Black and White Town

"Black and White Town" was the lead single from Some Cities and reached number 6 in the UK, the band's second top-ten hit. It is built on heavy piano and guitars played in unison, with Andy Williams' percussion keeping a driving beat. Martin Rebelski plays the piano.

Asked by Pitchfork whether it nodded to Martha Reeves' "Heatwave", Jez Williams said the verse had a vibe that caught something and the chord progression is very similar, but they did not sit down with a record and copy it. He described a big love for Northern soul. The Guardian's reviewer in 2005 described the song as a stomp reminiscent of Martha Reeves and the Vandellas' "Heatwave". Pitchfork's Ian Cohen wrote that it might be the band's closest thing to a stateside hit.

The video was directed by the Scottish film director Lynne Ramsay and filmed on the Summerston and Prospecthill Circus (Toryglen) council housing estates in Glasgow. A director's cut with different footage is on the DVD of the limited edition box set of the album.