Don't Stop Now

Last updated
"Don't Stop Now"
Don't Stop Now.jpeg
Single by Crowded House
from the album Time on Earth
Released16 June 2007 (Australia)
25 June 2007 (UK)
Recorded2007
Genre Alternative rock
Length3:57
Label Capitol
Songwriter(s) Neil Finn
Producer(s) Steve Lillywhite
Crowded House singles chronology
"Not the Girl You Think You Are"
(1996)
"Don't Stop Now"
(2007)
"She Called Up"
(2007)
Music video
"Don’t Stop Now" on YouTube

"Don't Stop Now" is the first single from Crowded House's fifth studio album Time on Earth . It was released in Australia on 16 June 2007; in the United Kingdom, it was released digitally on 18 June 2007 and physically on 25 June 2007.

Contents

Background

"Don't Stop Now" was written by Neil Finn shortly after he and his wife, Sharon Finn, moved to Freshford near Bath, England. The influence of the song came as a result of Finn's wife driving and having difficulty navigating due to her vehicle's GPS system providing incorrect information. To compound her difficulty, this was her first time driving in this area of England, an area known for its narrow roads. [1]

The song was written by Crowded House frontman Neil Finn as a solo effort. The song features guitar work from alternative group The Smiths' former co-songwriter Johnny Marr. The song was originally destined for Finn's third solo album, but as his third album was converted into the new album for his band Crowded House, the song was released as a Crowded House offering. "Don't Stop Now" is one of only four from the fourteen tracks from Time on Earth that includes the full lineup of Finn, bassist Nick Seymour, guitarist/keyboardist Mark Hart and newcomer drummer Matt Sherrod as Crowded House.

Cover art

The cover art of "Don't Stop Now" is all in the same vein as the album Time on Earth that the song is derived from. This is prominent in that the artwork is made up of newspaper clippings that've been painted to fit the design, in this case appearing to be a green labyrinth with a car and some birds. The difference with this cover is that the song title is hand drawn, where on the album cover, the album title is in newspaper also. The blue dragon from the cover of Time on Earth is also seen hiding within the maze. The music video for "Don't Stop Now" also employs the same artwork and design as the background for the band.

Notable performances

As the lead single for the group's reunion album Time on Earth , Crowded House has performed "Don't Stop Now" at all of their performances since reuniting, including the international event Live Earth on 7 July 2007 and for a promotional performance on the Australian television program Rove on 8 July 2007.

Music video

The music video for "Don't Stop Now" is primarily animated with the band blue screened in. It features the same design and corporate image of the cover of its single and the album Time on Earth. The song is performed by the band who appear to be surrounded by illustrated trees and appear to be in an illustrated and animated world. Later, the band appears at the top of an illustrated newspaper building. The music video features a blue dragon (as from the Time on Earth cover) seeking out and devouring a person, just as from the album cover. The dragon is later featured throughout the music video. In parts of the music video, the shot moves to a close up view of newspaper, as is used on the cover of the album, while a small red car drives along the text and the words being sung are expanded to be read. As it is the first single with drummer Matt Sherrod on drums, it's also the first music video with Crowded House that he has been featured in. Multi-instrumentalist Mark Hart is mostly seen on guitar while the band is in view, however is also shown playing piano in other scenes. [2]

Reception

Junkee said, " A star guest turn from Johnny Marr sees his trademark jangle open up the crack in the darkness to let the light come in, while Finn’s minor-major cadence allows for a rainbow after the storm." [3]

Track listings

All physical formats vary in their track listings. All songs were written by Neil Finn.

Australian CD

Catalogue number 3977592

  1. "Don't Stop Now" – 3:55
  2. "Lost Island" – 3:19
  3. "Mean to Me" (Live Real World Sessions Webcast) – 3:24
  4. "Stare Me Out" – 4:19

UK CD

Catalogue number CDR6743

  1. "Don't Stop Now" – 3:57
  2. "Lost Island" – 3:19

UK Enhanced CD

Catalogue number CDRS6743

  1. "Don't Stop Now" – 3:55
  2. "Heaven That I'm Making" (Live Real World Sessions Webcast) – 4:17
  3. "Don't Stop Now" (Video) – 3:55
  4. "Mean to Me" (Live Real World Sessions Webcast) (Video) – 3:19

UK 7" vinyl

Catalogue number R6743

  1. "Don't Stop Now" – 3:57
  2. "Stare Me Out"

UK promotional CD

Catalogue number CHSTOP002

  1. "Don't Stop Now" – 3:57

Personnel

Charts

Chart (2007)Peak
position
Australian ARIA Charts 34
UK Singles Chart [4] 41
US Adult Alternative Songs ( Billboard ) [5] 9

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crowded House</span> Australian pop rock band

Crowded House are a rock band, formed in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, in 1985. Its founding members were New Zealander Neil Finn and Australians Paul Hester (drums) and Nick Seymour (bass). Later band members include Neil Finn's brother, Tim Finn and sons Liam and Elroy, as well as Americans Mark Hart and Matt Sherrod, with Neil Finn and Seymour being the sole constant members.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neil Finn</span> New Zealand musician (born 1958)

Neil Mullane Finn is a New Zealand singer-songwriter and musician. He is best known for being a principal member of Split Enz, of which he shared lead duties with his brother Tim, and the lead singer, guitarist, and a founding member of Crowded House. He has also been a member of Fleetwood Mac since 2018. Ed O'Brien of Radiohead has hailed Finn as popular music's "most prolific writer of great songs".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nick Seymour</span> Australian bassist (born 1958)

Nicholas More Seymour is an Australian musician and record producer. He is the founding bass guitarist and a mainstay of the rock group Crowded House, and is the younger brother of Mark Seymour, singer-songwriter-guitarist in the rock band Hunters and Collectors.

<i>Woodface</i> 1991 studio album by Crowded House

Woodface is the third studio album by New Zealand band Crowded House. The album was produced by Mitchell Froom and Neil Finn and was released by Capitol Records in July 1991. It features five singles: "Chocolate Cake", "Fall at Your Feet", "It's Only Natural", "Weather with You", and "Four Seasons in One Day". Woodface was a major hit in Australia and New Zealand as well as giving the band their first top ten hit album in the UK. It was listed at No. 3 in the book 100 Best Australian Albums in October 2010. It was voted number 80 in the third edition of Colin Larkin's All Time Top 1000 Albums (2000).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Don't Dream It's Over</span> 1986 single by Crowded House

"Don't Dream It's Over" is a song by rock band Crowded House, recorded for their 1986 self-titled debut studio album. The song was composed and written by New Zealand frontman Neil Finn and released in October 1986 as the fourth single from the album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mark Hart</span> American musician (born 1953)

Mark Hart, is an American musician and multi-instrumentalist best known for being a member of both Supertramp and Crowded House. As well as being a group member, touring and session musician for acts such as Ringo Starr, Hart has composed film scores and is a record producer.

<i>She Will Have Her Way</i> 2005 compilation album by Various Artists

She Will Have Her Way is a compilation album featuring female Australian and New Zealand musicians performing songs written by Neil Finn and Tim Finn, members of Split Enz and Crowded House. A follow-up album, He Will Have His Way, featuring male artists, was released in 2010.

<i>Together Alone</i> 1993 studio album by Crowded House

Together Alone is the fourth studio album by New Zealand-Australian band Crowded House. It was released in October 1993 and was their first album to feature multi-instrumentalist Mark Hart as a full band member. Unlike the band's first three albums, which were recorded in the US and Australia and produced by Mitchell Froom, Together Alone was recorded in New Zealand with producer Youth. Six singles were released from Together Alone, including "Distant Sun", which was a top 10 hit in New Zealand and Canada, and "Locked Out" which reached number 12 on the UK singles chart and number 8 on the US Modern Rock chart, the latter on the strength of the song's inclusion on the soundtrack of the 1994 film Reality Bites.

<i>Temple of Low Men</i> 1988 studio album by Crowded House

Temple of Low Men is the second studio album by New Zealand-Australian rock band Crowded House, released by Capitol Records on 5 July 1988. The three band members, Neil Finn, Nick Seymour and Paul Hester, recorded the album in Melbourne and Los Angeles with Mitchell Froom as producer. Finn had written all ten tracks during the two years since their self-titled debut. Temple of Low Men peaked at number one in Australia, number two in New Zealand, number ten in Canada and number 40 on the US Billboard 200.

<i>Crowded House</i> (album) 1986 studio album by Crowded House

Crowded House is the debut album by New Zealand-Australian band Crowded House. Produced by Mitchell Froom, it was released in August 1986 and was certified platinum in four countries. The album includes the hit singles "Don't Dream It's Over", "Something So Strong", "Mean to Me", "World Where You Live" and "Now We're Getting Somewhere".

<i>Time on Earth</i> 2007 studio album by Crowded House

Time on Earth is the fifth studio album by the pop-rock band Crowded House. Tracks have been produced by both Ethan Johns and Steve Lillywhite and the album was released on 30 June 2007 in Australia, 2 July in the United Kingdom and 10 July in North America. Time on Earth is the band's first studio album since 1993, and marks the reunion of the band eleven years after they disbanded and features new drummer Matt Sherrod in place of the original drummer, Paul Hester, who died in 2005.

<i>Farewell to the World</i> 2006 live album by Crowded House

Farewell to the World is a 1996 concert by rock group Crowded House, which was released on video in 1996 and on CD and DVD in 2006. The concert was recorded on the outside footsteps of the Sydney Opera House, as a charity event to raise funds for the Sydney Children's Hospital. The event was originally scheduled for the night of 23 November 1996; however, it was delayed one day due to rain. The concert was to be the last that the group played, as the group had announced their dissolution several months prior. The concert attracted a crowd of greater than 100,000 people, with some estimates of 250,000 people in attendance. Since then, several concerts have been performed in the same place, such as the Mushroom Records anniversary celebration. Every Australian Idol year finale uses the outdoor as well as the indoor of the Opera House.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Something So Strong</span> 1987 single by Crowded House

"Something So Strong" is a rock song written by Neil Finn and Mitchell Froom and performed by Crowded House for their eponymous debut album. The track was released as the album's fifth and final single in April 1987. The single peaked at No. 18 on the Australian Kent Music Report Singles Chart, No. 3 in New Zealand, No. 7 in the United States Billboard Hot 100, and No. 10 on the Canadian RPM 100.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Into Temptation (song)</span> 1988 single by Crowded House

"Into Temptation" is a song by Australasian rock group Crowded House. It was the third single from the group's second album, Temple of Low Men (1988). The single peaked at number 59 on the Australian ARIA Singles Chart in January 1989 and reached the top 20 in the Netherlands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pineapple Head</span> 1994 single by Crowded House

"Pineapple Head" is a song by Australian-New Zealand rock band Crowded House from their fourth studio album, Together Alone. It was released as a single in September 1994.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matt Sherrod</span> American drummer (born 1968)

Matthew Sherrod is an American drummer, musician, and a former member of the band Crowded House. Sherrod first became known as a musician playing drums for rock artist Beck. In 2007, following the 2005 death of Crowded House's drummer, Paul Hester, Sherrod was selected as a member of the band's reunion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">She Called Up</span> 2007 single by Crowded House

"She Called Up" is the second single released from Crowded House's fifth studio album Time on Earth, released on 17 September 2007.

<i>7 Worlds Collide</i> (album) 2001 live album by 7 Worlds Collide

7 Worlds Collide: Live at the St. James is an album released in 2001 by 7 Worlds Collide, a musical project of New Zealand singer-songwriter Neil Finn. It is a live recording culled from a series of five shows recorded at the St. James Theatre in Auckland, New Zealand from 2 to 6 April 2001. Notable members of Finn's band included Eddie Vedder, Johnny Marr, Ed O'Brien, Tim Finn, Sebastian Steinberg, Phil Selway, Lisa Germano, and Betchadupa.

<i>Intriguer</i> 2010 studio album by Crowded House

Intriguer is the sixth studio album by rock group Crowded House, released on 11 June 2010. It is the band's follow-up to the group's 2007 reunion album Time on Earth. The first single for the album, "Saturday Sun", was released to radio and the video clip released to the internet in April 2010.

<i>The Very Very Best of Crowded House</i> 2010 greatest hits album by Crowded House

The Very Very Best of Crowded House is a compilation album featuring 19 singles from the period spanning Crowded House's first five studio albums. A CD and DVD box set is available, which includes a DVD of 25 of the band's music videos. The album is also available as a 'Deluxe Digital Version' which features 32 tracks including a rare 1987 live recording of the band's cover version of the Hunters & Collectors song "Throw Your Arms Around Me".

References

  1. Neil Finn, Radio New Zealand interview with Neil Finn, recorded 19 May 2007. Retrieved 21 August 2007.
  2. Red Alternative, "Don't Stop Now" on YouTube. Released 22 June 2007. Retrieved 8 July 2007.
  3. David James Young. "The Evolution Of Crowded House In 15 Essential Tracks". Junkee.
  4. The Official UK Charts Company Archived March 14, 2009, at the Wayback Machine , released 7 July 2007. Retrieved 9 July 2007.
  5. "Crowded House Chart History (Adult Alternative Songs)". Billboard.