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Bringin' On the Heartbreak

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"Bringin' On the Heartbreak"
Song
B-side"Me and My Wine"
"Bringin' On the Heartbreak"
Song
B-side"Me and My Wine (remix)"

"Bringin' On the Heartbreak" is a ballad originally recorded by British hard rock band Def Leppard. It was the second single from their 1981 album High 'n' Dry. The song was written by three of the band's members: Steve Clark, Pete Willis, and Joe Elliott. In 2002, it was covered by American R&B/pop singer Mariah Carey for her album Charmbracelet. Many reviews of the R&B cover were positive, as was the reaction from Def Leppard's Joe Elliott.[1]

Def Leppard versions

Def Leppard recorded the song for their second album, High 'n' Dry. Its working title had been "A Certain Heartache," and the track (along with the others on the album) was produced by Robert John "Mutt" Lange. Lange said he thought the band was intending to make the song's verse "jangley" and "a kind of 'Stairway to Heaven' thing; Steve [Clark] likes that long wrangled guitar jangle." Cliff Burnstein, the manager of Def Leppard and an A&R representative for Mercury Records, later said that Peter Willis was embarrassed to play the song for him because it was a ballad. Burnstein originally thought it only had potential to be a hit single if it was recorded by an artist such as Bonnie Tyler.

High 'n' Dry was released in the U.S. in summer 1981. "Bringin' On the Heartbreak" was commercially released in the U.S. on November 13, with "Me and My Wine" (a non-album track) and "You Got Me Runnin'" included as B-sides. It did not appear on the U.S. charts, but its music video was picked up by the recently launched television channel MTV and received heavy rotation.[2] The popularity of the video and the exposure the band received caused a resurgence in sales of High 'n' Dry, which subsequently sold over two million copies. It was released in Mexico as "Llevarlo en la Desilusión" with "Yo y mi Vino" ("Me and My Wine") featuring the cover art from the single of "Too Late for Love".

High 'n' Dry was re-issued in May 1984 with two new tracks, one of which was a synthesizer-heavy remix of "Bringin' On the Heartbreak". Featuring Phil Collen on guitar, the remix was released as a single with a newly filmed video and peaked at 61 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. The original version of the song was later included on three of their compilation albums: Vault: Def Leppard Greatest Hits (1980–1995) (1995) Best of Def Leppard (2004) and Rock of Ages: The Definitive Collection (2005). The latter compilation ends with the instrumental "Switch 625," as it does in High 'n' Dry. Steve Huey of Allmusic has characterised the song as an "unabashedly dramatic rock ballad."[3]

Music video

The first music video was directed by Doug Smith, and is a live recording of Def Leppard performing the song at the Royal Court Theatre in Liverpool, England on July 22, 1981. It was originally filmed (along with clips for "Let It Go" and "High 'n' Dry") as part of Don Kirshner's Rock Concert television series on the U.S. network ABC.[4] The second music video, directed by David Mallet, was shot on February 1984 in Jacob's Biscuit Factory in Lake, Dublin, Ireland.[5]

Track listing

7" Mercury / 818 779-7 (U.S.)
  1. "Bringin' On the Heartbreak" (remix)
  2. "Me & My Wine" (remix)

Charts

Chart (1984) Peak
position
US Billboard Hot 100 1 61

1 Remix.

Mariah Carey version

"Bringin' On the Heartbreak"
Song
B-side"Miss You"

Mariah Carey co-produced her cover of the song with Randy Jackson for her 9th album, Charmbracelet (2002). Carey cites the original song as one of her favorites when she was growing up, and she said that she first came up with the idea of covering it when listening to Def Leppard's album Vault during the album photo shoot for Charmbracelet—"I just put on the music and started listening to it, and I said, 'You know what? I could do this my own way'," she said.[6] The song was produced in a rock ballad style and features guitar-playing by Rob Bacon.[7] (the single version also featured a newly recorded solo and extra guitar overdubs performed by Dave Navarro). One of Carey's few songs with a heavy rock influence, it was released as the album's third single in 2003. Her vocal range spans from C3 to C7.

Like "Boy (I Need You)," the album's second single, "Bringin' On the Heartbreak" failed to enter the US Billboard Hot 100,[8] or the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart because it was only an airplay single. It reached the top 40 in Switzerland but peaked outside the top 40 in Austria. Junior Vasquez, Mike Rizzo and Ruanne produced club remixes of the song, which received a wider release on promotional singles than commercial singles and received spins in nightclubs worldwide—the song reached the top five on the US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play.[8][9]

The single's video is based on the 1979 film The Rose, which featured a rock star (played by Bette Midler) who struggles to find happiness as she goes from her rough "rock and roll" lifestyle to her final high profile concert. The video, set to the RJ Jammen remix, was shot in Los Angeles on March 8, 2003 by director Sanaa Hamri, and features cameo appearances by Randy Jackson, Dave Navarro, Evan Marriott (as a helicopter pilot/bodyguard) and Guess? model Damon Willis.[10][11]

When asked about Carey's cover version, Joe Elliott told the Las Vegas Sun, "I think she's done a very good job. It's faithful to the arrangement, but not done like a rock song." Referring to Carey's whistle register vocals at the end, Elliot commented that her "astonishing vocal gymnastics toward the end...make Minnie Riperton sound like Tom Waits."[1] A number of reviews were positive,[12] with Rolling Stone describing the song as "the catchiest cut [on Charmbracelet]...a fascinatingly overblown orchestral remake."[13] Phil Collen praised Carey's cover as a "genuine version of our song"[14] and defended it from Def Leppard's more critical fans: "The fans really get it wrong sometimes. She's on our side and it's an honour she's done it. Really, that's the only way we're getting played."[15] Carey's version was number 24 on VH1's "Least Metal Moments"[16]—in a segment subtitled "Bringin' On the Headache"—because many metal fans and musicians did not like the remake. Bill Lamb of About.com ranked it at number 2 on his list of "Top 5 R&B/Pop Crossover Cover Songs" and said Carey's version is "superior to the original."[17] Billboard was favorable by naming it "set's crowning glory."[18] New York Times reviewed this song very favorably: "Another high point is her version of the Def Leppard song Bringin' On the Heartbreak. It starts out as a piano-driven slow jam; then the chorus is interrupted by a dramatic chord progression, and soon Ms. Carey's precise, fluttery voice is turning a power ballad into something more delicate."[19] Sal Cinquemani called this cover "daring" and praised its "surprising amount of live instrumentation, which contributes to an overall sense of warmth that's been otherwise missing from Carey's recent work."[20]

Some critics were not positive, like Allmusic stating that its best song on album but also noting that it "isn't even covered all that well."[21]

Formats and track listings

European CD single

  1. "Bringin' On the Heartbreak" (Mainstream Edit)
  2. "Miss You" (featuring Jadakiss)

European CD maxi-single

  1. "Bringin' On the Heartbreak" (Mainstream Edit)
  2. "Miss You" (featuring Jadakiss)
  3. "Bringin' On the Heartbreak" (Live)
  4. "Bringin' On the Heartbreak" (Video)

Charts

Chart (2003) Peak
position
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[22] 55
Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Flanders)[23] 11
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[24] 40
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[25] 28
US Hot Dance Club Songs (Billboard)[26] 5

References

  1. ^ a b Patterson, Spencer. "Leppard's spots". Las Vegas Sun. December 6, 2002 (weekend edition: December 8, 2002). Retrieved January 26, 2006.
  2. ^ Daniel Bukszpan, Ronnie James Dio (2003) The Encyclopedia of Heavy Metal
  3. ^ "High 'N' Dry review". allmusic. Retrieved 2007-09-15.
  4. ^ "Def Video 1 - High 'N' Dirty 1981 Era". Def Leppard UK.com. Archived from the original on 2007-08-16. Retrieved 2007-09-15.
  5. ^ "Def Video 2 - Pyromania 1983/High 'N' Dirty 1984 Era". Def Leppard UK.com. Archived from the original on 2007-07-20. Retrieved 2007-09-15.
  6. ^ LAUNCH Radio Networks. "Mariah Carey Says She Loves Def Leppard Cover". LAUNCHcast. June 30, 2003. Retrieved January 26, 2006.
  7. ^ Armstrong, Mark and Morden, Darryl. "Mariah Carey Covers Def Leppard On New Album". LAUNCHcast. October 24, 2002. Retrieved January 26, 2006.
  8. ^ a b "Mariah Carey: Artist Chart History — Singles". Billboard. Retrieved January 26, 2006.
  9. ^ "Mariah Carey — Bringin' On The Heartbreak". Top40-Charts.com. Retrieved January 26, 2006.
  10. ^ Johnson Jr., Billy and Holland, Margy. "Mariah Carey Video Features 'Joe Millionaire,' Dave Navarro". LAUNCHcast. March 18, 2003. Retrieved January 26, 2006.
  11. ^ Staff report. "For The Record: Quick News On Mariah Carey, Russell Simmons And George W. Bush, Da Brat, Meshuggah, Eels & More". MTV.com. March 12, 2003. Retrieved January 26, 2006.
  12. ^ Friedman, Roger (2004-03-15). "Mariah's Rich Leppard, Barbra's New Job". Fox News. Retrieved 2007-09-06.
  13. ^ Walters, Barry. Mariah Carey — Charmbracelet. Rolling Stone. November 19, 2002 (date of publication: December 12, 2002). RS 911. Retrieved January 26, 2006.
  14. ^ "We don't Carey...she'll have to book". Mariah Daily. 2003-08-31. Archived from the original on 2007-07-15. Retrieved 2007-09-06.
  15. ^ "Mariah's A Knock Out In Russia". Mariah Daily. 2003-09-30. Archived from the original on 2007-08-24. Retrieved 2007-09-06.
  16. ^ "40 Least Metal Moments (40-21)". The Greatest. VH1. Retrieved 2007-09-06.
  17. ^ Nero, Mark Edward. "Best R&B Versions of Rock/Pop Songs". About.com. Retrieved 2007-09-06.
  18. ^ http://books.google.ba/books?id=MQ0EAAAAMBAJ&printsec=frontcover&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=charm&f=false
  19. ^ http://www.nytimes.com/2002/12/01/movies/music-when-you-fall-you-get-back-up.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm
  20. ^ http://www.slantmagazine.com/music/review/mariah-carey-charmbracelet
  21. ^ http://www.allmusic.com/album/charmbracelet-mw0000226447
  22. ^ "Mariah Carey – Bringin' On The Heartbreak" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  23. ^ "Mariah Carey – Bringin' On The Heartbreak" (in Dutch). Ultratip.
  24. ^ "Mariah Carey – Bringin' On The Heartbreak" (in French). Ultratop 50.
  25. ^ "Mariah Carey – Bringin' On The Heartbreak". Swiss Singles Chart.
  26. ^ Artist Chart History - Mariah Carey
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