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Wicked Game

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This article is about the song. For the Chris Isaak album, see Wicked Game (Chris Isaak album). For other uses, see Wicked Game (disambiguation).
"Wicked Game"
Song
B-side"Wicked Game" (Instrumental)

"Wicked Game" is a song by American rock musician Chris Isaak, released from his third studio album Heart Shaped World (1989). Despite being released as a single in 1990, it did not become a hit until it was later featured in the David Lynch film Wild at Heart (1990). Lee Chesnut, an Atlanta radio station music director who loved David Lynch films, began playing the song and it quickly became a nationwide top ten hit in January 1991, reaching number 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, making it the first hit song of his career.

Composition

The song is written in the mode of B Dorian[citation needed] and it is a ballad about unrequited love,[1][2] performed in what Allmusic describes as a "brooding, sorrowfully conflicted" tone.[3]

Through several years, many different versions and arrangements of the song were made before the final version was released. Both the bassline and drums (except the cymbals) were sampled from previous recordings of the song and then looped.[4] James Calvin Wilsey played the distinctive lead guitar solo on the song.

Music videos

There are two different music videos for this song. The most well-known music video of the song was directed by Herb Ritts, shot in Hawaii and featured top model Helena Christensen rolling and frolicking on the beach with Isaak. It was filmed in black and white. Christensen was topless and Isaak was shirtless through most of the video, although Christensen's nudity was concealed by clever camera angles. The video won the MTV Video Music Awards for Best Male Video, Best Cinematography and Best Video from a Film. The video was ranked #13 on VH1's 100 Greatest Videos and was also ranked #4 on VH1's 50 Sexiest Video Moments. The video was ranked #73 on Rolling Stone magazine's "The 100 Top Music Videos". The video ranked #1 on Fuse's "40 Sexiest Videos" in 2010.

A previous version of the video was commissioned for the Wild at Heart soundtrack, and was directed by David Lynch.[5]

Track listings

Charts and certifications

HIM cover version

"Wicked Game"
Song

The Finnish band HIM remade this song, first using it in their demo This Is Only the Beginning, then on their EP 666 Ways To Love: Prologue, followed by another recording of it on their first album Greatest Love Songs Vol. 666, and lastly on the British and American versions of their second album Razorblade Romance. The last recording they made of it then reappeared on their compilation album And Love Said No: The Greatest Hits 1997–2004. With "Wicked Game" on their EP and first album, HIM gained fame in their native Finland.[citation needed] HIM frontman Ville Valo had this to say about "Wicked Game": "I went to Pasila's library and borrowed the soundtrack-vinyl of Wild At Heart and recorded it on tape. So with Linde we tried to 'learn' the song from the tape. It was kind of funny, that we learnt the song a bit wrong. We did not hear the guitar parts well enough from that 'bad quality' tape. We also heard the lyrics wrong, and when the song was later recorded to our first EP, there were a few funny mistakes in the lyrics."[citation needed]

Track listings

German release
  1. "Wicked Game" – 3:54
  2. "For You" – 4:00
  3. "Our Diabolical Rapture" – 5:20
  4. "Wicked Game" (666 Remix) – 3:58
Finnish release
  1. "Wicked Game"
  2. "For You"
2000 UK release
  1. "Wicked Game" – 3:36
  2. "When Love and Death Embrace" (Amnt mix) – 3:34
  3. "The Heartless" (Serdlidlim Mix) – 3:11
2000 Swedish release
  1. "Wicked Game" 2000
  2. "When Love and Death Embrace" (Amnt mix) – 3:34

Parra for Cuva cover version

"Wicked Game"
Song

In 2013, German house producer Parra for Cuva released a cover version that featured Anna Naklab. The single was retitled as "Wicked Games" in plural. It was first released on Beatport worldwide as a digital download in August 2013, then a mainstream release as a digital download in France in October 2013 and in Germany on 14 February 2014. The song has charted in Australia, France, Belgium, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands.

Track listing

  1. "Wicked Games" (radio edit) – 3:15
  2. "Wicked Games" (original mix) – 5:58

Charts

Chart (2013–14) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[25] 14
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[26] 15
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[27] 21
France (SNEP)[28] 72
songid field is MANDATORY FOR GERMAN CHARTS 89
Hungary (Rádiós Top 40)[29] 40
Ireland (IRMA)[30] 54
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[31] 6
Scotland (OCC)[32] 4
UK Dance (OCC)[33] 1
UK Singles (OCC)[34] 6

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[35] Gold 35,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Region Date Label Format
France 14 October 2013 Spinnin' Records Digital download
Germany 14 February 2014
Ireland 24 October 2014
United Kingdom 26 October 2014

Version by Il Divo

"Wicked Game"
Song

Il Divo bought the copyright, and covered the song gender classical crossover with its lyrical voices, playing the song in Spanish, included in his 2011 album Wicked Game.[36]

Cover version by Gemma Hayes

"Wicked Game"
Song

Singer songwriter Gemma Hayes recorded a version of the song.

On February 16, 2012 Hayes revealed in an interview with Evening Echo's 'Downtown', she recorded a cover version of Wicked Game" for US Teen drama Pretty Little Liars, the song featured throughout her 2012 tour playlist.[37]

On 1 March 2012, gemmahayes.com confirmed her cover of "Wicked Game" would appear on Pretty Little Liars on 12 March and will be available to download as a single.

The track was released after her fourth studio album Let It Break and before her fifth studio album release Bones+Longing.

In March 2015, a video musical session was recorded playing this song at St. Patrick's Chapel - Irish Cultural Center, Paris.[38]

Chart position

In January 2012, Hayes was asked to record a cover version of Chris Isaak' 'Wicked Game' for US Teen drama 'Pretty Little Liars'. The track appeared on US TV in March 2012.[39] The track was released on iTunes on 12 March 2012.[40] The song performed well in the charts peaking at #5 in Canada, #4 in Ireland, #3 in France and #1 in Sweden.[41]

Other versions

Performances
Various
  • The video was parodied in the Bloodhound Gang video Screwing You on the Beach at Night.
  • Trentemøller did a Dub remix of this song. It was never released but is available for download.
  • Girls Aloud recorded the track but is currently unreleased.
  • The song was used in a contemporary routine choreographed by Travis Wall on So You Think You Can Dance season 10, with Amy Yakima.
  • The song has been lately remixed by neihardt, whose soulful and clean version has never been released but hit on YouTube around 20.000 plays.

Personnel

References

  1. ^ Kim, Jae-Ha (21 April 1991). "Chris Isaak finally wins success in wicked game". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved 25 January 2013.
  2. ^ Goldstein, Patrick (17 February 1991). "Isaak's 'Wicked Game' a Surprise Smash". L.A. Times. Retrieved 25 January 2013.
  3. ^ Huey, Steve. "Wicked Game - Chris Isaak". allmusic. Rovi Corp. Retrieved 25 January 2013.
  4. ^ "Classic Tracks: Chris Isaak's "Wicked Game"". Mixonline.com. 2002-05-01. Retrieved 2011-05-22.
  5. ^ Claire PITTARD. "US Screencaps - Wicked Game". Chrisisaak.online.fr. Retrieved 2011-05-22.
  6. ^ "Covers by Nicholis Louw". WhoSampled. Retrieved 2014-08-05.
  7. ^ "Karnivool - Lifelike & Wicked Game [Live] (Good Quality) (Whole Song)". Retrieved 5 March 2014.
  8. ^ Wicked Game#Parra for Cuva cover version
  9. ^ "Chris Isaak – Wicked Game". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  10. ^ "Chris Isaak – Wicked Game" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  11. ^ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Retrieved 2014-08-05.
  12. ^ Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin - levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Tammi. ISBN 978-951-1-21053-5.
  13. ^ "Chris Isaak – Wicked Game" (in French). Les classement single.
  14. ^ Irish Single Chart Irishcharts.ie (Retrieved February 23, 2008)
  15. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Chris Isaak" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40.
  16. ^ "Chris Isaak – Wicked Game". Top 40 Singles.
  17. ^ "Chris Isaak – Wicked Game". Singles Top 100.
  18. ^ UK Singles Chart Chartstats.com (Retrieved August 9, 2008)
  19. ^ a b c Billboard Allmusic.com (Retrieved August 9, 2008)
  20. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2002). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961-2001. Record Research. p. 122.
  21. ^ "Single top 100 over 1991" (PDF) (in Dutch). Top40. Retrieved 13 April 2010.
  22. ^ "Billboard Top 100 - 1991". Retrieved 2009-09-15.
  23. ^ U.S. certifications riaa.com (Retrieved August 9, 2008)
  24. ^ UK certifications BPI.co.uk (Retrieved May 16, 2015)
  25. ^ "Parra For Cuva feat. Anna Naklab – Wicked Games". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  26. ^ "Parra For Cuva feat. Anna Naklab – Wicked Games" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  27. ^ "Parra For Cuva feat. Anna Naklab – Wicked Games" (in French). Ultratop 50.
  28. ^ "Parra For Cuva feat. Anna Naklab – Wicked Games" (in French). Les classement single.
  29. ^ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Rádiós Top 40 játszási lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége.
  30. ^ "Chart Track: Week 47, 2014". Irish Singles Chart.
  31. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Parra For Cuva feat. Anna Naklab" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40.
  32. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  33. ^ "Official Dance Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company.
  34. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  35. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2015 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 10 February 2015.
  36. ^ "New Il Divo Album Announced!". www.ildivo.com/uk.
  37. ^ "Gemma Hayes wicked game Galway". YouTube. 5 February 2012. Retrieved 22 May 2012.
  38. ^ Gemma Hayes - Wicked Game
  39. ^ "PLL Wicked Game - Gemma Hayes". YouTube.
  40. ^ "iTunes - Music - Wicked Game - Single by Gemma Hayes". iTunes.
  41. ^ http://www.music-chart.info/song/914027/Wicked-Game
  42. ^ "Johnny Osma – Wicked Game (Chris Isaak cover)".
  43. ^ "iTunes - Music - Wicked Game - Single by Gemma Hayes". Itunes.apple.com. 2012-03-10. Retrieved 2014-08-05.
  44. ^ St.Jon (2015-11-04), WICKED GAME - ST.JON (Chris Isaak Cover), retrieved 2016-02-14
  45. ^ "Wicked Game - Katie Kim by KATIE KIM on SoundCloud - Hear the world's sounds". Soundcloud.com. Retrieved 2014-08-05.
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