Addicted to Love (song)
"Addicted to Love" | |
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Song | |
A-side | "Addicted to Love" |
B-side | "Remember to Remember" |
"Addicted to Love" is a song by English rock singer Robert Palmer released in 1986. It has become his signature song, thanks in part to a popular video featuring high fashion models.[1] Other artists have since released versions of it.
It is the third song on Palmer's Riptide album. The version released for commercial radio play is about four minutes long, while the album version runs a little over six minutes.
The song entered the Billboard Hot 100 chart the week ending 8 February 1986. The song ended up topping the Billboard Hot 100, as well as the Billboard Top Rock Tracks chart. It was one of the last 45 RPM singles to receive a million-selling Gold certification. It also reached number one in Australia and number five on the UK Singles Chart.
Background
Originally intended to be a duet with Chaka Khan, the song was made without her because her record company at the time would not grant her a release to work on Palmer's label, Island Records. Chaka Khan, however, is still credited for the vocal arrangements in the album liner notes.
Andy Taylor of Duran Duran (and a bandmate of Palmer's from The Power Station) provides lead guitar. The other guitar part on the song is played by Eddie Martinez[2] and keyboards by Wally Badarou. The song is also notable for its unaccompanied drum opening, which has a time signature of 7/4. The rest of the song is in common 4/4 time.
Noddy Holder (the lead vocalist of English rock band Slade) stated in an interview that this song was the main track he wished he'd written himself. "The one main song that I wish that I'd written and recorded is 'Addicted to Love' by Robert Palmer. To me, that's a perfect pop song. Everything about it really hits the nail on the head."[3]
Music video
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7a/Robert-Palmer-Sunset-Strip-%28edit%29.jpg/175px-Robert-Palmer-Sunset-Strip-%28edit%29.jpg)
The 1986 produced music video (which uses the shorter single version of this song), directed by British photographer Terence Donovan,[4] was one of the most iconic of the era. The video features Palmer performing the song with an abstract "band", being a group of female models whose pale skin, heavy makeup, dark hair and seductive, rather robot-like expression follow the style of women in Patrick Nagel paintings.
The five models in the video are Julie Pankhurst (keyboard), Patty Kelly (guitar), Mak Gilchrist (bass guitar) and Julia Bolino (guitar) and Kathy Davies (drums).[5]
Mak Gilchrist recalled to Q magazine:
“I was 21 and got the part on the strength of my modelling book. We were meant to look and 'act' like showroom mannequins. Director Terence Donovan got us tipsy on a bottle of wine but as we were having our make-up retouched, I lost balance on my heels and knocked the top of my guitar into the back of Robert’s head, and his face then hit the microphone."[6]
Palmer recycled the video's "iconic models" concept for the videos of three other songs of his : "I Didn't Mean to Turn You On" (also from Riptide), "Simply Irresistible" and the animated "Change His Ways" (both from Heavy Nova).
VH1's Pop-Up Video trivia about the video include the fact that a musician was hired to teach the models basic guitar fingering techniques, but "gave up after about an hour and left". The episode also pointed out several choreographic errors, including the models moving out of sync with one another, and moving during points with no back beat, such as the second chorus.
The music video ranked at number 3 on VH1's Top 20 Videos of the 1980s and was both the first and last video shown on long running UK music programme The Chart Show.
The models were also used in the spoof of the video in "Weird Al" Yankovic's UHF wearing glasses and moustaches.
The music video was parodied in the music video of Stardust's "Music Sounds Better with You" and in Shania Twain's "Man! I Feel Like a Woman!".
Chart performance
Weekly charts
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Year-end charts
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Order of precedence | ||
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Preceded by | Australian Kent Music Report number-one single 23 June 1986 – 30 June 1986 (2 weeks) |
Succeeded by |
Preceded by | US Billboard Hot 100 number-one single 3 May 1986 (1 week) |
Succeeded by |
US Cash Box number-one single 26 April 1986 – 3 May 1986 (2 weeks) | ||
Preceded by | US Billboard Top Rock Tracks number-one single 22 March 1986 – 29 March 1986 (2 weeks) |
Succeeded by |
Tina Turner version
"Addicted to Love" | |
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Song | |
B-side |
|
Tina Turner has made "Addicted to Love" a regular feature of her live shows since 1986, although her version did not make it onto the market until two years later.
A live recording from the 1986/1987 Break Every Rule Tour of the track was included on her Tina: Live in Europe album in 1988, and was also issued as the lead single to promote the album in certain territories — instead of "Nutbush City Limits" — and was a Top 20 hit in the Netherlands.
The two singles had the same B-sides: live recordings of "Overnight Sensation" and ZZ Top's "Legs" and near identical picture sleeves. The version of "Addicted to Love" issued on the single was in fact an alternate mix of the track; the single mix was later included on the European editions of her 1991 greatest hits album Simply the Best, as well as All the Best in 2004 and Tina! in 2008. Another live version was included in Tina Live in 2009.
Official versions
- Tina Live in Europe album mix – 5:22
- Single Mix – 5:10
- Tina Live – 4:54
Peak positions
Charts (1988) | Peak position |
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Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[25] | 23 |
Belgium (VRT Top 30 Flanders)[26] | 29 |
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[27] | 19 |
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[28] | 28 |
Poland (LP3)[29] | 32 |
Invalid chart entered UKchartarchive | 71 |
Other cover versions
This section needs additional citations for verification. (April 2014) |
- In 1988, the song was covered by Ciccone Youth (Sonic Youth with Mike Watt).[30] Appearing on The Whitey Album, this version was recorded in a karaoke booth, with Kim Gordon on vocals.
- Serbian alternative rock band Disciplina Kičme recorded a live cover version of the song which appeared on their 1987 EP Dečija pesma.
- In 1991, Celtic banjo musician Tom Hanway covered the song with the band Blue Horizon on his album Bucket of Bees.
- In 2006, the Eagles of Death Metal covered the song as a bonus track in some copies of their second studio album, Death by Sexy.
- In 2006, the song was performed by Westlife on their Face to Face Tour.
- In 2009, Florence + the Machine recorded a cover version of the song as a B-side to "You've Got the Love". In the United States, this track was released exclusively as a digital single.[31]
- Garth Brooks for the 2013 "Classic Rock" album in the Blame It All on My Roots: Five Decades of Influences compilation.
- Alex Clare covered the song on his 2014 album Three Hearts.
- In 1995, Johnny Cash, backed by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, recorded a version during the recording sessions for the album Unchained, but producer Rick Rubin chose not to release it.[32]
Live cover performances
- Van Halen was seen warming up with the song on the MTV documentary, "Van Halen Unleashed." They also performed the first verse of the song within their pre-recorded performance of "Best Of Both Worlds" during the 1986 MTV Video Music Awards. When the full concert was released on home video under the title Live Without A Net, "Addicted To Love" was removed, thus is exclusive to the televised broadcast of the awards show.
- Rod Stewart played the song live at Albert Hall as a part of a medley with Some Guys Have All The Luck.
- Contestant Curtis Grimes performed a country version of the song on the first season of the US version of The Voice of Holland.
- Qaasim Middleton covered the song during the fourteenth season of American Idol.
The song has been performed five times on The X Factor franchise:
- Girl group Kandy Rain performed the song on the first live show of Season 6 of the UK version in 2009.
- Contestant Norbert L. Király performed the song on the third live show of the Hungarian version on 30 October 2010.
- Contestant Wagner performed the song on the eighth live show of the Season 7 of the UK version on 27 November 2010.
- Contestant Cat Vas performed the song on the first live show of the Season 5 of the Australian version on the 25 August 2013.
- Contestants Alex Kinsey and Sierra Deaton performed the song on the second live show of the third and final season of the US version on 14 November 2013.
Parodies
Song parodies include:
- "Addicted to Spuds" by "Weird Al" Yankovic in 1986 and "UHF" in 1989
- "Addicted to Pam" by Brocket 99
- "Addicted To Butts" by Bob Rivers (aka "Addicted To (Cigarette) Butts")
- "Stealing Christmas" by Brian P. Metcalf, about The Grinch
Film parodies include:
- the 1990 comedy "horror" film Repossessed with Leslie Nielsen's character Father Jebedaiah Mayii
- the 2003 romantic comedy Love Actually with Bill Nighy's character, Billy Mack
Television parodies include:
- an episode in the 2012 comedy series Hot in Cleveland
Influences on other music videos
The video has either influenced or been parodied by other music videos including:
- Dance Like A Mother's 1987 "You Ain't So Tough".
- The Return of Bruno, a Mockumentary released by HBO in 1987, claimed that in 1976 Bruno (played by Bruce Willis) recorded a pop video with 4 women playing bass guitar. The actual song performed was Peter Gun but the accompanying video is an unmistakable parody of "Addicted to Love".
- Tone Lōc's 1988 "Wild Thing".
- Paula Abdul's 1989 "Forever Your Girl".
- Queen's 1989 video for "The Miracle".
- "Weird Al" Yankovic's 1989 "UHF".
- Mr Blobby's 1993 music video for "Mr Blobby".
- Michelle Shocked's 1989 video for "On the Greener Side".
- Shania Twain's 1999 video for "Man! I Feel Like a Woman!"; employing tongue-in-cheek gender role reversal, this features several male models as musicians backing the female lead singer.
- Bowling for Soup's video for "1985" released in 2004.
- Beyoncé's 2007 video for "Green Light", which shares many of the same elements.
Appearances in other media
- The song was heard in the 1986 cult film Dangerously Close, and 2004 documentary "What the Bleep Do We Know!?".
- Geena Davis portrayed one of the models in a 1989 Saturday Night Live skit, The Robert Palmer Bunch, depicting the girls living with Robert Palmer in suburbia. Palmer was played by Phil Hartman.
- The video was parodied in a dream sequence of Dr. Joel Fleischman in the 1991 TV series Northern Exposure episode "Spring Break".
- ABC radio (Japan) Program "ABC ACID Eiga-kan"(ABC ACID CINEMA) OP theme 1993–2009.
- The 2006 Super Bowl spot of the TV series Lost featured an edited version of the video with inserted images of the show's first and second seasons and modified lyrics that changed the word "love" for "Lost" (hence the title, "Addicted to Lost").
- Emerald Nuts used the "Addicted to Love" girls in a TV Commercial.
- Ring of Honor wrestler Rhett Titus has begun using the song as his entrance theme.
- A small scene of the video was used in the 2009 movie Watchmen by Adrian Veidt / Ozymandias in his multi-screen room.
- The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson on Friday 29 January 2010, 12:35 am, opened with Craig Ferguson dressed as one of the models and Rosie O'Donnell in the Robert Palmer role, lip-synching "Addicted to Love".
- Skylar Grey's version of this song is in the preview for the 2014 movie Endless Love.
- The song was used in a scene of the movie Cocktail with Tom Cruise.
References
- ^ "#10 -- "Addicted to Love" by Robert Palmer -- #10". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 11 July 2014.
- ^ Blackett, Matt (1 February 2004). Template:Wayback. Guitar Player. Myspace. Retrieved 11 July 2014.
- ^ "Straight From His Own Gob – Noddy Holder interviewed by Andrew Darlington". Soundchecks. Retrieved 10 September 2011.
- ^ "Telling it how it really was". The Guardian. 15 March 1999. Retrieved 28 July 2013.
- ^ "The Girl in the Video: “Addicted to Love” (1986)".
- ^ "Addicted To Love by Robert Palmer". Songfacts. Retrieved 10 September 2011.
- ^ "Australia No. 1 hits -- 1980's". World Charts. Retrieved 29 June 2013.
- ^ "Robert Palmer – Addicted To Love" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 28 July 2013.
- ^ "Radio2 top 30: 31 mei 1986" (in Dutch). Top 30. Retrieved 28 July 2013.
- ^ Template:Wayback. CHUM. Retrieved 11 July 2014.
- ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 0670." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 29 June 2013.
- ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Addicted to Love". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 28 July 2013.
- ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Robert Palmer - Addicted To Love" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 28 July 2013.
- ^ "Robert Palmer – Addicted To Love" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 28 July 2013.
- ^ "Robert Palmer – Addicted To Love". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 28 July 2013.
- ^ "ADDICTED TO LOVE – Robert Palmer" (in Polish). LP3. Retrieved 28 July 2013.
- ^ "South African Rock Lists Website SA Charts 1969 – 1989 Acts (P)". Rock.co.za. Retrieved 28 July 2013.
- ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 29 June 2013.
- ^ a b c "Riptide – Awards". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved 29 June 2013.
- ^ Template:Wayback. Cash Box magazine. Retrieved 11 July 2014.
- ^ "Forum – ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts – Top 100 End of Year AMR Charts – 1980s". Australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 11 July 2014.
- ^ "Top Singles – Volume 45, No. 14, December 27 1986". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 11 July 2014.
- ^ "Top 100 Hits for 1986". The Longbored Surfer. Retrieved 11 July 2014.
- ^ Template:Wayback. Cash Box magazine. Retrieved 11 July 2014.
- ^ "Tina Turner – Addicted To Love (Live)" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 28 July 2013.
- ^ "Radio 2 Top 30 : 16 april 1988" (in Dutch). Top 30. Retrieved 28 July 2013.
- ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Tina - Addicted To Love Live" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 28 July 2013.
- ^ "Tina Turner – Addicted To Love (Live)" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 28 July 2013.
- ^ "ADDICTED TO LOVE – Tina Turner" (in Polish). LP3. Retrieved 28 July 2013.
- ^ Torreano, Bradley. "Ciccone Youth – The Whitey Album". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved 28 July 2013.
- ^ "Addicted to Love – Single by Florence + The Machine". iTunes Store. Apple Inc. 8 June 2010. Retrieved 27 February 2011.
- ^ Hilburn, Robert (2013). Johnny Cash: A Life. New York: Little, Brown and Company. p. 564.
External links
The Video Models
- Single chart usages for UKchartarchive
- 1986 songs
- 1986 singles
- 1988 singles
- Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles
- Billboard Mainstream Rock number-one singles
- Grammy Award for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance
- MTV Video Music Award for Best Male Video
- Number-one singles in Australia
- Robert Palmer (singer) songs
- Song recordings produced by Bernard Edwards
- Songs written by Robert Palmer (singer)
- Songs about sexuality
- Sonic Youth songs
- Tina Turner songs