Be Near Me

Last updated

"Be Near Me"
ABCBeNearMeSingleCover.jpg
Single by ABC
from the album How to Be a ... Zillionaire!
B-side "A to Z", "What's Your Destination?"
Released1 April 1985
RecordedDecember 1984
Genre
Length3:38
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Martin Fry
  • Mark White
ABC singles chronology
"(How to Be A) Millionaire"
(1984)
"Be Near Me"
(1985)
"Vanity Kills"
(1985)
Music video
"Be Near Me" on YouTube

"Be Near Me" is a song by English pop band ABC. It was released in April 1985 as the second single from their third studio album, How to Be a ... Zillionaire! . It peaked at No. 26 on the UK Singles Chart in 1985, and was the only single from the album to reach the UK top 40. It was more successful in the United States where it reached No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100. [4] [5] The song also went to number-one on the U.S. Hot Dance Club Play chart in September of that year, remaining on top for two weeks. [6]

Contents

Composition

The song is written in F major (C mixolydian mode) with a BPM of 125.

Music video

The song's music video was directed by Peter Care and shows the four band members in colourful attire playing toy instruments, against a white background and floor while the camera makes a series of rolling, panning and swooping shots. [7]

Track listing

7" version

US release

  1. "Be Near Me" – 3:38
  2. "A to Z" – 2:50

UK release

  1. "Be Near Me" – 3:38
  2. "A to Z" – 2:50

12" version

US release

  1. "Be Near Me" (Munich Disco Mix) – 5:28
  2. "Be Near Me" (Ecstasy Mix) – 4:45
  3. "What's Your Destination?" (instrumental version of "Be Near Me") – 3:36

UK release

  1. "Be Near Me" (Munich Disco Mix) – 5:27
  2. "A to Z" – 2:50
  3. "What's Your Destination?" (instrumental version of "Be Near Me") – 3:38

Personnel

Credits adapted from the original album liner notes, "One Two Testing" and "International Musician". [8] [9]

ABC

Additional Musicians

Chart performance

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>How to Be a ... Zillionaire!</i> 1985 studio album by ABC

How to Be a ... Zillionaire! is the third studio album by English pop band ABC. It was originally released in October 1985, on the labels Neutron, Mercury and Vertigo. The album peaked at No. 28 on the UK Albums Chart and at No. 30 on the Billboard 200. Four singles were released from the album, "(How to Be A) Millionaire", "Be Near Me", "Vanity Kills", and the fourth was "Ocean Blue",. It is the group's first and only album to feature founder members Martin Fry and Mark White flanked by new members Eden and David Yarritu, the latter two credited merely as "performers" with effectively no or limited musical contribution to the album. The four-piece was also presented in a cartoon form for the album's artwork and promotional videos, and wore outrageous costumes and played false instruments for "live" promotional performances.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sledgehammer (Peter Gabriel song)</span> 1986 single by Peter Gabriel

"Sledgehammer" is a song by the English rock musician Peter Gabriel. It was released in April 1986 as the lead single from his fifth studio album, So (1986). It was produced by Gabriel and Daniel Lanois. It reached No. 1 in Canada on 21 July 1986, where it spent four weeks; No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States on 26 July 1986; and No. 4 on the UK Singles Chart, thanks in part to its music video. It was his biggest hit in North America and ties with "Games Without Frontiers" as his biggest hit in the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sea of Love (Phil Phillips song)</span> 1959 single by Phil Phillips

"Sea of Love" is a song written by John Philip Baptiste and George Khoury. It was the only top-40 chart-maker for Phillips, who never recorded another hit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Give Me Just a Little More Time</span> 1970 single by Chairmen of the Board

"Give Me Just a Little More Time" is the debut single by Chairmen of the Board, released in 1970 through Capitol Records on Holland–Dozier–Holland's Invictus Records label.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Until You Come Back to Me (That's What I'm Gonna Do)</span> 1973 song composed by Stevie Wonder, performed by Aretha Franklin

"Until You Come Back to Me (That's What I'm Gonna Do)" is a song written by Morris Broadnax, Clarence Paul, and Stevie Wonder. The song was originally recorded by Stevie Wonder in 1967, but his version was not released as a single and did not appear on an album until 1977's anthology Looking Back. The best-known version of this song is the 1973 release by Aretha Franklin, who had a million-selling top 10 hit on Billboard charts. The song reached No. 1 on the R&B chart and No. 3 on the Hot 100 chart in 1974. It became an RIAA Gold record.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stay (Maurice Williams song)</span> 1960 song by Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs

"Stay" is a doo-wop song written by Maurice Williams and first recorded in 1960 by Williams with his group the Zodiacs. Commercially successful versions were later also issued by the Hollies, the Four Seasons and Jackson Browne.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Twistin' the Night Away</span> 1962 single by Sam Cooke

"Twistin' the Night Away" is a song written and recorded by Sam Cooke. It was recorded on 18 December 1961 and released as a single in 1962. It became very popular, charting in the top ten of both the Billboard Hot 100 (#9) and Billboard's R&B chart (#1). "Twistin' the Night Away" was successful overseas as well, peaking at #6 on the UK Singles Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Do You Love Me</span> 1962 single by the Contours

"Do You Love Me" is a rhythm and blues song recorded by the Contours in 1962. Written and produced by Motown Records owner Berry Gordy Jr., it appeared twice on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, reaching numbers three in 1962 and eleven in 1988.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Disco Lady</span> 1976 single by Johnnie Taylor

"Disco Lady" is a 1976 single by American singer Johnnie Taylor that went on to become his biggest hit. It spent all four weeks of April 1976 at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and six weeks atop the Billboard R&B chart in the U.S. It was also the first single to be certified platinum by the RIAA; ultimately it sold over 2.5 million copies. Billboard ranked it as the No. 3 song for 1976; Cash Box had it the year's No. 1 song

<span class="mw-page-title-main">(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher</span> 1967 song performed by Jackie Wilson

"(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher" is an R&B song written by Gary Jackson, Raynard Miner, and Carl Smith. It was recorded by Jackie Wilson for his album Higher and Higher (1967), produced by Carl Davis, and became a Top 10 pop and number one R&B hit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Look of Love (ABC song)</span> 1982 single by ABC

"The Look of Love" is a song by English pop band ABC, released in 1982 as the third single from their debut studio album, The Lexicon of Love (1982). It was the band's highest-charting hit in the UK, peaking at No. 4 on the UK Singles Chart. The single also went to No. 1 on the US Billboard Dance/Disco chart as well as the Canadian Singles Chart. On the American Cash Box Top 100, it got as high as No. 9, and on the Billboard Hot 100 it peaked at No. 18.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Big Love (Fleetwood Mac song)</span> 1987 single by Fleetwood Mac

"Big Love" is a song written by Lindsey Buckingham and performed by British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac. The song first appeared on the band's 1987 album Tango in the Night. The song was the first single to be released from the album, reaching number 5 in the US and number nine in the UK. The single was also a hit on the American dance charts, where the song peaked at number 7.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Let's Hang On!</span> 1965 song performed by The Four Seasons

"Let's Hang On!" is a song composed by Bob Crewe, Sandy Linzer, and Denny Randell that was popularized by the Four Seasons in 1965.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Secret (Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark song)</span> 1985 single by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark

"Secret" is a 1985 song by English electronic band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD), released as the second single from their album Crush. Paul Humphreys sings lead vocals on the track. It became their second US Billboard Hot 100 entry, peaking at number 63, and also made number 34 on the UK Singles Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Another Star</span> 1977 single by Stevie Wonder

"Another Star" is a song written and performed by Stevie Wonder from his 1976 album Songs in the Key of Life. It is the final track on side four of the double LP. The flute player Bobbi Humphrey appears in the last section of the song.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">(How to Be A) Millionaire</span> 1984 song by the English band ABC

"(How to Be A) Millionaire" is a song by English pop band ABC. It was the first single taken from their third studio album, How to Be a ... Zillionaire! (1985).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bend Me, Shape Me</span> 1967 single by The American Breed

"Bend Me, Shape Me" is a song written by Scott English and Larry Weiss. It was first recorded by The Outsiders as a track on their album In in 1966. The best-known version in the US is the 1967 single released by The American Breed that peaked at No. 5 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in early 1968, No. 3 in South Africa, and No. 24 on the UK Singles Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ocean Blue (song)</span> 1986 single by ABC

"Ocean Blue" is a song by English pop band ABC, released as the fourth single from their third studio album, How to Be a ... Zillionaire!

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Come Go with Me (Exposé song)</span> 1987 single by Exposé

"Come Go with Me" is a song by American girl group Exposé from their debut studio album Exposure (1987). Composed and produced by Lewis A. Martineé, the song was released in January 1987 as the third single from Exposure. The group’s second lineup recorded "Come Go with Me", with Jeanette Jurado singing lead vocals, and Gioia Bruno and Ann Curless singing backup. Some vocals from the original lineup of Exposé remain in the released track.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Just Can't Help Believing</span>

"I Just Can't Help Believing" is a song written by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil.

References

  1. Sheffield, Rob (2004). "ABC". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. p.  2. ISBN   0-7432-0169-8. But after Beauty Stab flopped, ABC returned to synth pop for the fabulously poignant 1985 hit "Be Near Me," on How to Be a Zillionaire!
  2. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "ABC – Artist Biography". AllMusic . Retrieved 7 June 2016.
  3. Sarah Rodman (22 August 2008). "A reason to flock to '80s night". The Boston Globe . Retrieved 22 March 2023.
  4. "ABC Chart History". Billboard . Archived from the original on 4 April 2015. Retrieved 21 July 2015.
  5. Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits: Eighth Edition. Record Research. p. 16.
  6. Whitburn, Joel (2004). Hot Dance/Disco: 1974-2003. Record Research. p. 15.
  7. Be Near Me. MTV .
  8. Colbert, Paul (June 1985). "ABC". One Two Testing (Jun 1985): 48–51.
  9. Bashe, Philip (March 1986). "The Zillion Dollar Men". International Musician (Mar 1986): 58–61.
  10. "RPM100 Singles". RPM Weekly. 30 November 1985. p. 6. Retrieved 24 February 2021 via Library and Archives Canada.
  11. "officialcharts.com". officialcharts.com. Retrieved 15 September 2022.
  12. "Cash Box Top 100 Singles – Week ending November 30, 1985". Cash Box Magazine. 30 November 1985. Archived from the original on 1 October 2012. Retrieved 10 October 2018.
  13. "Top 100 Hits of 1985/Top 100 Songs of 1985". Music Outfitters. Retrieved 10 October 2018.
  14. "Year-End Charts: Top 100 Pop Singles". Cash Box. 28 December 1985. Archived from the original on 1 October 2012. Retrieved 10 October 2018.