It's Oh So Quiet
| "It's Oh So Quiet" | ||||||||||||
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| Single by Björk | ||||||||||||
| from the album Post | ||||||||||||
| B-side | "Sweet Sweet Intuition" "My Spine" |
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| Released | November 13, 1995 | |||||||||||
| Format | CD | |||||||||||
| Genre | Jazz | |||||||||||
| Length | 3:41 | |||||||||||
| Label | One Little Indian | |||||||||||
| Writer(s) | Hans Lang, Bert Reisfeld | |||||||||||
| Producer | Björk Nellee Hooper |
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| Björk singles chronology | ||||||||||||
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"It's Oh, So Quiet" is a song by American singer Betty Hutton, released in 1951 as the B-side to the single "Murder, He Says".[1] It is a cover of the German song "Und jetzt ist es still", performed by Horst Winter in 1948, written by Austrian composer Hans Lang and Erich Meder. The English lyrics were written by Bert Reisfeld.[2]
"It's Oh So Quiet" was covered by Björk in 1995 and remains her biggest hit, reaching #4 in the UK and spending 15 weeks on the UK Singles Chart. Fuelled by the Spike Jonze-directed music video clip, the single also shot Björk into the spotlight in Australia, where it reached #6. In the United Kingdom the single has been certified as Gold, having sold upwards of 400,000 copies. [1]
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[edit] Music video
The music video, directed by Spike Jonze, which was shot in New York City, features everything in slow motion as Björk sings the verses; during the riotous chorus, everything returns to regular speed and everyone near her dances along. Normal life resumes during the next verse with the return of slow motion. This thematic choice continues throughout the video.
The video begins as Björk emerges from an extremely dirty washroom in an auto shop. She dances along with the auto workers for the first chorus, then emerges from the shop. During the second chorus, she dances tap with a few people outside of the auto shop. Björk continues to walk along the street, dancing with an elderly woman and her umbrella before settling to rest on top of a mailbox for the final verse. The mailbox comes alive and dances along with Björk during this chorus. Björk then runs down the street and into the road, where the rest of the town has decided to join her for one large dance number. The video ends with Björk floating up above the townsfolk and hushing the viewer.
In October 2007, MuchMoreMusic placed "It's Oh So Quiet" as number 8 of the Top 40 Most Memorable Music Videos on Listed.
[edit] Track listing
UK CD1
(182TP7CD; Released: 1995)
- "It's Oh So Quiet" – 3:40
- "You've Been Flirting Again" (Flirt Is a Promise Mix) – 3:23
- "Hyperballad" (Over the Edge Mix) – 4:33
- "Sweet Sweet Intuition" – 6:07
UK CD2
(182TP7CDL; Released: November, 1995)
- "It's Oh So Quiet" – 3:40
- "Hyperballad" (Brodsky Quartet Version) – 4:21
- "Hyperballad" (Girls Blouse Mix) – 5:07
- "My Spine" – 2:33
EUR CD1
(577 509-2; Released: 1995)
- "It's Oh So Quiet" – 3:38
- "You've Been Flirting Again" (Flirt Is a Promise Mix) – 3:20
- "Hyperballad" (Over the Edge Mix) – 4:31
- "Sweet Sweet Intuition" – 6:06
EUR CD2
(577 511-2; Released: November, 1995)
- "It's Oh So Quiet" – 3:41
- "Hyperballad" (Brodsky Quartet Version) – 4:21
- "Hyperballad" (Girls Blouse Mix) – 5:06
- "My Spine" – 2:33
EUR CD promo
(MUMCD70DJ; Released: 1995)
- "It's Oh So Quiet"
EUR VHS + CD promo
(Released: 1995)
VHS
- "It's Oh So Quiet" (video)
CD promo (MUMCD79DJ)
- "It's Oh So Quiet"
AUS CD
(577 511-2; Released: 1995)
- "It's Oh So Quiet" – 3:42
- "Hyperballad" (Brodsky Quartet Version) – 4:21
- "Hyperballad" (Girls Blouse Mix) – 5:06
- "My Spine" – 2:33
US CD promo
(PRCD 9322-2; Released: 1995)
- "It's Oh So Quiet" – 3:37
US CD promo
(64353-2; Released: 1995)
- "It's Oh So Quiet"
- "You've Been Flirting Again" (Icelandic Mix)
JPN CD
(POCP-7106; Released: 1995)
- "It's Oh So Quiet" – 3:40
- "Hyperballad" (Brodsky Quartet Version) – 4:21
- "Hyperballad" (Girls Blouse Mix) – 5:06
- "My Spine" – 2:33
[edit] Charts
| Chart | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Singles Chart | 6 |
| Belgian Singles Chart (Wallonia) | 20 |
| Belgian Singles Chart (Flanders) | 28 |
| Dutch Singles Chart | 19 |
| Finnish Singles Chart | 5 |
| Irish Singles Chart | 7 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart | 28 |
| Swedish Singles Chart | 29 |
| UK Singles Chart | 4 |
| US Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles[3] | 9 |
[edit] References
- ^ "Advance Record Releases". The Billboard: 30. 7 July 1951. ISSN 0006-2510. http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=m0UEAAAAMBAJ&lpg=PA30&dq=20%204179%20%22Betty%20Hutton%22&pg=PA30#v=onepage&q=20%204179%20%22Betty%20Hutton%22&f=false. Retrieved 6 September 2011.
- ^ Quentin (4 May 2007). "Song: It's Oh So Quiet". SecondHandSongs. http://www.secondhandsongs.com/song/53458. Retrieved 6 September 2011.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2009). Top Pop Singles. Memomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. p. 95. ISBN 978-0-89820-180-2. http://www.recordresearch.com/pop/top_pop_singles_1955_2008.php. Retrieved 2010-12-07.
