"Black Velveteen" is the sixth and last single to be released from 5 album by Lenny Kravitz. The song was also used to promote his Greatest Hits album. It was released on December 6, 1999. A collection of various CD singles In music, a single is a short recording of one or more separate tracks. ... Leonard Albert Lenny Kravitz (born May 26, 1964) is an American Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, producer, and arranger whose retro style incorporates elements of rock, soul, funk, reggae, hard rock, psychedelic, folk, and ballads. ... 5 is the fifth studio album by Lenny Kravitz. ... 1999 is a common year starting on Friday Anno Domini (or the Current Era), and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... A CD single is a music single in the form of a compact disc. ... It has been suggested that Childrens gramophone records be merged into this article or section. ... A promo single (short for promotional single) is a single that is released to club or radio outlets for the purpose of promotion of a song. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Electronic music. ... For other uses, see Rock music (disambiguation). ... This does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Virgin America is a new U.S. airline that expects to begin flying in 2007. ... A songwriter is someone who writes the lyrics to songs, the musical composition or melody to songs, or both. ... In the music industry, a record producer (or music producer) has many roles, among them controlling the recording sessions, coaching and guiding the musicians, organizing and scheduling production budget and resources, and supervising the recording, mixing and mastering processes. ... Leonard Albert Lenny Kravitz (born May 26, 1964) is an American Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, producer, and arranger whose retro style incorporates elements of rock, soul, funk, reggae, hard rock, psychedelic, folk, and ballads. ... American Woman is the title track of Canadian band The Guess Whos 1970 album, American Woman. ... Again is the first and only single by rock musician Lenny Kravitz released to promote his Greatest Hits album. ... 5 is the fifth studio album by Lenny Kravitz. ... Leonard Albert Lenny Kravitz (born May 26, 1964) is an American Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, producer, and arranger whose retro style incorporates elements of rock, soul, funk, reggae, hard rock, psychedelic, folk, and ballads. ... The album Greatest Hits by Lenny Kravitz contains the following songs: Are You Gonna Go My Way, from his album Are You Gonna Go My Way Fly Away, from album 5 Rock and Roll Is Dead, from Circus Again, which was previously unreleased It Aint Over Til Its... December 6 is the 340th day (341st on leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Composition

The topic of the song, according to Kravitz, is based in nowadays technology and about facing that change in the millenium. Those changes can mean diminishing of the human relationships, in order to increase fictional ones. But those fictional relationships are not, particularly, virtual relations; they are human relationships that can be eaisly manipulated. Kravitz makes a comparison between a vaccum cleaner and a relationship, saying as you get tired of it, you just "turn it down" and forget about it. [1]

Musicaly, the song, apart of having an electro-rock influence, features notable sound effects that can be associated to everyday machines, such as the vaccum cleaner and drills.

Music Video

Lenny embracing the naked woman

The music video, directed by Samuel Bayer, tries to represent what the song really says. It features Kravitz and some women naked in an artistic and meaningful way. They were at a colorful place with avant-grade furniture, actually being Kravitz's own house in Miami. The video also shows a woman making some daily routine in a robotic and fast mode. The naked women, in spite of being shown nude not for erotic purposes, were censored. Nevertheless, the uncensored version of the video was included in the single release of the song. Samuel Bayer is an American music video director. ...

Single track listing

• UK CD single edition

1. Black Velveteen (Album Version)– 4:49
2. American Woman (Timbaland Remix)– 3:49
3. Black Velveteen (S-Man's Ghost In The Machine Mix)– 7:11

Note: This release also contains the uncensored version of the music video for the song.

• 12" edition

1. Black Velveteen (S-Man's Ghost In The Machine Mix)– 7:10)

1. Black Velveteen (S-Man's Ghost In The Machine Dub)– 5:58)
2. Black Velveteen (S-Man's Ghost In The Machine Instrumental)– 5:55

1. Black Velveteen (Stonebridge EXFM Mix)– 4:57
2. Black Velveteen (Stonebridge Club Dub)– 6:21

1. Black Velveteen (RPO Ready To Please Mix)– 6:16
2. Black Velveteen (RPO Titanium Spin Dub Mix)– 5:41