View source for Dig for Fire

{{Short description|1990 single by Pixies}}
{{Infobox song
| name       = Dig for Fire
| cover      = Pixies-Dig for Fire.gif
| alt        =
| type       = single
| artist     = [[Pixies (band)|Pixies]]
| album      = [[Bossanova (Pixies album)|Bossanova]]
| B-side     = {{ubl|"Velvety Instrumental Version"|"Winterlong"|"Santo"}}
| released   = {{Startdate|1990|10|29}}
| recorded   = 1989{{snd}}1990
| studio     = *[[Cherokee Studios|Cherokee]], Hollywood
*[[Hansa Tonstudio|Hansa]], Berlin
| venue      =
| genre      = [[Alternative rock]]
| length     = 2:51
| label      = [[4AD]]/[[Elektra Records|Elektra]]
| writer     = [[Black Francis]]
| producer   = [[Gil Norton]], [[Chris Sheldon]]
| prev_title = [[Velouria]]
| prev_year  = 1990
| next_title = [[Planet of Sound]]
| next_year  = 1991
| misc       = {{Audio sample
 | type = single
 | file = Dig for Fire.ogg
}}
}}
"'''Dig for Fire'''" is a song by the American [[alternative rock]] band [[Pixies (band)|Pixies]]. The song appeared on their 1990 album ''[[Bossanova (Pixies album)|Bossanova]]'', and was released as a [[single (music)|single]] in October 1990.  

==Background==
"Dig for Fire" was one of the few songs on ''[[Bossanova (Pixies album)|Bossanova]]'' that Francis had written prior to coming into the studio.<ref name="fool the world">{{cite book |last1=Frank |first1=Josh |last2=Ganz |first2=Caryn |title=Fool the World: The Oral History of a Band Called Pixies |date=1 April 2007 |publisher=St. Martin's Publishing Group |isbn=978-1-4299-0443-8 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yHFqVBh8QPMC |language=en}}</ref> According to Pixies frontman [[Black Francis]], the song was "a bad [[Talking Heads]] imitation."<ref>Stern, Perry. "Surf's Up." Music Express, October 1990. http://aleceiffel.free.fr/surf.html (transcript) (accessed March 10, 2013)</ref>

Producer [[Gil Norton]] said of the song, {{"'}}Dig for Fire' was the first time we used a drum machine. The bass drum on that is a drum machine and [[Dave Lovering|Dave [Lovering]]] played on top of it. That was the first time we'd ever used any sample-type sounds on the album."<ref name="fool the world" />

==Release==
"Dig for Fire" was released as the second single from ''[[Bossanova (Pixies album)|Bossanova]]''. Among the B-sides was a version of [[Neil Young]]'s "Winterlong."<ref name="b-side">{{cite book |last1=Cowan |first1=Andy |title=B-Side: A Flipsided History of Pop |date=6 June 2023 |publisher=SCB Distributors |isbn=978-1-915316-14-1 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LYC_EAAAQBAJ |language=en}}</ref> "Dig for Fire" reached number 11 on the US [[Alternative Airplay|Modern Rock Tracks]] chart<ref>[http://www.allmusic.com/artist/pixies-mn0000895136/awards "Pixies - Awards"]. allmusic.com. Retrieved February 13, 2013.</ref> and number 62 in the UK.

The single version of "Dig for Fire" is mixed differently from the album version and also contains some overdubs.{{citation needed|date=July 2021|reason=This is true, but needs a reference for verification. Otherwise it's just original research.}}

==Music video==
The song was promoted with a [[music video]] that also featured another ''Bossanova'' track, the brief "[[Allison (Pixies song)|Allison]]", a tribute to jazz musician [[Mose Allison]]. The combination of the two songs was a compromise, as [[Elektra Records|Elektra]] wanted a video for "Dig for Fire," while Francis, in calling the song a "bad Talking Heads imitation," pushed for "Allison" instead.<ref name="gigantic">{{cite book |last1=Mendelssohn |first1=John |title=Gigantic: The Story Of Frank Black And The Pixies |date=15 December 2009 |publisher=Omnibus Press |isbn=978-0-85712-116-5 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_Cv9KKpCQ50C |language=en}}</ref>

The video featured the band riding in motorcycle sidecars during "Dig for Fire," only to cut to the band performing "Allison" live on the field of Amsterdam's [[Olympic Stadium (Amsterdam)|Olympisch Stadion]].<ref name="gigantic" />

==Track listing==
All songs written by [[Black Francis]], except where otherwise noted.

#"Dig for Fire"&nbsp;– 2:51
#"Velvety Instrumental Version"&nbsp;– 2:04
#"Winterlong" ([[Neil Young]])&nbsp;– 3:07
#"Santo"&nbsp;– 2:16

==Charts==
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
!Chart (1990–91)
!Peak<br />position
|-
{{singlechart|UKsinglesbyname|62|artist=Pixies|accessdate=7 August 2017}}
|-
{{singlechart|Billboardalternativesongs|11|artist=Pixies|accessdate=7 August 2017}}
|}

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Pixies}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dig For Fire}}
[[Category:1990 singles]]
[[Category:Pixies (band) songs]]
[[Category:Songs written by Black Francis]]
[[Category:Elektra Records singles]]
[[Category:4AD singles]]
[[Category:1990 songs]]
[[Category:Song recordings produced by Chris Sheldon]]
[[Category:Song recordings produced by Gil Norton]]


{{1990s-rock-song-stub}}