"Somebody's Watching Me" | ||||
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Single by Rockwell | ||||
from the album Somebody's Watching Me | ||||
B-side | "Somebody's Watching Me (Instrumental)" | |||
Released | December 27, 1983 [1] | |||
Recorded | 1983 [2] | |||
Studio | Mars Recording Studios (Los Angeles, California) [3] | |||
Genre | ||||
Length |
| |||
Label | Motown | |||
Songwriter(s) | Kennedy "Rockwell" Gordy | |||
Producer(s) |
| |||
Rockwell singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Music video | ||||
"Somebody's Watching Me" on YouTube |
"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 (in the chorus) and Jermaine Jackson and Norman Dozier (additional backing vocals). [7] 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. [8] [9] In the UK, it reached No. 6 and is Rockwell's only top 40 hit on the UK Singles Chart. [10] 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." [11]
Rockwell is a son of Motown CEO Berry Gordy. At the time of the recording, Rockwell was estranged from his father and living with Ray Singleton, his father's ex-wife and the mother of his older half-brother, Kerry Gordy. Singleton served as executive producer on the project and would occasionally play demo tracks to Berry Gordy, who was less than enthusiastic about Rockwell's music until he heard the single with Michael Jackson's familiar voice featuring prominently on background vocals. [7] [12]
Musicnotes.com published this song in the key of C# minor, showing 4
4 time, with vocals spanning from C#4 to C#5. [13]
Produced by Curtis Anthony Nolen, the song featured backing vocals by Michael and Jermaine Jackson, with Alan Murray on percussion. [7] [14]
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Canada (Music Canada) [45] | Gold | 50,000^ |
United Kingdom (BPI) [46] | Gold | 400,000‡ |
United States (RIAA) [47] | Gold | 1,000,000^ |
United States (RIAA) [47] Digital | Gold | 500,000* |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
DJ BoBo based his 1992 single "Somebody Dance with Me" on "Somebody's Watching Me" with new lyrics and rap. The DJ BoBo single reached No. 1 in Sweden and Switzerland, and the Top 5 in Austria, Finland, Germany, the Netherlands and Norway. In 2012, a remix of the hit was made by Remady titled "Somebody Dance With Me (Remady 2013 Mix)" by DJ BoBo featuring Manu-L. Released early in 2013, it charted on the Swiss Hitparade, reaching No. 4. The mix was made on the 20th anniversary of the initial hit by DJ BoBo in November 1992.
"Somebody's Watching Me" | ||||
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Single by Beatfreakz | ||||
Released | May 1, 2006 | |||
Genre | House | |||
Length | 2:48 | |||
Label | ||||
Songwriter(s) | Kennedy "Rockwell" Gordy | |||
Producer(s) | Beatfreakz | |||
Beatfreakz singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Music video | ||||
"Somebody's Watching Me" on YouTube |
In 2006, Dutch dance group Beatfreakz recorded a pseudo-cover of the song that samples the chorus but omitted the verses. This version was a top-10 hit in Belgium, Finland, Ireland, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom.
Dutch CD single [48]
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
United Kingdom (BPI) [75] | Silver | 200,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
Region | Date | Format(s) | Label(s) | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
United Kingdom | May 1, 2006 | CD | Data | [76] |
Australia | June 26, 2006 | CD | Ministry of Sound | [77] |
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Kennedy William Gordy, better known by his stage name Rockwell, is an American singer. He is best known for his hit 1984 single "Somebody's Watching Me", which features Michael Jackson on chorus vocals. Gordy is the son of Motown founder Berry Gordy. Other relatives include half-siblings Redfoo, Rhonda Ross Kendrick and half-nephew Sky Blu.
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...but the single was a great midpoint between Eighties R&B and Eighties New Wave regardless...
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)As they finished mixing down the record, I could barely wait to rush it over and play it for Berry.
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: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)