Space - Female Of The Species

JUL 01 1996 · 12:00

Space - Female Of The Species (1996) Director: Gerald McMorrow Era: Britpop Peak Era (1996) - Mid-90s UK indie and alternative explosion; lounge-pop eclecticism flourishing alongside Oasis/Blur guitar dominance High curatorial value as a confirmed, director-attributed artefact of peak Britpop (1996) that documents an eccentric, non-mainstream strand of the movement. The video's surrealist low-budget aesthetic, green-tinted practical production, and femme fatale narrative structure make it a primary source for researchers studying 1990s UK music video craft, Liverpudlian indie identity, and the directorial origins of Gerald McMorrow, who subsequently became a noted British feature filmmaker. Its enduring online reach and silver BPI certification confirm lasting cultural traction beyond the initial release window. Context: Released 27 May 1996 on Gut Records, 'Female of the Species' arrived at the apex of the Britpop cultural moment, occupying an idiosyncratic position within it. Where peers like Oasis and Blur traded in guitar-driven anthems and lad-culture bravado, Space, a Liverpool five-piece, imported lounge, Latin, and cinematic noir influences into the indie-pop framework. The song's lyrical premise, drawn from Rudyard Kipling's 1911 poem, frames female sexuality as predatory danger, rendered through Tommy Scott's darkly comic vocal delivery. The music video's surreal femme fatale narrative and green-tinted, low-budget theatricality articulated a specifically Liverpudlian strand of Britpop: wry, eccentric, and resistant to the Londoncentric Cool Britannia mainstream. The single peaked at number 14 on the UK Singles Chart and became the band's only charting entry in the United States and Canada, reaching number 15 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart. Director notes: The 'Female of the Species' music video was directed by Gerald McMorrow in 1996 and confirmed by both IMDb (imdb.com/title/tt7382956) and IMVDb (imvdb.com/video/space/female-of-the-species). The video features surreal and humorous visuals complementing the song's whimsical tone, following the band through a dreamlike sequence involving a seductive femme fatale character and intercut animal footage. It adopts a low-budget, quirky aesthetic with green-tinted effects and playful absurdity. The video premiered on UK music channels in support of the single's release in May 1996 and became one of the most recognisable artefacts of the Britpop era. McMorrow went on to direct further Space-associated material, including 'The Ballad of Tom Jones' (1998), demonstrating an ongoing creative relationship with the band during this period.