"Self Control" | ||||
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Single by Raf | ||||
from the album Raf | ||||
B-side |
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Released | 1984 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length |
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Label | Carrere | |||
Songwriter(s) |
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Producer(s) | Giancarlo Bigazzi | |||
Raf singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"Self Control" on YouTube |
"Self Control" is a song by Italian singer Raf, released in 1984. It was written by Giancarlo Bigazzi, Steve Piccolo and Raf, and arranged by Celso Valli. The track topped the charts in Italy and Switzerland, and started the explosion and dominance of Italo disco-style recordings in continental European charts during the 1980s.
That same year, "Self Control" was covered by American singer Laura Branigan, whose version reached No. 1 in countries such as Austria, Canada, Germany and Switzerland, as well as No. 4 on the US Billboard Hot 100. Both versions of the song were commercially successful across Europe during much of the summer of 1984 (at one point even swapping with one another at #1 in the Swiss charts), with Branigan's rendition becoming the most successful single of the year in Germany and Switzerland.
"Self Control" has become one of the defining songs of the 1980s, with a number of remakes recorded each year. Notable covers include Puerto Rican singer Ricky Martin in 1993, a dance remake by Branigan in 2004, Royal Gigolos in 2005 and Danish dance group Infernal in 2006.
In 2024 German duo Fast Boy collabration with italian singer Raf presents sampled (remaking) track Self Control (Renamed "Wave").
Raf (born Raffaele Riefoli) co-wrote the song "Self Control" with Giancarlo Bigazzi and Steve Piccolo. His version of "Self Control" reached No. 1 in Italy for seven non-consecutive weeks. [4] It also reached No. 1 in Switzerland, between runs at the top spot by Branigan's version of "Self Control", and peaked at No. 2 in Germany, No. 7 in Austria and No. 40 in France. [5] [6] Raf released an extended dance mix of the song, like Branigan, but Raf's version featured a rap (performed by two other rap vocalists), relatively rare for a white artist at the time.
He would release several more tracks in English and re-release his 1984 self-titled debut album in 1987 under the title Self Control, featuring two of these tracks. Although his English-language album and especially the singles proved to be successful in Italy and elsewhere, he began releasing his later albums in his native language, almost all of which were received better in Italy than the English-language albums; many of them charted within the top 10 in Italy. [7]
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
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Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
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Italy (FIMI) [14] | Gold | 50,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
"Self Control" | ||||
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Single by Laura Branigan | ||||
from the album Self Control | ||||
B-side | "Silent Partners" | |||
Released | 19 April 1984 [15] | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 4:06 | |||
Label | Atlantic | |||
Songwriter(s) |
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Producer(s) |
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Laura Branigan singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"Self Control" on YouTube |
American singer Laura Branigan covered "Self Control" in 1984. It was released as the lead single from her third studio album of the same name, released the same year.
Branigan's first major hit had also been co-written by Bigazzi: "Gloria" (1982) was an English-language cover of the 1979 original Italian song recorded by Umberto Tozzi. The following year, Branigan recorded another English song written over a Tozzi and Bigazzi song, "Mama", which was included on her 1983 album Branigan 2 . Branigan chose two more Italian songs for her third album: the first one, "Ti Amo" with lyrics by Diane Warren once again based on the original by Tozzi and Bigazzi that had been a 1977 single for Tozzi. The second one, "Self Control", became the title track to the album and her most successful single internationally. "Self Control" was the only one of the four Italian songs recorded by Branigan that was originally composed in English, and Branigan chose to record the song as written. Also, unlike the other songs, Branigan's version was contemporaneous with that of its co-writer.
Branigan's recording was arranged by Giorgio Moroder's protégé Harold Faltermeyer with Robbie Buchanan and produced by Buchanan with Jack White in West Germany and Los Angeles. A keyboard hook in Raf's version was changed to a guitar riff for Branigan's version and a vocal break was paired with a sharper and repeated percussive element.
The song narrates the singer's slip into the world of nightlife, the allure of which has her "livin' only for the night" and deeming herself to "live among the creatures of the night". Rather than actually invoking more self-control, the singer addresses someone: "you take my self, you take my self-control". According to Bryan Buss of AllMusic, the song is about "finding sex in the seamy side of town". [20]
In the United States, Branigan's cover became her third and last top 10 entry. In Canada, the track reached No. 1 on both the pop and AC charts. Both the Raf original and Branigan's version of "Self Control" entered the German top 20 in May 1984: on 25 June, Branigan's single attained the No. 1 position, where it remained for six weeks, while Raf's version occupied the No. 2 spot. [21]
"Self Control" also topped the charts in Austria, Denmark, Finland, Portugal, South Africa and Sweden, [22] [23] [24] [25] while reaching No. 2 in Norway, [24] No. 3 in Ireland, [26] No. 3 in Australia and No. 5 in the UK. [27]
Raf's version surpassed the success of Branigan's only in his native Italy, where her single reached No. 16. [4] The only other territory where Raf topped the charts was in Switzerland. His single debuted in the Swiss top 30 at No. 7 on 17 June, the same week Branigan's version debuted at No. 24. The following week, Raf's single climbed to No. 2. Branigan's single, however, rose to No. 1. In their third week, Raf's version supplanted Branigan's at number 1, but she regained the top spot in the fourth week and the two versions would remain there, Branigan at No. 1 and Raf at No. 2, for three more weeks.
In their seventh week on the charts, Raf fell to No. 3, below "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" by Wham!, while Branigan held at No. 1. Their eighth week on the charts saw Raf regain the No. 2 spot behind Branigan. The following week the Wham! single moved back to No. 2 and Raf fell three spaces, but Branigan held firm. In their tenth week on the charts, Wham! fell to No. 5, Raf fell two more spots, and Branigan maintained pole position.
Finally, on the week of 26 August, "Such a Shame" by Talk Talk moved Branigan out of the number-one spot, though she would remain in the top five for another three weeks. Branigan's record spent a total of 16 weeks in the Swiss top 30, including 12 weeks in the top five and eight weeks at No. 1. [24] Branigan's version eventually became the most successful single of 1984 in both Germany and Switzerland. [13] [12]
Branigan was one of the first artists of the video era to work with an Academy Award-winning film director on a music video when William Friedkin ( The French Connection , The Exorcist ) directed the clip. Filmed in New Jersey and New York City, the video was produced by Fred Caruso and first aired in April 1984. [28]
The video drew controversy, and MTV requested some edits before it could air. [29] Entertainment Tonight aired a segment on the network's reaction to the clip, which was being played in late-night slots on other networks. Though Branigan resisted at first, her record company convinced her to allow a minor alteration and the video was aired on MTV, though by this time the single had peaked on the charts. Branigan would go on to be nominated for a 1985 American Music Award for Favorite Pop/Rock Female Video Artist, losing to Cyndi Lauper. [30]
Branigan performed the song live in her debut on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson on 27 April 1984. [31] [32] She also promoted the song during appearances on The Merv Griffin Show , Solid Gold (12 May 1984), [33] Dick Clark's American Bandstand (9 June 1984) [34] and the syndicated Dick Clark television special Rock Rolls On, which she also co-hosted.
Weekly charts
| Monthly charts
Year-end charts
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
France (SNEP) [74] | Gold | 500,000* |
Germany (BVMI) [75] | Gold | 500,000^ |
Spain (PROMUSICAE) [76] | Gold | 30,000‡ |
United Kingdom (BPI) [77] | Silver | 250,000^ |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
"Self Control 2004" | ||||
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Single by Laura Branigan | ||||
Released | 2003 | |||
Length | 3:21 | |||
Label | Dance Street | |||
Songwriter(s) |
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Laura Branigan singles chronology | ||||
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Branigan's "Self Control" was paired with follow-up single "The Lucky One" for an "oldies series" release in the US. In the UK, a similar release paired the song with her earlier single, "Gloria". In 1992, the original single mix of "Self Control" was re-released on CD single and 12-inch vinyl by Atlantic/WEA in Germany featuring two new remixes. One of those, the Classic Summer Mix, appeared on the European greatest hits album The Very Best of Laura Branigan . In 1999, four new remixes of "Self Control" were commissioned for a South African collection called Back in Control, on Atlantic/Gallo. [78] "Self Control '99" was released as a CD single there. In the mid-2000s, several trance music remixes featuring samples of various lengths from the 1984 Branigan original surfaced from various entities including Crooklyn Clan, Imperial Machine, and SK featuring Branigan. None of these mixes were done with Branigan's participation.
As of 2010, the Self Control album remains in print and the original version can also be heard on The Best of Branigan (1993), and in remastered versions on The Essentials: Laura Branigan (2002) and The Platinum Collection (2006).
Branigan sought to reclaim her career after years away from the music industry first to take care of her ailing husband and then to mourn his loss. She re-recorded her two biggest club hits for the 20th anniversary of "Self Control" and they were released in a slew of remixes as "Gloria 2004" and "Self Control 2004". The latter track reached the top 10 on the Billboard Hot Dance Singles Sales chart following Branigan's sudden death from an aneurysm in August of that year.
Chart (2004) | Peak position |
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US Dance Singles Sales ( Billboard ) [79] | 10 |
"Que Dia Es Hoy" | ||||
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Single by Ricky Martin | ||||
from the album Me Amaras | ||||
B-side | "Que Dia Es Hoy" (Remix) | |||
Released | 1993 | |||
Genre | City pop | |||
Length | 4:25 | |||
Label | ||||
Songwriter(s) |
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Producer(s) | ||||
Ricky Martin singles chronology | ||||
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Audio | ||||
"Self Control" (audio) on YouTube |
In 1993, Ricky Martin recorded a Spanish-language cover of "Self Control", titled "Que Dia Es Hoy" ("What Day Is Today"). With lyrics by producer Juan Carlos Calderón and Mikel Herzog, the song was released as single from Martin's second studio solo album, Me Amaras , in 1993. The single featured a remixed version of the track. A music video was also released. In 2008, the remixed version was included on CD and DVD, called 17 .
Chart (1993) | Peak position |
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US Hot Latin Songs ( Billboard ) [80] | 26 |
"Self Control" / "Somebody's Watching Me" | ||||
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Single by Royal Gigolos | ||||
from the album Musique Deluxe | ||||
Released | 2005 | |||
Length | 4:11 | |||
Label | ||||
Songwriter(s) |
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Producer(s) | Royal Gigolos | |||
Royal Gigolos singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"Self Control" on YouTube |
In 2004, German dance group Royal Gigolos recorded a cover of "Self Control" for their debut studio album, Musique Deluxe. It was released as a CD maxi single the following year, along with their cover of the 1984 Rockwell song "Somebody's Watching Me". Their version reached the top 20 in Denmark and Finland.
Chart (2005–2006) | Peak position |
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Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40) [81] | 42 |
Denmark (Tracklisten) [82] | 17 |
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista) [83] | 14 |
Germany (GfK) [84] | 67 |
Netherlands (Single Top 100) [85] | 49 |
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade) [86] | 90 |
"Self Control" | ||||
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Single by Infernal | ||||
from the album From Paris to Berlin | ||||
Released | 2006 | |||
Length |
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Label |
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Songwriter(s) |
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Producer(s) | Infernal | |||
Infernal singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"Self Control" on YouTube |
In 2006, Danish dance group Infernal released a cover of the song on 6 November in the UK. The song debuted in the chart at No. 61 based on downloads only. The track was also released in Australia, as a double A-side with "I Won't Be Crying", though it did not chart there. Their recording reached the top 10 in Finland and their native Denmark.
Chart (2006) | Peak position |
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Denmark (Tracklisten) [87] | 3 |
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista) [88] | 6 |
Ireland (IRMA) [89] | 14 |
UK Singles (OCC) [90] | 18 |
In 2018, American singer Kendra Erika released a cover of "Self Control", reaching number one on Billboard's Dance Club Songs chart.
Chart (2019) | Peak position |
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US Dance Club Songs ( Billboard ) [91] | 1 |
In 2023 Dutch DJs Eelke Kleijn and Lee Cabrera released a cover of "Self Control", based less on Raf's version and more on Laura Branigan's cover.[ citation needed ]
In 2024 German duo Fast Boy remade the track for its 40th anniversary, and renamed it "Wave".[ citation needed ]
Branigan's version of "Self Control" was featured on the Miami Vice episode "The Great McCarthy" and was featured in the fact-based 1989 TV film The Preppie Murder and a 2007 episode of the series Cold Case . In 2002, the Branigan recording was used as a track on the fictional radio station Flash FM in the video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City As Well Races Only For Need for Speed: Underground , and it appears on the CD collection Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Official Soundtrack Box Set , as well as numerous other hits collections. It was often used as bumper music by late night radio talk show host Art Bell when he hosted Coast to Coast AM in the 1990s. It was also featured in the opening scenes of the Knight Rider episodes "Halloween Knight" and "K.I.T.T vs K.A.R.R." In 2018, Branigan's version appeared in the episode "Descent" of FX's The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story .
"Cruel Summer" is a song by English girl group Bananarama. It was written by Bananarama and Steve Jolley, Tony Swain, and produced by Jolley and Swain. Released in 1983, it was initially a stand-alone single but was subsequently included on their self-titled second album a year later. The song reached number eight on the UK Singles Chart in 1983 and the group appeared on the BBC's Top of the Pops that summer, and after its inclusion in the 1984 film The Karate Kid, it reached number nine on the US Billboard Hot 100.
Laura Ann Branigan was an American singer. Her signature song, the platinum-certified 1982 single "Gloria", stayed on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 for 36 weeks, then a record for a female artist, peaking at No. 2. It also reached number one in Australia and Canada. Branigan's "Gloria" was a cover of a song written by Italian singer-songwriters Giancarlo Bigazzi and Umberto Tozzi. In 1984, she reached number one in Canada and Germany and No. 4 in the U.S. with "Self Control" a cover of Italian singer and songwriter Raf from the same year. Both "Gloria" and "Self Control" were successful in the United Kingdom, making the Top 10 in the UK Singles Chart.
Self Control is the third studio album by American singer Laura Branigan, released on April 1, 1984, by Atlantic Records. The album peaked at number 23 on the US Billboard 200 and has been certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Internationally, it charted within the top five in several continental European countries.
"Somebody's Watching Me" is a song recorded and written by American singer Rockwell, released by the Motown label in December 1983, as the lead single from his debut studio album of the same name. It features guest vocals by Michael Jackson and Jermaine Jackson. The song became a major commercial success internationally, topping the charts in Belgium, France, and Spain, and reaching the top 5 in Canada, West Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United States. In the UK, it reached No. 6 and is Rockwell's only top 40 hit on the UK Singles Chart. Rolling Stone magazine called the song "an international and enduring smash hit that, more than 30 years later, remains the perennial paranoia-rock anthem and Halloween mix go-to song."
"It's My Life" is a song by the English new wave band Talk Talk. Written by Mark Hollis and Tim Friese-Greene, it was the title track on the band's second album, It's My Life (1984), and released as its first single in January 1984. It reached number 46 on the UK Singles Chart, but did better in several other countries, reaching number 33 in Germany, number 32 in New Zealand, number 25 in France and number 9 in Italy. It was their only hit on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 31; and it peaked at number 30 in Canada. The song also peaked at number 1 on the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart.
"Gloria" is a 1979 love song written and composed in Italian by Umberto Tozzi and Giancarlo Bigazzi, and first translated to English by Jonathan King. A 1982 cover version by American singer Laura Branigan, with different English lyrics, peaked at number two on the US Billboard Hot 100 and has been certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
"How Am I Supposed to Live Without You" is a song co-written in 1982 by Doug James and Michael Bolton. The track was originally recorded by Laura Branigan in 1983, charting at number one in both the US and Canadian Adult Contemporary charts. Bolton later recorded his own version of the song that topped the US Billboard Hot 100 and became a worldwide hit.
"I Found Someone" is the name of a chart single originally written and composed for Laura Branigan by Michael Bolton and Touch keyboardist Mark Mangold. The song was a bigger hit for Cher in 1987, reaching the top 10.
"Unison" is a song written by Bruce Roberts and Andy Goldmark, and first recorded by the English singer Junior in 1983 for the Tom Cruise-starred movie All the Right Moves. A minor hit, the song would attract a good deal of attention in 1990, when three female singers each covered the song and placed it on their respective albums of that year.
The discography of American singer Laura Branigan consists of seven studio albums, six compilation albums, 32 singles, four promotional singles, three video albums, and 14 music videos.
"Wrapped" is a song written by the Peruvian singer and songwriter Gian Marco and sung by Gloria Estefan, released as the first single from her tenth studio album Unwrapped. The single returned commercial success to Gloria, having charted in various countries.
Raffaele Riefoli is an Italian singer-songwriter who is better known as simply Raf.
"Solitaire" is a 1981 song sung and written by Martine Clémenceau. The English version was later released in March 1983 as the lead single of American singer Laura Branigan's second studio album, Branigan 2 (1983). It was lyricized in English by Diane Warren and produced by Jack White and Robbie Buchanan.
"Square Rooms" is a song by American singer and actor Al Corley. It was the first single from his debut album of the same name. First released in 1984; the song was a hit single in Continental Europe, and had a moderate success in the United States in 1985.
"Big in Japan" is the debut single of German synth-pop band Alphaville, from their 1984 album Forever Young.
"Shattered Glass" is a song written by Bob Mitchell and Steve Coe which was originally recorded in 1980 by Scottish singer Ellie Warren. The song was recorded in 1987 by American singer Laura Branigan with the Stock Aitken Waterman production team to serve as the lead single from Branigan's fifth studio album, Touch (1987).
"Ti amo" is a 1977 song recorded by Italian singer Umberto Tozzi from the album È nell'aria...ti amo. It achieved success at the time, becoming a hit in many European countries, including Sweden and Switzerland where it topped the charts. A Spanish version was released as "Te Amo", and had a good success in Spain and Latin America. Within the German-speaking countries a German version by Howard Carpendale also received a great success in 1977, peaking at number two in Germany and number ten in Austria.
"The Lucky One" is a song by American singer Laura Branigan from her third studio album, Self Control (1984). It was released on July 2, 1984, as the album's second single. The song peaked at number 20 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Branigan's fifth top-20 entry.
"Spanish Eddie" is a song by American singer Laura Branigan, released as the lead single from her fourth studio album, Hold Me (1985). The song was produced by Jack White and arranged by Harold Faltermeyer. Released in July 1985, the single became Branigan's sixth top-40 entry in the United States in two and a half years, peaking at number 40 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 37 on the Cash Box singles chart. It also peaked at number 29 on the Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart, while a 12″ dance version reached number 26 on the Hot Dance Club Play chart.
"Satisfaction" is a song by American singer Laura Branigan, released as the fourth and final single from her third studio album, Self Control (1984). The song's music was written by Bernd Dietrich, Gerd Grabowski and Engelbert Simons, and the English lyrics were written by Mark Spiro and Diane Warren. It was produced by Jack White and Robbie Buchanan.
The following year, her disco-slanted version of "Self Control", the Euro-disco smash by RAF, crossed from the Hi-NRG charts to the pop listings and became Branigan's biggest UK hit.