Thorn in My Side

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"Thorn in My Side"
Eurythmics TIMS.jpg
Single by Eurythmics
from the album Revenge
B-side "When Tomorrow Comes" (live)
ReleasedAugust 1986
Genre Pop [1]
Length4:12
Label RCA
Songwriter(s) Annie Lennox, David A. Stewart
Producer(s) David A. Stewart
Eurythmics singles chronology
"When Tomorrow Comes"
(1986)
"Thorn in My Side"
(1986)
"The Miracle of Love"
(1986)
Music video
"Thorn in My Side" on YouTube

"Thorn in My Side" is a song by British pop music duo Eurythmics. It was released as the second single from the duo's fifth studio album, Revenge (1986). Written by band members Annie Lennox and David A. Stewart, the song is a cast-off to an unfaithful lover. "Thorn in My Side" was produced by Stewart.

Contents

Background

Although the first single from Revenge, "When Tomorrow Comes", barely reached the UK Top 30, "Thorn in My Side" became Eurythmics' ninth Top 10 single, reaching number five on the UK Singles Chart and marking their last appearance in the UK top 10. In the United States, the track stalled at number 68 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song additionally peaked at number two in Ireland and reached the top 10 in New Zealand (number seven) and Sweden (number six).

Reception

Billboard said it sounds like "Swinging London, 1964" although it "views the past with as much irony as affection." [2] Cash Box called it an "appealing pop/rock single" in which the "seething lyrics are masked by an infectious melody and Annie Lennox’s winning vocal." [3]

Music video

The music video, directed by Chris Ashbrook and Dave Stewart, depicts the band adorned in their black and leather Revenge stage costumes, playing in a studio set bar filled with an audience that includes a gang of Hells Angels. Clem Burke, drummer from the band Blondie, appears in the video as he was recording and touring with Eurythmics that year. It was also the second music video to feature backing vocalist Joniece Jamison, after first appearing in "When Tomorrow Comes".

Track listings

7-inch single

A. "Thorn in My Side" (album version) – 4:07
B. "When Tomorrow Comes" (live at the Roxy in Los Angeles) – 5:02

12-inch single

A1. "Thorn in My Side" (extended mix) – 6:54
B1. "Thorn in My Side" (album version) – 4:07
B2. "When Tomorrow Comes" (live at the Roxy in Los Angeles) – 5:02

12-inch single (Houston remix)

A1. "Thorn in My Side" (Houston remix) – 5:49
B1. "Thorn in My Side" (album version) – 4:07
B2. "In This Town" (live)

Charts

Certifications

Certifications for "Thorn in My Side"
RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI) [19] Silver200,000

Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eurythmics</span> British music duo

Eurythmics were a British pop duo formed in 1980, consisting of Scottish vocalist Annie Lennox and English musician and producer Dave Stewart. They were both previously in the Tourists, a band that broke up in 1980. They released their first studio album, In the Garden, in 1981 to little success, but achieved global acclaim with their second album, Sweet Dreams (1983). The title track became a worldwide hit, reaching number two in the UK Singles Chart, and number one in Canada and the US Billboard Hot 100. Eurythmics went on to release a string of hit singles and albums, including "Love Is a Stranger", "There Must Be an Angel " and "Here Comes the Rain Again", before splitting in 1990.

<i>Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)</i> (album) 1983 studio album by Eurythmics

Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) is the second studio album by British pop duo Eurythmics, released on 4 January 1983 by RCA Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Annie Lennox</span> Scottish musician (born 1954)

Ann Lennox is a Scottish singer-songwriter, political activist and philanthropist. After achieving moderate success in the late 1970s as part of the new wave band the Tourists, she and fellow musician Dave Stewart went on to achieve international success in the 1980s as Eurythmics. Appearing in the 1983 music video for "Sweet Dreams " with orange cropped hair and wearing a man's lounge suit, the BBC wrote, "all eyes were on Annie Lennox, the singer whose powerful androgynous look defied the male gaze". Subsequent hits with Eurythmics include "There Must Be an Angel ", "Love Is a Stranger" and "Here Comes the Rain Again".

<i>Revenge</i> (Eurythmics album) 1986 studio album by Eurythmics

Revenge is the fifth studio album by British pop duo Eurythmics, released on 29 June 1986 by RCA Records in the United Kingdom and on 14 July in the United States. Following on from their previous album, Be Yourself Tonight, Revenge continued further in this direction as the duo embraced a more "rock band" style. The album spawned four singles and was a commercial success. The fourth and final single, "Missionary Man", won the 1987 Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal. Its release was supported by an extensive world tour. A 1987 concert from the Australian leg of the tour was also released on home video as Eurythmics Live.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Love Is a Stranger</span> 1982 single by Eurythmics

"Love Is a Stranger" is a song by the British pop duo Eurythmics. Originally released in late 1982, the single was commercially unsuccessful, but it was re-released in 1983, reaching the UK top 10. The single was re-released again in 1991, to promote Eurythmics' Greatest Hits album.

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"Sisters Are Doin' It for Themselves" is a song by British pop duo Eurythmics and American singer Aretha Franklin. A modern feminist anthem, it was written by Eurythmics members Annie Lennox and David A. Stewart and featured on both Eurythmics' Be Yourself Tonight (1985) and Franklin's Who's Zoomin' Who? (1985) albums. The duo originally intended to perform with Tina Turner, who was unavailable at the time and so they flew to Detroit and recorded with Franklin instead. The track also features three of Tom Petty's Heartbreakers: Stan Lynch on drums, Benmont Tench on organ, and Mike Campbell on lead guitar, plus session bassist Nathan East.

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"Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" is a song by British synth-pop duo Eurythmics. It was released as the fourth and final single from their second album of the same name in January 1983. It was their breakthrough hit, establishing the duo worldwide. It reached number two on the UK Singles Chart in March 1983, and number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 six months later; it was their first single released in the US.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Who's That Girl? (Eurythmics song)</span> 1983 single by Eurythmics

"Who's That Girl?" is a song by British pop duo Eurythmics. It was written by band members Annie Lennox and David A. Stewart and produced by Stewart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Right by Your Side (Eurythmics song)</span> 1983 single by Eurythmics

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">There Must Be an Angel (Playing with My Heart)</span> 1985 song by Eurythmics

"There Must Be an Angel (Playing with My Heart)" is a song by the British musical duo Eurythmics, released as the second single from their fifth studio album, Be Yourself Tonight (1985). It features a harmonica solo by American musician Stevie Wonder. The song became a worldwide success; most notably in Ireland, Norway and the United Kingdom, where it remains the duo's only chart-topper.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">It's Alright (Baby's Coming Back)</span> 1985 single by Eurythmics

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">When Tomorrow Comes</span> 1986 single by Eurythmics

"When Tomorrow Comes" is a song recorded by British pop music duo Eurythmics. It was written by group members Annie Lennox, David A. Stewart and guest keyboardist Pat Seymour. With this single and its parent album Revenge, Lennox and Stewart continued with the rock and R&B sound from their previous album Be Yourself Tonight.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Missionary Man (Eurythmics song)</span> 1986 single by Eurythmics

"Missionary Man" is a song by British pop duo Eurythmics from their fifth studio album, Revenge (1986). The song features Jimmy Zavala on harmonica and Joniece Jamison on backing vocals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Miracle of Love</span> 1986 single by Eurythmics

"The Miracle of Love" is an electropop ballad recorded by British duo Eurythmics. It was written by Eurythmics members Annie Lennox and David A. Stewart and produced by Stewart. The track was released as the third single from the duo's sixth album Revenge in the UK. It was not released as a single in the United States.

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