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"You're Gorgeous"
Single by Babybird
from the album Ugly Beautiful
B-side
  • "You're Gorgeous Too"
  • "Bébé Limonade"
Released30 September 1996 (1996-09-30)
GenrePop
Length3:44
LabelEcho
Songwriter(s)Stephen Jones
Producer(s)
Babybird singles chronology
"Goodnight"
(1996) 		"You're Gorgeous"
(1996) 		"Candy Girl"
(1997)

"You're Gorgeous" is a song by British musical project Babybird, released as a commercial single by Echo on 30 September 1996. Babybird member Stephen Jones wrote the song and co-produced it with Steve Power. It was their only top-10 hit on the UK Singles Chart, peaking at number three, and reached the top 40 in Australia, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, New Zealand and Sweden. It is the track for which the band is best known.

Lyrical meaning

The song's lyrics are interpreted to describe the way a photographer exploits his models. The track is often mistaken as a love song due to the way it is initially presented, with one person complimenting the other until it is revealed that the narrator is a female model speaking to the photographer.[1]

Critical reception

Stephen Thomas Erlewine from AllMusic (who gave the Ugly Beautiful album 4.5 stars out of 5) praised the song as a "effortlessly catchy" pop single, which "positively radiates with twisted sexuality".[2] The Independent wrote, "Take the hit single "You're Gorgeous" - ostensibly a love ballad of warm togetherness, but, like REM's "The One I Love", actually carrying more sinister undercurrents. In this case, its the song's pitiable account of pornographic devotion - having ice-cubes rubbed on chests, being photographed with legs pulled apart on car bonnets, and being paid pounds 20 with vague promises of being seen in a magazine - all endured for infatuation's sake, because the snapper is so gorgeous."[3] Kevin Courtney from Irish Times declared it as a "catchy, slightly risque surprise hit".[4] A reviewer from Music Week gave it four out of five, adding, "Filling the void between Vic Reeves and Bono, Stephen Jones's rich baritone is a svelte joy on this rather flimsy tale of tank tops and snapshots."[5]

Track listings

All songs were written by Stephen Jones.

Charts

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[25] Platinum 600,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
United Kingdom 30 September 1996
  • CD
  • cassette
 Echo [26]
United States 31 October 1997
Atlantic [27]
13 January 1998 Contemporary hit radio [28]

References

  1. ^
    • "Lyrics". Songfacts. Retrieved 13 March 2022.
    • Masterton, James (6 October 1996). "Week Ending October 12th 1996". Chart Watch UK. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
  2. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Ugly Beautiful Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine". AllMusic. Retrieved 13 March 2022.
  3. ^ "Babybird Review". The Independent. 18 October 1996.
  4. ^ Courtney, Kevin (7 February 1997). "Single File". Irish Times.
  5. ^ "Reviews: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 21 September 1996. p. 14. Retrieved 5 September 2021.
  6. ^ You're Gorgeous (UK CD1 liner notes). Babybird. The Echo Label. 1996. ECS CD26.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  7. ^ You're Gorgeous (UK CD2 liner notes). Babybird. The Echo Label. 1996. ECS CX26.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  8. ^ You're Gorgeous (UK 7-inch single sleeve). Babybird. The Echo Label. 1996. ECS 026.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  9. ^ You're Gorgeous (UK cassette single sleeve). Babybird. The Echo Label. 1996. ECSMC 26.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  10. ^
    • You're Gorgeous (European CD single liner notes). Babybird. The Echo Label. 1996. MCD 80135.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
    • You're Gorgeous (Australian CD single liner notes). Babybird. Liberation Records, The Echo Label. 1996. D1488.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  11. ^ "Babybird – You're Gorgeous". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
  12. ^ "Babybird – You're Gorgeous" (in Dutch). Ultratip. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
  13. ^ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 13, no. 43. 26 October 1996. p. 17. Retrieved 25 January 2020.
  14. ^ "Babybird – You're Gorgeous" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
  15. ^ "Babybird – You're Gorgeous" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
  16. ^ "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (NR. 203 Vikuna 9.1. '97 – 15.1. '97)". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). 10 January 1997. p. 16. Retrieved 22 July 2018.
  17. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – You're Gorgeous". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
  18. ^ "Hits of the World – Italy" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 110, no. 18. 2 May 1998. p. 18. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
  19. ^ "Babybird – You're Gorgeous". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
  20. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
  21. ^ "Babybird – You're Gorgeous". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
  22. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
  23. ^ "Top 100 Singles 1996". Music Week. 18 January 1997. p. 25.
  24. ^ "Árslistinn 1997 – Íslenski Listinn – 100 Vinsælustu Lögin". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). 2 January 1998. p. 25. Retrieved 16 February 2020.
  25. ^ "British single certifications – Babybird – You're Gorgeous". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
  26. ^ "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 28 September 1996. p. 57. Retrieved 3 July 2021.
  27. ^ Reece, Doug (13 September 1997). "Baby Bird Hopes to Take Wing in U.S.". Billboard. Vol. 109, no. 37. p. 22. Atlantic will begin working 'You're Gorgeous' at modern rock and triple-A radio on Halloween...
  28. ^ "New Releases". Radio & Records. No. 1230. 9 January 1998. p. 40.


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