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"Cast No Shadow" is a song by English rock band Oasis from their 1995 album (What's the Story) Morning Glory?.

Background

Noel Gallagher wrote the song for his friend Richard Ashcroft, lead singer of The Verve; in the sleeve notes of the album, Gallagher dedicated the song "to the genius of Richard Ashcroft". Ashcroft later said that he considered the song to be "a great honour". "Cast No Shadow" was originally intended to be a B-side, but this changed when the song turned out to be better than expected. "Cast No Shadow" was the last song written for the album; the track was composed by Gallagher while he was riding the train to return to the recording studio in Wales. Gallagher referred to the song's lyrics as "the best words I ever wrote."

Musical style and reception

"Noel wrote this sparkling blues-tinged ballad for buddy Richard Ashcroft of the Verve, and the specificity might account for why the lyrics and overall presentation ring so true. Noel isn't really equipped to handle the big cosmic questions, but when he's writing about a musician who has trouble saying what's on his mind, he's spot on."

Gallagher initially wanted the song to sound like Pink Floyd, particularly their album Wish You Were Here and its title track, which shared the same opening chords as "Cast No Shadow". Kenneth Partridge of Billboard magazine called the song a "sparkly blues-tinged ballad." Music critic Derek B. Scott remarked, "a Beatles-influenced vocal harmony that includes falsetto and echoing of words is heard in 'Cast No Shadow'". Nathan Stephens-Griffin from the band Martha stated about the song, "compared to some of the more classic Britpoppy ones, it has a really cool melancholy, dark, epic vibe." The magazine Mojo said that the song "was an uncharacteristically gentle reflection on his difficulties with expressing any deep emotion, both personally and in his lyrics."

Personnel

• Liam Gallagher – lead vocals, tambourine
• Noel Gallagher – acoustic guitar, lead guitar, bass, Mellotron, EBow, backing vocals
• Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs – rhythm guitar
• Alan White – drums

Certifications

References

1. ^ Scott, Derek B. (5 July 2017). Musical Style and Social Meaning: Selected Essays. Taylor & Francis. p. 121. ISBN 9781351556873.
2. "Why Noel Gallagher dedicated Cast No Shadow to Richard Ashcroft". radiox.co.uk. Radio X. 15 April 2023. Retrieved 12 December 2023.
3. Heatley, Michael (24 November 2014). The Boy in the Song: The Real Stories Behind 50 Classic Pop Songs. Pavilion Books. ISBN 9781909396876.
4. Taysom, Joe (11 January 2023). "Liam Gallagher explains the brilliance of Richard Ashcroft and The Verve". Far Out. Retrieved 17 December 2023.
5. Golsen, Tyler (4 September 2022). "The Oasis classic that was meant to be a B-side". Far Out. Retrieved 12 December 2023.
6. ^ "The Mojo Collection: 4th Edition". Mojo. Canongate Books. 1 November 2007. p. 622. ISBN 978-1-84767-643-6. Retrieved 13 December 2023.
7. ^ Coffman, Tim (7 October 2023). "The Oasis song Noel Gallagher said was "the best words I ever wrote"". Far Out. Retrieved 17 December 2023.
8. ^ Partridge, Kenneth (2 October 2015). "Oasis' '(What's the Story) Morning Glory?' at 20: Classic Track-by-Track Album Review". Billboard. Retrieved 16 December 2023.
9. ^ "Watch: Steo Wall covers Oasis' 'Cast No Shadow' for Hot Press #MorningGlory25 Series". Hot Press. 8 October 2020. Retrieved 12 December 2023.
10. Garland, Emma (20 September 2022). "The caustic outbursts, the raw charisma, the conkers … 50 reasons to love Liam Gallagher at 50". The Guardian. Retrieved 16 December 2023.
11. "British single certifications – Oasis – Cast No Shadow". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved July 23, 2024.

• Oasis (band) songs
• Songs written by Noel Gallagher
• Song recordings produced by Noel Gallagher
• 1995 songs