Don't Get Me Wrong
"Don't Get Me Wrong" | |
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Song | |
B-side | "Dance!" |
"Don't Get Me Wrong" is a song released by the pop-rock group The Pretenders. It was the first single taken from the group's 1986 album, Get Close. It can also be found on the band's The Singles album, released in 1987.
In the US, "Don't Get Me Wrong" became the group's second Top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, peaking at No. 10.[1] Their first Top 10 pop hit, "Back on the Chain Gang", had reached No. 5 in 1983. "Don't Get Me Wrong" also spent three weeks atop the Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart in November 1986.[1] It also reached No. 5 on the Radio & Records CHR/Pop Airplay Chart on December 12, 1986 staying on that position for a week and remaining on the chart for eleven weeks.[2] In the UK, the song also peaked at #10 in the UK Singles Chart.[3] It did best in Australia, where it reached No. 8.[4]
The song features a jangly guitar sound and an emphasis on melody. Hynde's lyrics contain literary and scientific references in addition to the more relationship-based subject matter typical for pop music. The song was covered by British pop singer Lily Allen for BBC Radio 1's 40th-anniversary celebrations in 2007 and was released on the subsequent compilation album. In 2018, it was covered by Leigh Nash.[5]
The music video for the song is a tribute to the British 1960s TV spy series The Avengers, with Chrissie Hynde playing Emma Peel searching for John Steed (Patrick Macnee appears in the original series' footage, with Hynde superimposed).
The song has been performed on stage in France and Belgium by the leading French popular singer La Grande Sophie (Sophie Huriaux) for several years, including at all her 120 concerts of her ‘Place du Fantôme’ tour of 2012–13. La Grande Sophie has also performed an acoustic version in the studio of OuiFM in April 2012. She has not included "Don't Get Me Wrong" on any album.
Personnel
Additional Personnel
- Chucho Merchán – bass guitar
- Steve Jordan – drums, percussion
- Paul "Wix" Wickens – synthesizer, piano
Appearances in other media
- The song was played over the opening credits for the 1986 film Gung Ho.
- The song was used in the 1992 film Peter's Friends.
- It was also included in the 1997 film Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion.
- The song was used in the 1998 Susan Skoog film Whatever.
- The song was used in the 2001 film version of Bridget Jones's Diary.
- The song was used for Harry Judd and Aliona Vilani's quickstep routine on the ninth series of Strictly Come Dancing in 2011. They danced to it in week 9 of the competition, where they scored 39, and again at the final (which they went onto win), where they achieved a perfect score of 40.
- The song appears on the soundtrack of Going the Distance with Drew Barrymore and Justin Long.
Origin
Hynde stated in the VH1 Story Tellers series that she got the inspiration for the chorus's melody while on a British Airways flight. The airline's distinct "tone" jingle, which was played at certain times in the flight (for announcements from the pilot, seatbelt attention, etc.) had the same series of tones/notes as the chorus: DON'T- GET- ME- WRONG.
References
- ^ a b Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits, 8th Edition (Billboard Publications), page 505.
- ^ "pretenders". wweb.uta.edu. Retrieved 24 August 2018.
- ^ UK Singles Chart info Chartstats.com. Retrieved 22 April 2009.
- ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. Australian Chart Book, St Ives, N.S.W. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
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(help) - ^ "JFH News: Leigh Nash Debuts New Single, "Don't Get Me Wrong"". www.jesusfreakhideout.com. Retrieved 24 August 2018.