Second Bite of the Apple

"Second Bite of the Apple" is the first single released from British band Beady Eye's second album, BE.^[2][3] "Second Bite of the Apple" was released along with B-side "Dreaming of Some Space" which used backmasking.^[1]

To promote the song Beady Eye performed "Second Bite of the Apple" on the semi-final of the BBC talent show The Voice UK on 15 June 2013.^[4][5] The band had previously performed the song on Later... with Jools Holland during the album's promotional campaign.^[6]

The song was written by Gem Archer and produced by David Sitek.^[1] In a track-by-track interview with ShortList, Liam Gallagher said that "Second Bite of the Apple" was "the one Sitek changed the most", adding that there was "a lot more magic" on the album.^[7]

Apple Music's editorial notes for BE described "Second Bite of the Apple" as the album's first single and characterised it as having clattering percussion, a fuzzed-out bass line and a brassy horn section, with those embellishments presented as hallmarks of Sitek's production approach.^[2] In a later review carried by Metacritic, AllMusic compared the song's opening riff to the Zombies' "Time of the Season".^[8]

The song received its first major broadcast as Zane Lowe's "Hottest Record in the World" on BBC Radio 1 before its commercial release.^[9] It was issued digitally on 29 April 2013 as a two-track single with "Dreaming of Some Space" as its B-side.^[1]

1. "Second Bite of the Apple" (Gem Archer) – 3:29^[1]
2. "Dreaming of Some Space" (Andy Bell) - 1:56

The music video for "Second Bite of the Apple" was unveiled on 20 May 2013.^[10][11] It was directed by Charlie Lightening.^[12]

Critical response to "Second Bite of the Apple" was mixed. In its editorial description of BE, Apple Music presented the song as a key statement of the album's broader, more ornamented sound, emphasising its percussion, bass line and brass arrangements.^[2] RTÉ was positive, calling Gem Archer's "Second Bite of the Apple" "a cracker" and highlighting its rumbling drums and blasts of brass.^[13] Clash also singled the track out from the album, describing it as part of a broader expansion in the band's rhythms and textures.^[14]

Other critics were less enthusiastic. The Evening Standard described "Second Bite of the Apple" as a "summery groove" undermined by poor lyrics,^[15] while Hot Press felt that the effects on Liam Gallagher's voice sounded out of place, despite calling it a good song.^[16] Pitchfork similarly argued that the song's attitude and production were somewhat undercut by its lyrics.^[17]

"Second Bite of the Apple" peaked at number 112 on the UK Singles Chart, number 2 on the Official Physical Singles Chart and number 14 on the Japan Hot 100.^[18][19][20]