Church of the Poison Mind

Last updated

"Church of the Poison Mind"
Churchofthepoisonmind.jpg
Single by Culture Club
from the album Colour by Numbers
B-side Man Shake (7")
Mystery Boy (12")
Released1 April 1983 (UK)
October 1983 (US)
Recorded1983
Genre
Length3:32
Label Virgin Records
Epic Records (US)
Songwriter(s) Boy George, Roy Hay, Mikey Craig, Jon Moss
Producer(s) Steve Levine
Culture Club singles chronology
"I'll Tumble 4 Ya"
(1983)
"Church of the Poison Mind"
(1983)
"Karma Chameleon"
(1983)

"Church of the Poison Mind" is a 1983 hit single by the British new wave band Culture Club. It was released as the lead single from their second, and most successful, album Colour by Numbers . The song reached #2 in the United Kingdom, being kept out of the top spot by David Bowie's "Let's Dance". [2] It was also the band's fourth Top 10 hit in Canada and the United States. In America, it was still climbing the charts when "Karma Chameleon" was released as a single. Epic Records released"Karma" ahead of schedule. "Church of the Poison Mind" reached its peak position the same week "Karma Chameleon" debuted on the US chart. In many countries its B-side was the heavily percussive street song "Man Shake" and in some others, such as the United States, it was the song "Mystery Boy". Both songs were on the 12-inch single in many countries, except Canada, where it was issued with an extended version of previous hit "I'll Tumble 4 Ya".

Contents

Background

The song took strong influence from Stevie Wonder's song "Uptight (Everything's Alright)". [3] Helen Terry sang backing vocals on the song. [4]

Critical reception

AllMusic critic Stewart Mason stated that her "fiery performance of the chorus is a pop-song masterstroke." [5] Fellow Allmusic critic Jose J. Promis agreed that her performance "really brought the house down." [4] Mason regarded the song as a tribute to the songs written by Holland–Dozier–Holland for Motown in the 1960s. [5] It was ranked at number 8 among the top ten "Tracks of the Year" for 1983 by NME . [6] In 2017, it was ranked as the number one Culture Club song by Billboard . [7] In an interview with Rolling Stone in June 1984, Bob Dylan, when asked if he belonged to any church, joked that he adhered to the "Church of the Poison Mind". [8]

Track listing

7-inch record

A. "Church of the Poison Mind"
B. "Man Shake"

(Released in UK, Canada, Australia, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Portugal, Sweden)

A. "Church of the Poison Mind"
B. "Mystery Boy"

(Released in Peru, USA.)

12-inch record

A. "Church of the Poison Mind"
B1. "Mystery Boy"
B2. "Man Shake"

(Released at least in UK, Australia, Germany, Greece (different cover), Italy, Mexico.)

A. "Church of the Poison Mind"
B. "I'll Tumble 4 Ya" (extended dance mix)

(Released in Canada.)

Charts

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Culture Club</span> English pop band

Culture Club are an English new wave band formed in London in 1981. The band comprises Boy George, Roy Hay, and Mikey Craig, and formerly included Jon Moss. Emerging in the New Romantic scene, they are considered one of the most representative and influential groups of the 1980s.

<i>Colour by Numbers</i> 1983 studio album by Culture Club

Colour by Numbers is the second album by the British new wave group Culture Club, released in October 1983. Preceded by the hit single "Karma Chameleon", which reached number one in several countries, the album reached number one in the UK and has sold 10 million copies. It has been certified triple platinum in the UK and quadruple platinum in the US. It was ranked number 96 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 100 Best Albums of the 1980s.

"Always on My Mind" is a ballad written by Wayne Carson, Johnny Christopher, and Mark James, first recorded by Brenda Lee and first released by Gwen McCrae in March 1972. Lee's version was released three months later in June 1972. The song has been a crossover hit, charting in both the country and western and pop categories. Elvis Presley's recording was the first commercially successful version of the song.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Uptown Girl</span> 1983 single by Billy Joel

"Uptown Girl" is a song written and performed by American musician Billy Joel from his ninth studio album An Innocent Man (1983), released in September 1983 as the album's second single. The lyrics describe a working-class "downtown man" attempting to woo a wealthy "uptown girl". The 12" EP has the tracks "My Life", "Just the Way You Are" and "It's Still Rock and Roll to Me", whereas some 7" single versions featured "Careless Talk" as a B-side.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shake Ya Tailfeather</span> 2003 single by Nelly, P. Diddy and Murphy Lee

"Shake Ya Tailfeather" is a song by American rappers Nelly, P. Diddy, and Murphy Lee. It was released in 2003 from the Bad Boys II Soundtrack. The song was also included on Lee's debut album, Murphy's Law. It topped the Billboard Hot 100, giving Nelly his third number one on the chart, Lee's first, and P. Diddy's fifth, making Diddy the rapper with the most number one hits on the chart at the time before being passed by Drake. The song won Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group at the 46th Annual Grammy Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heaven (Bryan Adams song)</span> 1985 single by Bryan Adams

"Heaven" is a song by the Canadian singer and songwriter Bryan Adams recorded in 1983, written by Adams and Jim Vallance. It first appeared on the A Night in Heaven soundtrack album the same year and was later included on Adams' album Reckless in 1984. It was released as the third single from Reckless and reached number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in June 1985, over a year and a half after the song first appeared on record. The single was certified Gold in Canada in 1985.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Poison (Bell Biv DeVoe song)</span> 1990 single by Bell Biv DeVoe

"Poison" is the debut single of American vocal group Bell Biv DeVoe, released as the first single from their debut album of the same name. The song, in the style of new jack swing, a late-1980s/early-1990s hybrid of R&B, hip hop and swing, was the group's most successful.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Last Night a D.J. Saved My Life</span> 1982 song by Indeep

"Last Night a D.J. Saved My Life" is a song written by Michael Cleveland, sung by American group Indeep, and released as a single in 1982 by Sound of New York and Becket Records. It features vocals from Réjane "Reggie" Magloire and Rose Marie Ramsey. The track appears as the third track of the namesake album released in 1983.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">(Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty</span> 1976 single by KC and the Sunshine Band

"(Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty" is a song recorded and released in 1976 by KC and the Sunshine Band for the album Part 3. The song became their third number-one hit on the Billboard Hot 100, as well as their third number-one on the Hot Soul Singles chart. The song was met with a degree of controversy, since the lyrics were interpreted or likely speculated by many as having sexual connotations. According to KC, it had a lot more meaning and depth. During his performance he would witness the entire crowd having a good time except for some minority. The song inspired people to "get off their can and get out there and do it". The B-side of "Shake Your Booty" is "Boogie Shoes", which later became a hit on its own after it appeared on the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack in 1977 and then having its own release as a single in early 1978, becoming a top 40 hit in several countries including the UK and US.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Handy Man (song)</span> 1959 song composed by Otis Blackwell, Jimmy Jones performed by Jimmy Jones

"Handy Man" is a song written by singer Jimmy Jones and songwriter Otis Blackwell. Recordings by Del Shannon and also The Sparks Of Rhythm list Charles Merenstein as a co-writer, as does BMI. The Sparks Of Rhythm version on the Apollo 541 single version released in 1959 credits Andrew Barksdale and Merenstein as writers omitting Jimmy Jones. The song is noted for Jones singing "Come-a, come-a come-a come-a, come come-a, yeah" lyrics, which are heard at the beginning as well as in the coda of the song, before the song's fade.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Karma Chameleon</span> 1983 single by Culture Club

"Karma Chameleon" is a song by English band Culture Club, featured on the group's 1983 album Colour by Numbers. The single was released in the United Kingdom in September 1983 and became the second Culture Club single to reach the top of the UK singles chart, after "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me". The record stayed at number one for six weeks and became the UK's biggest-selling single of the year 1983, selling 955,000 copies in 1983 and certificated platinum by BPI. To date, it is the 38th-biggest-selling single of all time in the UK, selling over 1.52 million copies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shake Your Love</span> 1987 single by Debbie Gibson

"Shake Your Love" is a song by American singer-songwriter and actress Debbie Gibson. The song was released as the second single to her debut studio album Out of the Blue (1987), and the first internationally by Atlantic Records in September 1987. Like the rest of the album, the song was solely written by Gibson and produced by Fred Zarr. The song features the Roland TR-808.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Do You Really Want to Hurt Me</span> 1982 single by Culture Club

"Do You Really Want to Hurt Me" is a song written and performed by English new wave band Culture Club. Released as a single in September 1982 from the group's platinum-selling debut album, Kissing to Be Clever (1982), this ballad was the band's first major hit and first UK No. 1 hit. In the United States, the single was released in November 1982 and also became a hit, reaching No. 2 for three weeks.

<i>Greatest Hits</i> (Culture Club album) 2005 greatest hits album by Culture Club

Greatest Hits is a greatest hits compilation by British band Culture Club with androgynous frontman Boy George. It was released in the US and Canada on 21 June 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Victims (song)</span> 1983 single by Culture Club

"Victims" is a song by English band Culture Club, released as a single in 1983 and taken from the album Colour by Numbers. As with most early Culture Club singles, the song is about lead singer Boy George's then publicly unknown and rather turbulent relationship with drummer Jon Moss. Although the group's previous single "Karma Chameleon" had been a massive hit throughout the world, "Victims" was only issued in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, and Australia. The piano ballad peaked at #3 on the UK Singles Chart. In Ireland, it peaked at #2, and in Australia, at #4. The single was not released in the United States, Canada or Japan, where they released "Miss Me Blind" instead.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Culture Club discography</span>

Culture Club's discography consists of 6 studio albums, 9 compilation albums, 3 box sets, 3 extended plays, 24 regular commercial singles, and 5 promotional singles, largely released during the 1980s and 1990s. Culture Club has sold more than 50 million records worldwide, including 7 million records in the United States. For the comprehensive Boy George solo discography, see Boy George discography.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I'll Tumble 4 Ya</span> 1983 single by Culture Club

"I'll Tumble 4 Ya" is a song by English band Culture Club, released in 1983 as the fifth and final single from their debut album Kissing to Be Clever. The 7" single was released only in North America, peaking at #9 in the U.S. and #5 in Canada. In Australia, it was released in September 1983 as a double A-side single with "Karma Chameleon", peaking at #1 and receiving substantial airplay. With this single, in America, Culture Club was the first band to have three top 10 singles from a debut album since the Beatles. Cash Box called the song "an up tempo percussive dance number with none of the overbearing production gimmicks of competing new music groups" and praised the horn parts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Time (Clock of the Heart)</span> 1982 single by Culture Club

"Time (Clock of the Heart)" is a song by the British new wave band Culture Club, released as a stand-alone single in most of the world and as the second single from their debut album Kissing to Be Clever in North America. As the follow-up single to their global hit, "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me", "Time (Clock of the Heart)" peaked at #2 on the US Billboard Hot 100, kept from the #1 spot by Irene Cara's "Flashdance... What a Feeling". "Time" was also a major hit in the band's native UK, reaching #3 on the UK Singles Chart and selling over 500,000 copies in that country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Love on My Mind (Freemasons song)</span> 2005 single by Freemasons

"Love on My Mind" is a song by British dance music duo Freemasons. It was released as the first single from their debut album, Shakedown, which was not released until 2007, and features vocals from British singer Amanda Wilson. The song's melody and some of its lyrics sample the 1979 hit "This Time Baby" by Jackie Moore. Additionally, it includes the lyrics from the chorus of the Tina Turner song "When the Heartache Is Over".

<i>The Best of Culture Club</i> 1989 compilation album by Culture Club

The Best of Culture Club is a greatest hits album of British new wave group Culture Club, released by Virgin Records in 1989.

References

  1. 1 2 Marsh, Dave (1989). The Heart of Rock & Soul: The 1001 Greatest Singles Ever Made. Plume. p. 516. ISBN   0-452-26305-0.
  2. "Retro Charts". everyHit.com. 16 March 2000. Retrieved 5 January 2012.
  3. "The 100 Best Albums of the 1980's". Rolling Stone . No. 565. 16 November 1989. Retrieved 2 December 2021.
  4. 1 2 "Colour by Numbers - Culture Club | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic.com. Retrieved 30 July 2016.
  5. 1 2 Mason, Stewart. "Church of the Poison Mind". Allmusic . Retrieved 26 December 2016.
  6. "Albums and Tracks of the Year". NME. 2016. Retrieved 23 February 2018.
  7. Graff, Gary (30 August 2017). "Culture Club's 10 Best Songs: Critic's Picks". Billboard . Retrieved 4 March 2022.
  8. Loder, Kurt (21 June 1984). "Bob Dylan, Recovering Christian". Rolling Stone.
  9. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
  10. "Culture Club – Church of the Poison Mind" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 29 June 2023.
  11. "Culture Club – Church of the Poison Mind" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 29 June 2023.
  12. Pennanen, Timo (2021). "Sisältää hitin: Levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla 1.1.1960–30.6.2021" (PDF) (in Finnish). Musiikkiarkisto. p. 54. Archived (PDF) from the original on 27 June 2023. Retrieved 29 June 2023.
  13. "Classifiche" (in Italian). Musica e dischi. Archived from the original on 1 December 2016. Retrieved 29 June 2023. Set "Tipo" on "Singoli". Then, in the "Artista" field, search "Culture Club".
  14. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Church of the Poison Mind". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 29 June 2023.
  15. "Japan #1 Import Disks by Oricon Hot Singles" (in Japanese). Oricon. Archived from the original on 2 October 2022. Retrieved 5 July 2023.
  16. "Nederlandse Top 40 – Culture Club" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 29 June 2023.
  17. "Culture Club – Church of the Poison Mind" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 29 June 2023.
  18. "Culture Club – Church of the Poison Mind". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 29 June 2023.
  19. "Culture Club – Church of the Poison Mind". VG-lista. Retrieved 29 June 2023.
  20. "Culture Club – Church of the Poison Mind". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 29 June 2023.
  21. "Culture Club: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 29 June 2023.
  22. "Offiziellecharts.de – Culture Club – Church of the Poison Mind" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 29 June 2023.
  23. "Culture Club Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 29 June 2023.
  24. "National Top 100 Singles for 1983". Kent Music Report . No. 497. 2 January 1984. Archived from the original on 12 May 2023. Retrieved 29 June 2023 via Imgur.
  25. Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Fabrice Ferment (ed.). "TOP – 1983". 40 ans de tubes 1960–2000: Les meilleures ventes de 45 tours & CD Singles (in French). Éditions Larivière. OCLC   469523661. Archived from the original on 1 June 2023. Retrieved 29 June 2023 via Top-France.fr.
  26. "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1983" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Archived from the original on 29 June 2023. Retrieved 29 June 2023.
  27. "Jaaroverzichten - Single 1983" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Archived from the original on 15 January 2023. Retrieved 29 June 2023.
  28. "Top 100 Hits for 1984".