Better the Devil You Know
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"Better the Devil You Know" is a dance-pop song written by Stock, Aitken & Waterman for Kylie Minogue's third studio album Rhythm of Love.
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[edit] Background
"Better the Devil You Know" was released as the album's first single in April 1990, and its music video helped Minogue break out of her early "girl-next-door" image.
Backing vocals for the song were provided by Minogue, Mae McKenna, Mike Stock, and Miriam Stockley.
The release of "Better the Devil You Know" marked a milestone in Kylie's career. Taking creative control over her image, Kylie returned in March 1990 with a new look and a new sound.
Featuring a striking video which Kylie filmed in Australia away from the constraints of PWL, "Better the Devil You Know" debuted at number 5 in the UK. The following week it moved up to number 2 to become her 10th top 5 single in Britain and 12th worldwide.
"Better the Devil You Know" also hit the number 1 spot in Israel, made number 4 in Australia and Malaysia, number 5 in Finland, number 11 in Spain, and went top 40 in Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Holland, Hong Kong, Sweden and Switzerland.
[edit] Continued popularity
The song is played at 12.30 a.m. every Saturday night at the "G-A-Y" club at London's Heaven nightclub. The song has become an all-time favourite amongst many people and is often considered a 1990s classic. In 1998, Australian record company Mushroom Records re-issued the song as part of their 25th Anniversary Celebrations. The re-issue reached #59 on the Australian ARIA Charts in 1998.[2]
[edit] Music video
The music video for "Better the Devil You Know" was directed by Paul Goldman and was filmed in Melbourne. The video featured Minogue in very mild sexually suggestive scenes with a black man, who played the role of her lover. It caused some controversy as it presented Minogue in a much more mature image than videos from earlier years and debuted in a time where inter-racial relationships were still widely considered taboo.
In the video, Minogue can be seen dancing more suggestively than in her previous efforts. At the time she was dating INXS singer Michael Hutchence, she is wearing one of his rings in the clip, a large silver 'M'. His mother, Patricia Glassop a make up artist did the make up. In this clip she can also be seen voguing. This was a style of dance which was made famous by Madonna around the same time with her global number 1 hit "Vogue". Madonna brought the dance from the underground gay clubs of New York, its presence and Madonna's influence at the time can be seen here in Minogues video and in others from the time such as the 1990 smash hit "Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)" by the C+C Music Factory. Madonna's influence on Minogue went further than this video, she later recorded 4 tracks with Madonna's long time boyfriend and collaborater of some of her biggest 80's hits, Stephen Bray. The Rhythm of Love Tour also heavily borrowed from Madonna's highly successful Vogue video in their choreography, costume and sets - something she was criticised for heavily at the time. The video remains though a pinnacle in Minogue's career, for it was the birth of a more experimental and sexual Kylie.
[edit] In movies and television
"Better the Devil You Know" was featured in the Richard Grieco movie If Looks Could Kill. The song was also heard in a Coca Cola commercial[where?] in 1990.
[edit] Track listings
[edit] Kylie version
- CD single
- "Better the Devil You Know" – 3:52
- "Better the Devil You Know" (Mad March Hare Mix) – 7:09
- "I'm Over Dreaming (Over You)" (7" Mix) – 3:21
- 7" single
- "Better the Devil You Know" – 3:52
- "I'm Over Dreaming (Over You)" (7" Mix) – 3:21
- 12" single
- "Better the Devil You Know" (Mad March Hare Mix) – 7:09
- "I'm Over Dreaming (Over You)" (Extended Mix) – 4:54
- iTunes Digital EP - Remixes
(Not available at time of original release. Released for the first time as part of iTunes PWL archive release in 2009.)
- "Better the Devil You Know" (7" Backing Track)
- "Better the Devil You Know" (7" Instrumental)
- "Better the Devil You Know" (Alternative Mix)
- "Better the Devil You Know" (Dave Ford Remix)
- "Better the Devil You Know" (Movers & Shakers 12" Backing Track)
- "Better the Devil You Know" (Movers & Shakers 12" Instrumental)
- "Better the Devil You Know" (Movers & Shakers 12" Mix)
- "Better the Devil You Know" (Movers & Shakers 7" Backing Track)
- "Better the Devil You Know" (Movers & Shakers 7" Instrumental)
- "Better the Devil You Know" (Movers & Shakers 7" Mix)
- "Better the Devil You Know" (Movers & Shakers Alternative 12" Mix)
- "Better the Devil You Know" (Movers & Shakers Alternative Backing Track)
- "Better the Devil You Know" (Movers & Shakers Alternative Instrumental)
- "Better the Devil You Know" (The Mad March Hare Mix)
- "Better the Devil You Know" (US Remix)
Other official versions
- "Better the Devil You Know" (X2008 Tour Studio Version) – 4:19
[edit] Steps version
- "Say You'll Be Mine" – 3:32
- "Better the Devil You Know" – 3:49
- "Better the Devil You Know" (2T's 2 Go Mix) – 5:53
[edit] Live performances
Kylie performed the song on the following concert tours:
- Enjoy Yourself Tour (European Leg only)
- Rhythm of Love Tour
- Let's Get to It Tour
- Intimate and Live Tour
- On a Night Like This Tour (big band version)
- KylieFever2002
- Showgirl: The Greatest Hits Tour
- Showgirl: The Homecoming Tour
- KylieX2008 (added as an encore for Australia, Asia and South America)
- North American Tour 2009
- Aphrodite World Tour
The song was also performed on:
- An Audience with Kylie 2001 TV special (big band version with Adam Garcia)
- The X Factor (UK) (duet with Leon Jackson in 2007 Final)
[edit] Charts and certifications
[edit] Charts
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[edit] Year-End Charts
[edit] Certifications
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[edit] Cover versions
The song was covered by the Australian singer-songwriter Penny Flanagan in 1997, pop group Steps in 1999, peaking at #4 in the UK charts as a double A-side with "Say You'll Be Mine", and by Atomic Kitten in early 2000.
In 2009, European pop group Village Boys made a version of the song.[17]
In 2010, Miss Fitz, from Eurovision: Your Country Needs You, sang this song. Miss Fitz was also in X Factor the year before but only made it to bootcamp stage.
[edit] X Factor performance
On 15 December 2007 Minogue performed the song with X Factor contestant Leon Jackson in the show's final. Jackson, who was mentored by Minogue's sister Dannii, went on to win the X Factor and its £1 million recording contract.
[edit] References
- ^ a b Steffen Hung. "Forum - Accreditation awards (General: Awards)". Australian Charts Portal. Hung Medien (Steffen Hung). http://australian-charts.com/forum.asp?todo=viewthread&id=13126. Retrieved 2011-11-03.
- ^ "Comic Relief does Fame Academy". bbc.co.uk. http://www.bbc.co.uk/fameacademy/songs/17.shtml. Retrieved 8 June 2008.
- ^ "Australian-charts.com – Kylie Minogue – Better the Devil You Know". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Hung Medien.
- ^ "Kylie Minogue – Better the Devil You Know – Austriancharts.at" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Hung Medien.
- ^ "Lescharts.com – Kylie Minogue – Better the Devil You Know" (in French). Les classement single. Hung Medien.
- ^ "Die ganze Musik im Internet: Charts, News, Neuerscheinungen, Tickets, Genres, Genresuche, Genrelexikon, Künstler-Suche, Musik-Suche, Track-Suche, Ticket-Suche – musicline.de" (in German). Media Control Charts. PhonoNet GmbH.
- ^ Irish Recorded Music Association (3 May 1990). "Irish Singles Chart (searchable database)". Irish Charts. http://irishcharts.ie/search/placement. Retrieved 31 July 2010.
- ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 22, 1990" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40 Stichting Nederlandse Top 40.
- ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Kylie Minogue – Better the Devil You Know" (in Dutch). Mega Single Top 100. Hung Medien / hitparade.ch.
- ^ "Charts.org.nz – Kylie Minogue – Better the Devil You Know". Top 40 Singles. Hung Medien.
- ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Kylie Minogue – Better the Devil You Know". Singles Top 60. Hung Medien.
- ^ "Kylie Minogue – Better the Devil You Know – swisscharts.com". Swiss Singles Chart. Hung Medien.
- ^ "Chart Stats – Kylie Minogue – Better the Devil You Know" UK Singles Chart. Chart Stats.
- ^ "Australian Singles Chart". Fortunecity.com. http://www.fortunecity.com/tinpan/pettruciani/232/singles-1990.html. Retrieved 2011-11-03.
- ^ "UK Charts - 1990". Mostynhouseschool.com. http://www.mostynhouseschool.com/pg/80/top50/uk90.htm. Retrieved 2011-11-03.
- ^ British Phonographic Industry (1 June 1990). "BPI Certified Awards (searchable database)". BPI. http://www.bpi.co.uk/certifiedawards/search.aspx. Retrieved 31 July 2010.
- ^ Baker, William; Minogue, Kylie (2002). La, La, La. Hodder & Stoughton Ltd.. pp. 48–49. ISBN 0-340-73439-6.
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