What Evil Lurks
1991
The single initially intended to support their then-upcoming album, Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned. However, the album got reworked and the song was removed from its track listing.
Chart positions:
Denmark: 13
Finland: 7
Holland: 40
Switzerland: 6
United Kindom: 5
New Zealand: 28
After almost 5 years after the Fat of the Land XL-Recordings planned the release a new song for the beginning of March, but it was delayed once more to no one's surprise. Finally the commercial release was available on July 1st in CD format, backed by dub and instrumental mixes, and 12" vinyl format, backed by dub, instrumental and acapella mixes, while the DVD edition includes the song's music video.
This new song was played live first time for North American audiences at the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival in Indio, California in May 2002. The song was originally meant to be for Keith's solo project but after Liam heard it he wanted to work on it and later it became a Prodigy song. The original live version was slower and the lyrics were in different order than in the single version. There was a second live version which the band performed twice in April 2002 in US. This version was harder than the original and more like the single version.
The song is heavily censored or outright banned from more mainstream radio stations due to its recurring references to 'date rape' drug rohypnol. Here are the lyrics sang by singer Keith Flint: "We love rohypnol/She got rohypnol/We take rohypnol/Just forget it all. This baby's got a temper/You'll never tame her" and simply "Rohypnol! Rohypnol! Rohypnol!"
The studio version was first aired on Finnish Radio station Radio Mafia in April 2002. The song was little bit censored to the lyrical content. Some weeks later on May 16th the song was given its world premiere on BBC Radio One but it was edited to remove any reference to the drug. Radio Mafia played the original radio edit and it was nicely censored but the group had not provided a radio edit of the song for the Radio One and have no intention of doing so. The track was heavily edited by Radio One at their end so it would fit into their daytime schedules.
The song was written by Keith Flint when he was in Flint, a side project of The Prodigy who co-wrote the song. The band performed several gigs, with their first being a brief set at the Download Festival on 1 June 2003. Having thought that the band were in the industrial metal genre, Flint decided that the song would largely contrast with the band's style, and invited Jim Davies to be featured in the song. Liam Howlett, the song's producer, would later argue he disowned the single.
"Baby's Got a Temper" briefly samples The Prodigy's earlier hit "Firestarter", while its tempo is set in 100 BPM. The band generated controversy by including references to the so-called "date rape" drug Rohypnol in the lyrics; however, they explained that the song mentions only personal use and makes no statements on drugging others. Howlett later described the song as "too introverted", as it focuses on Flint's personal experiences with the drug.
This song was originally intended for the album Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned, but when the album was half ready for release in 2003, Liam cancelled it all because he felt the style was to close to the firestarter-style and he binned everything and went to NY to find inspiration again. Because of the song's release as a non-album single, in 2008, the band's official website's discography classified it as an EP. In many interviews Liam still states that this is the worst Prodigy song ever written although many fans would not agree that.
Many critics disliked "Baby's Got a Temper" when released. PopMatters commented that the song "doesn’t sound like a great leap forward from the last Flint-fronted tracks, and that's a big disappointment considering that we've been waiting five years for it." In addition, NME panned the song, and called The Prodigy "just total fucking idiots" while unfavorably comparing it to glue. The song was banned from radio stations in the UK due to "glamorising" Rohypnol. BBC Radio 1 thought that the record would be "too strong to stomach".
Despite negative reviews, it was a commercial success, with the single being a top-five hit on the Canadian Singles Chart and the UK Singles Chart.
A pharmaceutical drug used by very sick individuals to perform date rape on unsuspecting female (and sometimes male) victims. There have been cases when it has been mixed with alcohol to incapacitate victims and prevent them from resisting sexual assault. Apparently it is nothing short of perfect for committing such a heinous crime. Rohypnol is sold in many parts of the world as a tranquilliser which causes muscle relaxation and amnesia.
It comes in pill form and is ten times more powerful than Valium. Rohypnol is a brand name for flunitrazepam. Common names include Roofies, Roche, Rib, Roachies and Stupefi. Rohypnol can be fatal, especially when combined with alcohol. It is illegal in the United States. Rohypnol is odorless, colorless, and tasteless and dissolves within seconds in any type of beverage. Within 15 to 30 minutes of taking the drug, a person can experience the following symptoms:
mental confusion/dizziness
hot and cold spells
nausea
inability to speak clearly
decreased blood pressure
drowsiness
amnesia which can last up to eight hours.
The effects of Rohypnol peak within two hours, can last 8-12 hours and may not fully wear off for several days.
Needless to say, this substance should be wiped off the face of the Earth as soon as possible. But the company manufacturing it is more interested in making profit than protecting human beings.
--Taken from Ivan 37 and break @ Everything---
Flint told NME that 'Baby's Got A Temper' has nothing to do with the date rape drug, saying:
07 Nov 2018 | Kerrang!
The Prodigy Thirty years of firestarting; one must-read interview
19 Jun 2009 | Independent.ie
Fired up: Keith Flint
21 Mar 2009 | NME
I See A Darkness
01 Mar 2009 | Clash Music
Call that music - it's just ruddy noise!
19 Nov 2005 | Nekozine
Interview with Liam Howlett after The Prodigy's show in Copenhagen
01 Feb 2005 | Keyboard Magazine
Trim the Fat
12 Sep 2004 | SFGATE
Pop quiz: Liam Howlett of Prodigy
10 Jan 2004 | NME
Prodigy set to make sexy return!
24 Aug 2002 | Daily Record
192: NO BIG DEAL; Prodigy's Liam on Keith's rape drug claims
01 Jul 2002 | BPM
Prodigy Unauthorized
22 Jun 2002 | NME
From Charly to Rohypnol
01 Jun 2002 | The Face
Fuck The Strokes, Bomb Ibiza
14 May 2002 | NME
'Temper' Tantrum!
26 Jul 2002 | NME
Prodigy: Baby's Got A Temper
01 Jul 2002 | Kerrang!
Single of the week: Prodigy - Baby's Got A Temper (XL)
16 Apr 2002 | BBC
The prats of the land
What Evil Lurks
1991
Charly
1991
Everybody In The Place
1991
Fire
1992
Experience
1992
Out of Space
1992
WInd It Up
1993
One Love
1993
No Good (Start The Dance)
1994
Music For The Jilted Generation
1994
Voodoo People
1994
Poison
1995
Firestarter
1996
Breathe
1996
The Fat Of The Land
1997
Smack My Bitch Up
1997
Prodigy Present: The Dirtchamber Sessions Volume One
1999
The Prodigy Experience - Expanded: Remixes & B-sides
2001
Always Outnumbered Never Outgunned
2004
Girls
2004
Hotride
2004
Spitfire
2005
Their Law: The Singles 1990–2005
2005
Voodoo People / Out Of Space
2005
Back To Mine
2006
More Music For The Jilted Generation
2008
Invaders Must Die
2009
Omen
2009
Warrior's Dance
2009
Take Me To The Hospital
2009
Invaders Must Die EP
2009
The Added Fat EP
2012
Nasty
2015
Wild Frontier
2015
The Day Is My Enemy
2015
Ibiza
2015
The Night Is My Friend EP
2015
Need Some1
2018
No Tourists
2018
Light Up The Sky
2018
The Fat Of The Land 25th Anniversary - Remixes
2023
World's on Fire
2011
Big set of The Prodigy stickers. 15 different designs (2 of each) and total of 30 stickers. Sticker sizes vary from 9 cm to 3,5 cm. Order here >