Sly (Massive Attack song)

"Sly" is a song by British trip hop collective Massive Attack. It was released as a first single from their second album, Protection (1994), on 17 October 1994^[1] by Wild Bunch and Circa. Vocals on the track are performed by Scottish singer-songwriter Nicolette. "Sly" reached number 24 in the United Kingdom, becoming Massive Attack's fourth top-40 single there.

"Sly"
Single by Massive Attack
from the album Protection
Released	17 October 1994 (1994-10-17)^[1]
Genre	Trip hop
Length	5:25 (album version) 4:56 (single edit)
Label	Wild Bunch Circa
Songwriter(s)	Andrew Vowles Robert Del Naja Grant Marshall Nellee Hooper Nicolette Suwoton Vivien Goldman
Producer(s)	Andrew Vowles Robert Del Naja Grant Marshall Nellee Hooper
Massive Attack singles chronology
"Massive Attack (EP)" (1992) "Sly" (1994) "Protection" (1995)
Music video
"Sly" on YouTube

Background

Sly was the combination of Craig Armstrong's strings combined with Nicolette's vocals. After hearing her first album Now is Early, and being suitably impressed by it, Massive Attack chose Nicolette to appear on Protection.^{[citation needed]}

Critical reception

Push from Melody Maker felt releasing the song as the first single from the Protection album was "the smartest choice", praising the "dreamy-voices" by Nicolette. He concluded, "Thumbs up."^[2] Dele Fadele from NME wrote, "'Sly' finds Nigerian-born Nicolette trilling on in a sultry and wistful manner about time-travel, fate and destiny whilst the string-laden, mid-tempo backdrop conjures up images of the South Seas Pacific and somewhere more devastated and ominous. The overall effect is of putting your ears close to a sea shell and hearing clear, chiming, harmonic bells; as dazzling as that."^[3]

Track listings

• UK CD1 and cassette single; Australian CD single^[4][5][6]

1. "Sly" (7-inch edit) – 4:10
2. "Sly" (7 Stones mix) – 5:58
3. "Sly" (Underdog mix) – 5:19
4. "Sly" (Underdog double bass & a cappella) – 3:36

• UK CD2^[7]

1. "Sly" (album version) – 5:24
2. "Sly" (Underdog version) – 4:29
3. "Sly" (Cosmic dub) – 5:26
4. "Sly" (Eternal Feedback dub) – 6:23

• UK 12-inch single^[8]

A1. "Sly" (7 Stones mix) – 5:58

A2. "Sly" (Underdog mix) – 5:19

B1. "Sly" (Cosmic dub) – 5:26

B2. "Sly" (album version) – 5:24

B3. "Sly" (Eternal Feedback dub) – 6:23

• European CD single^[9]

1. "Sly" (7-inch edit) – 4:10
2. "Sly" (7 Stones mix) – 5:58

• US maxi-CD single^[10]

1. "Sly" (7-inch edit)
2. "Sly" (7 Stones mix)
3. "Sly" (Underdog mix)
4. "Sly" (Cosmic dub)
5. "Karmacoma" (LP version)

Charts

Chart (1994)	Peak position
Australia (ARIA)^[11]	98
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)^[12]	77
Europe (European Dance Radio)^[13]	20
Scotland (OCC)^[14]	29
UK Singles (OCC)^[15]	24

References

1. "Single Releases" (PDF). Music Week. 15 October 1994. p. 27. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
2. Push (15 October 1994). "Singles". Melody Maker. p. 36. Retrieved 6 November 2023.
3. Fadele, Dele (22 October 1994). "Singles". NME. p. 50. Retrieved 6 November 2023.
4. Sly (UK CD1 liner notes). Massive Attack. Wild Bunch Records, Circa Records. 1994. WBRX5, 7243 8 92855 2 1.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
5. Sly (UK cassette single sleeve). Massive Attack. Wild Bunch Records, Circa Records. 1994. WBRC5.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
6. Sly (Australian CD single liner notes). Massive Attack. Wild Bunch Records, Circa Records. 1994. WBRXF5, 7243 8 92662 2 1.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
7. Sly (UK CD2 liner notes). Massive Attack. Wild Bunch Records, Circa Records. 1994. WBRDX5, 7243 8 92656 2 0.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
8. Sly (UK 12-inch single sleeve). Massive Attack. Wild Bunch Records, Circa Records. 1994. WBRT5, 7243 8 92655 6 9.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
9. Sly (European CD single liner notes). Massive Attack. Wild Bunch Records, Circa Records. 1994. WBRXE5, 7243 8 92657 2 9.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
10. Sly (US maxi-CD single liner notes). Massive Attack. Virgin Records, Wild Bunch Records, Circa Records. 1994. V25H-38465.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
11. "The ARIA Australian Top 100 Singles Chart – Week Ending 4 Dec 1994". ARIA. Retrieved 1 September 2016 – via Imgur.
12. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 11, no. 45. 5 November 1994. p. 15. Retrieved 19 September 2020.
13. "European Dance Radio Top 25" (PDF). Music & Media. 19 November 1994. p. 31. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
14. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 14 April 2018.
15. "Massive Attack: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 19 September 2020.