"Champagne Supernova" is a song by English rock bandOasis, written by Noel Gallagher. Released as a single in non UK countries in 1996 and lasting for over seven minutes, it is the final track on the band's second album Morning Glory?The Jam frontman Paul Weller appears as a guest guitarist and backing vocalist on the track. A music video for the song, directed by Nigel Dick, was released in 1996. The single was not released in the UK. The song was released in the U.S. as a radio single to great success, becoming the band's second No. 1 single on the Alternative Songs chart. It also peaked at No. 20 on the BillboardHot 100 Airplay, becoming the band's third top 40 single on that chart. The song is included on the band's greatest hits albumStop the Clocks and on the U.S. release of Time Flies... 1994–2009. Supernova SN 2003fg was nicknamed "Champagne Supernova" after the song.
Background
Noel Gallagher claimed in 2005 that he had still not made up his mind as to what the song actually is about, having previously told an NME interviewer in 1995: In a 2009 interview, Gallagher told the following anecdote:
Music video
The video for the song was directed by Nigel Dick and was filmed at Ealing Studios on 15 and 16 February 1996.
Live performances
The song was played at the majority of Oasis concerts. Noel Gallagher has stated, "I think it's the only song, since it was written, that we've played every night." During the Morning Glory Tour in 1995/96 and the Be Here Now Tour in 1997/98, the song's ending was usually stretched out by five or so minutes, with Noel playing a long improvised guitar solo. An example of one of these performances can be seen on the DVD ...There and Then. Oasis performed the song at the 1996 MTV Video Music Awards, with lead vocalist Liam Gallagher making rude gestures at his brother Noel as he was playing his guitar solo and then spitting beer all over the stage before storming off. At Oasis' Knebworth performance, Stone Roses guitarist John Squire made a guest appearance. After Noel's abrupt departure from Oasis in August 2009 and the band's subsequent dissolution, "Champagne Supernova" became the last original song they performed live together; the very last song was a cover of "I Am the Walrus" by the Beatles, as was the case with most of their concerts. Since Oasis' split, the song has been performed by Noel's follow-up band Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds, Liam's follow-up band Beady Eye, and Liam during his solo career.
Alternate versions
was hired to produce an alternate mix and a remix. The alternate mix was eventually released on the Deluxe Edition of Morning Glory? while the remix was issued on the B-side on a promo-only 12" of Oasis' cover of Slade's "Cum On Feel the Noize". Known as the "Lynchmob Beats Mix", this remix has been reissued on promotional material for the band's greatest hits album Stop the Clocks. Live versions of the track were released on ...There and Then and Familiar to Millions. A "clean" version, editing out the waves sound effects at the start of the track, was released on Assorted, a free CD issued with the January 1996 edition of Q magazine. It is also available on the Time Flies... 1994–2009 retrospective collection.
