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"Mickey" is a 1982 song recorded by American singer and choreographer Toni Basil on her debut album Word of Mouth. Written by Mike Chapman and Nicky Chinn as "Kitty", it was first recorded by UK music group Racey during 1979 appearing on their debut album Smash and Grab.
Toni Basil changed the name from Kitty to Mickey to make the song about a man. For years, it had been rumored that the name was changed to Mickey because Basil was fond of The Monkees' drummer and lead vocalist Micky Dolenz after meeting him on the set of their movie Head for which she was the choreographer; however, this claim has been disputed by Basil, who said she didn't know Dolenz that well.[4] Rumors also circulated that the lines "any way you want to do it / I'll take it like a man", in the gender-swapped lyrics, referred to anal sex; Basil strenuously denies this interpretation, calling it "ridiculous".[4]
A music video for the song, featuring costuming and choreography inspired by cheerleader dance routines, was played heavily on MTV. Filmed in 1981, the video is considered the very first choreographed dance video, and the opening stunt, where a cheerleader jumps through the center of a human pyramid, is now illegal in competition.[5]
The single scored number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 for one week and number two in the UK Singles Chart. The song was Basil's only Top 40 success,[6] making her a "one-hit wonder".[7] It was named #5 on VH1's 100 Greatest One Hit Wonders of All Time, #16 on 20 to 1's Top 20 One Hit Wonders Countdown and #57 on VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of the '80s. It has also appeared on multiple greatest or best lists and countdowns.
In 1987, the Brazilian entertainer Xuxa covered the song on her album Xegundo Xou da Xuxa.
Irish girl group B*Witched covered the song for their American EP Across America 2000. It was released as a promotional single outside of the UK and was used for the film Bring It On.
Japanese comedian-musician Gorie scored no. 1 on the Japanese singles chart for two weeks with a version featuring vocals by American-born Jasmine Ann Allen.
In 2009, the American punk rock band Zebrahead covered it on their album Panty Raid.
In 2010, the South Korean girl group Girls' Generation released a reworked version "Cooky" to promote the LG Cyon Cooky mobile phone.
In 2011, the song was parodied as "Moshi" for commercials advertising the website Moshi Monsters.
In 2012, Olivia Newton-John recorded the song for the soundtrack to her motion picture A Few Best Men. The song was the first single released from the album on 9 January 2012.
The entire structure of the Run–D.M.C. song "It's Tricky" was consciously lifted from Mickey. According to DMC: "I just changed the chorus around and we just talked about how this rap business can be tricky to a brother."[30]
Heidi Montag recorded a song titled "Bad Boy", which starts off sampling the song with "Bad boy you so fine, you so fine, you blow my mind."
The song was sampled by Nitty in the song, "Hey Bitty", which can be found on his album Player's Paradise.[31]
In the film Wayne's World, the song is sung by Tia Carrere and Mike Myers.
On September 25, 2009, a flash mob and orchestra performed a parody version ("Oh, Mackey, you're a swine. You're a swine, you blow my mind," etc.) inside a Whole Foods grocery store in Oakland, California, to protest Whole Foods' CEO John Mackey's public opposition to health care reform in the US, including his rejection of the principle that people have a right to health care.
Spanish TV show Sé lo que hicisteis... (I know what you did...) used to play the song to introduce one of the hosts, Micki Nadal.
The song is sung in a short scene on the American sitcom Friends, in the episode "The One Where They're Up All Night".
This song is sung in the show Napoleon Dynamite with the name "Rico" replacing "Mickey".
This song has been used twice in the animated American sitcom King of the Hill: Kahn sings and dances to it at the opening of "Three Days at the Kahn-do" and it is used during a montage for "The Powder Puff Boys".
The song is sung in the show George Lopez with the name "Ernie" replacing "Mickey", in the 2003 episode "Team Leader". Season 2, episode 22.
The Spanish version of the song is used in the ninth episode of RuPaul's Drag Race Season 3 which Yara Sofia and Carmen Carrera lip synced for their lives to the song. After a very high energy performance, RuPaul allowed both queens to stay another week.
This song is featured in the 2012 video game Lollipop Chainsaw: It is played when Juliet, the player character, enters a temporary powered-up state. It is also unlockable as a background song.
The song is featured as part of the Riff-Off sequence of scenes in the 2012 film Pitch Perfect.
In the 2014 Doctor Who episode "Death in Heaven", Missy, the female incarnation of the long-running foe of the show the Master, sings the song at one point to taunt one of her enemies, changing the word Mickey to Missy for her version. In the series 9 opener, "The Magician's Apprentice", Missy uses the lyrics of the song to communicate with UNIT; in the same episode, the Doctor plays the chorus on his guitar.
A version of this song was performed by Vocal Adrenaline in the 6th season of Glee. The choir changed clothes to cheerleader outfits while singing and performed an extreme routine including human cannonballs.