Eyes Without a Face (song)

Last updated

I started to use "Eyes Without a Face" as a possible title/lyric/chorus for the song. I began to write words that, in some disguised form, spoke about my life in New York and a relationship gone wrong, on the edge of disintegrating into madness. Perhaps I was reflecting on my own touring infidelities. In a way, those can leave you feeling soulless, especially if you're already in a relationship that you value but are degrading by looking elsewhere for additional sexual kicks. [7]

In the studio, Idol told guitarist Steve Stevens about the tune he had, and Stevens fleshed it out with a revolving four-chord pattern (Emaj7–C#m–G#m–B). [8] Stevens then came up with a hard rock guitar riff in the middle of the song. Idol said he improvised some rap verses over the riff because "rap was everywhere in New York at the time, in all the discos and clubs, so it made sense after my croon to start talking streetwise over Steve's supersonic barrage of sound." [7]

Critical reception

Cashbox said that the song is "more subdued" and "more sensitive" than Idol's previous single "Rebel Yell" and features "a silky acoustic guitar backdrop and a probing melodic bass line" by Puerto Rican session bassist Sal Cuevas. [9]

Music video

The video was released in June 1984 and subsequently nominated for MTV Video Music Awards for "Best Editing" and "Best Cinematography". It was shot over an exhausting three-day period on a set with fog machines, lighting, and fire sources. Immediately after the shoot, Idol flew to perform in Arizona, where he discovered that his contact lenses had fused to his eyeballs, attributing it to the harsh video shoot and dry plane air. He was taken to a hospital where the lenses were removed and his eyes bandaged for three days, until his scraped corneas grew back. [10]

Personnel

Formats and track listings

  1. "Eyes Without a Face"
  2. "The Dead Next Door"
  1. "Eyes Without a Face"
  2. "The Dead Next Door"
  3. "Dancing with Myself"
  4. "Rebel Yell"

Charts

"Eyes Without a Face"
Eyes Without a Face by Billy Idol single cover.jpg
Cover of 12" vinyl single
Single by Billy Idol
from the album Rebel Yell
B-side "The Dead Next Door"
ReleasedApril 1984 (US)
1 June 1984 (UK) [1]
Studio
Genre
Length4:58 (album/video version)
4:08 (single version)
Label Chrysalis
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) Keith Forsey
Billy Idol singles chronology
"Rebel Yell"
(1983)		"Eyes Without a Face"
(1984)		"Flesh for Fantasy"
(1984)
Audio sample

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil) [32] Gold30,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI) [33] Silver200,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

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Eyes Without a Face can refer to:

References

  1. ↑ "Great Rock Discography". p. 404.
  2. ↑ Reesman, Bryan (15 November 2017). "Classic Tracks: Billy Idol's "Rebel Yell"". Mix . Archived from the original on 20 August 2019. Retrieved 19 August 2019.
  3. ↑ Schneider, Steven Jay (2007). 100 European Horror Films. British Film Institute. p. 83. ISBN   978-1-84457-164-2.
  4. ↑ Heller, Jason (19 August 2013). "New wave in the front, heavy metal in the back". The A.V. Club . Archived from the original on 11 May 2016. Retrieved 3 May 2016.
  5. ↑ "Billy Idol – Awards". AllMusic . Archived from the original on 18 July 2016. Retrieved 3 May 2016.
  6. ↑ Guarisco, Donald A. "Eyes Without a Face – Song Review". AllMusic . Archived from the original on 24 January 2013. Retrieved 29 December 2012.
  7. 1 2 3 Idol, Billy (2014). "23: Rebell Yell with a Cause". Dancing with Myself. Touchstone (Simon & Schuster). pp. 179–180. ISBN   978-1-4516-2850-0. Archived from the original on 7 March 2024. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
  8. ↑ Moore, Rick (29 June 2020). "Behind the Song : Billy Idol, "Eyes Without a Face"". American Songwriter . Archived from the original on 28 July 2021. Retrieved 18 July 2021.
  9. ↑ "Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. 5 May 1984. p. 7. Archived (PDF) from the original on 25 May 2022. Retrieved 23 July 2022.
  10. ↑ Tannenbaum, Rob; Marks, Craig (2011). I Want My MTV: The Uncensored Story of the Music Video Revolution . Penguin Books. p. 16. ISBN   978-1-1015-2641-5.
  11. ↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (Illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 147. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
  12. ↑ "Billy Idol – Eyes Without A Face" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 3 May 2016.
  13. ↑ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 6758." RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 3 May 2016.
  14. ↑ "European Top 50 Singles – compiled by Europarade – Week Ending 25.08.84". World Charts. Archived from the original on 16 August 2014.
  15. ↑ "Billy Idol – Eyes Without A Face" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 3 May 2016.
  16. ↑ "Billy Idol – Eyes Without A Face" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 3 May 2016.
  17. ↑ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Eyes Without A Face". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 1 January 2016.
  18. ↑ "Classifiche". Musica e dischi (in Italian). Archived from the original on 1 December 2016. Retrieved 31 May 2022. Set "Tipo" on "Singoli". Then, in the "Artista" field, search "Billy Idol".
  19. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 33, 1984" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 3 May 2016.
  20. ↑ "Billy Idol – Eyes Without A Face" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 3 May 2016.
  21. ↑ "Billy Idol – Eyes Without A Face". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 3 May 2016.
  22. ↑ "Billy Idol – Eyes Without A Face". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 3 May 2016.
  23. ↑ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 3 May 2016.
  24. ↑ "Billy Idol Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  25. ↑ "Cash Box Top 100 Singles – Week ending June 30, 1984". Cash Box . Archived from the original on 30 September 2012.
  26. ↑ "National Top 100 Singles for 1984". Kent Music Report. 31 December 1984. Archived from the original on 8 January 2022. Retrieved 12 January 2022– via Imgur.
  27. ↑ "Top 100 Singles of 1984". RPM . Vol. 41, no. 17. 5 January 1985. Archived from the original on 3 April 2019. Retrieved 3 May 2016.
  28. ↑ "Top Selling Singles of 1984". Official NZ Music Charts.com. Recorded Music New Zealand Limited. Archived from the original on 18 May 2022. Retrieved 17 May 2022.
  29. ↑ "Top 100 Hits for 1984". The Longbored Surfer. Archived from the original on 23 August 2013. Retrieved 3 May 2016.
  30. ↑ "The Cash Box Year-End Charts: 1984". Cash Box . Archived from the original on 30 September 2012.
  31. ↑ "Jahrescharts – 1984" (in German). Offiziellecharts.de. GfK Entertainment. Archived from the original on 9 May 2015.
  32. ↑ "Brazilian single certifications – Billy Idol – Eyes Without a Face" (in Portuguese). Pro-Música Brasil . Retrieved 10 June 2024.
  33. ↑ "British single certifications – Billy Idol – Eyes Without a Face". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved 10 November 2023.
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