Set Adrift on Memory Bliss
| "Set Adrift on Memory Bliss" | ||||
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| Single by P.M. Dawn | ||||
| from the album Of the Heart, of the Soul and of the Cross: The Utopian Experience | ||||
| B-side | "For the Love of Peace" | |||
| Released | 1991 | |||
| Format | CD maxi, 7" single, 12" single | |||
| Genre | Hip hop | |||
| Length | 4:10 | |||
| Label | Gee Street, Island | |||
| Writer(s) | Gary Kemp Attrell Cordes |
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| Producer | P.M. Dawn | |||
| P.M. Dawn singles chronology | ||||
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"Set Adrift on Memory Bliss" is the signature hit by P.M. Dawn from their debut album, Of the Heart, of the Soul and of the Cross: The Utopian Experience. Writing credit is given to Attrell Cordes (Prince Be of P.M. Dawn) and Gary Kemp of Spandau Ballet as the song is built around samples of their 1983 hit "True," as well as samples from The Soul Searchers' "Ashley's Roachclip". Spandau Ballet lead singer Tony Hadley made a cameo in the video to this song; appearing near the end of the video. The main drumbeat also samples from Eric B. & Rakim's "Paid in Full".
This song was the group's first (and only) #1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, and also reached #3 in the United Kingdom. It ranks #81 on VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of Hip Hop. The song was the first number one song after the debut of the Nielsen SoundScan system, which monitored airplay and sales more closely than before when Billboard had to rely on humans to report sales and airplay data. According to the test charts of the SoundScan system, "Set Adrift on Memory Bliss" was at number one for at least three weeks, but officially has a one-week reign at number one.
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[edit] Lyrics
The opening verse is influenced by the Joni Mitchell song "The Boho Dance". The original "A camera pans the cocktail hour/ Behind a blind of potted palms" becomes "The camera pans the cocktail glass/ Behind a blind of plastic plants", and the line "Subterranean by your own design" is echoed as "Subterranean by design". In the second verse, they mention two hit songs from 1985. "Careless whisper from a careless man" refers to "Careless Whisper" by George Michael, and "A neutron dance for a neutron fan" makes reference to "Neutron Dance" by The Pointer Sisters. The line "Christina Applegate, you gotta put me on" is a reference to the song "Bonita Applebum" by A Tribe Called Quest.
[edit] Cover versions and uses in the media
- In 1992, a remixed version of the song under the title "Set Adrift on Memory Bliss (Richie Rich Mix)" was featured on the charity album Red Hot + Dance.
- The song was covered by the Backstreet Boys in 1996, and appears on their second album Backstreet's Back (1997).
- In the video, Prince Be's image is the hippie alternative to Mr. T's gold chains, rings and bracelets. He wears a neck full of beads and hands covered in beads with stone rings to complete it.
- The song appears in the 2007 film I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry during the middle portion and the end credits.
- The song "True" by Spandau Ballet, which P.M. Dawn sampled, would also be used by Lloyd in the remixed version of his song "You" featuring Andre 3000 and Nas. Razah in his 2009 song "Letter" featuring Nelly, and Nelly for his 2005 song "N Dey Say" would also sample the original song from Spandau Ballet.
- The music video was featured in The Brothers Grunt episode "The Ceremony".
[edit] Track listings
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Side A:
Side B:
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[edit] Charts and sales
[edit] Peak positions
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[edit] End of year charts
[edit] Certifications
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[edit] Chart successions
| Preceded by "All 4 Love" by Color Me Badd |
New Zealand RIANZ number-one single October 18, 1991 – October 25, 1991 (2 weeks) |
Succeeded by "The Fly" by U2 |
| Preceded by "When a Man Loves a Woman" by Michael Bolton |
Billboard Hot 100 number-one single November 30, 1991 (1 week) |
Succeeded by "Black or White" by Michael Jackson |
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d e f "Set Adrift on Memory Bliss", in various singles charts Lescharts.com (Retrieved April 7, 2008)
- ^ a b "Single top 100 over 1991" (in Dutch) (pdf). Top40. http://www.top40.nl/pdf/Top%20100/top%20100%20-%201991.pdf. Retrieved 13 April 2010.
- ^ German Singles Chart Charts-surfer.de (Retrieved April 7, 2008)
- ^ Irish Single Chart Irishcharts.ie (Retrieved April 7, 2008)
- ^ Italian Single Chart Hit parade Italia (Retrieved June 1, 2008)
- ^ UK Singles Chart Chartstats.com (Retrieved April 7, 2008)
- ^ a b c Billboard Allmusic.com (Retrieved September 11, 2008)
- ^ "Billboard Top 100 - 1992". http://longboredsurfer.com/charts.php?year=1992. Retrieved 2010-07-30.
- ^ U.S. certifications riaa.com (Retrieved September 11, 2008)
