First Date (Blink-182 song)

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"First Date"
An illustration of a condom is used for the single art.
Single by Blink-182
from the album Take Off Your Pants and Jacket
B-side"Don't Tell Me It's Over"
ReleasedOctober 8, 2001
RecordedJanuary–March 2001[1]
Studio
GenrePop punk
Length2:51
LabelMCA
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Jerry Finn
Blink-182 singles chronology
"The Rock Show"
(2001) 		"First Date"
(2001) 		"I Won't Be Home for Christmas"
(2001)
Music video
"First Date" on YouTube

"First Date" is a song recorded by American rock band Blink-182 for their fourth studio album, Take Off Your Pants and Jacket (2001). It was released as the second single from the album on October 8, 2001. It was written primarily by guitarist Tom DeLonge, with additional songwriting credit to bassist Mark Hoppus, and drummer Travis Barker. "First Date" centers on the awkwardness and complicated emotions two individuals can experience upon initial meeting. DeLonge based the song on memories of his initial courtship with then-spouse Jennifer Jenkins.

The song's creation stems from Blink-182 manager Rick DeVoe's opinion that the album lacked a catchy, "feel-good" song. DeLonge composed "First Date" in response, while bassist Mark Hoppus composed the album's lead single "The Rock Show". The song's music video depicts the trio as hippies in the 1970s, parading around the suburbs in a Volkswagen van and visiting a water park.

The song spent nearly half a year on Billboard's Modern Rock Tracks chart, where it peaked at number six; internationally, it was a top five hit on the UK Rock Chart, and reached the top 40 on the all-genre UK Singles Chart, as well as in Flanders and Scotland. Music critics were generally mixed in their reception, with many considering it unimaginative. In promotion of the single, Blink-182 performed the song live on late-night talk show Late Night with Conan O'Brien, and at the 2001 MTV Europe Music Awards.

Background[edit]

Prior to recording their fourth studio album, Take Off Your Pants and Jacket, Blink-182 recorded demos at DML Studios, a small practice studio in Escondido, California, where the band had written Dude Ranch and Enema of the State.[1] The group had written a dozen songs after three weeks and invited their manager, Rick DeVoe, to be the first person outside Blink-182 to hear the new material, which the band found "catchy [but with] a definitive edge".[2][1][3] DeVoe sat in the control room and quietly listened to the recordings, and pressed the band at the end on why there was no "Blink-182 good-time summer anthem [thing]". DeLonge and Hoppus were furious, remarking, "You want a fucking single? I'll write you the cheesiest, catchiest, throwaway fucking summertime single you've ever heard!"[1][4] Hoppus went home and wrote "The Rock Show" in ten minutes, and DeLonge similarly wrote "First Date", which became the most successful singles from the record and future live staples.[3] The song's arrangement was worked in the Famous Stars and Straps warehouse in San Diego.[5]

The song was inspired by DeLonge's then-wife, Jennifer Jenkins, who he wed in 2001. When they were first dating, their first outing was to SeaWorld San Diego.[3] DeLonge remembered how awkward it was: "We just hung out and walked around looking at fish." He pulled from these experiences to write the tune, a summary of "going on a first date with a girl and not necessarily knowing how to act, what to wear or what to say."[6]

Reception[edit]

Joshua Klein of The Washington Post found the track "immediately likable," if innocuous,[7] while Gina Vivinetto of Tampa Bay Times called the song a "tender tune."[8] Darren Ratner, reviewing for Allmusic, writes that the song serves as "therapy for post-pubescent dilemma," adding that he found it "sharp, if not entertaining."[9] Aaron Scott of Slant Magazine expressed the belief that the "biggest chunk of the record-buying public is just the right age to relate to their songs about first dates," viewing its parent album on the whole monotonous.[10] Nick Hornby, writing for The New Yorker, said the song proceeds "straightforwardly and unimaginatively."[11] Chuck Taylor at Billboard was dismissive, commenting, "Fans will dig it — otherwise it's business as usual for a band who's made the most of its 15 minutes."[12]

Commercial performance[edit]

"First Date" was serviced as a single in Europe in October 2001, and in North America in January 2002.[13] It debuted on Billboard's Modern Rock Tracks chart in the issue dated February 2, 2002 at position 25;[14] it began collecting significant airplay two weeks later.[12] It first hit the top ten in the week ending March 16,[15] and reached its peak at number six during the week of April 6,[16] where it remained for four weeks.[17] It dropped out of the top ten in the week ending May 11,[18] and fell off the ranking after 25 weeks, on July 27, 2002.[19]

Music video[edit]

The video features the trio riding around in a red Volkswagen van.

The music video for "First Date" pays homage to 1970s culture, featuring the band acting as long-haired hippie versions of themselves. Clad in long wigs, bell-bottoms and butterfly collars, the trio drive around a quiet suburb in a Volkswagen van, making stops at a diner and water park.[13] The video, directed by The Malloys, was filmed over three days in Tsawwassen, British Columbia, and performance footage was filmed in a garage decorated with 1970s paraphernalia. Although the video was actually filmed in British Columbia, the video was thematically set in El Segundo, California in 1974.[13] Singer Jordan Pundik and guitarist Chad Gilbert of New Found Glory, with whom the band were touring at the time, make cameo appearances in the clip.[13] Journalist Joe Shooman interpreted the video as a retelling of the film Dazed and Confused.[20] Elements of the clip's concept stemmed from DeLonge, who viewed a documentary on the Bee Gees and found their hair and clothing outrageous: "I called up Mark and was like, 'Dude you've got to watch this shit.' These dudes are on top of a mountain, singing face to face, with the sunset behind them," he recounted.[21] The video debuted on MTV's Total Request Live on January 18, 2002;[22] it was added to the playlists of MuchMusic in Canada during the week of February 9, 2002,[23] and the College Television Network on March 16.[15] As its radio performance peaked, it attracted airplay on MTV; it was first listed on Billboard's Video Monitor, ranking the most-played clips on television stations, in the week of April 20, 2002.[24]

A shot from the video, where DeLonge's character Boomer mouths the phrase "what the fuck", became a popular GIF online in the late 2010s. In addition, DeLonge's company, To the Stars, has produced merchandise based on the Boomer character.[21] In 2021, DeLonge would create and play a new character by the name of Disco that is said to be Boomer's older brother. Disco was featured in the music video for the song "Losing My Mind" by DeLonge's other band, Angels & Airwaves.[25]

Track listing[edit]

All tracks are written by Blink-182

First Date CD Single[26]
No.TitleLength
1."First Date"2:51
2."Don't Tell Me It's Over"2:34
3."Mother's Day"1:37
4."The Rock Show" (Video)2:55

All tracks are written by Blink-182

First Date DVD Single[27]
No.TitleLength
1."First Date" 
2."The Rock Show" (Video) 
3."4x30 Second Clips (1. The Rock Show (Live); 2. Backstage; 3. Say Hello to Travis; 4. Want a Ticket?)" 
First Date Single 7"[28]
No.TitleLength
1."First Date"2:51
2."Don't Tell Me It's Over"2:34

Charts[edit]

Chart (2001-2002) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[29] 50
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[30] 69
Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Flanders)[31] 15
France (SNEP)[32] 81
Germany (Official German Charts)[33] 74
Ireland (IRMA)[34] 47
Scotland (OCC)[35] 25
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[36] 48
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[37] 92
UK Singles (OCC)[38] 31
UK Rock & Metal (OCC)[39] 2
US Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (Billboard)[40] 6
US Hot 100 Airplay (Billboard)[41] 84
US Alternative Airplay (Billboard)[42] 6
US Rock Digital Songs (Billboard)[43] 33

Certifications[edit]

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Italy (FIMI)[44] Gold 50,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[45] Gold 400,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d Take Off Your Pants and Jacket (2013 Vinyl Reissue) (liner notes). Blink-182. US: Geffen / Universal Music Special Markets. 2013. SRC025/SRC026/SRC027/SRC028. This reference primarily cites the Mark Hoppus foreword.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  2. ^ Roger Coletti (2001). "Blink-182: No Jacket Required". MTV News. Archived from the original on November 4, 2012. Retrieved June 22, 2010.
  3. ^ a b c Nichola Browne (November 20, 2005). "Punk Rock! Nudity! Filthy Sex! Tom DeLonge Looks Back On Blink-182's Greatest Moments". Kerrang! (1083). London: Bauer Media Group. ISSN 0262-6624.
  4. ^ Kyle Ryan (October 8, 2013). "Blink-182 took punk to No. 1 for the first time with a masturbation pun". The A.V. Club. Retrieved October 8, 2013.
  5. ^ Barker, Travis; Edwards, Gavin (2015). Can I Say: Living Large, Cheating Death, and Drums, Drums, Drums. William Morrow. p. 158. ISBN 978-0-062-31942-5.
  6. ^ Mehle, Michael (August 16, 2001). "Blink 182 is older but still mining teen issues". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Scripps Howard News Service. Retrieved January 14, 2021.
  7. ^ Klein, Joshua (June 20, 2001). "Lite Salad Days With Blink-182". The Washington Post. Retrieved January 14, 2021.
  8. ^ Vivinetto, Gina (August 4, 2001). "A rock show rebellion". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved January 14, 2021.
  9. ^ Darren Ratner. "Take Off Your Pants and Jacket: Review". All Music Guide. AllMusic. Retrieved January 14, 2021.
  10. ^ Aaron Scott (June 29, 2001). "Take Off Your Pants and Jacket: Review". Slant Magazine. Archived from the original on October 22, 2010. Retrieved January 14, 2021.
  11. ^ Hornby, Nick (August 20, 2001). "Pop Quiz". The New Yorker. Retrieved January 14, 2021.
  12. ^ a b References for the February 16, 2002 issue of Billboard:
    • Taylor, Chuck (February 16, 2002). "Reviews & Previews". Billboard. Vol. 114, no. 7. p. 21. ISSN 0006-2510.
    • Taylor, Chuck (February 16, 2002). "Modern Rock Tracks". Billboard. Vol. 114, no. 7. p. 73. ISSN 0006-2510.
  13. ^ a b c d Corey Moss (August 22, 2001). "Blink-182 Return To '70s In 'First Date' Video". MTV News. Retrieved April 28, 2013.
  14. ^ "Modern Rock Tracks". Billboard. Vol. 114, no. 5. February 2, 2002. p. 87. ISSN 0006-2510.
  15. ^ a b References for the March 16, 2002 issue of Billboard:
  16. ^ "Modern Rock Tracks". Billboard. Vol. 114, no. 14. April 6, 2002. p. 79. ISSN 0006-2510.
  17. ^ "Modern Rock Tracks". Billboard. Vol. 114, no. 17. April 27, 2002. p. 73. ISSN 0006-2510.
  18. ^ "Modern Rock Tracks". Billboard. Vol. 114, no. 19. May 11, 2002. p. 65. ISSN 0006-2510.
  19. ^ "Modern Rock Tracks". Billboard. Vol. 114, no. 30. July 27, 2002. p. 61. ISSN 0006-2510.
  20. ^ Shooman, 2010. p. 87
  21. ^ a b Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: Whitney, Marty (interviewer); Stuht, Danielle (interviewer); DeLonge, Tom (interviewee) (April 16, 2020). Marty & Danielle with Tom Delonge!. 91X San Diego, via YouTube. Retrieved April 17, 2020. {{cite AV media}}: |first1= has generic name (help)
  22. ^ "Episode 827". Total Request Live. January 18, 2002. MTV.
  23. ^ "The Clip List". Billboard. Vol. 114, no. 6. February 9, 2002. p. 56. ISSN 0006-2510.
  24. ^ "Billboard Video Monitor". Billboard. Vol. 114, no. 16. April 20, 2002. p. 110. ISSN 0006-2510.
  25. ^ Childers, Chad (July 29, 2021). "Angels & Airwaves' 'Losing My Mind' Video Introduces Boomer's Brother on Vegas TikTok Quest". Loudwire. Retrieved 2021-08-15.
  26. ^ Blink-182 - First Date (CD) in Discogs
  27. ^ First Date (DVD AUDIO) at Amazon.com
  28. ^ - First Date (Vinyl) en Discogs
  29. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved December 2, 2018.
  30. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 27, 2015.
  31. ^ "Official Rock & Metal Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved December 2, 2018.
  32. ^ "blink-182 – Chart History". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved January 18, 2014.
  33. ^ [1][dead link]

External links[edit]

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