Queer (4:37)

“Queer” is a song released by Garbage, which appears on their eponymous first album. It was written and recorded at Smart Studios during the 1994-1995 sessions for the debut album.

With its suggestive title and subdued trip-hop feel, “Queer” quickly became a word-of-mouth success for the fledgling band. The song samples the drum beat from Single Gun Theory’s “Man of Straw”. The band had wanted to use a Frank Sinatra sample for “Queer”, but the idea was abandoned because it would have been too expensive.

Bass on “Queer” was played by Mike Kashou, additional drums by Clyde Stubblefield and clarinet by Les Thimming.

Queer” was issued as a single in Australia and Europe as an EP in October 1995, and the following month the song was issued in the UK on a 2xCD set and vinyl to coincide with the band’s debut UK show. The song was also issued as an airplay single in the US in late 1995.

“Queer” was the band’s first top 20 UK single, peaking at number 13 in December 1995 & remained on the UK chart for 8 weeks. At one point in the midweeks charts the single had hit the UK Top Ten, but by the end of the week sales had levelled off and settled at the #13 spot.

Continuing the special packaging for Garbage’s vinyl formats, the “Queer” 7” came in a stickered perspex case (with an embossed “G” logo on both sides). [1] The original idea for the vinyl format was package for in a jade velvet wallet with Garbage and Queer burned onto the velvet.
Initial copies of the 7” were packed in a bubble-wrap bag. Accompanying the vinyl was a two disc CD single set.