The Charlatans – The Only One I Know

Wrexham session, Strawberry mix, Situation Two hit

On 14 May 1990, Situation Two released The Only One I Know, the second single by The Charlatans. The Northwich band (Tim Burgess on vocals, Martin Blunt on bass, Jon Brookes on drums, John Baker on guitar, Rob Collins on keyboards) cut the track in March 1990 at The Winding Studios in Wrexham, Wales. Chris Nagle produced and mixed; further mixing followed at Strawberry Studios in Stockport. The song later sat on the debut album Some Friendly, released that October on the Beggars Banquet family of labels.

Beggars Banquet A&R and a friend of Burgess pushed the band to record this song instead of other candidates such as Polar Bear. Burgess later said the construction still confuses him: the title hook lives in the verse, while the long intro gives dancers time to reach the floor before the main body hits. Blunt’s bass breakdown after the second verse nodded toward funk and southern soul. Collins’ organ line, bright and circling, is what most listeners remember first, sitting over Brookes’ steady drums and Baker’s guitar.

The single reached No. 9 on the UK Singles Chart, No. 11 in Ireland, and No. 5 on the US Modern Rock chart. It was the highest-charting cut from Some Friendly, an album that entered the UK Albums Chart at No. 1. The video, directed by Kim Peters in her first directing job, shows the band playing in a Sandbach warehouse with friends watching. Police who arrived thinking a rave was underway briefly appear in the finished clip after short negotiations.