The Hellcat Spangled Shalalala

"The Hellcat Spangled Shalalala" is a song by the English rock band Arctic Monkeys. It was released 15 August 2011 by Domino Recording Company as the second single of their fourth album Suck It and See.^[1] Produced by James Ford and written by Alex Turner, the song was recorded at Sound City, Los Angeles in early 2011. The song refers to an unknown place frequented by Turner.

"The Hellcat Spangled Shalalala"
Single by Arctic Monkeys
from the album Suck It and See
B-side	"Little Illusion Machine (Wirral Riddler)"
Released	15 August 2011
Length	3:00
Label	Domino
Songwriter(s)	Alex Turner
Producer(s)	James Ford
Arctic Monkeys singles chronology
"Don't Sit Down 'Cause I've Moved Your Chair" (2011) "The Hellcat Spangled Shalalala" (2011) "Suck It and See" (2011)
Music video
"The Hellcat Spangled Shalalala" on YouTube

The single was released alongside B-side "Little Illusion Machine (Wirral Riddler)" credited to Miles Kane and the Death Ramps. On 8 August 2011, most of the stock of the single was destroyed in the fire at the PIAS Entertainment Group's warehouse during the 2011 London Riots

Background

The song is based on a place Turner frequented but he said "I don’t necessarily want that to be what the listener associates it with. ’Cause maybe they can relate it to a place they’ve been. I don’t want to ruin that by giving them a map." Turner noted his songs always have a lot of words, so for this album he tried to be more "economical" and said this is one of the songs were he decided "having really simple choruses but quite complicated verses lyrically." Producer James Ford's favourite part of the record is a harmony in this song: "It goes “uh-oh-uh-oh-wo”. Maybe it’s because it sounds like the Klaxons. I always think he prefers them to us."^[2]

Release

The 7" vinyl features only one B-side titled "Little Illusion Machine (Wirral Riddler)" and is credited to Miles Kane and the Death Ramps. The Death Ramps is a pseudonym previously adopted by the band when they released a limited edition vinyl with "Teddy Picker" B-sides "Nettles" and "The Death Ramps" back in 2007.

The B-side "Little Illusion Machine (Wirral Riddler)" was made available for streaming the on 8 August. That same day, most of the stock of the single was destroyed in the fire at the PIAS Entertainment Group's warehouse during the 2011 London Riots,^[3][4] severely hindering the single's retail release. The limited amount of remaining inventory was released exclusively on the band's website.^[5]

Music video

The music video for the single premiered on 7 July 2011 on YouTube. It was directed by Focus Creeps and featured footages of the band and model Scarlett Kapella as the "hellcat."^[6] On the video, Focus Creeps said: "We would climb into the back of the equipment truck with the model for [the video], running from fans with the band, shooting the entire time."^[7]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Alex Turner, except where noted

No.	Title	Length
1.	"The Hellcat Spangled Shalalala"	3:00
2.	"Little Illusion Machine (Wirral Riddler)" (Arctic Monkeys, Miles Kane)	3:11

Personnel

Arctic Monkeys

• Alex Turner – lead vocals, rhythm guitar (track one); lead guitar, backing vocals (track two)
• Jamie Cook – lead guitar (track one); rhythm guitar (track two)
• Nick O'Malley – bass guitar; backing vocals (track one)
• Matt Helders – drums, backing vocals

Additional personnel

• Miles Kane – lead vocals (track two)

Charts

Chart (2011)	Peak position
Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Flanders)^[8]	15
Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Wallonia)^[9]	33
UK Indie (OCC)^[10]	18

Chart (2018)	Peak position
Bolivia (Monitor Latino)^[11]	3

Release history

Country	Release date	Format	Label
United Kingdom	12 August 2011^[12]	Digital download	Domino

References

1. "The Hellcat Spangled Shalalala". Domino.
2. "Arctic Monkeys – Alex Turner's Guide To 'Suck It And See'". NME. 26 April 2011. Retrieved 18 May 2023.
3. "Arctic Monkeys Single Affected By Sony Warehouse London Riots Fire". gigwise.com.
4. Nicholls, Owen (9 August 2011). "London riots - Domino Records respond to Sony DADC warehouse fire". NME.
5. Smith, Caspar Llewellyn; Jonze, Tim; Lindvall, Helienne (9 August 2011). "Independent record labels fear ruinous stock loss in London riots fire". The Guardian.
6. Domino Recording Co. "Arctic Monkeys - The Hellcat Spangled Shalalala (Official Video)" – via YouTube.
7. "Aaron Brown and Ben Chappell: Creeping Their Way into the Analogue World". Lomgraphy. 21 October 2011.
8. "Arctic Monkeys – The Hellcat Spangled Shalalala" (in Dutch). Ultratip.
9. "Arctic Monkeys – The Hellcat Spangled Shalalala" (in French). Ultratip. Retrieved 11 May 2018.
10. "Official Independent Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company.
11. "Bolivia General" (in Spanish). Monitor Latino. from the original on 11 May 2018. Retrieved 11 May 2018.
12. "The Hellcat Spangled Shalalala - Single by Arctic Monkeys". iTunes Store. 15 August 2011.