{"id":639127,"date":"2026-10-23T15:30:15","date_gmt":"2026-10-23T15:30:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/639127\/"},"modified":"2026-10-23T15:30:15","modified_gmt":"2026-10-23T15:30:15","slug":"its-a-standard-really-everyone-looks-like-theyre-absolutely-loving-hearing-it-the-band-behind-a-24-carat-indie-classic-tell-us-how-it-was-made","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/639127\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cIt\u2019s a standard, really \u2013 everyone looks like they\u2019re absolutely loving hearing it\u201d: The band behind a 24-carat indie classic tell us how it was made"},"content":{"rendered":"

Going For Gold<\/a> by British indie outfit Shed Seven<\/a> is one of the Britpop era\u2019s standout songs – an infectious, guitar-and brass-fuelled anthem that balances an uplifting sound with introspective lyrics. Arguably, it has become the band\u2019s signature song, so much so that their 1999 greatest hits compilation was named after it.<\/p>\n

Released as a single in 1996, the track, which was taken from Shed Seven\u2019s second studio album, A Maximum High<\/a>, became the band\u2019s biggest hit, peaking at number eight in the UK Top 40.<\/p>\n

Opening with a gorgeous, twangy, country-flavoured guitar riff that recalls Suspicious Minds<\/a> by Elvis Presley (when Shed Seven play the song live, they often segue into a version of the Elvis classic) it soon builds into a stadium-friendly epic, powered by soulful brass, which is credited to The Phantom Horns, a horn section featuring session musicians including saxophonist Gary Barnacle and trumpeter John Thirkell.<\/p>\n

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Shed Seven in their early days; \u201cWe were struggling to find somewhere to bash things out\u201d (Image credit: Martyn Goodacre\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were accused so much of ripping off Suspicious Minds that we thought, \u2018why not just play it anyway?\u2019\u201d says Shed Seven\u2019s snake-hipped frontman and lyricist, Rick Witter, speaking to MusicRadar on Zoom from his home in York, the city where the band was formed.<\/p>\n

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Rather fittingly, behind him on the wall is a framed gold disc given to him for 250,000 sales of A Maximum High, which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year – the band are touring to support the milestone<\/a> and playing the album in full.<\/p>\n

You may like<\/p>\n

Reflecting on writing Going For Gold, Witter tells us: \u201cI don\u2019t really remember Paul [Banks, guitarist] giving me the riff, but I\u2019m presuming that at the time we probably thought it was very similar [to Suspicious Minds], but it\u2019s just the opening riff and then it turns into its own lovely beast. Over the years, people have mentioned the Elvis connection, but I can think of a lot worse people to pay homage to.\u201d<\/p>\n

The initial writing sessions for the song took place at the band\u2019s rehearsal space in York, as Witter explains: \u201cAfter the first album [1994\u2019s Change Giver], we lost the place where we used to rehearse and write, and we were struggling to find somewhere to bash things out. As a rule, me and Paul will get together in one of our houses and get the basis of a song going, but, as a full band, you need somewhere to bash things out.<\/p>\n

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\u201cSo, Tom [Gladwin], our bass player, got friendly with this lad whose dad owned Cockerill\u2019s potato plant – it was in this area just outside of York where, after all the potatoes had been picked, they\u2019d be bagged up. There was a disused office block as part of the potato plant, and when this guy heard we were struggling, he said, \u2018You can use it for free and be as loud as you want\u2019. So, a lot of the album [A Maximum High] came together in a potato plant. I can remember looking out of the windows and seeing tractors with loads of potatoes in the back.\u201d<\/p>\n

He adds: \u201cThe great thing about this story is that long after the company moved, the building got knocked down and they built a B&Q [A British DIY store] there, and do you know what? Where the office block was is where they now sell the sheds.\u201d<\/p>\n

Going For Gold didn\u2019t come together that easily to begin with. \u201cI think it was one of the first batch of new songs for the album, and I seem to remember that even the record label [Polydor] wasn\u2019t really into it,\u201d reflects Witter.<\/p>\n

What to read next<\/p>\n

\u201cWe had Bully Boy<\/a>, and the MD of Polydor really liked that, but he couldn\u2019t see past Going For Gold. I wasn\u2019t convinced at the beginning [either], but then we re-demoed it and put loads of brass on it, and it really lifted the song out of the mire, so to speak. The whole of that album is quite brass-heavy.\u201d<\/p>\n

The brass gives Going For Gold a Stax-inspired feel, reminiscent of Elvis Presley’s late-1960s Memphis recordings. \u201cThat\u2019s exactly what we were after, and a lot of it was a fluke – we probably had discussions while we were recording it: \u2018Shall we put a bit of this or that on it?\u2019 We had the time and the money because the record company would throw it at you,\u201d explains Witter.<\/p>\n

Shed Seven – Going For Gold – YouTube
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Watch On <\/a><\/p>\n

The lyrics of Going For Gold touch on introspection, love, loss and emotional betrayal, with lines like, \u2018Are you here for my pleasure \/ Or are you going for gold?\u2019, \u2018I never said never ever\/You took the words right out of my mouth,\u2019 and \u2018You took the shine right out of my smile.\u2019<\/p>\n

We ask Witter where the inspiration for the lyric came from.<\/p>\n

\u201cI used to carry a notebook around with me – I was constantly jotting things down. I do have a memory of being sat on a bus – a long time before we wrote Going For Gold – and hearing two old ladies having a chat. I\u2019m convinced one of them said, \u2018Oh, never say never, love,\u2019 or something like that, and I thought, \u2018That\u2019s a nice phrase\u2019,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen Paul comes up with a new riff or a set of chords, the first thing I do is to think of a melody and usually the first thing that comes into my head is the thing that sticks and wins, and then I\u2019ll start piecing together a storyline around the melody. Going For Gold is self-explanatory.\u201d<\/p>\n

So, it wasn\u2019t inspired by the TV game show of the same name? \u201cNo, but we got asked that a lot at the time. It was nothing to do with the TV show. However, over the years, we\u2019ve had a lot of songs that could potentially be [named after] TV programmes. We\u2019ve got a song called Stars In Your Eyes<\/a>,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Talking of TV shows, the band did their fair share of them promoting Going For Gold, including an appearance on middle-of-the road UK daytime programme This Morning, co-hosted by husband-and-wife duo, Richard and Judy (Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan), but it wasn\u2019t one of Shed Seven\u2019s proudest moments.<\/p>\n

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Shed Seven take considerable umbrage at Spandau Ballet’s Gold being continually selected for Olympics coverage over them\u2026 \u201cWe were playing a festival, and I think the Olympics must\u2019ve been on\u2026 I had a moan on stage about why it\u2019s always Spandau Ballet. We\u2019re always the bridesmaid to Gary Kemp!\u201d (Image credit: Martyn Goodacre\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was in Liverpool and it was pre-recorded – my memory is of us arriving the night before because they wanted to film us before the show went live, so we had to mime at nine in the morning, which meant getting into the studio for eight. We stayed overnight in a hotel in Liverpool and got too drunk. I remember just being thankful that we were miming,\u201d he remembers.<\/p>\n

Going For Gold, along with the rest of A Maximum High, was recorded at the legendary RAK Studios in London, with producer and mixer Chris Sheldon at the helm, who was known for making rock records.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe wanted to make our sound more gritty and hard – it was great working with Chris, and, funnily enough, years later, he\u2019s still mixing our albums and coming up with the goods for us,\u201d says Witter.<\/p>\n

The promotional video for Going For Gold has the band performing the song against a red studio backdrop with imagery of women painted in gold, dancing in flames, inspired by the opening credits of the classic \u201860s James Bond film Goldfinger.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s one of our better videos to be honest with you,\u201d says Witter. \u201cIt was quite simple. I believe the cover star for the single was Jo Guest, who used to be a model. It\u2019s her body [painted gold] on the sleeve of the single.\u201d<\/p>\n

We ask Witter if he sees a substantial increase in his royalty payments during an Olympic year. Surely Going For Gold is a surefire song to be played as part of the TV coverage\u2026<\/p>\n

\u201cI had a bit of a moan about that one summer,\u201d he admits. \u201cWe were playing a festival, and I think the Olympics must\u2019ve been on\u2026 I had a moan on stage about why it\u2019s always Spandau Ballet. We\u2019re always the bridesmaid to Gary Kemp!\u201d<\/p>\n

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The song is still an integral part of Shed Seven’s live sets: \u201cThere are certain songs that we couldn\u2019t not play as part of a setlist, and that\u2019s one of them\u201d (Image credit: Tabatha Fireman\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n

On the enduring appeal of Going For Gold, Witter says: \u201cIt\u2019s a standard, really – there are certain songs that we couldn\u2019t not play as part of a setlist, and that\u2019s one of them. Other songs come and go, depending on how we feel at the time, but Going For Gold has to be in the set every time, and it always goes down well. Everyone looks like they\u2019re absolutely loving hearing it. We\u2019re a very lucky band in the respect that we could be in Blackburn on a Monday night, or London on a Saturday night, and, inside that venue, for two hours, the atmosphere is always incredible.\u201d<\/p>\n

More than 30 years into the band\u2019s career, that\u2019s something to be proud of, isn\u2019t it?<\/p>\n

\u201cAs long as I\u2019ve still got the hips and my health\u2026 Look at Paul McCartney<\/a> and Mick Jagger – they\u2019ve got 30 years on us and they\u2019re still at it. Hopefully we\u2019ll be celebrating 60 years of Going For Gold,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

In January 2027, Shed Seven are releasing their seventh studio album, which, appropriately, is called Shed Seven<\/a>. The band have enjoyed a remarkable resurgence in recent years, achieving their first ever number one album in 2024 with A Matter of Time, followed just 10 months later by a second number one with Liquid Gold, placing them alongside such artists as The Beatles<\/a>, Elton John and David Bowie, who also achieved two UK number one albums in a single calendar year.<\/p>\n

So, do they feel any pressure to repeat that success with the new album? \u201cNo – it\u2019ll do what it\u2019s going to do,\u201d says Witter. \u201cObviously everyone wants it\u2026 It took us long enough to get there in the first place. What I want is for people in 40 years\u2019 time to still be listening to it and loving it – I don\u2019t care where it goes [in the charts.]\u201d<\/p>\n

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Shed Seven’s self-titled seventh LP drops Jan 8th 2027 (Image credit: Shed Seven)<\/p>\n

So how does he feel about revisiting A Maximum High 30 years on and playing it in full?<\/p>\n

\u201cI suppose it\u2019s nice to reflect\u2026 There are five Top 40 singles off the album, so a lot of the songs are played at nearly all our gigs,\u201d he says. \u201cIt\u2019s nice to revisit the album tracks that we might not have played for years, but then, saying that we\u2019re just a good live band, and we\u2019ve got an awful lot of hits.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s slightly frustrating when you have to lower the mood sometimes when you\u2019re playing a song you\u2019ve not played for 18 years, and only half the crowd knows what it is\u2026 That\u2019s why I\u2019m looking forward to Shedcember [a run of UK shows this November and December] because that will be a hits-heavy tour and you\u2019re more assured that you\u2019re going to keep people up there all the way through it – I don\u2019t like the dips and troughs; it\u2019s got to be hammered out.\u201d<\/p>\n

Going For Gold is now an indie staple, but Witter doesn\u2019t think it\u2019s Shed Seven\u2019s definitive song. \u201cI think Chasing Rainbows beats Going For Gold as our most well-known song – it didn\u2019t chart as high, but Chasing Rainbows is the quintessential Shed Seven song, and we always play it last at gigs,\u201d he tells us.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe always drop out at the end and let the crowd sing it, and it\u2019s such a moment. With Going For Gold, I always like to mime shaking the maracas to that one because that\u2019s what I was doing in 1996. Our fans who come to see us know that potentially they\u2019re going to get a maraca because I give them away every night.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\"Shed\n<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Tom Oxley)<\/p>\n

Does it feel like three decades since A Maximum High and Going For Gold came out?<\/p>\n

\u201cThese big anniversaries seem to come around quite quickly, but I don\u2019t really give them much thought until I\u2019m told,\u201d he says. \u201cOur comeback album, Instant Pleasures, was released in 2017 – that was the first new music we\u2019d written in 16 years and now that\u2019s nearly 10 years old\u2026 It\u2019s like, \u2018where has that 10 years gone?\u2019 Incredible.\u201d<\/p>\n

We suggest to Witter that in a lot of cases, it\u2019s record companies, rather than artists, who are concerned about celebrating album anniversaries. Most artists are concentrating on their latest records rather than dwelling on the past, but the music industry is capitalising on reissues and nostalgia.<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course – it\u2019s all about the pound signs,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Going for gold, anyone?<\/p>\n

For more info on Shed Seven’s UK tour and upcoming seventh album, check out the band’s website<\/a>. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Going For Gold…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":639128,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[156,157,111,139,69],"class_list":["post-639127","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-music","tag-entertainment","tag-music","tag-new-zealand","tag-newzealand","tag-nz"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/639127","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=639127"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/639127\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/639128"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=639127"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=639127"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=639127"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}