"Insomnia" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by Faithless | ||||
from the album Reverence | ||||
Released | 27 November 1995 [1] | |||
Genre | Progressive house | |||
Length |
| |||
Label | ||||
Songwriter(s) | ||||
Producer(s) | Rollo | |||
Faithless singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| ||||
| ||||
Audio sample | ||||
Music video | ||||
"Insomnia" on YouTube | ||||
Alternative cover | ||||
"Insomnia" is a song by British musical group Faithless. Released as the band's second single,it became one of their most successful. It was originally released in 1995 and reached number 27 on the UK Singles Chart,topping the UK Dance Chart in the process. When re-released in October 1996,the song achieved a new peak of number three in the United Kingdom and topped the charts of Finland,Norway,and Switzerland,as well as the American and Canadian dance charts. It also featured on Faithless's 1996 debut album, Reverence . The music video for "Insomnia" was directed by Lindy Heymann.
"Insomnia" was voted by Mixmag readers as the fifth greatest dance record of all time in 2013. [2] It was certified triple platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) in 2023.
The song features Maxi Jazz rapping from the point of view of an insomniac while he struggles to sleep ("I toss and I turn without cease,like a curse,open my eyes and rise like yeast/At least a couple of weeks since I last slept,kept takin' sleepers,but now I keep myself pepped"). The subject is resonant with fans of dance music,as stimulant use is common in club/rave culture,and insomnia is a common side effect - in a 2020 interview,Maxi Jazz acknowledged how it struck a chord with clubbers:"Suddenly the song was being played to crowds who had arguably taken 50 quid’s worth of high-powered drugs and weren’t thinking of getting much sleep for days... If I had a quid for every time someone’s come up going,'I can’t get no sleep',I’d be living on the space station". [3] The insomniac is also rather destitute ("Make my way to the refrigerator/One dry potato inside,no lie,not even bread,jam,when the light above my head went bam..."). According to Maxi,he spent 20 minutes writing the lyrics after being given the song's title by Rollo Armstrong,before finishing them in the studio the following evening and laying the vocal down in about 25 minutes. Although he was not an insomniac,Maxi drew on personal experience for the lyrics:he had recently suffered a painful dental abscess which had kept him awake at night. Lines about the light going out and picking up a pen in darkness were based on the prepayment electricity meter in his home,which would cut out when credit ran out,forcing him to write by candlelight. [3]
According to Sister Bliss,the track's music was written in bandmate Rollo's recording studio,located in a garden shed:she came up with the song's title as she was unable to sleep,describing the experience of working in the studio during the day and DJing at night as being "like having permanent jetlag". She has stated that the song's reggae-inflected bassline was influenced by Lionrock,whilst placing the main keyboard riff towards the end of the song "was an idea we got from Underworld’s way of building tension:just waiting,waiting,waiting then –bang!". Sister Bliss wrote the riff after Rollo asked her to "do big strings",borrowing the idea of shifting from a major chord to a minor chord from Donna Summer's "I Feel Love". [3]
The album version is nearly nine minutes long and contains some lyrics not able to be broadcast on the radio edit due to their explicit content. Maxi Jazz changed the opening line from "I only smoke weed when I need to" to "Deep in the bosom of the gentle night" due to pressure from MTV. [3] It also contains some bells chiming at the start of the song (sampled from a BBC Sound Archive disc) [3] not generally known by the club-going public as many people know the Monster Mix or the Monster Mix Radio Edit. The beginning of the Moody Mix of the song also features a sample from Biosphere's "Novelty Waves" (1994). [4] The version present on the album Reverence is an edit that combines the Moody Mix and the Monster Mix,meaning the sample is also present on the album version. The Monster Mix was the mix featured on Faithless' greatest hits album Forever Faithless ,with the original edit being the work of Radio Victory's Bill Padley. [5] This edit was picked up by BBC Radio 1 upon release in 1995 and became a small UK Top 40 hit,with the Cheeky label's recording being licensed through Champion Records at the time. After the song gained popularity in continental Europe,Pete Tong campaigned for a re-release:Cheeky/Champion chose to hold back the re-issue so it arrived in shops on the same day as the Spice Girls' "Say You'll Be There",so it would be placed in racks alongside it. [3] The song charted at number 3 in the UK,appearing two places below the aforementioned Spice Girls single,while also topping the UK Dance charts. The song also went on to top the US Hot Dance Club Play chart. The Moody Mix featured on some of the singles was also on the Reverence / Irreverence release.
Justin Chadwick from Albumism described the song as a "frenetic yet melodic ode to late night restlessness and sleep-deprived reveries",adding it as "phenomenal". [6] Larry Flick from Billboard wrote,"This single serves as a fine peek into the project,giving listeners a taste of urgent dance rhythms,a complex and infectious pop melody,and vocals that are notches above the typical vamps heard on club-originated records." [7] Complex said that Faithless' "Insomnia" "spoke to a number of ravers out there who lived for the night/weekend and,sadly,the drugs that kept them partying to the break of dawn (and beyond). Insomnia was and is real for the raver massive,and Faithless brought those vibes to song perfectly." [8] Gerry Kiernan commented on the song in the 2010 book 1001 Songs You Must Hear Before You Die,"Unleashed in an era of uplifting "handbag" house","Insomnia" crept with nocturnal stealth through rave culture into suburban bedrooms. As its title suggested,this climatic,hands-in-the-air dance anthem was not one to put on before bedtime." [9] Tim Jeffery from Music Week's RM Dance Update rated it four out of five,writing,"Following very much in the style of its predecessor with all the Rollo production hallmarks including the piercing organ and synth riffs and a bouncy bassline. As with the debut,there's also the half speed section in the middle to incorporate the rap and vocals which aren't as instant as 'Salva Mea' but grow on you. With the formula now established,this one may fare better commercially." [10] Ben Turner from Muzik noted that "it has soul,grace,emotion and a distinctly dark,melancholic side. Happy house has never been challenged in this way." [11]
"Insomnia" was very successful on the charts on several continents,becoming one of the group's biggest hits to date. In Europe,it reached number-one in Finland,Norway and Switzerland. Additionally,it managed to climb into the Top 10 also in Austria,Belgium (number 2),Denmark,France,Germany (number 2),Iceland,Ireland,Scotland,Sweden and the United Kingdom,as well as on the Eurochart Hot 100,where it hit number 3. In the UK,"Insomnia" also peaked at number 3 in its second run on the UK Singles Chart,on 20 October 1996. [12] But on the UK Dance Chart,it was an even bigger hit,peaking at number-one. Outside Europe,the single reached the top spot on the RPM Dance Chart in Canada and the Billboard Dance Club Songs in the United States. On the Billboard Hot 100,it went to number 62. In Oceania,it reached number 16 in Australia and number 39 in New Zealand. The song earned a gold record in Australia,Belgium,France and Switzerland,a platinum record in Germany and Norway,and a triple platinum record in the UK,with sales and streams of 1,800,000 units. After Maxi Jazz's December 2022 death,"Insomnia" charted at number four on the UK Singles Downloads Chart. [13]
A music video was made to accompany the song. It was directed by British director Lindy Heymann [14] and partially set on the Aylesbury Estate in south London.[ citation needed ] The video was uploaded to YouTube in July 2015,and as of June 2022,it has got more than 100 million views. [15] [ relevant? ]
In 1998, DJ Magazine ranked "Insomnia" number 14 in their list of "Top 100 Club Tunes". [16] In November 2011,MTV Dance ranked it number 22 in their "The 100 Biggest 90's Dance Anthems Of All Time". [17] In 2013,it was voted by Mixmag readers as the fifth "Greatest Dance Record of All Time". [2] In 2014, Complex included it in their list of "Songs Every Dance Music Fan Should Know,Vol. 1". [18] In 2020,Mixmag featured it in their "The Biggest Drops in Dance Music",writing,"Maxi Jazz's spoken words about struggling to kip - alongside a heartbeat build-up - are deeply ingrained in worldwide consciousness,as are the piercing,relentless synth stabs that burst into the tune a few minutes in. You'll do well to get some shut-eye after turning this one up loud. Anthem,mate,absolute anthem." [19]
1995 UK release and 1996 UK CD 1
1995 European release
1996 Scandinavian release
1996 Italian release
| 1996 UK CD 2
1996 European release
1997 US release 1
1997 US release 2
|
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Australia (ARIA) [69] | Gold | 35,000^ |
Belgium (BEA) [70] | Gold | 25,000* |
France (SNEP) [71] | Gold | 250,000* |
Germany (BVMI) [72] | Platinum | 500,000^ |
Norway (IFPI Norway) [73] | Platinum | 20,000 [74] |
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland) [75] | Gold | 25,000^ |
United Kingdom (BPI) [76] | 3× Platinum | 1,800,000‡ |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
Region | Date | Format(s) | Label(s) | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
United Kingdom | 27 November 1995 |
| Cheeky | [1] |
14 October 1996 |
| [77] | ||
28 October 1996 | 12-inch vinyl | [78] | ||
United States | 25 February 1997 | Rhythmic contemporary radio | Arista | [79] |
United Kingdom | 5 September 2005 | CD | Cheeky | [80] |
"Insomnia" was remixed and rereleased in 2005 after the re-entry of the 1996 single into the UK Singles Chart at number 48. This was partly because of Faithless releasing their greatest hits album. The remix was not used on the greatest hits with the Monster Mix being the version which featured on the album. The remixed version reached number 17 on the UK Singles Chart.
In 2015, Swedish DJ and record producer Avicii released a remix titled "Insomnia 2.0 (Avicii Remix)". The track was released on 24 July 2015 and reached the German charts. [81] It was also featured on the Faithless 2.0 release in Avicii extended remix and Avicii radio exit remix formats (as well as the 1995 Monster Mix). "Insomnia 2.0" also went to number one on the US Dance chart. [82]
"Insomnia" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by Mike Candys and Jack Holiday | ||||
from the album Smile | ||||
Released | 11 September 2009 | |||
Recorded | 2009 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 3:29 | |||
Songwriter(s) | ||||
Producer(s) |
| |||
Mike Candys singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Jack Holiday singles chronology | ||||
|
In 2009, Swiss DJs Mike Candys and Jack Holiday recorded their version of the song. It was released as a single in September 2009 and charted throughout Europe.
CD maxi – Europe (2009)
Chart (2009–12) | Peak position |
---|---|
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40) [83] | 41 |
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders) [84] | 9 |
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia) [85] | 16 |
Denmark (Tracklisten) [86] | 2 |
France (SNEP) [87] | 15 |
Germany (GfK) [88] | 44 |
Luxembourg ( Billboard ) [89] | 5 |
Netherlands (Single Top 100) [90] | 30 |
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade) [91] | 34 |
In 2021, Cuban-American DJ Maceo Plex released a remix of the song.
"Professional Widow" is a song written by the American singer-songwriter Tori Amos, released on her third album, Boys for Pele (1996). It is a harpsichord-driven rock song and its lyrics are rumored to have been inspired by the American songwriter Courtney Love. The song was released on July 2, 1996, by Atlantic and EastWest, as the third single from the Boys for Pele album in the US, containing remixes by the house music producers Armand van Helden and MK. The single reached number one on the US Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart. In Italy, the original version peaked at number two in October 1996. An edited version of the Armand's Star Trunk Funkin' Mix of "Professional Widow" was originally released as a double A-side single with "Hey Jupiter" in Europe and Australia.
Faithless are an English dance music band that formed in 1995, with its core members being Rollo, Sister Bliss and Maxi Jazz. Their first album, Reverence, was released in 1996 and their most recent, All Blessed, in 2020. They have sold millions of physical records, and their catalogue was uploaded to streaming sites in 2018. They average almost 3 million listeners a month on Spotify. Faithless' records have charted at No. 1 in numerous countries and they were voted the 4th greatest dance band of all time by Mixmag.
Forever Faithless – The Greatest Hits is a greatest hits compilation album from the dance music group Faithless, which was released on 16 May 2005. It features all their released singles, plus three additional new tracks ("Fatty Boo", "Reasons ", and "Why Go?".
"I Feel Love" is a song by the American singer Donna Summer. Produced and co-written by Giorgio Moroder and Pete Bellotte, it was recorded for Summer's fifth studio album, I Remember Yesterday (1977). The album concept was to have each track evoke a different musical decade; for "I Feel Love", the team aimed to create a futuristic mood, employing a Moog synthesizer.
"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.
"Silence" is a song by Canadian electronic music group Delerium featuring Canadian singer and co-writer Sarah McLachlan, first released as a single in May 1999. Over the years, its remixes have been hailed as one of the greatest trance songs of all time, over two decades after its initial release. The Tiësto remix of the song was voted by Mixmag readers as the 12th-greatest dance record of all time.
"God Is a DJ" is a song by British group Faithless, written by Maxi Jazz, Rollo, Sister Bliss, and Jamie Catto. It was released on 24 August 1998 as the lead single from their second studio album, Sunday 8PM (1998). The single reached number six in the United Kingdom and also reached number one on the US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart in September 1998. The title and core lyric originated from words on a T-shirt worn to rehearsal by the band guitarist Dave Randall.
"Missing" is a song by English musical duo Everything but the Girl, taken from their eighth studio album, Amplified Heart (1994). It was written by the two band members, Tracey Thorn and Ben Watt, and was produced by Watt and John Coxon. It was taken as the second single off the album on 8 August 1994 by Blanco y Negro Records in the United Kingdom and by Atlantic Records in the United States. It initially did not achieve much success until it was remixed by Todd Terry and re-released in 1995, resulting in worldwide success, peaking at or near the top of the charts in many countries. The release of the remixed version of "Missing" gave an indication of the band's future experimentation with more electronic dance music on subsequent albums. Its music video was directed by Mark Szaszy.
"Salva Mea" is a song by British electronic band Faithless, written by members Rollo, Sister Bliss, and Maxi Jazz. The female vocals on all versions are performed by Rollo's sister Dido. "Salva Mea" was released in July 1995 by Cheeky Records as the group's first single from their debut album, Reverence (1996), and became a hit on the UK Dance Singles Chart; following a re-release in 1996, it peaked at number nine on the UK Singles Chart. The single topped the US Hot Dance Club Play chart twice—during its first chart run in 1996 and again in 1997 when the track was remixed and reissued. A black-and-white music video was produced to promote the single, directed by British director Lindy Heymann.
"I Want More" is a song recorded by UK dance group Faithless, released as a single on 23 August 2004. It features a vocal sample from the singer and pianist Nina Simone. Also sampled in the intro and outro is an excerpt from Pink Floyd’s "On the Run", from the 1970s album The Dark Side of the Moon.
"We Come 1" is a song by British electronic band Faithless from their third studio album, Outrospective (2001). The song was issued as the album's lead single on 4 June 2001, two weeks before Outrospective was released. The remixes by Wookie and Dave Clarke that appear on the single releases are included on the bonus disc of the album Reperspective: The Remixes.
"I Need You" is a song written by Eric Carmen. Versions by Euclid Beach Band (1979) and then 3T (1996) were released as singles.
"People Hold On" is a song by British band Coldcut and singer-songwriter Lisa Stansfield, released as the first single from the band's debut album, What's That Noise? (1989). It was written by Matt Black, Jonathan More and Stansfield, and produced by Coldcut. The song received positive reviews from music critics and became a commercial success. It was released as a single on 13 March 1989 by label Ahead of Our Time and reached number eleven on the UK Singles Chart and number six on the US Billboard's Hot Dance Club Songs chart. The song was remixed by Blaze, Juan Atkins, Dimitri from Paris, Mark Saunders, Eric Kupper, Tyrone Perkins and Masters at Work. A music video was produced to promote the single, directed by Big TV!.
"The X-Files" is an instrumental written and produced by American film and television composer Mark Snow. On its parent album, The Truth and the Light: Music from the X-Files, the track is titled "Materia Primoris". It is a remixed version of the original theme Snow composed for the science fiction television series The X-Files in 1993. The composition was released as a single in 1996 and achieved chart success, particularly in France, where it reached number one on the SNEP Singles Chart. The composition has since been covered by many artists, including DJ Dado and Triple X; DJ Dado's version was a major hit in Europe while Triple X's version reached number two in Australia.
"Encore une fois" is a song by German DJ group Sash!, released in January 1997 by Polygram as the second single from the group's debut album, It's My Life – The Album (1997). The song features French vocals by German vocalist Sabine Ohmes and found huge success in clubs throughout the world. To date, it is one of Sash!'s biggest hits. In the UK, it was released in February same year and propelled itself to number two on the UK Singles Chart, quickly earning a Gold certification. Throughout Europe, the track became a top 10 smash in countries such as Belgium, Finland, France, Iceland, Italy, Norway, Spain and Sweden. In Greece and Ireland, the song reached the top of the charts. In the United States, it became a club smash and hit number one on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart, staying on the chart for fourteen weeks. The music video for "Encore une fois" was directed by Oliver Sommer.
"Fresh" is a song by the American group Kool & the Gang. Released as a single in 1984 from the album Emergency, the song peaked at #9 on the U.S. Hot 100 chart, and #11 on the UK chart. It also reached number one on both the U.S. R&B chart and U.S. Dance chart.
"Generations of Love" is a song by British band Jesus Loves You, founded by singer Boy George, and was released as the second single from their only album, The Martyr Mantras (1990). The song also features raggamuffin toaster MC Kinky and received favorable reviews from most music critics; both Melody Maker and NME named it Single of the Week. It made the UK Singles Chart in two versions; the "Land of Oz Mix" which peaked at number 80 in 1990 and the "La La Gone Gaga Mix" which peaked at number 35 in 1991. The 1990 version also peaked at number 11 on the US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart, while the 1991 version peaked within the top 20 in the Netherlands and the top 30 in Austria and Belgium. Its music video was directed by Baillie Walsh.
"Hey Brother" is a dance song by Swedish DJ and record producer Avicii from his debut studio album, True (2013). American bluegrass singer Dan Tyminski provides vocals for the track. It was written by Avicii, Ash Pournouri, Salem Al Fakir, Vincent Pontare and Veronica Maggio. "Hey Brother" sees Avicii giving his brother advice.
"Heaven" is the third posthumous single by Swedish DJ Avicii, featuring vocals by singer Chris Martin of British band Coldplay. The song was released on 6 June 2019, as the third single from Avicii's posthumous studio album Tim. The song became his third single, and his second posthumously, to reach number one on Billboard's Dance/Mix Show Airplay chart in its 27 July 2019 issue.
"Without You" is a song by Swedish DJ Avicii, featuring vocals from Swedish singer Sandro Cavazza. The song was released on 11 August 2017 as the lead single from Avicii's EP, Avīci (01). "Without You" is Avicii's seventh Swedish number-one single, reaching number one upon release in 2017 and again after Avicii's death in April 2018.