20 YEARS AGO: The Chemical Brothers - Music: Response

Can it really be 20 years since 1999? Entering 2019 confirms that unbelievably, it is. Since January 1999 was slightly scarce on the singles front, this month we will also be looking at tracks from some of the albums that will be celebrating their 20th anniversaries this year.

This was the superb opening track from 'Surrender', the third album from electronic duo The Chemical Brothers. Inspired partly by the Kraftwerk classic 'Musique Non-Stop', the song contains a sample of "Make It Hot" by Nicole Wray featuring Missy Elliott. It was released as the lead track on an EP the following year in 2000, but was not eligible for the UK Charts because it included five songs instead of three.

The album cover artwork was provided by London-based silkscreen artist Kate Gibb using screen prints of photographs found in the Hulton Picture Library. The image was adapted from a photograph called Jesus Amongst the Fans taken by Richard Young at The Great British Music Festival at the Kensington Olympia in 1976. Ed Simons said: "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". 'Surrender' was the duo's second UK number one album, and went on to become double platinum.

Also featured below is the Futureshock mix, and the"Gentleman Thief" remix of the track, which is a reworking by Justin Robertson.

The Chemical Brothers will be releasing their 9th album this year. Following on from the excellent single 'Free Yourself', the LP ''No Geography' is due for release at some point in the Spring.