"Misfit" | ||||
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Single by Curiosity Killed the Cat | ||||
from the album Keep Your Distance | ||||
B-side | "Man" | |||
Released | 8 August 1986 [1] June 1987 (reissue) | |||
Genre | Sophisti-pop | |||
Length | 4:02 7:02 (12") | |||
Label | Mercury | |||
Songwriter(s) |
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Producer(s) | Stewart Levine | |||
Curiosity Killed the Cat singles chronology | ||||
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"Misfit" is the debut single by English band Curiosity Killed the Cat, originally released in August 1986. The song was not particularly successful and only reached number 76 on the UK Singles Chart. [2] However, the following year, after the success of "Down to Earth" and "Ordinary Day", "Misfit" was re-released in June 1987, upon which it was much more successful, peaking at number 7 in the UK. [3]
The music video was directed by Andy Warhol and also features a cameo appearance by him. It was also one of his last assignments before his death the following year. The band met Warhol at an exhibition in Mayfair and he took a shine to bass player Nick Thorp. He then invited the band to a banquet he was having later at the Café Royal and said he was interested in hearing some of their music. After listening to "Misfit", Warhol said he'd 'love to do a video for you boys' after Phonogram had said they weren't going to make a video for it. The video was then shot in New York in a week. [4]
7": Mercury / MER 226 (UK, 1986) / CAT 4 (UK, 1987)
12": Mercury / MERX 226 (UK, 1986)
12": Mercury / MERXR 226 (UK, 1986)
12"/Cassette: Mercury / CATX 4 / CATXM 4 (UK, 1987)
CDV: Mercury / 080 112-2 (UK, 1987)
Chart (1986) | Peak position |
---|---|
UK Singles (OCC) [2] | 76 |
Chart (1987) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australia (Kent Music Report) [5] | 97 |
Germany (Official German Charts) [6] | 53 |
Ireland (IRMA) [7] | 8 |
Italy ( Musica e dischi ) [8] | 16 |
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40) [9] | 35 |
Netherlands (Single Top 100) [10] | 48 |
UK Singles (OCC) [3] | 7 |
US Billboard Hot 100 [11] | 42 |
US Hot Dance Club Play (Billboard) [11] | 39 |
Curiosity Killed the Cat was a British pop band that achieved success in the UK in the late 1980s, with hit singles such as "Down to Earth", "Misfit" and "Ordinary Day", from their No. 1 debut album, Keep Your Distance. This was followed by Getahead with the accompanying hit "Name and Number", that was recreated by De La Soul in "Ring Ring Ring ". In the early 1990s, the band's bassist left, and billed as 'Curiosity' they collaborated with Simon Cowell recording "Hang On in There Baby" on the album Back to Front.
"Take My Breath Away" is a song written by Giorgio Moroder and Tom Whitlock for the 1986 film Top Gun, performed by American new wave band Berlin. It won the Academy Award for Best Original Song, as well as the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song in 1986.
"The Power of Love" is a song originally recorded and released by British band Frankie Goes to Hollywood. It was written by Holly Johnson, Peter Gill, Mark O'Toole and Brian Nash, four of five members of the band. It was released by the group as their third single.
"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.
"Who Wants to Live Forever" is a song by the British rock band Queen. A power ballad, it is the sixth track on the album A Kind of Magic, which was released in June 1986, and was written by lead guitarist Brian May for the soundtrack to the film Highlander. Queen was backed up by an orchestra, with orchestrations by the co-composer of the film's score, Michael Kamen. The song peaked at No. 24 in the UK charts. In 1991 it was included in the band’s second compilation album Greatest Hits II.
"Too Much Love Will Kill You" is a song written by British guitarist Brian May of Queen, Frank Musker, and Elizabeth Lamers. The song reflected the breakdown of May's first marriage and attraction to his future wife, Anita Dobson. It was first recorded by Queen around 1988 or before, and was intended to be on the band's The Miracle album in 1989, but did not make the cut due to legal disputes following the band's decision that all songs on the album would be written by the group as opposed to individuals.
"Heaven for Everyone" is a song written by Queen drummer Roger Taylor. It originally appeared on his side project the Cross's album Shove It, with Freddie Mercury as a guest vocalist, and it is the album's fourth track. It was reworked with Queen's music and appeared in the 1995 album Made in Heaven where it was the seventh track, and was released as the first single – four years after Mercury's death. Queen's version reached number two on the UK Singles Chart while peaking at number one in Hungary and becoming a top-ten hit in several other European nations. In 1999 it was included in Queen’s compilation album Greatest Hits III.
"Need You Tonight" is a song by the Australian rock band INXS, released as the first single from their 1987 album, Kick, as well as the fourth song on the album. It is the only INXS single to reach No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. It also achieved their highest charting position in the United Kingdom, where the song reached number two on the UK Singles Chart; however, this peak was only reached after a re-release of the single in November 1988. On its first run on the UK charts in October 1987, it stalled at No. 58. It was one of the last songs recorded for the album, yet it would arguably become the band's signature song.
"The Sun Always Shines on T.V." is a song by Norwegian band A-ha, released as the third single from their debut studio album, Hunting High and Low (1985). The song was written by guitarist Pål Waaktaar. In some commercial markets the single was not as popular as their previous (debut) single "Take On Me", which had achieved the top spot in the United States and several other countries around the world, but in the United Kingdom and Ireland it improved upon the number-two charting of "Take On Me", reaching number one on the UK Singles Chart for two weeks in January 1986, having been released there on 16 December 1985. Its success secured for the band the prestige of having achieved number-one single status in both the primary Anglo-American popular music charts on either side of the Atlantic.
"Suburbia" is a song by English synthpop duo Pet Shop Boys. It was remixed and released as the fourth single from the duo's debut studio album, Please (1986), and became the band's second UK top-10 entry, peaking at number 8. This song has drawn comparisons to the theme from ALF, which coincidentally premiered the day that the song was released.
"Missionary Man" is a song by the British pop music duo Eurythmics. It was taken from their sixth album, Revenge, and continued the band's rock/R&B musical style of the time and featured Jimmy Zavala on harmonica and Joniece Jamison on back-up vocals.
"Glory of Love" is a 1986 song performed by Peter Cetera, which he wrote and composed with his then-wife Diane Nini and David Foster. The song was recorded by Cetera shortly after he left the band Chicago to pursue a solo career. Featured in the film The Karate Kid Part II (1986), it was Cetera's first hit single after he left the band, reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100, and it was included on his album Solitude/Solitaire (1986), which Michael Omartian produced.
"Word Up!" is a funk and R&B song originally recorded by American funk band Cameo in 1986. It was released as the first single from their twelfth album, Word Up! (1986). The song was written by band members Larry Blackmon and Tomi Jenkins. Its frequent airing on American dance, R&B, and contemporary hit radio, as well as its MTV music video, helped the single become the band's best known hit.
"Name and Number" is a 1989 single by the British group Curiosity Killed the Cat. This song became popular in the UK, peaking at #14 on the UK Singles Chart.
"Like Flames" is a song by American band Berlin, released in 1986 as the lead single from their third studio album, Count Three & Pray (1986).
"Hang On in There Baby" is a song written by American musician Johnny Bristol and arranged by H. B. Barnum as the title track from his first album. It was released as a single in 1974, reaching No. 8 on the U.S. Hot 100 and No. 2 on the U.S. R&B chart. In the UK it reached No. 3.
"How Ya Doin'?" is a song by British girl group Little Mix, featuring American rapper Missy Elliott. It was released on 15 April 2013 as the fourth and final single from Little Mix's debut studio album, DNA (2012). The song's chorus is taken from Curiosity Killed the Cat's 1989 single "Name and Number", while the bassline and beat coming from The Whatnauts 1981 funk song "Help Is on the Way". Both samples were also used in "Ring Ring Ring " by De La Soul in almost the same manner. The single peaked at number three in Hungary. The track reached number 16 in Scotland and peaked at number 16 on the Official UK Singles Chart. It went onto to chart in Ireland, Belgium, Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Australia, and France; where it remains the group highest-charting single there. It has been certified Silver in the United Kingdom and gold in Australia.
"On Fire" is a song recorded by Lisa Stansfield's band, Blue Zone for their 1988 album, Big Thing. It was written by Stansfield, Ian Devaney and Andy Morris, and produced by Paul Staveley O'Duffy and Blue Zone. "On Fire" was released as the first European and Australian single on 26 October 1987.
"Down to Earth" is a song by English band Curiosity Killed the Cat, released in November 1986 by Mercury Records as the second single from their debut album Keep Your Distance. It was the band's biggest hit, peaking at number 3 on the UK Singles Chart.
"Ordinary Day" is a song by English band Curiosity Killed the Cat, released in March 1987 by Mercury Records as the third single from their debut album Keep Your Distance. It peaked at number 11 on the UK Singles Chart.