Dressed to Kill (song)

Last updated
"Dressed to Kill"
Dressed to Kill - Preston.jpg
Single by Preston
from the album Whatever Forever
Released2009 [1] [ deprecated source ]
Label B-Unique Records
Songwriter(s) Samuel Preston, Mark Taylor
Producer(s) Mark Taylor
"Dressed to Kill"
Song by Cher
from the album Closer to the Truth
ReleasedSeptember 20, 2013
Genre Electropop
Length2:51
Label Warner Bros.
Songwriter(s) Samuel Preston, Mark Taylor, Cher
Producer(s) Mark Taylor

"Dressed to Kill" is a 2009 song by Preston, most notably covered by Cher in 2013. Preston's original was released as a single in the UK from his Whatever Forever LP. [1] [ deprecated source ]

Contents

The song samples the introduction from Siouxsie and the Banshees' 1980 single "Happy House." [2]

"Dressed to Kill" was Preston's only single release during the almost four-year hiatus of The Ordinary Boys. The song, however, failed to chart. Because of the failure of the lead single, the album was subsequently shelved by the label.

The song was produced by Mark Taylor, who had also produced Cher's megahit, "Believe." While producing her comeback album, Taylor decided to recycle "Dressed to Kill," [3] which he had co-written with Preston.

Cher cover

"Dressed to Kill" was covered by American singer Cher for her 2013 album Closer to the Truth . The song was also included as part of the setlist for the concert tour. Her performance of the song was vampire-themed. [4] Cher's version somewhat alters the lyrics. She changes the line, "You're dressed to kill" to "I'm dressed to kill."

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cher</span> American singer and actress (born 1946)

Cher is an American singer, actress, and television personality. Often referred to by the media as the "Goddess of Pop", she has been described as embodying female autonomy in a male-dominated industry. She is known for her distinctive contralto singing voice, for having worked in numerous areas of entertainment and for adopting a variety of styles and appearances. Cher rose to fame in 1965 as one half of the folk rock husband-wife duo Sonny & Cher before releasing her first solo top-ten singles "Bang Bang " and "You Better Sit Down Kids". Throughout the 1970s, she scored the US Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles "Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves", "Half-Breed", and "Dark Lady", becoming the female solo artist with the most number-one singles in US history at the time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A Kind of Magic (song)</span> 1986 single by Queen

"A Kind of Magic" is the title track of the 1986 album of the same name by the British rock band Queen. It was written by the band's drummer, Roger Taylor, for the film Highlander and featured as the ending theme. The single reached number three in the UK Singles Chart, top ten in a number of European countries, and #42 on the US Billboard Hot 100. The song is the opening track on the band's compilation albums, Greatest Hits II, and Classic Queen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Got You Babe</span> 1965 single by Sonny Bono & Cher

"I Got You Babe" is a song performed by American pop and entertainment duo Sonny & Cher and written by Sonny Bono. It was the first single taken from their debut studio album, Look at Us (1965). In August 1965, the single spent three weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States where it sold more than one million copies and was certified Gold. It also reached number one in the United Kingdom and Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Preston (singer)</span> English singer

Samuel Dylan Murray Preston, more commonly known simply as Preston, is an English singer-songwriter in the band the Ordinary Boys. He also appeared in the reality television show Celebrity Big Brother in 2006, in which he finished fourth. After the Ordinary Boys split in 2008, he embarked on a songwriting career. In 2013, he officially reunited the Ordinary Boys and in 2015 they released their self-titled comeback album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Beat Goes On (Sonny & Cher song)</span> 1967 song by Sonny & Cher

"The Beat Goes On" is a song written and composed by Sonny Bono and recorded by Sonny & Cher. It was issued as a single and appeared on their 1967 album In Case You're in Love. It entered the Billboard Hot 100 chart on January 14, 1967, peaking at number six.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dark Lady (song)</span> 1973 single by Cher

"Dark Lady" is a song recorded by American singer-actress Cher, and the title selection song from her eleventh studio album, Dark Lady, released in 1974. Written and composed by John Robert "Johnny" Durrill and produced by Snuff Garrett, it was released as the album's first single in December of 1973. The song became Cher's third solo U.S. number 1 hit on March 23, 1974.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Music's No Good Without You</span> 2001 single by Cher

"The Music's No Good Without You" is a song recorded by American singer Cher for her twenty-fourth studio album, Living Proof. It was released in the United Kingdom on November 5, 2001, by WEA, while in the United States, it was released in 2002. The song reached the top 20 in many countries worldwide, expanding Cher's chart success into five decades.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Believe (Cher song)</span> 1998 single by Cher

"Believe" is a song by the American singer Cher, from her 22nd studio album, Believe (1998). It was released as the lead single on October 19, 1998, by Warner Bros. Records. After circulating for months, a demo written by Brian Higgins, Matthew Gray, Stuart McLennen and Timothy Powell, was submitted to Warner's chairman, Rob Dickins, while he was scouting for songs to include on Cher's new album. Aside from the chorus, Dickins was not impressed by the track so he enlisted two more writers, Steve Torch and Paul Barry to complete it. Cher contributed some lyrics but received no songwriting credit. Recording took place at Dreamhouse Studio in West London, while production was handled by Mark Taylor and Brian Rawling.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Song for the Lonely</span> 2002 single by Cher

"Song for the Lonely" is a song by American singer Cher from her twenty-fourth studio album, Living Proof (2001). It was written by Mark Taylor, Paul Barry and Steve Torch, and produced by Taylor. It released on March 19, 2002, as the second international single from the album, while in North America it was released as the lead single, by Warner Bros. Records and WEA. "Song for the Lonely" is a dance-pop song which was initially written as a love song, but after the September 11 attacks, Cher eventually saw it in a different way.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Shoop Shoop Song (It's in His Kiss)</span> 1963 single by Merry Clayton

"It's in His Kiss" is a song written and composed by Rudy Clark. It was first released as a single in 1963 by Merry Clayton that did not chart. The song was made a hit a year later when recorded by Betty Everett, who hit No. 1 on the Cashbox magazine R&B charts with it in 1964. Recorded by dozens of artists and groups around the world in the decades since, the song became an international hit once again when covered by Cher in 1990.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)</span> 1966 song by Cher

"Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)" is the second single by American singer-actress Cher from her second album, The Sonny Side of Chér (1966). It was written by her husband Sonny Bono and released in 1966. It reached No. 3 in the UK Singles Chart and No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 for a week (behind "(You're My) Soul and Inspiration" by The Righteous Brothers), eventually becoming one of Cher's biggest-selling singles of the 1960s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Don't Let This Moment End</span> 1998 single by Gloria Estefan

"Don't Let This Moment End" is a song by Cuban-American singer and songwriter Gloria Estefan. It was released on November 3, 1998 by Epic Records, as the third single in the United States, the third in the United Kingdom, and her fourth globally, from her eighth album, Gloria! (1998). The song was written by Estefan, her husband Emilio Estefan, Lawrence Dermer and Roberto Blades and produced by Estefan Jr. and Dermer. It became a smash hit on the US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart, almost peaking at the top of charts for that field. The song also peaked at number nine in Spain and was a top 30 hit in the UK. It was first intended as a ballad and then remixed into a dance-ballad. According to Estefan, it celebrates the perfect moment in time. Its music video was directed by Gustavo Garzon. The track was nominated for a Grammy Music Award, but lost to "Believe" by Cher.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elusive Butterfly</span> 1965 single by Bob Lind

"Elusive Butterfly" is a popular song written by Bob Lind, released as a single in December 1965, which reached number 5 on both the Billboard Hot 100 and the adult contemporary chart in the spring of 1966. In Australia, Lind's "Elusive Butterfly" entered the charts on April 10, 1966, and spent three weeks at number 2 during July of that year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Self Esteem (musician)</span> English singer-songwriter (born 1986)

Rebecca Lucy Taylor, also known by her stage name Self Esteem, is a British musician, songwriter and actress. First known as one half of the band Slow Club, she launched a solo career as Self Esteem with the single "Your Wife" in 2017, followed by the albums Compliments Please in 2019 and Prioritise Pleasure in 2021. A multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, songwriter and theatre composer, she is winner of the 2021 BBC Music Introducing Artist of the Year Award and Prioritise Pleasure was nominated for the 2022 Mercury Prize. From September 2023 to March 2024 she performed the lead role of Sally Bowles in the West End production of Cabaret.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cher Lloyd</span> English singer (born 1993)

Cher Lloyd is an English singer. She participated on the seventh series of the television talent show The X Factor in 2010 and finished in fourth place. Following the show, Lloyd was signed to Syco Music in the United Kingdom and Epic Records in the United States. She released her debut studio album, Sticks and Stones, in 2011, which had two releases: its standard edition and a US version. The album peaked at number four on the UK Albums Chart, while the latter version debuted at number nine in the US Billboard 200. It included the successful singles "Swagger Jagger", which entered at number one on the UK Singles Chart, "With Ur Love", and "Want U Back".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">With Ur Love</span> 2011 single by Cher Lloyd

"With Ur Love" is a song by English singer Cher Lloyd featuring vocals from American singer Mike Posner. The single was released on 4 October 2011, and was written by Shellback, Savan Kotecha, Max Martin and Posner and was produced by Shellback and Martin. Musically "With Ur Love" is a mid-tempo pop song, with elements of R&B and lyrically speaks about the euphoria of being in love. The song debuted at number four in the United Kingdom, becoming Lloyd's second top ten single. It also reached the top ten in Ireland and the top twenty in New Zealand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Want U Back</span> 2012 single by Cher Lloyd featuring Astro

"Want U Back" is a song by English singer Cher Lloyd from her debut studio album, Sticks and Stones (2011). It was released as the third single from the album on 3 February 2012, and it was released as the lead single from the US version of the album on 22 May 2012. The UK single release features guest vocals from The X Factor US contestant Astro. In the United States, the song was released as a solo single, without Astro's verses. Its remix features Snoop Dogg. The song was written by Savan Kotecha and Shellback, with production being handled by the latter. Musically, "Want U Back" is a pop song, with elements of bubblegum and synth-pop, while lyrically the song is about a girl who's jealous of her ex-boyfriend's new relationship, and tries to sabotage the new relationship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Woman's World (Cher song)</span> 2013 single by Cher

"Woman's World" is a song by American singer Cher, from her twenty-fifth studio album Closer to the Truth (2013). It was written by Matt Morris, Anthony "TC" Crawford, Joshua "J.D." Walker, and Paul Oakenfold, while production was helmed by the latter. Sonically, "Woman's World" is a dance-pop, EDM, electropop and electro song with themes of women's empowerment in its lyrics. The song was released by Warner Bros. Records on June 18, 2013 by Warner Bros. Records as the album's lead single.

<i>Closer to the Truth</i> 2013 studio album by Cher

Closer to the Truth is the twenty-fifth studio album by American singer and actress Cher. It was released on September 20, 2013, by Warner Bros. Records. Opting to re-establish her music career, she began planning the project in 2011, shortly after her appearance in the movie Burlesque and the conclusion of her residency show at Caesars Palace. Work continued into 2012 and 2013. While the album was initially planned to be pop rock-oriented, Closer to the Truth ultimately became a prominently dance-inspired record. As executive producer, she enlisted longtime collaborator Mark Taylor to work alongside new producers such as Paul Oakenfold, Billy Mann, Timbaland and MachoPsycho to achieve Cher's desired sound.

"I Hope You Find It" is a country pop and adult contemporary ballad by American entertainer Miley Cyrus. It was written by Steven Robson and Jeffrey Steele for inclusion on the soundtrack of Cyrus' 2010 film The Last Song. Although "I Hope You Find It" was not released as a single from the album, it debuted at #8 on Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart in the week ending April 10, 2010 and peaked at #5 a week later, on the basis of a large amount of digital downloads alone. It dropped out in the week ending April 24, 2010.

References

  1. 1 2 "Whatever Forever by Preston [UK]" . Retrieved 5 February 2019 via rateyourmusic.com.
  2. "Dressed to Kill by Preston Songfacts". songfacts.com. Retrieved 10 June 2016.
  3. Allan, Stewart (21 July 2015). "Preston – Dressed to Kill". intothepopvoid.com. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
  4. Tracy A. Willis. "Cher, Dressed to Kill". Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved 5 February 2019 via YouTube.