Wishing Well (Terence Trent D'Arby song)

Last updated

"Wishing Well"
Wishing Well song.jpg
Single by Terence Trent D'Arby
from the album Introducing the Hardline According to Terence Trent D'Arby
B-side "Elevators & Hearts"
ReleasedJune 8, 1987 (1987-06-08)
Genre
Length3:33
Label Columbia
Songwriter(s)
  • Terence Trent D'Arby
  • Sean Oliver
Producer(s)
Terence Trent D'Arby singles chronology
"If You Let Me Stay"
(1987)		"Wishing Well"
(1987)		"Dance Little Sister"
(1987)
Music video
"Wishing Well" on YouTube

"Wishing Well" is a song by American singer-songwriter Terence Trent D'Arby. Written by D'Arby and Sean Oliver, D'Arby said "Wishing Well" was written "when I was in a half-asleep, half-awake state of mind", and that he "liked the feel of the words". [1] Martyn Ware of Heaven 17 produced the song along with D'Arby. [1] [2] Released through Columbia Records as the second single from D'Arby's debut album, Introducing the Hardline According to Terence Trent D'Arby , the song went into heavy rotation on MTV and eventually topped the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, [3] as well as the Canadian and Dutch charts.

Contents

D'Arby performed the song live at the 30th Annual Grammy Awards, where he lost the Grammy Award for Best New Artist to Jody Watley. When the single reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100, it had charted for 17 weeks, the longest progress to number one in the US charts since Eurythmics' "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" in 1983. [4]

Critical reception

Ben Greenman of The New Yorker credits "Wishing Well", along with other D'Arby songs, with "[bringing] soul music into the eighties". [5] Writing about D'Arby for AllMusic, Stephen Thomas Erlewine called the song "sparse funk", and noted how "Wishing Well" was his first major hit in the United States. [6] Kathi Whalen of The Washington Post credited the song's chart success to D'Arby's combination of "'60s soul and pop on top", and called "Wishing Well" "bouncy". [7]

Track listings

7-inch single

  1. "Wishing Well" (3:33)
  2. "Elevators & Hearts" (4:41)

12-inch maxi

  1. "Wishing Well" (Three Coins in a Fountain mix) (6:14)
  2. "Elevators & Hearts" (4:41)
  3. "Wishing Well" (The Cool in the Shade mix) (7:50)
  4. "Wonderful World" (3:56)

12-inch maxi

  1. "Wishing Well" (The Cool in the Shade mix) (7:50)
  2. "Wonderful World" (3:56)
  3. "Elevators & Hearts" (4:04)

Cassette

  1. "Wishing Well" (3:33)
  2. "Elevators & Hearts" (4:04)

Charts

Certifications

Certifications and sales for "Wishing Well"
RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA) [34] Gold500,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Release dates and formats for "Wishing Well"
RegionDateFormat(s)Label(s)Ref.
United KingdomJune 8, 1987
  • 7-inch vinyl
  • 12-inch vinyl
 CBS [35]
June 22, 1987
  • Limited-edition 7-inch vinyl
  • 12-inch remix vinyl
 [36]
June 29, 1987Limited-edition 12-inch vinyl [37]
United StatesJanuary 1988
  • 7-inch vinyl
  • 12-inch vinyl
  • cassette
 Columbia [38]
JapanJanuary 21, 198812-inch vinyl Epic [39]

References

  1. 1 2 Bronson, Fred (2003). The Billboard Book of Number One Hits. Random House LLC. p. 697. ISBN   978-0-8230-7677-2.
  2. ↑ Hogan, Ed. "Wishing Well". AllMusic.
  3. ↑ Corcoran, Michael (June 1988). "In the Ring with Terence Trent D'Arby". Spin . 4 (3). Spin Media LLC: 45–46. ISSN   0886-3032.
  4. ↑ DeKnock, Jan (May 6, 1988). "'Wishing Well' Finally Pays Off". Chicago Tribune. Tribune Company.
  5. ↑ Greenman, Ben (June 4, 2013). "What Ever Happened to Terence Trent D'Arby?". The New Yorker. Condé Nast Publications.
  6. ↑ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas (2003). All Music Guide to Soul: The Definitive Guide to R&B and Soul. Hal Leonard Corporation. p. 177. ISBN   978-0-87930-744-8.
  7. ↑ Whalen, Kathi (December 21, 1989). "Terence Trent D'Arby". The Washington Post. Nash Holdings LLC.
  8. ↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (Illustrated ed.). St. Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 82. ISBN   0-646-11917-6. N.B. the Kent Report chart was licensed by ARIA between mid 1983 and June 19, 1988.
  9. ↑ "Terence Trent D'Arby – Wishing Well" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved April 9, 2022.
  10. ↑ "Terence Trent D'Arby – Wishing Well" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved October 24, 2020.
  11. ↑ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 8939." RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved October 24, 2020.
  12. ↑ "European Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media . Vol. 4, no. 33. August 22, 1987. p. 14. Retrieved October 24, 2020.
  13. ↑ "Terence Trent D'Arby – Wishing Well" (in French). Le classement de singles. Retrieved April 9, 2022.
  14. ↑ "European Playlist Reports: RAI – Italy" (PDF). Music & Media . Vol. 4, no. 37. September 19, 1987. p. 16.
  15. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 39, 1987" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved April 9, 2022.
  16. ↑ "Terence Trent D'Arby – Wishing Well" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved October 24, 2020.
  17. ↑ "Terence Trent D'Arby – Wishing Well". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved April 9, 2022.
  18. ↑ "SA Charts 1965 – 1989 Songs W–Z". South African Rock Lists. Retrieved October 24, 2020.
  19. ↑ "Terence Trent D'Arby – Wishing Well". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved April 9, 2022.
  20. ↑ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 9, 2022.
  21. ↑ "Terence Trent D'Arby Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved April 9, 2022.
  22. ↑ "Terence Trent D'Arby Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved April 9, 2022.
  23. ↑ "Terence Trent D'Arby Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved April 9, 2022.
  24. ↑ "Terence Trent D'Arby Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved April 9, 2022.
  25. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Terence Trent D'Arby – Wishing Well" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved March 19, 2019.
  26. ↑ "Australian Music Report No 701 – 28 December 1987 > National Top 100 Singles for 1987". Australian Music Report . Retrieved December 11, 2019– via Imgur.
  27. ↑ "Jaaroverzichten 1987" (in Dutch). Ultratop . Retrieved October 24, 2020.
  28. ↑ "European Charts of the Year 1987 – Singles" (PDF). Music & Media . Vol. 4, no. 51/52. August 22, 1987. p. 34. Retrieved October 24, 2020.
  29. ↑ "Single top 100 over 1987" (PDF) (in Dutch). Top40. Retrieved September 21, 2010.
  30. ↑ "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1987" (in Dutch). MegaCharts . Retrieved October 24, 2020.
  31. ↑ "Gallup Year End Charts 1987: Singles". Record Mirror . London, England. January 23, 1988. p. 36.
  32. ↑ "Top 100 Singles of '88" (PDF). RPM . Vol. 49, no. 10. December 24, 1988. p. 9. Retrieved October 24, 2020.
  33. ↑ "Billboard Top 100 – 1988". Billboardtop100of.com. Retrieved October 24, 2020.
  34. ↑ "American single certifications – Terence Trent D'Arby – Wishing Well". Recording Industry Association of America.
  35. ↑ "New Singles". Music Week . June 6, 1987. p. 31.
  36. ↑ "New Singles". Music Week. June 20, 1987. p. 11.
  37. ↑ "New Singles". Music Week. June 27, 1987. p. 27.
  38. ↑ Strong, Martin Charles (1995). Great Rock Discography. Canongate Press. p. 200. ISBN   978-0-86241-541-9.
  39. ↑ "テレンス・トレント・ダービー | ウィッシング・ウェル" [Terence Trent D'Arby | Wishing Well] (in Japanese). Oricon . Retrieved August 10, 2025.
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