved 18 September 2011.
2. ^ "Your guide to the best tracks from the best albums of 1999". Q (160): 3. January 2000.
3. ^ Kennedy, Philip (June 2016). A Vibrant Transcendence: Kate Gibb and the Art of Surrender. Illustration Chronicles.
4. ^ Robinson, J.P. (10 February 2018). Jesus Amongst the Fans: The Naked Hippie Dancer. Flashbak.com
5. ^ Harrison, Ian (Feb. 2006). Q’s 100 Best Record Covers of All Time (Q Magazine, Issue 235 (Feb. 2006)) - The Chemical Brothers Surrender. planet-dust.laserjay.net
6. ^ Browne, David (25 June 1999). "Surrender". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 20 November 2015. Retrieved 26 May 2012.
7. ^ Simpson, Dave (18 June 1999). "Caned and able". The Guardian.
8. ^ Weingarten, Marc (18 June 1999). "The Chemical Brothers, 'Surrender,' Astralwerks". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 15 June 2013.
9. ^ Bresnark, Robin (19 June 1999). "Class Encounters of the Nerd Kind". Melody Maker. Vol. 76, no. 24\. p. 53.
10. ^ Martin, Piers (19 June 1999). "The Chemical Brothers – Surrender". NME. p. 30\. Archived from the original on 17 August 2000. Retrieved 7 May 2016.
11. ^ Zupko, Sarah (29 June 1999). "The Chemical Brothers: Surrender". Pitchfork. Retrieved 18 September 2011.
12. ^ Gittins, Ian (July 1999). "Quantum Leaping". Q. No. 154\. p. 105\. Archived from the original on 10 September 1999. Retrieved 30 August 2018.
13. ^ Fricke, David (24 June 1999). "The Chemical Brothers: Surrender". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 8 June 2007. Retrieved 26 May 2012.
14. ^ Grundy, Gareth (July 1999). "The Chemical Brothers: Surrender". Select. No. 109\. p. 82.
15. ^ "Trade body, representing the UK's recorded music - The BPI". Bpi.co.uk. Retrieved 22 June 2025.
16. ^ "Hey Boy Hey Girl" (in Japanese). Toshiba-EMI. Archived from the original on 5 December 2000. Retrieved 26 August 2023.
17. ^ a b c "Chart Log UK: Chris C. – CZR". Zobbel.de. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
18. ^ "レット・フォーエバー・ビー | ケミカル・ブラザーズ" [Let Forever Be | Chemical Brothers] (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
19. ^ "Out of Control" (in Japanese). Toshiba-EMI. Archived from the original on 19 January 2000. Retrieved 26 August 2023.
20. ^ "New Releases – For Week Starting March 4, 2000: Singles". Music Week. 4 March 2000. p. 25.
21. ^ "The Chemical Brothers reveal 20th anniversary deluxe reissue of their 1999 album Surrender · News ⟋ RA". Resident Advisor. Retrieved 22 June 2025.
22. ^ Peacock, Tim (23 November 2019). "20th Anniversary Edition Of The Chemical Brothers' 'Surrender' Out Now". Udiscovermusic.com. Retrieved 22 June 2025.
23. ^ "Rocklist". Archived from the original on 29 June 2012. Retrieved 22 July 2018.
24. ^ a b Surrender (liner notes). The Chemical Brothers. Virgin Records. 1999. 724384761011.`{{cite AV media notes}}`: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
25. ^ "Australiancharts.com – The Chemical Brothers – Surrender". Hung Medien. Retrieved 15 March 2017.
26. ^ "Austriancharts.at – The Chemical Brothers – Surrender" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 15 March 2017.
27. ^ "Ultratop.be – The Chemical Brothers – Surrender" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 15 March 2017.
28. ^ "Ultratop.be – The Chemical Brothers – Surrender" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 15 March 2017.
29. ^ "The Chemical Brothers Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 15 March 2017.
30. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – The Chemical Brothers – Surrender" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 15 March 2017.
31. ^ a b c "Hits of the world". Billboard. 24 July 1999. p. 57. Retrieved 21 January 2022 - via Google Books.
32. ^ "The Chemical Brothers: Surrender". Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Archived from the original on 27 July 2021. Retrieved 31 July 2025.
33. ^ "Lescharts.com – The Chemical Brothers – Surrender". Hung Medien. Retrieved 15 March 2017.
34. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – The Chemical Brothers – Surrender" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 15 March 2017.
35. ^ "Charts.nz – The Chemical Brothers – Surrender". Hung Medien. Retrieved 15 March 2017.
36. ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – The Chemical Brothers – Surrender". Hung Medien. Retrieved 15 March 2017.
37. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 15 March 2017.
38. ^ Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
39. ^ "Swedishcharts.com – The Chemical Brothers – Surrender". Hung Medien. Retrieved 15 March 2017.
40. ^ "Swisscharts.com – The Chemical Brothers – Surrender". Hung Medien. Retrieved 15 March 2017.
41. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 15 March 2017.
42. ^ "The Chemical Brothers Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard.
43. ^ "Official Dance Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 31 July 2025.
44. ^ "Jaaroverzichten 1999". Ultratop. Retrieved 20 August 2020.
45. ^ "Rapports Annuels 1999". Ultratop. Retrieved 22 August 2020.
46. ^ "Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 8 September 2016.
47. ^ "End of Year Album Chart Top 100 – 1999". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 20 August 2020.
48. ^ "ARIA End of Year Albums Chart 2000". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 20 August 2020.
49. ^ "Top Selling Albums of 2000". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 26 September 2020.
50. ^ "End of Year Album Chart Top 100 – 2000". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 20 August 2020.
51. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2023 Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 7 July 2023.
52. ^ "Canadian album certifications – The Chemical Brothers – Surrender". Music Canada.
53. ^ "French album certifications – The Chemical Brothers – Surrender" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique.
54. ^ a b Sexton, Paul (18 March 2001). "Travis doubles up on new IFPI Platinum list". Billboard. Retrieved 27 August 2019.
55. ^ a b "Gold in Italy" (PDF). Music & Media. 4 December 1999. p. 5. Retrieved 24 November 2019 - via American Radio History.
56. ^ "Japanese album certifications – The Chemical Brothers – Surrender" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. Retrieved 27 August 2019. Select 1999年6月 on the drop-down menu
57. ^ "New Zealand album certifications – The Chemical Brothers – Surrender". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
58. ^ Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. p. 950\. ISBN 8480486392.
59. ^ "British album certifications – The Chemical Brothers – Surrender". British Phonographic Industry.
60. ^ Basham, David (2 July 2002). "Got Charts?". Mtv. Archived from the original on 4 November 2016. Retrieved 27 August 2019.
61. ^ "IFPI Platinum Europe Awards – 2000". International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 2 February 2020.
62. ^ "Chemical Brothers 'Come' Back in January". Billboard. 24 October 2001. Retrieved 22 June 2018.

* v
* t
* e

The Chemical Brothers

* Tom Rowlands
* Ed Simons

Studio albums|

* Exit Planet Dust
* Dig Your Own Hole
* Surrender
* Come with Us
* Push the Button
* We Are the Night
* Further
* Born in the Echoes
* No Geography
* For That Beautiful Feeling

Extended plays|

* Fourteenth Century Sky
* My Mercury Mouth E.P
* Loops of Fury
* Music:Response
* AmericanEP

Compilation albums|

* Brothers Gonna Work It Out
* Singles 93–03
* Brotherhood

Soundtracks|

* Hanna

Live albums|

* Live at the Social Volume 1
* Don't Think

Films|

* Don't Think

Related articles|

* Discography
* Songs
* "Electronic Battle Weapon"

* Category

Authority control databases |

* MusicBrainz release group

|

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