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Song Info:"Quit Playing Games (With My Heart)" is the fourth single from the Backstreet Boys' international album. It was recorded in June 1995 in Stockholm, Sweden and released in 1996. It reached #1 in Switzerland and Austria, #2 on the UK Singles Chart, and #7 in the Netherlands. It was subsequently included on the band's debut US album, and was released as the first single in the summer of 1997. It reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, making it their most successful single on the chart.
The single was not the label's first choice as single from the US debut. They initially wanted to release the Mutt Lange-produced "If You Want It to Be Good Girl", but the band argued against it, claiming it to be one of their worst songs.[1] Jive president Barry Weiss claims that the serious contenders as first single also included "Anywhere for You" and "All I Have to Give".[1] The band wanted to redo the music video, but the label refused, arguing that they planned to market to radio, and not video. The song ultimately succeeded without MTV support.[1]
The original recording of the song features Brian Littrell singing both verses, with A. J. McLeanNick Carter had subsequently emerged as a popular member of the band, so before the song was released as a single, a year after it was recorded, Max Martin was flown to London in September 1996 to re-record the second verse with Nick at Battery Studios.[1] This version was later added to their 1996 debut album as a re-release and it was used for radio and the music video. It was also included on the re-release of the US album. singing the bridge. This version was featured on the early release of the their 1995 debut album and is featured on the 1997 debut US album.
All of the background vocals on the song, other than McLean's singing harmony with himself on the bridge, are those of Littrell and Kevin Richardson, who decided to finish up the song while the other members were having lunch.[1] The song was unexpectedly offered to the band while recording "We've Got It Goin' On" in June 1995 in Stockholm, Sweden. They accepted the offer when they completed that recording in only two days of their planned week-long session.[1]
There is also an Italian version of this song, titled "Non puoi lasciarmi così", sung by the Backstreet Boys for their fans in Italy. The lead vocals of the first two verses are sung by Kevin Richardson and Howie Dorough.
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Song Info:"One Heart" is a song by Céline Dion, released on June 16, 2003 as the second single outside North America from the album One Heart. In Canada, it was released as the third single after "Have You Ever Been in Love."
"One Heart" was written and produced by John Shanks and Kara DioGuardi.[1] Dion worked with them again in 2007 on her Taking Chances album.
The video for "One Heart" was directed by Antti Jokinen and released on May 30, 2003. It was included on the UK enhanced double A-side single "One Heart/I Drove All Night." The making of the video was shown on the A New Day... Live in Las Vegas bonus DVD, called One Year...One Heart. The video starred Melissa Smith as the girl kissing her boyfriend at the bar.
"One Heart" became a top 40 single in most European countries, including number 27 in the United Kingdom. In October 2008, it was included on the European version of My Love: Ultimate Essential Collection greatest hits.
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Song Info:The single reached Platinum on its 3rd week of release[1] in their homeland and by early 2001, "Upside Down" had sold over 120,000 copies in Sweden earning a 2x Platinum Certification[2]
"Upside Down" had a name change in the United States and Canada to "Bouncing Off The Ceiling (Upside Down)". The song reached number 93 on the Billboard Hot 100 while the physical single reached number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 Single Sales Chart.[3]
"Upside Down" became the band's biggest hit in the UK, selling 3,711 copies on its first day[4][5] peaking at number-ten by the end of the week. The song received 8/10 Stars on UK Yahoo Music Reviews
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Song Info:"Super Trouper", at first called "Blinka lilla stjärna" (the Swedish title of nursery rhyme "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star"), was a hit single for Swedish pop group ABBA, and was the title track from their 1980 studio album Super Trouper, written by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus. The song, with lead vocals by Anni-Frid Lyngstad, was the last to be written and recorded for this album. "Super Trouper" is included on the ABBA Gold: Greatest HitsMamma Mia! musical. compilation, as well as in the
The name "Super Trouper" referred to the gigantic spotlights used in stadium concerts and such. ABBA were not always fond of performing onstage, preferring the confines of the studio to being on tour. This is reflected in the lyrics, which, in typical ABBA style, are presented as happy and upbeat, yet tinged with a hint of sadness.
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Song Info:When the single came out in the spring of 1999, it became a smash hit in their home country, Sweden, where it peaked at number-one and stayed there for eight consecutive weeks earning a platinum certification.[8]
On the initial pressings of the single, the name of the band appeared as ABBA*Teens, but Universal Music thought it would be better to change the name of the band to A-Teens so the new pressings of the single were made.
The single hit Top Twenty in almost every European country, reaching number-three in Norway, number-nine in Switzerland & Netherlands, number-ten in Germany, number-twelve in the United Kingdom, number-fourteen in Austria and Finland, among others. A Spanish version of the song was recorded for promotion in Latin America and Spain.
Despite the worldwide success, the song failed to attract the Australian public, peaking at seventy-two on the ARIA Charts. The album flopped and the A-Teens stopped releasing singles/albums in that country until the 2002 single "Can't Help Falling in Love". "Mamma Mia" also peaked at thirteen in New Zealand, but due to the lack of success in Australia, the further singles were never released in that country either.
In the United States the single peaked at sixty-three on the Billboard Hot Single Sales Chart, becoming the band's first single to chart in the country.[9]
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Song Info:"La Isla Bonita" (English: The Beautiful Island) is a song by American singer-songwriterMadonna. It was released as the fifth and final single from her third studio album, True Blue, on February 25, 1987 by Sire Records. Originally written as a lament, the song was first offered to Michael Jackson before Madonna accepted it and re-wrote the lyrics with Patrick Leonard. "La Isla Bonita" is noted for being the first Madonna song to have a Spanish influence in it with arrangements of Cuban drums and Spanish guitar, maracas, harmonicas and a mix of synthesized and real drumming. The lyrics of the song tell about a Beautiful Island and was a tribute to the beauty of the Latin people according to Madonna.
"La Isla Bonita" achieved worldwide popularity, topping charts in countries such as Austria, Canada, France, Germany and Switzerland. It became Madonna's fourth number-one single in the United Kingdom, giving her a record for most number-one singles among female artists. In the United States, it reached number four on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. In the accompanying music video, Madonna portrayed two opposite characters – a pious girl and a passionate Latina. The Latin style and the flamenco red dress she wore became a trend later. The song is among one of the most performed live songs by Madonna, appearing in five of her world tours including 2008–09's Sticky & Sweet Tour. Madonna has regularly performed the song in its Spanish form, sometimes with tribal or folk songs and remixes to accompany it. The song has been covered by a number of artists including French pop singer Alizée for her album Psychédélices (2007).
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Song Info:A second release in Europe, Happy Nation U.S. Version, came on September 25, 1993, to coincide with the album's release in North America under the title name, The Sign. The Sign was released in North America on November 23, 1993 with four brand new tracks.
Several songs on the album, including "The Sign", "All That She Wants" and "Don't Turn Around", were No. 1 singles in the United States and all over Europe.
The Sign is listed among the Top 100 Bestselling Albums of All Time by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).[1]
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Song Info:"Don't Turn Around" is a popular song written by Diane Warren and Albert Hammond. It was originally recorded by Tina Turner as the B-side to the single "Typical Male" in 1986. Warren is said to have been disappointed that Turner's record company treated the song as a B-side and never included it on one of her albums. However it has since been included on the rarities disc of the 1994 compilation The Collected Recordings – Sixties to Nineties.
It has been covered by a number of artists. Kim Goody released a single version in 1987. Despite being featured in several episodes of her Saturday morning show No. 73, the song failed to get into the top 100 in the UK chart. Bonnie Tyler released her version on her 1988 album Notes from America, while soul singer Luther Ingram had a U.S. #55 R&B hit with his interpretation. Aswad heard Ingram's version and made a cover of it, taking the song to #1 on the UK singles chart in March 1988. This version also reached #45 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart that same year.
Loretta Chandler also sung this song on an episode of the 1980s TV show Fame.
In 1990, a little-known rock band called Eyes, which featured Jeff Scott Soto on lead vocals, covered the song on their self-titled album. It was released under the Curb Records label.
In 1992, Neil Diamond recorded a version of "Don't Turn Around", which made the Top 20 on the Adult Contemporary chart. Two years later, in 1994, Swedish pop group Ace of Base took a minor key version of the song to #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and to #5 in the UK.
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Song Info:"Beautiful Life" is a hit song by Swedish band Ace of Base, released in Autumn of 1995. In North America it was the first single released from the band's The Bridge; in Europe it followed "Lucky Love".
The song was written on January 1, 1994 by band member Jonas Berggren while he was in the Canary Islands. His earlier song "The Sign" had just hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 list. Berggren incorporated gospel elements into the song, and the single proved quite successful worldwide, reaching #15 on the Billboard Hot 100 and on the UK Singles Chart. It also hit #1 on the U.S. Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart.
J.D. Considine of Spin magazine said in a writeup about The Bridge that "the real genius of Ace of Base lies not with perky singing... but with the ability to make melancholy sound so damned appealing." The evaluation continues to narrow in scope as he continues to say "even the cheerfully titled 'Beautiful life' dampens its club-savvy stomp with a heartbreaking minor-key chorus."[1]
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Album Info:Cruel Summer was released on August 25, 1998 in Japan with two bonus tracks, and on September 1, 1998, in America. Sales were not as positive as the earlier release Flowers. The American version contained only remixes of several of the original songs, and one new track ("Everytime it Rains"); it is generally considered inferior to the original European release. People did not seem interested in buying Americanized versions of songs by a Swedish band, and the resulting album sold a mere 122,000 copies. Subsequent Ace of Base albums have not been released in the United States.
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Song Info:"I'm Alive" is the second hit single from Céline Dion's album A New Day Has Come, released on August 12, 2002.
The song was written and produced by Kristian Lundin and Andreas Carlsson, who already worked with Céline Dion in 1999 on "That's the Way It Is."[1] "I'm Alive" was also featured in the Stuart Little 2 movie.[2]
The music video was directed by Dave Meyers between May 24–25, 2002 and premiered in June 2002. There were two versions made: with or without the Stuart Little 2 movie scenes.
"I'm Alive" became a worldwide hit, hitting top 10 in many countries. It was certified platinum in Belgium (50,000) and gold in France (250,000).
The track was remixed by Joe Bermudez, Johnny Rocks and Ric Wake. The latter used a sample of Blondie's 1979 hit "Heart of Glass."
Dion performed "I'm Alive" five nights a week during her show A New Day... at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas. It was released on the A New Day... Live in Las Vegas CD in 2004 and Live in Las Vegas - A New Day... DVD in 2007.
The song became a part of the Taking Chances Tour set list and was performed by Dion in a new remix version.
Although in October 2008 album version of "I'm Alive" was included on My Love: Essential Collection, the new remix by Laurent Wolf was released to promote it in France.[3] Later, in January 2009 another promotional remixes were made by Maurice Joshua for the U.S. clubs. They entered the Hot Dance Club Play chart the next month at number 48 and peaked at number 35.[4]
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Song Info:The album's title track was released as the first single from the album and became very successful worldwide, peaking at #1 in New Zealand and #4 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Airplay chart.
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Song Info:"I Hate This Part" has been well-received by the critics praising the melodramatic sound. The song managed to reach number one in Romania and top five in Canada, Belgium and France. It peaked at number nine in Ireland, New Zealand and Switzerland, while it went top twenty in Australia, Denmark, Finland, United Kingdom and United States. The music video of the song was filmed in a desert were it shows the Dolls in various locations were they could express emotionally.
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