Closest Thing to Heaven

Last updated
"Closest Thing to Heaven"
ClosestThingToHeaven.jpg
Single by Tears for Fears
from the album Everybody Loves a Happy Ending
Released21 February 2005 (2005-02-21) [1]
Genre New wave
Length
  • 3:36 (album version)
  • 3:22 (UK radio mix)
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Tears for Fears
  • Charlton Pettus
Tears for Fears singles chronology
"Call Me Mellow"
(2004)
"Closest Thing to Heaven"
(2005)
"Everybody Loves a Happy Ending" / "Call Me Mellow"
(2005)

"Closest Thing to Heaven" is a song by the British band Tears for Fears. In the UK, it was released as the first single from their sixth studio album, Everybody Loves a Happy Ending (2004) and was the first single to feature both original members, Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith, since 1990.

Contents

The song was Tears for Fears' first UK top-40 hit since "Raoul and the Kings of Spain" in 1995, reaching number 40 on the UK Singles Chart. It also reached number 12 in Finland and number 38 in the Netherlands.

Music video

The promo video for "Closest Thing to Heaven" was directed by Michael Palmieri (who has also worked with Foo Fighters and Beck), and is a colourful theatrical fantasy featuring the Hollywood actress Brittany Murphy.

Track listing

CD3: Gut/EU0161836ERE

  1. "Closest Thing to Heaven" (UK Radio Mix) – 3:22
  2. "Closest Thing to Heaven" (Solasso Dub) – 5:33

CD5: Gut/CDGUT66

  1. "Closest Thing to Heaven" (UK Radio Mix) – 3:22
  2. "Closest Thing to Heaven" (Brothers in Rhythm Group Therapy Mix) – 8:15
  3. "Closest Thing to Heaven" (Solasso Club Mix) – 5:49
  4. "Closest Thing to Heaven" (Brothers in Rhythm Group Therapy Dub) – 8:15
  5. "Closest Thing to Heaven" (Solasso Dub) – 5:33

Charts

Chart (2005)Peak
position
Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Flanders) [2] 14
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista) [3] 12
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40) [4] 38
Netherlands (Single Top 100) [5] 70
Scotland (OCC) [6] 40
UK Singles (OCC) [7] 40
UK Indie (OCC) [8] 8

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tears for Fears</span> English pop rock band

Tears for Fears are an English pop rock band formed in Bath in 1981 by Curt Smith and Roland Orzabal. Founded after the dissolution of their first band, the mod-influenced Graduate, Tears for Fears were associated with the new wave synthesizer bands of the 1980s, and attained international chart success as part of the Second British Invasion.

<i>Everybody Loves a Happy Ending</i> 2004 studio album by Tears for Fears

Everybody Loves a Happy Ending is the sixth studio album by English pop rock band Tears for Fears, released on 14 September 2004 in the United States and on 7 March 2005 in the United Kingdom and Europe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Je ne sais pas pourquoi</span> 1988 single by Kylie Minogue

"Je ne sais pas pourquoi" (English: "I Do Not Know Why"), also known as "I Still Love You (Je ne sais pas pourquoi)" in Australia and New Zealand, is a song by Australian recording artist and songwriter Kylie Minogue from her debut studio album Kylie (1988). Released as a single on 10 October 1988 by PWL, the song has subsequently appeared on most of Minogue's hits compilations including Greatest Hits (1992), Ultimate Kylie (2004) and, most recently, Step Back in Time: The Definitive Collection, released in 2019. Like most of Minogue's material between 1988 and 1992, it was written and produced by Stock Aitken Waterman.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tears on My Pillow</span> 1958 single by Little Anthony and the Imperials

"Tears on My Pillow" is a doo-wop song written by Sylvester Bradford and Al Lewis in 1958. The composition was first recorded by Little Anthony and the Imperials on End Records and was that group's debut recording under that name. Their original recording of the song became a Billboard top-10 hit, peaking at No. 4, No. 3 in Canada, and was the Imperials' first million-seller. It was also a two-sided hit, with its flip side, "Two People in the World," also becoming a major hit. Although it remains one of the Imperials' signature songs, "Tears on My Pillow" has been extensively covered, including a No. 1 in the UK Singles Chart version by Kylie Minogue in January 1990.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heaven (Bryan Adams song)</span> 1985 single by Bryan Adams

"Heaven" is a song by the Canadian singer and songwriter Bryan Adams recorded in 1983, written by Adams and Jim Vallance. It first appeared on the A Night in Heaven soundtrack album the same year and was later included on Adams' album Reckless in 1984. It was released as the third single from Reckless and reached number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in June 1985, over a year and a half after the song first appeared on record. The single was certified Gold in Canada in 1985.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Even Better Than the Real Thing</span> 1992 single by U2

"Even Better Than the Real Thing" is a song by Irish rock band U2, and is the second track on their seventh album, Achtung Baby (1992). It was released as the album's fourth single on 8 June 1992, and it reached number three in Ireland and Canada while becoming a top-ten hit in Austria, New Zealand, and Sweden. A remixed version of the song released the same year peaked at number eight in the United Kingdom and number 10 in Ireland. In 1997, readers of Mojo named the song the 71st-best track of the 1990s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Close to Me (The Cure song)</span> 1985 single by the Cure

"Close to Me" is a song by English rock band the Cure, released in September 1985 as the second and final single from their sixth album, The Head on the Door.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shout (Tears for Fears song)</span> 1984 single by Tears for Fears

"Shout" is a song by English pop rock band Tears for Fears, released as the second single from their second studio album, Songs from the Big Chair (1985), on 23 November 1984. Roland Orzabal is the lead singer on the track, and he described it as "a simple song about protest". The single became the group's fourth Top 5 hit in the UK Singles Chart, peaking at No. 4 in January 1985. In the US, it reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 on 3 August 1985 and remained there for three weeks; also topping the Cash Box chart. "Shout" became one of the most successful songs of 1985, eventually reaching No. 1 in multiple countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Out of Touch</span> 1984 single by Hall & Oates

"Out of Touch" is a song by American duo Daryl Hall & John Oates from their twelfth studio album Big Bam Boom (1984). The song was released as the lead single from Big Bam Boom on Thursday, October 4, 1984, by RCA Records. This song was their last Billboard Hot 100 number-one single, topping the chart for two weeks in December 1984. It also became the duo's fourteenth consecutive top 40 hit since 1980.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">He Was Really Sayin' Somethin'</span> 1964 song by The Velvelettes

"He Was Really Sayin' Somethin' is a soul song written by Motown songwriters Norman Whitfield, William "Mickey" Stevenson, and Edward Holland, Jr. in 1964. The song is notable in both a 1964 version by American Motown girl group the Velvelettes, and a 1982 hit version by British girl group Bananarama.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Burning Down the House</span> 1983 single by Talking Heads

"Burning Down the House" is a song by new wave band Talking Heads, released in July 1983 as the first single from their fifth studio album Speaking in Tongues.

<i>Circle of One</i> 1990 studio album by Oleta Adams

Circle of One is the third album by American vocalist, pianist, and songwriter Oleta Adams and was released in 1990. Circle of One was Adams' first album to receive wide distribution; her two earlier albums were self-financed and received only local distribution.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Change (Tears for Fears song)</span> 1983 single by Tears for Fears

"Change" is a song by the British band Tears for Fears. Written by Roland Orzabal and sung by bassist Curt Smith, it was the band's fourth single release. It would eventually become the second hit from their debut LP The Hurting (1983) and second UK Top 5 chart hit, following the success of "Mad World". The song also gave Tears for Fears their first charting single in the United States when it cracked the Billboard Hot 100 in August 1983. "Change" was also a big international success, reaching the Top 40 in numerous countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Ballad of Tom Jones</span> 1998 single by Space and Cerys Matthews

"The Ballad of Tom Jones" is a song by English band Space and Cerys Matthews, lead singer of Welsh band Catatonia. Lead singer Tommy Scott described Tom Jones as 'brilliant'. The song became a highly successful radio single, and resulted in Space performing with Jones in Jools Holland's' New Year's Eve television programme.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dreamer (Livin' Joy song)</span> 1994 single by Livin Joy

"Dreamer" is a song written and recorded by Janice Robinson and was produced by brothers Paolo and Gianni Visnadi for the Italian house group Livin' Joy. Originally released in August 1994, it was re-released in 1995 and topped the UK Singles Chart at the number one spot that May, ending 1995 as the UK's 40th-biggest-selling single of 1995. In the United States, it went to number-one on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart. It was a sleeper hit on pop radio, but finally managed to peak at number 72 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 75 on the Cash Box Top 100. MTV Dance ranked "Dreamer" number 15 in their list of "The 100 Biggest 90's Dance Anthems of All Time" in November 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Rhythm of the Night</span> 1993 song by Corona

"The Rhythm of the Night" is a song by Italian Eurodance group Corona. It was released as their debut single in 1993 in Italy, then elsewhere the following year. The song is the title track of the group's debut studio album, The Rhythm of the Night (1995), and was written by Francesco Bontempi, Annerley Emma Gordon, Giorgio Spagna, Pete Glenister and Mike Gaffey. It was produced by Bontempi, and the vocals were performed by Italian singer Giovanna Bersola, who is not credited on the single and does not appear in the music video. The woman who appears in the video is the group's frontwoman Olga Souza. The video was A-listed on Music TV-channels, such as Germany's VIVA. The song was a worldwide hit in 1994, peaking at number-one in Italy, and within the top five in most of Europe, while in the US, it fell short of the top ten, reaching number eleven on both the Billboard Hot 100 and the Cash Box Top 100.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sex Bomb</span> 2000 single by Tom Jones and Mousse T.

"Sex Bomb" is a song by Welsh singer Tom Jones. Performed in collaboration with German DJ and record producer Mousse T., the song was released in 1999 in several European countries; in January of the following year, it was issued across the rest of Europe except the United Kingdom, where it was not released until May 2000. Outside the UK, the track served as the second single from Jones' 34th album, Reload, while in the UK, it served as the fourth single.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Take Me Away (StoneBridge song)</span> 2005 single by StoneBridge

"Take Me Away" is a song by Swedish record producer StoneBridge featuring Swedish singer Therese, released as a single on 17 January 2005. "Take Me Away" peaked at number eight in Finland, number nine in the United Kingdom, number 21 in Ireland, and also charted in Australia, the Netherlands, and Sweden. In the United States, it peaked at number 12 on the Billboard Hot Dance Airplay chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Think About the Way</span> 1994 single by Ice MC

"Think About the Way" is a song by British-based rapper Ice MC, released in March 1994 as the second single from his third album, Ice'n'Green (1994), on which it appears in four versions, and his tenth single overall. It was produced by Roberto Zanetti, also known as Robyx, and was written by Zanetti and Ice MC, though many releases credit Zanetti as the sole writer. The female vocals were performed by Italian singer Alexia, though she was also uncredited. The song was very successful in Europe, reaching the top 5 in Belgium and Italy, and the top 15 in Denmark, France, Germany, Spain, Switzerland, Sweden and the Netherlands. In the UK and Ireland, it was released under the title "Think About the Way ", which it refers to the first words of the first verse. Its music video was directed by Giacomo de Simone.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cult of Snap</span> 1990 single by Snap!

"Cult of Snap" is a song recorded by German Eurodance group Snap!. It was released in September 1990 as the third single from their debut studio album, World Power (1990). The song reached No. 1 in Spain for four weeks and it also peaked at No. 2 in Austria and Zimbabwe. Snap! performed the song on the British TV show Top of the Pops.

References

  1. "New Releases: Singles". Music Week . 19 February 2005. p. 27.
  2. "Tears for Fears – Closest Thing to Heaven" (in Dutch). Ultratip. Retrieved 15 January 2019.
  3. "Tears for Fears: Closest Thing to Heaven" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat. Retrieved 15 January 2019.
  4. "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 16, 2005" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 15 January 2019.
  5. "Tears for Fears – Closest Thing to Heaven" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 15 January 2019.
  6. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 15 January 2019.
  7. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 15 January 2019.
  8. "Official Independent Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 15 January 2019.