"Mickey" | ||||
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Single by Toni Basil | ||||
from the album Word of Mouth | ||||
B-side |
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Released | January 3, 1982 | |||
Recorded | 1981 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length |
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Label | ||||
Songwriter(s) | ||||
Producer(s) |
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Toni Basil singles chronology | ||||
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Music Video | ||||
"Mickey" on YouTube |
"Mickey" (originally titled as "Kitty") is a song recorded by American singer Toni Basil for her debut studio album, Word of Mouth (1981). It was first recorded by the pop group Racey. Mike Chapman and Nicky Chinn wrote the song, while production was helmed by Greg Mathieson and Trevor Veitch. Basil's version is new wave, featuring guitar, synthesizers and cheerleading chants. It garnered a mixed response from music critics, with some critics praising the radio-friendly nature of the song, while others described some of the lyrics as obscene.
The song was originally performed by British pop group Racey, with the title "Kitty", and was included on their debut studio album Smash and Grab in 1979. The original Racey song did not include the "Oh Mickey, you're so fine" chant, which Basil added. [6]
For years, it was rumored that the name was changed to Mickey because Basil developed a crush on the Monkees' drummer and lead vocalist Micky Dolenz, after meeting him on the set of their movie, Head , for which she was the choreographer. However, that claim has been denied by Basil, who has said that she "didn't really know Micky at all". [7] In January 2020, Basil released a re-recording of the song as "Hey Mickey" to digital and streaming platforms. [8]
On August 31, 2017, Basil filed a multi-claim lawsuit against Razor & Tie Direct, Forever 21, Disney, Viacom, VH1, and South Park . [9] Basil alleged that the defendants had commercially used the song "Mickey" without a license and damaged her right of publicity, claiming excess of $25,000 in damages. [9] Basil also filed a lawsuit against AMC on May 12, 2020, for the unauthorized use of "Mickey" in a trailer for Preacher . [10] On August 27, 2020, a California state of appeals court affirmed dismissal of Basil's case. [11]
According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com by Alfred Music, the song is written in the key of E major and is set in time signature of common time with a tempo of 145 beats per minute. [12] Basil's vocal range spans two octaves, from B3 to C♯5. [12]
Rock critic Robert Christgau commented on the perceived 'obscene' content of the lyric "So come on and give it to me / Any way you can / Any way you want to do it / I'll take it like a man". Christgau wrote in a review at the time that Basil "was the only woman ever to offer to take it up the ass on Top 40 radio." However, Basil adamantly denies this: "NO! That's ridiculous. People read shit into everything. It's not about anything dirty. You change the name from boy to girl" — i.e., from "Mickey" to "Kitty" — "and they read anything they want into it! When it's a guy singing about a girl, it's a sweet line. But when a girl sings it, it must mean butt-fucking! This is how the wrong foot gets cut off when the doc wheels you into the E.R. Then it's Micky Dolenz and butt-fucking." [7]
The single scored number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 for one week and number two in the UK Singles Chart. The song was Basil's only Top 40 success. [13] [14] It was named Number 6 on VH1's 100 Greatest One Hit Wonders of the 80's. [15]
The music video was directed, produced and choreographed by Basil herself. The cheerleaders featured in the video were members of a championship squad from Carson High School in Carson, California. The cheerleading uniform Basil wore in the music video was the one she actually wore in high school. According to Basil, "They didn't put anything in the budget, I did everything myself. And this is the actual cheer sweater from Las Vegas High." [16]
US 7" single [17]
International 7" single [18]
US 12" single
Alternate US 12" single [19]
Credits and personnel adapted from Word of Mouth album liner notes. [24]
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
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Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
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Australia (ARIA) [43] | Gold | 50,000^ |
Canada (Music Canada) [44] | 2× Platinum | 200,000^ |
United Kingdom (BPI) [45] | Gold | 500,000^ |
United States (RIAA) [46] | Platinum | 2,000,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
"Mickey" | ||||
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Single by Lolly | ||||
from the album My First Album | ||||
Released | September 6, 1999 [47] | |||
Length | 3:35 | |||
Label | Polydor | |||
Songwriter(s) | ||||
Producer(s) | Dufflebag Boys | |||
Lolly singles chronology | ||||
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English singer Lolly covered "Mickey" which was released in September 1999 as the second single from her debut album My First Album . Her version reached number four on the UK Singles Chart the same month. A karaoke version appears on both the single and album.
UK CD1 and Australian CD single [48]
UK CD2 [49]
UK cassette single [50]
"Weird Al" Yankovic parodied this song for his 1983 self titled debut album as "Ricky", a parody of and tribute to I Love Lucy . Yankovic himself sang the Ricky part while voice actress Tress MacNeille performed the Lucy part.
Carola Häggkvist released a Swedish version of the song in 1983, which achieved success in Scandinavia. The Swedish version had lyrics written by Ingela "Pling" Forsman for the 1983 album Främling . [56]
Japanese comedian-musician Gorie scored no. 1 on the Japanese singles chart for two weeks with a Japanese-language version featuring vocals by American-born Jasmine Ann Allen.
The entire structure of the Run–D.M.C. song "It's Tricky" was consciously lifted from "Mickey". According to DMC: "I just changed the chorus around and we just talked about how this rap business can be tricky to a brother." [57]
The song "Hey, Mickey!" by American rapper Baby Tate interpolates the chorus from "Mickey". On February 20, 2024, an official dance video was released. The video featured Tate and a group of backup dancers dressed as cheerleaders, similar to the original video for "Mickey".
"Someday" is a song by Canadian rock band Nickelback. It was released on 28 July 2003 as the lead single from their fourth studio album, The Long Road (2003). It reached number one in Canada for three weeks and number seven in the United States. In the latter country, it charted for 50 weeks, thus becoming Nickelback's longest-charting single. It also charted within the top 10 of the UK Singles Chart, where it peaked at number six.
"How Come U Don't Call Me Anymore?" is a song by Prince. It is a ballad of romantic longing with some gospel elements. On his original recording of the song, which was released as the non-album B-side to his 1982 single "1999", Prince performs most of the song in his falsetto range, with his own bluesy piano playing providing the only instrumental accompaniment. The song's first album appearance was on his 1993 compilation The Hits/The B-Sides. It was later included on the soundtrack to the 1996 film Girl 6. Prince also performs the song on his 2002 live album One Nite Alone... Live!.
"He Wasn't Man Enough" is a song by American singer Toni Braxton. It was written by Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins, Fred Jerkins III, LaShawn Daniels, and Harvey Mason, Jr. for her third studio album, The Heat (2000), while production was helmed by the former. "He Wasn't Man Enough" is an uptempo R&B song that differs from Braxton's previous ballads. The song was released by LaFace Records on February 29, 2000, as the lead single from the album.
"U.G.L.Y." is a song by American recording duo Daphne & Celeste. It was released on June 5, 2000, as the second single from their studio album, We Didn't Say That!. The song was written and composed by Michele Chiavarini, Tracy Kilrow, Michael Marz and S. Burkes, while its producer was Chiavarini. "U.G.L.Y." is a teen pop and bubblegum pop song with a cheerleading style, making it similar in this respect to Toni Basil's song "Mickey". Lyrically, the song consists of insults towards people Daphne & Celeste think are ugly.
"We Are" is a song by the Swedish rock singer Ana Johnsson from her worldwide debut album, The Way I Am. The song was released as her first worldwide single and the first from the album in June 2004. It was also included on the soundtrack for Spider-Man 2. "We Are" remains Johnsson's highest-charting hit, becoming a top-10 hit in Austria, Denmark, Italy, Norway, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.
"From Paris to Berlin" is a song by Danish dance-pop group Infernal. It was released on 20 August 2004 as the third single from their third studio album, From Paris to Berlin.
"Dance with Me" is a song by American R&B singer Debelah Morgan, released on June 19, 2000, as the first single from Morgan's third studio album of the same name. Morgan co-wrote the song with its producer Giloh Morgan, with Richard Adler and Jerry Ross receiving songwriting credits for the reworking of their composition "Hernando's Hideaway".
"You're Makin' Me High" is the lead single from American singer Toni Braxton's second studio album, Secrets (1996). The mid-tempo song represents a joint collaboration between the Grammy Award-winning producer Babyface and Bryce Wilson. The beat of the song was originally for singer-songwriter Brandy, with Dallas Austin pegged to write a lyric to override; however, Braxton had Babyface write lyrics for the song. It was ultimately issued in the United States as a double A-side with "Let It Flow", the airplay hit from the 1995 film Waiting to Exhale.
"Amazing" is a song by Irish boy band Westlife. It was released on 20 February 2006 as the third and final single from their sixth studio album, Face to Face (2005). The song peaked at number four on the UK Singles Chart. It debuted with 16,316 sales in the UK alone.
"Honey" is a song by American electronic musician Moby. It was released as the lead single from his fifth studio album Play on August 24, 1998. The song samples the 1960 recording "Sometimes" by American blues singer Bessie Jones. Moby first heard "Sometimes" on a box set collection of folk music compiled by Alan Lomax, and subsequently composed "Honey" around vocal samples from the Jones song.
"King for a Day" is the fourth single from British funk and acid jazz band Jamiroquai's fourth studio album, Synkronized (1999). The song was written by Jay Kay. Upon its release on 29 November 1999, the song reached number 20 on the UK Singles Chart. The video features Jay Kay walking around an old mansion in a regal costume, where each room has a member of the band.
"Obsesión" is a song by Dominican-American bachata band Aventura with Judy Santos as the female vocalist. It was included on their second studio album, We Broke the Rules (2002), and an English-language version was made for the same album.
"Thinking of You" is a song written and performed by American pop rock band Hanson. It was released as the fifth and final single from the band's debut album, Middle of Nowhere (1997), on May 4, 1998. The single was a success in Australia and Finland, reaching number six in both countries, and in New Zealand and the United Kingdom, where it peaked within the top 30. "Thinking of You" was not released in the United States, but in Canada, it peaked at number 10 on the Canadian Singles Chart.
"Sex Bomb" is a song by Welsh singer Tom Jones. Performed in collaboration with German DJ and record producer Mousse T., the song was released in 1999 in several European countries; in January of the following year, it was issued across the rest of Europe except the United Kingdom, where it was not released until May 2000. Outside the UK, the track served as the second single from Jones' 34th album, Reload, while in the UK, it served as the fourth single.
"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.
"So Good" is a song recorded by Irish boyband Boyzone and released in July 1995 as the fourth single from the band's debut album, Said and Done (1995). The song became Boyzone's third consecutive No. 1 single in Ireland entered the UK Singles Chart at No. 3.
Antonia Christina Basilotta, better known by her stage name Toni Basil, is an American singer, choreographer, dancer, actress, and director. Her cover of the song "Mickey" topped the charts in the US, Canada and Australia and hit the top ten in several other countries.
"It Takes More" is a song by British rapper Ms. Dynamite, released as her debut single from her first album, A Little Deeper (2002), on 20 May 2002. It reached number seven on the UK Singles Chart, her second-highest-charting song on the chart. The melody is taken from the song "Chitarra romana", a popular Roman song written by C. Bruno and Eldo Di Lazzaro in 1934.
"Bubblin'" is a song by English boy band Blue. The song was released as the fourth and final single from their third studio album, Guilty (2003). Uncredited on the song is girl group L.A.D.É., who performs the rap verse. It was released as a single on 28 June 2004 in the United Kingdom, where it reached nine on the UK Singles Chart. It also became a top-ten hit in Switzerland and Wallonia, as well as a top-five hit in Hungary and Italy. A French version of the song featuring Linkup, titled "You and Me Bubblin'", was released in France and peaked at number 13.
"Paradise" is a song written and produced by L. Russell Brown and Joel Diamond that served as the theme to the 1982 adventure romance film Paradise. The theme is sung by American former actress Phoebe Cates and appears on her 1982 album of the same name. It was released as a single and reached number one in Italy. In 2001, American former singer Kaci covered the theme for her first studio album, Paradise (2001), and released it as her debut single the same year. Kaci's version became a hit in the United Kingdom, where it peaked at number 11 on the UK Singles Chart.
...a slice of new wave bubblegum that's clung to brains for decades.
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