Protection (Massive Attack song)

"Protection" is a collaboration between English trip hop collective Massive Attack and Tracey Thorn from English duo Everything but the Girl, that appears on Massive Attack's second studio album, Protection (1994). Released as a single on 9 January 1995, the song reached number 14 on the UK Singles Chart, staying in the chart for four weeks, and also peaked at number 27 in New Zealand. The song was also included on Everything but the Girl's compilation The Best of and Like the Deserts Miss the Rain.

"Protection"
Single by Massive Attack with Tracey Thorn
from the album Protection
Released9 January 1995 (1995-01-09)[1]
Genre
Length
  • 7:51 (album version)
  • 4:53 (single edit)
LabelVirgin
Songwriter(s)Robert Del Naja, Grant Marshall, Andrew Vowles, Tracey Thorn
Producer(s)Massive Attack, Nellee Hooper
Massive Attack singles chronology
"Sly"
(1994)		 "Protection"
(1995)		 "Karmacoma"
(1995)
Music video
"Protection" on YouTube

The song contains samples taken from "The Payback" by James Brown,[2] namely the hi-hat/bass figure that drives the beat and the recurrent wah-wah guitar chord.

Critical reception

Larry Flick from Billboard viewed the song as "gorgeous".[3] Linda Ryan from the Gavin Report wrote, "Produced by Soul II Soul's Nellee Hooper (who also did Björk's album, Debut), "Protection" is a slow groove to paradise. I mean, this one is smooooth! Everything but the Girl's Tracey Thorn handles the vocals on this one, and she really shines."[4] Caroline Sullivan from The Guardian felt that the "normally limpid" singer "shows torchy sensuality" on the song.[5] Chuck Campbell from Knoxville News Sentinel viewed it as "supple", naming it the album's "highlight".[6]

In his weekly UK chart commentary, James Masterton complimented the "velvet tones" of Thorn, stating that "the result is an instant Top 20 smash, just one place short of the peak originally reached by their groundbreaking debut hit "Unfinished Sympathy"."[7] James Hamilton from Music Week's RM Dance Update described the song as "an attractive gentle atmospheric R&B swayer".[8] Parry Gettelman from Orlando Sentinel felt the singer is "a cool, elegantly melancholy presence".[9] Barry Walters for Spin constated, "The eight pained minutes of the title track are alone worth the price of the CD, despite suggesting that an Everything but the Girl remix album might have been the way to go."[10]

Music video

A music video was produced to promote the single, directed by French film director, screenwriter, and producer Michel Gondry.[11]

Track listings

Charts
Chart (1995) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[12][13] 91
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[14] 52
Europe Dance (Music & Media)[15] 7
Netherlands (Single Top 100 Tipparade)[16] 7
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[17] 27
Scotland (OCC)[18] 18
UK Singles (OCC)[19] 14
UK Hip Hop/R&B (OCC)[20] 2

References
  1. "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 7 January 1995. p. 13. Retrieved 26 June 2021.
  2. "Search". Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 11 March 2010.
  3. Flick, Larry (4 May 1996). "Dance Trax: Everything But The Girl Does No 'Wrong' Remixes" (PDF). Billboard. p. 28. Retrieved 27 November 2022.
  4. Ryan, Linda (20 January 1995). "Gavin Alternative: New Releases" (PDF). Gavin Report. p. 50. Retrieved 20 January 2023.
  5. Sullivan, Caroline (16 December 1994). "Music: The best CDs of the year - Pop CD of the year: Massive Attack". The Guardian.
  6. Campbell, Chuck (3 February 1995). "Stone Roses Might Need Some Pruning". Knoxville News Sentinel.
  7. Masterton, James (15 January 1995). "Week Ending January 21st 1995". Chart Watch UK. Retrieved 16 September 2021.
  8. Hamilton, James (21 January 1995). "Dj directory" (PDF). Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental Insert). p. 11. Retrieved 4 May 2021.
  9. Gettelman, Parry (3 February 1995). "Massive Attack". Orlando Sentinel.
  10. Walters, Barry (February 1995). "Spins". Spin. p. 77. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
  11. Iqbal, Nosheen (6 February 2010). "Massive Attack's art of darkness". The Guardian. Retrieved 30 March 2018.
  12. "The ARIA Australian Top 100 Singles Chart – Week Ending 19 Mar 1995". Imgur.com (original document published by ARIA). Retrieved 9 February 2017.
  13. Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 178.
  14. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 12, no. 4. 28 January 1995. p. 19. Retrieved 26 July 2020.
  15. "European Dance Radio" (PDF). Music & Media. 18 February 1995. p. 21. Retrieved 28 September 2022.
  16. "Massive Attack feat. Tracey Thorn – Protection" (in Dutch). MegaCharts. Retrieved 18 July 2021.
  17. "Massive Attack feat. Tracey Thorn – Protection". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 28 June 2019.
  18. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 28 March 2018.
  19. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 28 June 2019.
  20. "Official Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 28 June 2019.
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