Such Great Heights
2404150
225217028
2008-07-12T14:46:00Z
J Milburn Bot
7423137
All Music Guide has now been rebranded to Allmusic
{{Infobox Single <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Songs -->
| Name = Such Great Heights
| Cover = The Postal Service-Such Great Heights.jpg
| Cover size =
| Border =
| Caption =
| Artist = [[The Postal Service]]
| Album = [[Give Up]]
| A-side =
| B-side = ''There's Never Enough Time''
| Released = {{Start date|2003|1|21}}
| Format =
| Recorded =
| Genre = [[Pop music|Pop]], [[Indie pop|Indie]], [[Alternative dance|Alternative]]
| Length =
| Label = [[Sub Pop Records|Sub Pop]]
| Writer = [[Ben Gibbard]], [[Jimmy Tamborello]]
| Producer = The Postal Service
| Audio sample? =
| Certification =
| Last single =
| This single = '''''Such Great Heights'''''<br>(2003)
| Next single = ''[[The District Sleeps Alone Tonight]]''<br>(2003)
| Misc =
}}
'''''Such Great Heights''''' is a single released on [[January 21]], [[2003]] by [[The Postal Service]], under the [[Sub Pop Records]] label. The single includes a previously unreleased track "There's Never Enough Time" and two cover tracks by [[The Shins]] and [[Iron & Wine]] of "We Will Become Silhouettes" and "Such Great Heights", respectively.
The tracks were recorded in early 2002, and were written by [[Ben Gibbard]] and [[Dntel|Jimmy Tamborello]], and include backing vocals in the studio recording by [[Jen Wood]], whose other collaborations include work for [[The Black Heart Procession]] and [[Joan of Arc (band)|Joan of Arc]]. It was the first CD released by [[The Postal Service]], and a preview of ''[[Give Up]]'', which was released a month later. The cover artwork was designed by [[Kozyndan]].
The title song "Such Great Heights" has exhibited unusual staying power. It has consistently been one of the weekly top 5 most frequently played tracks on social music site [[Last.fm]] since the website began, holding the top spot for the majority of 2005. The song's reign in the top 10 ended in March 2007, when after the release of the [[Arcade Fire]] album, ''[[Neon Bible (album)|Neon Bible]]'', the song did not make it as the top 10 was predominantly songs from ''Neon Bible''. The song was featured on an 2004 episode of ''[[Veronica Mars]]''. It has also been used in several [[television commercial]]s, for organizations such as [[Ask.com]], [[Kaiser Permanente]], [[Target Corporation|Target]], [[United Parcel Service|UPS]] and [[M&M's]]. The song was also featured in the trailer for the 2004 film ''[[Garden State (film)|Garden State]]'' and the [[Iron & Wine]] cover version was featured in the film and its soundtrack. An [[instrumental]] version of the song is currently featured as part of [[United Parcel Service|UPS]]'s "[http://whiteboard.ups.com/ Whiteboard]" [[ad campaign]], which was launched [[6 January]], [[2007]], almost four years after the song was officially released.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://pressroom.ups.com/mediakits/landing/0,2307,69,00.html | title = Whiteboard Advertising Campaign | accessdate = 2007-01-06 | year = 2007 | publisher = [[United Parcel Service]] }}</ref> The song was used in ''[[Grey's Anatomy]]'', and appears on its season one soundtrack, ''[[Grey's Anatomy (soundtrack)|Grey's Anatomy Original Soundtrack Volume 1]]''.
==Music video==
The [[music video]] for "Such Great Heights", directed by [[Josh & Xander]], premiered in April 2003. During the bridge of "Such Great Heights" the video zooms from a [[Skyworks Solutions]] [[Integrated circuit|chip]] in a [[communications satellite|satellite]] and down to the [[EnergySolutions Arena]] in [[Salt Lake City, Utah|Salt Lake City]], [[Utah]]. The block where the EnergySolutions Arena sits is modified to look like a computer chip, creating a [[recursive]] visual effect.
[[Skyworks Solutions]] is a real company and the video is filmed inside one of their fabrication plants.<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.skyworksinc.com/fab_video_400_325.asp |title = Fab Video |accessdate = 2007-12-25 |publisher = Skyworks Solutions, Inc. }}</ref> Recently when the video premiered on [[iTunes]], the name and logo were blurred out during some scenes.
In early 2006, an [[Apple Computer]] ad that closely matched the music video of "Such Great Heights" sparked some controversy. (see [[The Postal Service#Controversies and disputes|"Such Great Heights" music video controversy]])
==Cover versions==
*[[Ben Folds]] covered "Such Great Heights" on [[Australia]]n [[Radio in Australia|radio station]] [[Triple J]] using a piano, forks, tin foil, and glass. He also played the song live during his Fall 2006 tour, including once in his MySpace webcast on [[October 24]], [[2006]]. He also covered it on the Summer 2007 tour with [[John Mayer]].
* [[Iron & Wine]] did a cover and was featured on the single.
* [[Teddy Geiger]] did a cover of the song "Such Great Heights" exclusively in a live performance for Boston radio station KISS 108.
* [[Matt Nathanson]] has often covered part of "Such Great Heights" as an outro to his song "Bent".<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.prettytheworld.com/index.php?m=live&c=setinfo&idd=864 |title = 2005-10-02 Cornell University Ithaca, NY |accessdate = 2007-12-25 |publisher = prettytheworld.com }}</ref>
*[[Rilo Kiley]] did a live cover version.
*[[The Section Quartet]] did a cover version on their album Fuzzboxx.
*[[Amanda Palmer]] of [[The Dresden Dolls]] has performed this song, solo on keyboard at live concerts.
==Track listing==
# "Such Great Heights" – 4:27
# "There's Never Enough Time" – 3:33
# "We Will Become Silhouettes" (cover by [[The Shins]]) – 3:01
# "Such Great Heights" (cover by [[Iron & Wine]]) – 4:10
==References==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
*[http://www.eliteproductionswi.com/apple-ps.htm Side-by-side comparison of Apple's Intel-iMac ad and Postal Service's "Such Great Heights"]
*[[Allmusic]] {{Rating-5|3}} [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:3jbsa9igw23a link]
*[[Pitchfork Media|Pitchfork]] (6.3/10) 8/7/03 <sup>dead link; view archive [http://web.archive.org/web/20060411234908/http://pitchforkmedia.com/record-reviews/p/postal-service/such-great-heights-district-sleeps.shtml here]</sup>
[[Category:The Postal Service singles]]
[[Category:2003 singles]]
[[es:Such Great Heights]]
[[fr:Such Great Heights]]