White Wedding (song)
| "White Wedding" | |||||||||
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| Single by Billy Idol | |||||||||
| from the album Billy Idol | |||||||||
| A-side | "White Wedding (Part 1)" | ||||||||
| B-side | "White Wedding (Part 2)" (12-inch only) | ||||||||
| Released | October 23, 1982 | ||||||||
| Format | Vinyl (7" and 12") | ||||||||
| Recorded | 1981 | ||||||||
| Genre | Post-punk, New Wave, hard rock | ||||||||
| Length | 3:30 (7") 8:19 (12") |
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| Label | Chrysalis | ||||||||
| Writer(s) | Billy Idol | ||||||||
| Producer | Keith Forsey | ||||||||
| Billy Idol singles chronology | |||||||||
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This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (June 2008) |
"White Wedding" is a song by Billy Idol that appeared on his album Billy Idol (1982). Although "the Big 80's: Episode I"[1] of VH1's Pop-up Video trivia show claims Idol wrote the song to voice his displeasure with his sister's fiance (who impregnated her before marrying her), on an episode of VH1 Storytellers, Idol claimed that there was never any family resentment towards his sister, and that the song was simply heightened fantasy and nothing more.[citation needed]
It is often considered one of his most recognisable songs, although other Idol songs charted higher. It reached #36 on the Billboard Hot 100 on its original release, and reached #6 in the UK upon its release there in 1985.
Contents |
[edit] Formats and track listings
- UK 7" vinyl single
- "White Wedding"
- "Hole In The Wall"
- UK 12" vinyl single
- "White Wedding (Parts 1 And 2)"
- "White Wedding"
- "Hole In The Wall"
[edit] Music video
The music video, featuring Idol attending a gothic wedding, is one of his best-known videos. The bride in the music video is played by Perri Lister, Idol's real-life girlfriend at the time. She is also one of the three dancers clad in black leather, who slap their buttocks in time with the clap track in the song as they shimmy downwards near the end. "That's the kind of thing they love in England", says Idol.[2]
In a memorable scene from the video, Idol forces the barbed-wire wedding ring onto the bride's finger and cuts her knuckle. Lister insisted that her knuckle actually had to be cut in order for the scene to appear more realistic.[2] MTV initially removed this scene from the video.[3] Also controversial were the apparent Nazi salutes made by the crowd towards the couple. Director David Mallet says he was merely "playing with the power of crowd imagery" when he had the extras reach toward the bride and did not realize how it looked until later.[2]
The video was filmed in a real church outside of London. The MTV-edited version of the video is included on the DVD portion of The Very Best of Billy Idol: Idolize Yourself CD/DVD package.
[edit] Other versions and appearances
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This section does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (July 2011) |
The song has been covered by many bands including Australian 80's Revival band John West Experience, the psychobilly band Young Werewolves and other bands including Murderdolls, Ten Masked Men, Ardor (of Tanzwut), Deathstars, Doro, Rowland S. Howard on his album Teenage Snuff Film, Sentenced, Aiden and the band Queens of the Stone Age on their 2007 album Era Vulgaris as a B-Side. Serbian punk rock band KBO! recorded a version on their 2001 cover album (Ne) Menjajte Stanicu ((Do Not) Change The Station). Post-hardcore band Aiden recorded a version of White Wedding for Kerrang!s cover CD High Voltage!: A Brief History of Rock and on their EP Rain In Hell. Part of it is included in Franz Ferdinand's cover of Gwen Stefani's "What You Waiting For?". Also, the gothic rock/steampunk band Abney Park recorded a cover on their 2005 album Taxidermy. The swedish rock singer Jay Smith has recorded version which is on his first album called "Jay Smith".
"White Wedding" was featured on the fictional radio station K-DST in the video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. It has been featured in the 1998 film, The Wedding Singer (which Idol is also featured in), the TV series, My Name Is Earl and the British TV series, Blackpool (TV serial). It was also sung by Eva Avila, in the 2006 Canadian Idol show 80's Hits. It was also featured in the skate video CKY.
The line, "It's a nice day to start again", was featured on the sticker on the front of Billy's 2005 comeback album, Devil's Playground.
The song was remixed as (Trashcan Jack vs Billy Idol) "Club Wedding" (Frenetic) under Digital Dog's Jack Rokka guise. It has appeared on numerous dance compilations such as Wild Bassline (CD02 Mixed by Brooklyn Bounce) and Clubland 12.
The song is included in the video games Rock Band 2, Rock Band Unplugged, Guitar Hero Van Halen and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.
The song is also used for the Hollyoaks advert, promoting the week of characters Riley and Mercedes wedding, during which Mercedes finally fesses up to Riley about her affair with his dad.
[edit] Charts
| Chart (1982/1985) | Peak position |
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| UK Singles Chart | 61 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 36 |
| U.S. Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks | 4 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play | 10 |
Notes:
- 1 - UK re-release in 1985
[edit] References
- ^ Pop-Up Video: The Big 80's: Episode 1 at VH1.com
- ^ a b c Marks, Craig; Tannenbaum, Rob (2011). I Want My MTV: The Uncensored Story of the Music Video Revolution. New York, NY: Dutton. pp. 124–125. ISBN 9780525952305.
- ^ Billy Idol, Biography, A & E
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