I Melt with You

Last updated

"I Melt with You"
I Melt with You by Modern English 1982 original release.jpeg
Artwork for original 1982 release
Single by Modern English
from the album After the Snow
B-side
  • "The Prize"
  • "After the Snow"
  • "Someone's Calling"
ReleasedAugust 1982
Recorded1982
Genre
Length
  • 3:50 (7-inch mix)
  • 4:11 (album version)
Label
Songwriter(s)
  • Robbie Grey
  • Gary McDowell
  • Richard Brown
  • Michael Conroy
  • Stephen Walker [4]
Producer(s) Hugh Jones
Modern English singles chronology
"Life in the Gladhouse"
(1982)		"I Melt with You"
(1982)		"Someone's Calling"
(1983)
Music video
"I Melt with You" on YouTube

"I Melt with You" is a song by the British new wave band Modern English. The song, produced by Hugh Jones, was the second single from their 1982 album After the Snow . It became the band's most successful single, largely in the United States, where it was featured in the film Valley Girl and on MTV. It reached number seven on Billboard 's Mainstream Rock chart in 1983 and a re-release reached number 76 on its Hot 100 chart in 1990 (after reaching number 78 in 1983).

Contents

Background

Modern English formed in 1979 in Colchester, Essex, England. [3] The group signed with 4AD, a British independent record label, in 1980.

The band's vocalist, Robbie Grey, described England at the time of the song's writing to be a bleak place, due to an ongoing economic downturn: "There was no money. There'd be no power—you'd be at home with candles." [5] These conditions and his fears of a nuclear war inspired "I Melt with You". The song depicts a couple making love while an atomic bomb is dropped. [6] [7] In an interview, he described the song as a "love song", but more about the "good and bad in people [...] The last thing we wanted was to write a song where boy meets girl, they go to the cinema and make love, and that's the end of it." [8]

Musically, the song came together in the band's rehearsal space in London while recording their second album, After the Snow . Producer Hugh Jones encouraged Grey to softly sing the vocal track, as opposed to his natural inclination to shout. He subsequently employed a softer vocal technique on the rest of the album. [8]

The original 4:11 album version features no call-and-response vocals in the second verse, and features a synthesizer break that begins at the second chorus. The more commonly known version of the song is the 3:50 single mix, in which the synthesizer riff is audible during the first chorus, an octave lower than on subsequent choruses, along with contrasting background vocals in the second verse - "You should know better" sung before "Dream of better lives...," etc. Eight bars from the instrumental break after the second chorus are cut in the single version, such that only the second rendering of the line "the future's...open wide" (lyrics sung twice on the album version) is present and the guitar riff leading up to this line thus fades in a bit more abruptly, accounting for the time difference between the album and single versions. The latter version was mixed down to mono from its original stereo recording. While both the album and single versions have circulated on radio, the true stereo mix of the single version has rarely been available since.

Commercial performance

The song was released in the United Kingdom in August 1982, by label 4AD. Though it failed to reach the UK singles chart, it became their fifth single to reach the UK Independent Singles and Albums Charts, peaking at number 18. The song was mainly a success in the United States, [8] gaining attention over a long incubation period before becoming Modern English's and 4AD's first chart hit. [9] It first began receiving radio airplay as an import single, and bounced from station to station, gaining momentum. [10] In April 1983, the song peaked at number 7 on the US Billboard Mainstream Rock chart [11] and number 78 on the main Billboard Hot 100. [12] "I Melt with You" was particularly popular in dance clubs and on MTV, [7] [13] peaking at number 60 on Billboard's Dance/Disco Top 80 in March 1983. [14] The single's success drastically altered the band's experience, according to Grey: "Someone picked up an import from England and started playing it on mainstream radio in America, and it just went like wildfire. We used to play to 200 people in art college; the next thing we knew, we were in Daytona Beach playing to 5,000 people who knew all the words [to the song]." [8]

Modern English re-recorded the song for their 1990 album Pillow Lips. The song re-appeared on the Hot 100, peaking at number 76 in July, [15] and re-appeared on the Dance charts, peaking at number 25 in August. [16] The reformed original line up of the band re-recorded it again in 2010 in a completely reworked style for inclusion in the movie I Melt With You .

The song is among the top 500 songs ever played on U.S. radio. [9] The group received a lifetime achievement award at the BMI Awards in 2017, celebrating 3 million plays of the song. [17] It is ranked #39 on VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of the 80s. [18] As Modern English's only major hit song, they are generally considered one-hit wonders, despite not reaching the Top 40 of the U.S. Hot 100 during either of its runs on that chart. [3] [7] It was ranked #7 on VH1's 100 Greatest One Hit Wonders of the 80s. [19]

Reception

A reviewer for Billboard commended the song as "classy", describing it as a "dreamy, acoustic-edged rocker." [13] The re-recorded edition of the song for the band's 1990 album Pillow Lips was received negatively by the Los Angeles Times 's Chris Willman, who dubbed it "nearly identical yet markedly inferior." [20]

The song has remained popular over the years. Tom Demalon AllMusic called it "one of the most enduring songs of the new wave era." [1] Los Angeles Times contributor Sara Scriber wrote in 1997 that the song endured because it "struck a chord for its gothic, escapist undercurrent and danceable rhythm." [7] In 2017, Chrissie Dickinson of the Chicago Tribune wrote that "with its irresistible guitar melody, danceable beat and heartfelt call and response vocals, it was a piece of work that fit snugly into the era." [21]

"I Melt with You" has been covered by a variety of artists, with several different versions being licensed for film and television worldwide. The original version by Modern English was largely popularized by its appearance in the 1983 film Valley Girl , in which it features in both the ending titles and in a "falling in love" montage sequence. [21] In 2002 the song featured in video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City in the other in-game music. Rock band Bowling for Soup did a cover of the song as part of the soundtrack to Sky High, which plays over the ending and end credits. A cover by American singer-songwriter Jason Mraz was included on the soundtrack to the 2004 film 50 First Dates . [22] French group Nouvelle Vague's rendition found placement in Mr. and Mrs. Smith (2005). [23] The song was covered by the cast of Glee in the 2014 episode "Old Dog, New Tricks". [24]

Charts

Chart (1983)Peak
position
US Billboard Hot 100 [12] 78
US Dance/Disco Top 80 ( Billboard ) [14] 60
US Rock Albums & Top Tracks ( Billboard ) [11] 7
Chart (1990)Peak
position
US Billboard Hot 100 [15] 76
US Hot Dance Music – Club Play [16] 25

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada) [25] Platinum80,000‡
United States (RIAA) [26] Gold500,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Every Breath You Take</span> 1983 single by the Police

"Every Breath You Take" is a song by the English rock band the Police from their album Synchronicity (1983). Written by Sting, the single was the biggest US and Canadian hit of 1983, topping the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart for eight weeks, and the Canadian RPM chart for four weeks. Their fifth UK No. 1, it topped the UK Singles Chart for four weeks. The song also reached the top 10 in numerous other countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">99 Luftballons</span> 1983 single by Nena

"99 Luftballons" is a song by the West German band Nena from their 1983 self-titled album. An English-language version titled "99 Red Balloons", with lyrics by Kevin McAlea, was also released by Nena on the album 99 Luftballons in 1984 after widespread success of the original in Europe and Japan. The English version is not a direct translation of the German original and contains lyrics with a somewhat different meaning. In the US, the English-language version did not chart, while the German-language recording became Nena's only US hit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rock DJ</span> 2000 single by Robbie Williams

"Rock DJ" is a song by English singer and songwriter Robbie Williams, featured on his third studio album, Sing When You're Winning (2000). The song was released on 31 July 2000 as the lead single from the album. It samples Barry White's song "It's Ecstasy When You Lay Down Next to Me", "Can I Kick It?" by A Tribe Called Quest and has a quote from "La Di Da Di" by Slick Rick and Doug E. Fresh.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Let the Music Play (Shannon song)</span> 1983 single by Shannon

"Let the Music Play" is a song recorded by American singer Shannon and released on September 19, 1983, as both her debut single and the lead single from her 1984 debut studio album of the same name. Written by Chris Barbosa and Ed Chisolm, and produced by Barbosa and Mark Liggett, "Let the Music Play" was the first of Shannon's four number ones on the US Dance Club Songs chart, reaching the top spot in October 1983. It also became a huge crossover hit in the US, peaking at number two on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 in February 1984. It was Shannon's only top 40 hit in the US. Some mark "Let the Music Play" as the beginning of the "dance-pop" era. "Let the Music Play" was ranked 43rd on the 2009 VH1 Special 100 Greatest One-Hit Wonders of the 1980s, while Rolling Stone and Billboard featured it in their lists of "200 Greatest Dance Songs of All Time" and "500 Best Pop Songs of All Time" in 2022 and 2023, respectively. The song also appears in the film Totally Killer and the video games Dance Central 3 and Scarface: The World Is Yours.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Gap Band</span> American R&B and funk band (1967–2010)

The Gap Band was an American R&B and funk band that rose to fame during the 1970s and 1980s. The band consisted of three brothers: Charlie, Ronnie, and Robert Wilson, along with other members; it was named after streets in the historic Greenwood neighborhood in the brothers' hometown of Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Modern English are an English new wave/post-punk band formed in 1979 in Colchester, Essex, England. They are best known for their songs "I Melt with You", "Hands Across the Sea", and "Ink and Paper". The group disbanded in 1987, only to re-form two years later and then disband again in 1991. They reunited once again in 1995 and have continued in various lineups since that time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lovesong (The Cure song)</span> 1989 single by the Cure

"Lovesong" is a song by English rock band the Cure, released as the third single from their eighth studio album, Disintegration (1989), on 21 August 1989. The song saw considerable success in the United States, where it reached the number-two position in October 1989 and became the band's only top-10 entry on the Billboard Hot 100. In the United Kingdom, the single charted at number 18, and it peaked within the top 20 in Canada and Ireland.

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

"Special" is song by American rock band Garbage from their second studio album, Version 2.0 (1998). It was released as the album's third single. The track contains a vocal interpolation of a lyric taken from "Talk of the Town" by the Pretenders.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Get Ready for This</span> 1991 single by 2 Unlimited

"Get Ready for This" is a song recorded by Belgian/Dutch music group 2 Unlimited. It was released in 1991 as the lead single from their debut album, Get Ready! (1992). Originally, the single was produced as an instrumental, titled the "Orchestral Mix". It became a hit and conscious of their popularity, Wilde & De Coster wanted a more accessible, formatted formula for their project to grow. Ray was then asked to write lyrics and add a rap to the track. On Ray Slijngaard's suggestion, Anita Doth joined as the female vocalist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pour Some Sugar on Me</span> 1987 single by Def Leppard

"Pour Some Sugar on Me" is a song by the English rock band Def Leppard from their 1987 album Hysteria. It reached number 2 on the US Billboard Hot 100 on 23 July 1988, behind "Hold On to the Nights" by Richard Marx. "Pour Some Sugar on Me" is considered the band's signature song, and was ranked #2 on VH1's "100 Greatest Songs of the 80s" in 2006.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crazy (Seal song)</span> 1990 song by Seal

"Crazy" is a song written by English singer-songwriter Seal and English songwriter Guy Sigsworth. It was produced by Trevor Horn and released by ZTT Records in November 1990 on Seal's debut album, Seal (1991). The song became his first commercial hit, reaching No. 2 in the United Kingdom, while becoming his first top ten single in the United States. It has since been covered by several artists, including Alanis Morissette, whose version was released as a single from her 2005 compilation album, The Collection.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I'm Too Sexy</span> 1991 single by Right Said Fred

"I'm Too Sexy" is a song by British pop band Right Said Fred, released in July 1991 by Tug Records as their debut single from their first album, Up (1992). The song was written by band members and brothers Fred Fairbrass and Richard Fairbrass with Rob Manzoli and peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart. Outside the United Kingdom, it topped the charts in seven countries, including Australia, Canada, Ireland, and the United States. James Lebon directed the music video for the song, featuring various clips of models walking on the catwalk. In 2023, Billboard magazine ranked "I'm Too Sexy" among the 500 best pop songs of all time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">That's All (Genesis song)</span> 1983 single by Genesis

"That's All" is a song by the English rock band Genesis. It is a group composition and appears as the second track on their 1983 album Genesis. It was the album's second single after "Mama". On June 17, 1993, MCA Records re-issued and re-released the song as a CD and "HiQ" cassette single.

Robert S. Nevil is an American pop singer, songwriter, record producer, and guitarist who had five Billboard top 40 hits including his songs "C'est la Vie", "Dominoes", and "Wot's It to Ya".

<i>After the Snow</i> 1982 studio album by Modern English

After the Snow is the second studio album by Modern English, released in April 1982 by 4AD in the United Kingdom, Vertigo Records in Canada, and Sire Records in the United States. It spawned three singles, including the worldwide hit "I Melt with You".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">All Around Me</span> 2007 single by Flyleaf

"All Around Me" is a song by American band Flyleaf from their self-titled debut album, Flyleaf (2005). It was released as the third single on April 23, 2007. It is the band's highest-charting and only single to chart on the Billboard Hot 100 and their most successful single to date.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Feed the Tree</span> 1993 single by Belly

"Feed the Tree" is a song by American alternative rock band Belly, released as the band's first single from their debut album, Star, in 1993. It is the band's biggest hit, reaching number one on the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart and number 32 on the UK Singles Chart. According to lead singer Tanya Donelly, the song is a metaphor about commitment and respect, with the tree being a place on a large farm where a family would be buried.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Second Chance (Shinedown song)</span> 2008 single by Shinedown

"Second Chance" is a song by American rock band Shinedown and the second single from their 2008 album, The Sound of Madness. It was released on September 9, 2008, and has become Shinedown's highest-charting single. To date, "Second Chance" is the second-to-last hard rock song to make the top 10 of the US Billboard Hot 100.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Right Here, Right Now (Jesus Jones song)</span> 1990 single by Jesus Jones

"Right Here, Right Now" is a song by British alternative rock band Jesus Jones from their second studio album, Doubt (1991). It was released as the album's second single on 24 September 1990. Although it spent only nine nonconsecutive weeks on the UK Singles Chart, peaking at number 31, it became a top-10 hit in the United States; it topped the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart and reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100 in July 1991. The single sold over one million copies, won a BMI award, and was the song most played on college radio in 1991.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Big Pink</span> English rock band

The Big Pink are an English electronic rock band from London, consisting of multi-instrumentalists Robertson "Robbie" Furze, Akiko Matsuura and Charlie Barker. Initially a duo, they signed to independent record label 4AD in 2009 and won the NME Philip Hall Radar Award for best new act. To date, they have released five singles, with their debut album A Brief History of Love released in September 2009 and its follow-up, Future This released in January 2012.

References

Footnotes

  1. 1 2 Tom, Demalon (2002). All Music Guide to Rock: The Definitive Guide to Rock, Pop, and Soul (3rd ed.). Backbeat Books. p. 749. ISBN   978-0879306533.
  2. ↑ Molanphy, Chris (September 16, 2022). "At Last, My Legacy Has Come Along Edition". Hit Parade | Music History and Music Trivia (Podcast). Slate . Retrieved April 8, 2024.
  3. 1 2 3 Murphy, Tom (July 24, 2017). "Modern English Is Getting Even Wilder". Westword . Retrieved January 7, 2018.
  4. ↑ "BMI Repertoire Search". BMI. Archived from the original on September 21, 2015. Retrieved July 27, 2015.
  5. ↑ Bernstein & Majewski 2014, p. 206.
  6. ↑ Interview with vocalist Robbie Grey on Valley Girl 20th anniversary DVD special features, MGM Home Entertainment, 2003.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Scribner, Sara (November 13, 1997). "A One-Hit Legacy : Robbie Grey wants to take his reassembled Modern English group beyond its 'Melt' anthem". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved January 7, 2018.
  8. 1 2 3 4 Bernstein & Majewski 2014, p. 207.
  9. 1 2 King, Richard (2012). How Soon is Now?. Faber & Faber. p. 95. ISBN   978-0571243907.
  10. ↑ Castillo, Arielle (September 26, 2012). "Modern English's Robbie Grey on "I Melt With You" Fame: "It Was Literally Thrust Upon Us"". Miami New Times . Retrieved January 7, 2018.
  11. 1 2 "Mainstream Rock Songs – The week of April 2, 1983". Billboard . Retrieved October 14, 2018.
  12. 1 2 "The Hot 100 – The week of April 16, 1983". Billboard . Retrieved October 14, 2018.
  13. 1 2 "Billboard's Top Album Picks". Billboard . Vol. 95, no. 10. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. March 12, 1983. p. 65. ISSN   0006-2510.
  14. 1 2 "Dance Club Songs – The week of March 12, 1983". Billboard . Retrieved October 14, 2018.
  15. 1 2 "The Hot 100 – The week of July 28, 1990", Billboard , January 2, 2013, retrieved October 14, 2018
  16. 1 2 "Dance Club Songs – The week of August 11, 1990", Billboard , January 2, 2013, retrieved October 14, 2018
  17. ↑ "Jay Kay and Top Songwriters Honored at 2017 BMI London Awards". BMI. October 9, 2017. Retrieved January 7, 2018.
  18. ↑ "VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of the 80s" . Retrieved October 21, 2017.
  19. ↑ "VH1's 100 Greatest One Hit Wonders of the 80s". VH1. Archived from the original on June 28, 2022. Retrieved October 21, 2017.
  20. ↑ Willman, Chris (August 9, 1990). "POP MUSIC REVIEW : Modern English Melts Down". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved January 7, 2018.
  21. 1 2 Dickinson, Chrissie (November 2, 2017). "Modern English has found its somewhat nostalgic happy place". Chicago Tribune . Retrieved January 7, 2018.
  22. ↑ Leszczak, Bob (2014). Who Did It First?: Great Rock and Roll Cover Songs and Their Original Artists. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. p. 95. ISBN   978-1442233218.
  23. ↑ Rabinowitz, Josh (March 15, 2008). "Selling In". Billboard . Vol. 120, no. 11. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. p. 13. ISSN   0006-2510.
  24. ↑ "Old Dog New Tricks". gleethemusic.com. Retrieved May 5, 2014.
  25. ↑ "Canadian single certifications – Modern English – I Melt With You". Music Canada . Retrieved June 25, 2022.
  26. ↑ "American single certifications – Modern English – I Melt With You". Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved January 16, 2024.

Sources

  • Bernstein, Jonathan; Majewski, Lori (2014). Mad World: An Oral History of New Wave Artists and Songs That Defined the 1980s. Harry N. Abrams. ISBN   978-1419710971.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.