Jump to content

Square Rooms: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous editNext edit →
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
Line 68: Line 68:
|-
|-
|US [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]]<ref name="awards"/>
|US [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]]<ref name="awards"/>
|align="center"|17
|align="center"|4
|-
|-
|US ''Billboard'' [[Hot Dance Club Songs|Hot Dance Club Play]]<ref name="awards"/>
|US ''Billboard'' [[Hot Dance Club Songs|Hot Dance Club Play]]<ref name="awards"/>

Revision as of 00:14, 28 August 2015

"Square Rooms"
Song

"Square Rooms" is a song by American singer and actor Al Corley. It was the first single from his debut album of the same name. First released in 1984, the song was a hit in some European countries and had a moderate success in the United States in 1985.

Background and writing

After two seasons playing one of the first gay leading characters an American TV series, Dynasty, Al Corley left the nighttime soap opera to become a singer. With Harold Faltermeyer and Peter John Woods, he composed the text of his first song, "Square Rooms."

The media-savvy singer affected the brooding look and attitude popular among pop stars and GQ models at the time: pouty, dark glances and tousled hair. His choice of image worked best in France, where his television performances elicited the unbridled enthusiasm of teenage girls. However, according to Elia Habib, a French charts specialist, his success was not only based on his physical appearance. Indeed, "Square Rooms"' music had a large popular appeal and had a production designed for the dance floor. It was produced and composed by the German musician Harold Faltermeyer, who had previously arranged "Self Control", a worldwide pop and dance-floor smash for Laura Branigan in 1984 which featured a similar vocal hook. Faltermeyer would achieve his greatest personal success later the same year, composing, performing and producing the score to Beverly Hills Cop, a 1984 film directed by Martin Brest, including its hit instrumental theme, "Axel F".[1]

Chart performance

"Square Rooms" was released first in Switzerland, where it was a hit, peaking at number 6 on 21 October 1984, and staying in the top 30 for ten weeks.[2] The single debuted at no. 47 in the French Singles Chart on 5 January 1985. It climbed quickly and was no. 1 for five nonconsecutive weeks, from 9 March to 13 April 1985. After its peak, it lingered on the charts until its 27th week, on 20 July 1985.[3] The song also achieved success in Italy (no. 12), Germany (no. 13) and Austria where it reached no. 15 in April 1985.[4] "Square Rooms" was released last in Corley's native US, where the single was only a minor pop hit, reaching no. 80 on the Hot 100 on 1 June 1985. American dancefloors were more receptive than its airwaves; Corley reached no. 26 on the Billboard dance chart[5] the week of 22 June 1985.

Formats and track listings

  • 7" single
  1. "Square Rooms" – 3:40
  2. "Don't Play With Me" – 4:20
  • 12" maxi
  1. "Square Rooms" (long version) – 8:02
  2. "Square Rooms" (single version) – 3:40
  3. "Don't Play With Me" – 4:20
  • The 12-inch (long) version includes an entire additional verse prior to the first chorus. This verse is excised in both the single and album versions of the song.

Charts

Preceded by
"Ghostbusters" by Ray Parker Jr.
"Johnny, Johnny" by Jeanne Mas
 French number-one single
9 March 1985 – 23 March 1985 (3 weeks)
6 April 1985 – 13 April 1985 (2 weeks) 		Succeeded by

Covers

A French cover version was recorded by France Lise under the title "On vit à deux".[12]

References

  1. ^ Habib, Elia (2002). Muz hit.tubes (in French). Alinéa Bis. p. 35. ISBN 2-9518832-0-X.
  2. ^ a b "Al Corley – Square Rooms". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 23 July 2013.
  3. ^ a b "Al Corley – Square Rooms" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 23 July 2013.
  4. ^ a b "Al Corley – Square Rooms" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 23 July 2013.
  5. ^ a b c "Al Corley – Awards". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved 23 July 2013.
  6. ^ "Al Corley – Square Rooms" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 23 July 2013.
  7. ^ "Square Room – AL CORLEY" (in Dutch). Top 30. Retrieved 26 July 2013. Hoogste notering in de top 30 : 24
  8. ^ Template:Wayback. World Charts. Retrieved 10 May 2015.
  9. ^ a b "I singoli più venduti del 1985" (in Italian). Hit Parade Italia. Creative Commons. Retrieved 23 July 2013.
  10. ^ Template:Wayback. Cash Box magazine. Retrieved 11 July 2014.
  11. ^ "TOP – 1985" (in French). Top-france.fr. Retrieved 11 July 2014.
  12. ^ Lemonier, Marc (2008). Nos années Top, clips et 45 tours: 1984–1991 (in French). pp. 31–32. ISBN 2-258-07648-X.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Square_Rooms&oldid=678206156"