Don't You Want Me
Encyclopedia
"Don't You Want Me" is a single by British synthpop
group Human League, released from their album: Dare
on 27 November 1981.
It is the band's best known and most commercially successful recording to date, and was the Christmas number one in the UK, in 1981, where it sold over 1,400,000 copies, making it the 25th most successful single in UK Singles Chart
history. it later topped the Billboard Hot 100
in the US on July 3, 1982 where it stayed for three weeks.
The title is frequently misprinted by the media and by covering artists; the correct song title is "Don't You Want Me"; not "Don't You Want Me Baby", which is the chorus.
read a story in a "trashy US tabloid". Originally conceived and recorded in the studio as a male solo, Oakey was inspired by the film A Star Is Born
and decided to turn the song into a conflicting duet with one of the band’s two teenage female vocalists. Susan Ann Sulley was then asked to take on the role. Up until then, she and the other female vocalist Joanne Catherall
had only been assigned backing vocals; Sulley says she was chosen only through "luck of the draw". Musicians Jo Callis
and Philip Adrian Wright created a synthesizer score to accompany the lyrics which was much harsher than the version that was actually released. Initial versions of the song were recorded but Virgin Records
-appointed producer Martin Rushent
was unhappy with them. He and Callis remixed the track, giving it a softer, and in Oakey's opinion, "poppy" sound. Oakey hated the new version and thought it the weakest track on Dare, resulting in one of his infamous rows with Rushent. Oakey disliked it so much that it was relegated to the last track on the B side of the (then) vinyl album.
Before the release of Dare, two of its tracks—"The Sound of the Crowd
" and "Love Action (I Believe in Love)
"—had already been released as successful singles. To promote the new album, Virgin released "Open Your Heart
" in October 1981, which hit #6 in the UK Singles Chart
. With a hit album and three hit singles in a row, Virgin's Chief Exectutive Simon Draper decided to release one more single from the album before the end of 1981. His choice, "Don't You Want Me", instantly caused a row with Oakey who did not want another single to be released because he was convinced that "the public were now sick of hearing The Human League" and the choice of the "poor quality filler track" would almost certainly be a disaster, wrecking the group's new found popularity. Virgin were adamant that a fourth single would be released and Oakey finally agreed on the condition that a large colour poster accompany the 7" single, because he felt fans would "feel ripped off" by the 'substandard' single alone.
"Don't You Want Me" was released in the UK on 27 November 1981. To the amazement of the band (and especially Oakey), it shot to number one on the UK charts. This success was repeated six months later in the U.S., with "Don't You Want Me" hitting #1 on the Billboard Hot 100
for three weeks. Billboard magazine ranked it as the sixth-biggest hit of 1982. The single was certified Gold by the RIAA the same year for sales of a million copies.
The Human League often added cryptic references to their productions and the record sleeve of “Don’t You Want Me” featured the suffix of “100”. This was a reference to The 100 Club, a restaurant/bar in Sheffield
.
Today, the song is widely considered a classic of its era. Oakey still describes it as overrated, but acknowledges his initial dismissal was misguided and claims pride in the track.
An urban myth has grown around the song that it is autobiographical, this is untrue. Susan Ann Sulley is often irritated that she constantly has to refute the mistaken belief that the song is a reference to her and Joanne Catherall joining the band. At only 17 years old when the song was recorded, she was legally too young by UK law to have been a cocktail waitress
and was, in fact, still in Secondary School. Oakey is also at pains to point out another misconception, that it is not a love song, but "a nasty song about sexual power politics" .
The song was remixed and re-released in 1995, peaking at #16 on the UK chart.
In 1981 record company Virgin were becoming aware that promotional music video was evolving into an important marketing tool, with MTV
being launched that year. Because it was agreed that the video for Open Your Heart
had looked "cheap and nasty", Virgin commissioned a much more elaborate and expensive promotional video for "Don't You Want Me".
The video for the song was filmed in Slough
during November 1981 and has the theme of the filming and editing of a murder-mystery film, featuring the band members as characters and production staff. Due to it being a "making of" video, both crew and camera apparatus appear throughout. It was conceived and directed by filmmaker Steve Barron
, and has at its core the interaction between a successful actress (also a 2nd negative cutter) played by Susan Ann Sulley walking out on 'film director' Philip Oakey
on a film set. It is loosely based on the film A Star Is Born. Near the end of the video, Wright, who also plays a film editor, has an expression on his face, while the camera pulls back to reveal that the negative room where Oakey, Wright, and Sulley were working in is another set (the camera can be seen in the mirror's reflection).
Filmed on a cold, wet, winter night, it was shot on 35mm film instead of the cheaper video tape prevalent at the time. Susan Sulley states now that Steve Baron was heavily influenced by the cinematography of the video for the Ultravox
single "Vienna". Steve Baron was also influenced by François Truffaut
and his film Day for Night
; and because of that the clapper board seen in the video bears the inscription "Le League Humaine" as a tribute to Truffaut.
The video is credited for making Oakey, Sulley and Catherall visual icons of the early 1980s; but became controversial later for a scene where Jo Callis shoots Catherall (and later in the video repeated with Oakey shooting Sulley) with a pistol from a car window (a Saab 99
turbo). The scene is edited out of the DVD version and usually on music television. The other car that was used in the video is a gold W-Reg Rover SD1
- an iconic car of the time.
The video was released in December 1981, just as the music video culture was becoming a standard in music, and it was a major contribution to the song's commercial success.
covered this song. The song was released after her album Mandy
(1988). It was also Smith's final single. This song has a B-side, "If It Makes You Feel Good", which appeared on Smith's debut album.
7" Single
12" Single
song performed by Swedish band Alcazar
and released internationally in 2002. The song was included to the European version of "Casino
" together with a few other, and was recorded in Stockholm
at first, but when they wanted it for a new pan-European single, a whole new version was made.
The single was released in Australia as a follow up to the megahit single "Crying at the Discoteque" and the release includes the "Ivan's X Mix" of CATD as a bonus. The white 12 inch was released in Europe and distributed to DJs to get maximum airplay at the disco arenas.
So far Don't You Want Me is the biggest hit for the group in United States, climbing # 30 in the Billboard Hot-100 Singles staying in the charts for respective 15 Weeks. It Also became huge favourite in the Clubs and US Radio Stations.
The Human League
themselves have said that they like this version, as it is fairly true to the original; and Alcazar still performs this track at their live shows around the world.
The song is playable on the Karaoke Revolution
games.
, and once again Jesper Ganslandt directed it all. As always in Alcazar videos the storyline takes place in "Alcazar world" – and this time it all took place in "Circus Alcazar". The video is filled with horses, ducks, an evil parrot, acrobats and the Alcazar ballet.
The whole video shoot took almost 23 hours, and actually includes Annikafiore's boyfriend juggling with fire in the background The Alcazar dog Selma was styled in a pink ballerina dress and waited the whole day for the filming of her scene where she would perform jumps in the circus arena.
Synthpop
Synthpop is a genre of popular music that first became prominent in the 1980s, in which the synthesizer is the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s by the use of synthesizers in progressive rock, electronic art rock, disco and particularly the "Kraut rock" of...
group Human League, released from their album: Dare
Dare (album)
Dare is the third studio album from British synthpop band The Human League.The album was recorded between March and September 1981 and first released in the UK on 20 October 1981, then subsequently in the U.S...
on 27 November 1981.
It is the band's best known and most commercially successful recording to date, and was the Christmas number one in the UK, in 1981, where it sold over 1,400,000 copies, making it the 25th most successful single in UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
history. it later topped the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
in the US on July 3, 1982 where it stayed for three weeks.
The title is frequently misprinted by the media and by covering artists; the correct song title is "Don't You Want Me"; not "Don't You Want Me Baby", which is the chorus.
Background
The lyrics were originally inspired after lead singer Philip OakeyPhilip Oakey
Philip Oakey is an English composer, singer, songwriter and producer.He is best known as the lead singer, frontman and co-founder of the famous English synthpop band The Human League. He has also had an extensive solo music career and collaborated with numerous other artists and producers...
read a story in a "trashy US tabloid". Originally conceived and recorded in the studio as a male solo, Oakey was inspired by the film A Star Is Born
A Star Is Born (1976 film)
A Star Is Born is a 1976 American rock music musical film telling the story of a young woman, played by Barbra Streisand who enters show business, and meets and falls in love with an established male star, played by Kris Kristofferson, only to find her career ascending while his goes into decline...
and decided to turn the song into a conflicting duet with one of the band’s two teenage female vocalists. Susan Ann Sulley was then asked to take on the role. Up until then, she and the other female vocalist Joanne Catherall
Joanne Catherall
Joanne Catherall is an English singer; best known as one of the two female vocalists of the veteran English synthpop band The Human League.Born and raised in Sheffield, England...
had only been assigned backing vocals; Sulley says she was chosen only through "luck of the draw". Musicians Jo Callis
Jo Callis
Jo Callis is an English musician and songwriter who played guitar with the Edinburgh based punk rock band, The Rezillos , and post-punk band Boots For Dancing before joining The Human League.-Biography:Callis was educated at the Edinburgh College of Art...
and Philip Adrian Wright created a synthesizer score to accompany the lyrics which was much harsher than the version that was actually released. Initial versions of the song were recorded but Virgin Records
Virgin Records
Virgin Records is a British record label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, Simon Draper, and Nik Powell in 1972. The company grew to be a worldwide music phenomenon, with platinum performers such as Roy Orbison, Devo, Genesis, Keith Richards, Janet Jackson, Culture Club, Lenny...
-appointed producer Martin Rushent
Martin Rushent
Martin Rushent was an English record producer, best known for his work with The Human League, The Stranglers and The Buzzcocks.- Early life :Rushent was born on 11 July 1948 in Enfield, Middlesex. His father was a car salesman...
was unhappy with them. He and Callis remixed the track, giving it a softer, and in Oakey's opinion, "poppy" sound. Oakey hated the new version and thought it the weakest track on Dare, resulting in one of his infamous rows with Rushent. Oakey disliked it so much that it was relegated to the last track on the B side of the (then) vinyl album.
Before the release of Dare, two of its tracks—"The Sound of the Crowd
The Sound of the Crowd
"The Sound Of The Crowd" is a song by the British synthpop group The Human League. It became the band's commercial breakthrough, reaching #12 on the UK singles chart in May 1981....
" and "Love Action (I Believe in Love)
Love Action (I Believe in Love)
"Love Action " is a song by the British synthpop group The Human League, released as a single in the UK in July 1981. It peaked at number three in the UK Singles Chart, the band's first Top 10 success....
"—had already been released as successful singles. To promote the new album, Virgin released "Open Your Heart
Open Your Heart (Human League song)
"Open Your Heart" is a song by the British synthpop group The Human League. It was released as a single in the UK in October 1981 and peaked at number six in the UK Singles Chart. It was written jointly by lead singer Philip Oakey and keyboard player Jo Callis...
" in October 1981, which hit #6 in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
. With a hit album and three hit singles in a row, Virgin's Chief Exectutive Simon Draper decided to release one more single from the album before the end of 1981. His choice, "Don't You Want Me", instantly caused a row with Oakey who did not want another single to be released because he was convinced that "the public were now sick of hearing The Human League" and the choice of the "poor quality filler track" would almost certainly be a disaster, wrecking the group's new found popularity. Virgin were adamant that a fourth single would be released and Oakey finally agreed on the condition that a large colour poster accompany the 7" single, because he felt fans would "feel ripped off" by the 'substandard' single alone.
"Don't You Want Me" was released in the UK on 27 November 1981. To the amazement of the band (and especially Oakey), it shot to number one on the UK charts. This success was repeated six months later in the U.S., with "Don't You Want Me" hitting #1 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
for three weeks. Billboard magazine ranked it as the sixth-biggest hit of 1982. The single was certified Gold by the RIAA the same year for sales of a million copies.
The Human League often added cryptic references to their productions and the record sleeve of “Don’t You Want Me” featured the suffix of “100”. This was a reference to The 100 Club, a restaurant/bar in Sheffield
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
.
Today, the song is widely considered a classic of its era. Oakey still describes it as overrated, but acknowledges his initial dismissal was misguided and claims pride in the track.
An urban myth has grown around the song that it is autobiographical, this is untrue. Susan Ann Sulley is often irritated that she constantly has to refute the mistaken belief that the song is a reference to her and Joanne Catherall joining the band. At only 17 years old when the song was recorded, she was legally too young by UK law to have been a cocktail waitress
Cocktail waitress
A cocktail waitress is a type of server who specializes in bringing drinks to patrons of bars, casinos, comedy clubs, live music venues and other drinking establishments and often wears revealing clothing in order to get more tips...
and was, in fact, still in Secondary School. Oakey is also at pains to point out another misconception, that it is not a love song, but "a nasty song about sexual power politics" .
The song was remixed and re-released in 1995, peaking at #16 on the UK chart.
Music video
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
being launched that year. Because it was agreed that the video for Open Your Heart
Open Your Heart (Human League song)
"Open Your Heart" is a song by the British synthpop group The Human League. It was released as a single in the UK in October 1981 and peaked at number six in the UK Singles Chart. It was written jointly by lead singer Philip Oakey and keyboard player Jo Callis...
had looked "cheap and nasty", Virgin commissioned a much more elaborate and expensive promotional video for "Don't You Want Me".
The video for the song was filmed in Slough
Slough
Slough is a borough and unitary authority within the ceremonial county of Royal Berkshire, England. The town straddles the A4 Bath Road and the Great Western Main Line, west of central London...
during November 1981 and has the theme of the filming and editing of a murder-mystery film, featuring the band members as characters and production staff. Due to it being a "making of" video, both crew and camera apparatus appear throughout. It was conceived and directed by filmmaker Steve Barron
Steve Barron
Steven "Steve" Barron is a director and producer, best known for directing the films Coneheads , Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and the innovative music videos for a-ha's "Take on Me" and Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean"....
, and has at its core the interaction between a successful actress (also a 2nd negative cutter) played by Susan Ann Sulley walking out on 'film director' Philip Oakey
Philip Oakey
Philip Oakey is an English composer, singer, songwriter and producer.He is best known as the lead singer, frontman and co-founder of the famous English synthpop band The Human League. He has also had an extensive solo music career and collaborated with numerous other artists and producers...
on a film set. It is loosely based on the film A Star Is Born. Near the end of the video, Wright, who also plays a film editor, has an expression on his face, while the camera pulls back to reveal that the negative room where Oakey, Wright, and Sulley were working in is another set (the camera can be seen in the mirror's reflection).
Filmed on a cold, wet, winter night, it was shot on 35mm film instead of the cheaper video tape prevalent at the time. Susan Sulley states now that Steve Baron was heavily influenced by the cinematography of the video for the Ultravox
Ultravox
Ultravox is a British New Wave rock band. They were one of the primary exponents of the British electronic pop music movement of the late 1970s/early 1980s. The band was particularly associated with the New Romantic and New Wave movements....
single "Vienna". Steve Baron was also influenced by François Truffaut
François Truffaut
François Roland Truffaut was an influential film critic and filmmaker and one of the founders of the French New Wave. In a film career lasting over a quarter of a century, he remains an icon of the French film industry. He was also a screenwriter, producer, and actor working on over twenty-five...
and his film Day for Night
Day for Night (film)
La Nuit Américaine is a 1973 French film directed by François Truffaut. It stars Jacqueline Bisset and Jean-Pierre Léaud. In French, nuit américaine is a technical process whereby sequences filmed outdoors in daylight are underexposed to appear as if they are taking place at night...
; and because of that the clapper board seen in the video bears the inscription "Le League Humaine" as a tribute to Truffaut.
The video is credited for making Oakey, Sulley and Catherall visual icons of the early 1980s; but became controversial later for a scene where Jo Callis shoots Catherall (and later in the video repeated with Oakey shooting Sulley) with a pistol from a car window (a Saab 99
Saab 99
- Development :On April 2, 1965, Gudmund's day in Sweden, after several years of planning, the Saab board started Project Gudmund. This was a project to develop a new and larger car to take the manufacturer beyond the market for the smaller Saab 96...
turbo). The scene is edited out of the DVD version and usually on music television. The other car that was used in the video is a gold W-Reg Rover SD1
Rover SD1
Rover SD1 is both the code name and eventual production name given to a series of large executive cars made by British Leyland or BL through its Specialist, Rover Triumph and Austin Rover divisions from 1976 until 1986....
- an iconic car of the time.
The video was released in December 1981, just as the music video culture was becoming a standard in music, and it was a major contribution to the song's commercial success.
Original release
| Chart (1981/2) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Belgian Singles Chart | 1 |
| Canadian Singles Chart | 1 |
| Dutch Singles Chart | 6 |
| French Singles Chart | 13 |
| German Singles Chart | 5 |
| Irish Singles Chart | 1 |
| Italian Singles Chart | 15 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart | 1 |
| Norwegian Singles Chart | 1 |
| South African Singles Chart | 2 |
| Swedish Singles Chart | 3 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 4 |
| UK Singles Chart | 1 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 1 |
| U.S. Billboard Dance/Club Play Songs Chart | 3 |
| U.S. Billboard Mainstream Rock Chart | 4 |
1995 Re-issue
| Chart (1995) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Japanese Singles Chart (Tokyo) | 100 |
| UK Singles Chart | 16 |
Use in commercials
Up until 2001, The Human League as a matter of principle, did not permit the use of their music in commercials. However Virgin Records own the rights to the material recorded when the band were signed to them 1978–1990, and the lack of consent from the band has not been enough to prevent the use of re-recorded versions of this song in commercials.- The first such use was a 2001 parody version by FiatFiatFIAT, an acronym for Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino , is an Italian automobile manufacturer, engine manufacturer, financial, and industrial group based in Turin in the Italian region of Piedmont. Fiat was founded in 1899 by a group of investors including Giovanni Agnelli...
in a TV Commercial for their female friendly PuntoFiat PuntoThe Fiat Punto is a supermini produced by the Italian manufacturer, Fiat, since 1993.-1st generation :Internally codenamed Project 176, the Punto was announced in September 1993 and launched in late 1993 as a replacement for the ageing Fiat Uno. The Fiat Punto was voted European Car of the Year...
car. Oakey, Sulley and Catherall fought a bitter legal battle to prevent the song's use, but ultimately lost the case to Virgin who own the song's rights. This became another source of acrimony between the band and the label, who sacked them in 1992. Susan Sulley speaking in 2001 stated that the worst aspect of the whole affair was "now even if we wanted to use the song for a more worthy company, we can't because it will always be associated with a particular brand". Philip Oakey is more resigned about the matter, and stated that "You can't be too precious about a song you did 20 years ago". The band receives no royalties if the song is re-recorded by a third party.
- In 2007 the song was used in a Super BowlSuper BowlThe Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
commercial for cookie brand Chips Ahoy!Chips Ahoy!Chips Ahoy! is a brand of chocolate chip cookies made by Nabisco, that debuted in 1963. They are widely sold in the United States, Latin America , South Africa, Canada, Mexico, Spain, Portugal and Australia...
Again the band did not give their consent for the use of the song, but this time for financial reasons did not fight Virgin over its use.
- In 2009, Procter & GambleProcter & GambleProcter & Gamble is a Fortune 500 American multinational corporation headquartered in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio and manufactures a wide range of consumer goods....
used the song in a few of their U.S. and Canadian commercials for their SwifferSwifferSwiffer is a line of cleaning products by Procter and Gamble. Introduced in 1999, the brand uses the "razor-and-blades business model"; in this case, the consumer purchases the handle assembly at a low price, but must continue to purchase replacement refills and pads over the life of the product...
range of cleaning products.
- The song has also been used to promote the Cascadia Showerhead by Waterpik.
Use in films
- In the movie Ocean's ThirteenOcean's ThirteenOcean's Thirteen is a 2007 crime comedy film directed by Steven Soderbergh and starring an ensemble cast. It is the third and final film in the Soderbergh series following the 2004 sequel Ocean's Twelve and the 2001 film Ocean's Eleven, which itself was a remake of the 1960 Rat Pack film Ocean's 11...
(2007), the song was featured as a ringtone for Rusty's cell phone (Brad PittBrad PittWilliam Bradley "Brad" Pitt is an American actor and film producer. Pitt has received two Academy Award nominations and four Golden Globe Award nominations, winning one...
's character). - The song is used in the movie He's Just Not That into YouHe's Just Not That into You (film)He's Just Not That Into You is a 2009 American romantic comedy film directed by Ken Kwapis, based on the self-help book of the same name by Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo, which in turn was inspired by a line of dialogue in Sex and the City...
(2009). - The song is used in the movie 1981.
- John C. Reilly's character in CyrusCyrus (film)Cyrus is a 2010 comedy-drama film written and directed by brothers Jay and Mark Duplass and starring John C. Reilly, Jonah Hill, Marisa Tomei, and Catherine Keener.-Plot:...
(2010) proclaimed this to be "The Greatest Song Ever Recorded".
Use in television
- In the 2008 BBCBBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
drama Ashes to AshesAshes to Ashes (TV series)Ashes to Ashes is a British science fiction and police procedural drama television series, serving as the sequel to Life on Mars.The series began airing on BBC One in February 2008. A second series began broadcasting in April 2009...
(set in 1981), the song is featured as one of the principal soundtrack songs. Later Keeley Hawes'sKeeley HawesKeeley Hawes is an English actress and model, known for many television roles. She is best known for her roles as Zoe Reynolds in Spooks and Alex Drake in Ashes to Ashes and Lady Agnes in the remake of Upstairs, Downstairs...
character Alex DrakeAlex DrakeDI Alexandra "Alex" Drake is a fictional character in BBC One's science fiction/police procedural drama, Ashes to Ashes. The character is portrayed by Keeley Hawes and as a child by Lucy Cole.-Character history:...
uses Susan Sulley's line "I was working as a waitress in a cocktail bar" in the dialogue; included by the script writers as a tribute to Susan Sulley and The Human League. - In the Mighty Boosh episode "Electro" Vince plays the song to Howard, stating that the Human League "invented music" and everything before had just been tuning up.
- In the US TV series Will & GraceWill & GraceWill & Grace was an American television sitcom that was originally broadcast on NBC from September 21, 1998 to May 18, 2006 for a total of eight seasons. Will & Grace remains the most successful television series with gay principal characters...
episode "Marry Me a Little, Marry Me a Little More" just before GraceGrace AdlerGrace Elizabeth Adler-Markus is a fictional character on the American sitcom Will & Grace, portrayed by Debra Messing. She is a Jewish interior designer , living in New York City with her gay best friend Will Truman...
gets married, she and WillWill TrumanWilliam Pierce "Will" Truman is a fictional character on the American sitcom Will & Grace, portrayed by Eric McCormack. He is a gay lawyer who lives in the Upper West Side of New York City with his best friend, Grace Adler.-Fictional character history:...
(he alludes earlier in the episode to being a Human League fan), sing part of the first verse on a rooftop. - In an episode of GleeGlee (TV series)Glee is an American musical comedy-drama television series that airs on Fox in the United States, and on GlobalTV in Canada. It focuses on the high school glee club New Directions competing on the show choir competition circuit, while its members deal with relationships, sexuality and social issues...
, "Blame It On the Alcohol," the song is featured as a duet between Rachel (Lea MicheleLea MicheleLea Michele Sarfati , known professionally as Lea Michele, is an American actress and singer. Michele began working professionally as a child actress on Broadway in productions such as Ragtime and Les Misérables. She originated the role of Wendla in the musical Spring Awakening and currently plays...
) and BlaineBlaine AndersonBlaine Anderson is a fictional character from the American musical comedy-drama television series Glee. Played by Darren Criss, Blaine was introduced in the sixth episode of the second season as the openly gay lead singer of the Dalton Academy Warblers, a rival show choir to New Directions, the...
(Darren CrissDarren CrissDarren Everett Criss is an American actor, singer-songwriter, musician, composer, and a founding member and co-owner of the theater company StarKid Productions. He currently portrays Blaine Anderson, an openly gay high school student, on the FOX television series Glee...
). - In The Glee ProjectThe Glee ProjectThe Glee Project is an American reality television series from Oxygen. It serves as an audition for the FOX TV series Glee. Although originally planned to begin broadcasting in late May 2011, The Glee Project premiered on June 12, 2011...
, is the contestants Samuel and Marissa's 5th music video.
12" version
- "Don't You Want Me" – 3:57
- "Seconds" – 4:59
- "Don't You Want Me (Extended Dance Mix)" – 7:30
Mandy Smith version
In 1989 Mandy SmithMandy Smith
Mandy Smith is an English dance-pop singer, former model and aspiring counsellor.-Early life:In 1983, at age 13 she started dating 47-year-old The Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman, with the consent of her mother...
covered this song. The song was released after her album Mandy
Mandy (album)
Mandy is the debut studio album by Mandy Smith. It was released by PWL in 1988, re-issued in 1993 in Japan and re-mastered and re-issued in 2009...
(1988). It was also Smith's final single. This song has a B-side, "If It Makes You Feel Good", which appeared on Smith's debut album.
Formats and track listings
CD Single- "Don't You Want Me Baby"
- "If It Makes You Feel Good"
- "Don't You Want Me Baby" (Cocktail Mix)
- "If It Makes You Feel Good" (Extended Version)
7" Single
- "Don't You Want Me Baby"
- "If It Makes You Feel Good"
12" Single
- "Don't You Want Me Baby" (Cocktail Mix)
- "If It Makes You Feel Good" (Extended Version)
Charts
| Chart (1989) | Peak Position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles Charts | 59 |
| ITA Singles Charts | 11 |
| Swedish Tracks Charts | 16 |
Alcazar version
Don't You Want Me is a eurodanceEurodance
Eurodance is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in the late 1980s or early 1990s primarily in Europe. It combines many elements from House, Techno, Hi-NRG and especially Italo-Disco...
song performed by Swedish band Alcazar
Alcazar (band)
Alcazar is a Swedish eurodance group which has established themselves as one of Sweden's most successful music groups with a string of hits since their debut single in 1999. Worldwide, Alcazar sold over 12 million records between 2001 and 2004...
and released internationally in 2002. The song was included to the European version of "Casino
Casino (Alcazar album)
- External links :* * * - Chart performance :...
" together with a few other, and was recorded in Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
at first, but when they wanted it for a new pan-European single, a whole new version was made.
The single was released in Australia as a follow up to the megahit single "Crying at the Discoteque" and the release includes the "Ivan's X Mix" of CATD as a bonus. The white 12 inch was released in Europe and distributed to DJs to get maximum airplay at the disco arenas.
So far Don't You Want Me is the biggest hit for the group in United States, climbing # 30 in the Billboard Hot-100 Singles staying in the charts for respective 15 Weeks. It Also became huge favourite in the Clubs and US Radio Stations.
The Human League
The Human League
The Human League are an English electronic New Wave band formed in Sheffield in 1977. They achieved popularity after a key change in line-up in the early 1980s and have continued recording and performing with moderate commercial success throughout the 1980s up to the present day.The only constant...
themselves have said that they like this version, as it is fairly true to the original; and Alcazar still performs this track at their live shows around the world.
The song is playable on the Karaoke Revolution
Karaoke Revolution
Karaoke Revolution and its many sequels are video games for the PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Nintendo GameCube, Wii, Xbox, and Xbox 360, developed by Harmonix Music Systems and Blitz Games and published by Konami in its Bemani line of music games. The Original Concept for Karaoke Revolution was...
games.
Music video
The video was filmed at Filmhuset in StockholmStockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
, and once again Jesper Ganslandt directed it all. As always in Alcazar videos the storyline takes place in "Alcazar world" – and this time it all took place in "Circus Alcazar". The video is filled with horses, ducks, an evil parrot, acrobats and the Alcazar ballet.
The whole video shoot took almost 23 hours, and actually includes Annikafiore's boyfriend juggling with fire in the background The Alcazar dog Selma was styled in a pink ballerina dress and waited the whole day for the filming of her scene where she would perform jumps in the circus arena.
Formats and track listings
These are the formats and track listings of promotional single releases of "Don't You Want Me".CD single
- "Almighty Radio Edit" – 3:27
- "Almighty Club Mix" – 7:25
- "Project Eden Remix" – 7:34
- "Earth Club Anthem" – 10:24
- "Wild Cowboys Radio Mix" – 3:38
Chart performance
| Chart (2002) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian ARIA Singles Chart ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
37 |
| Belgian Singles Chart Ultratop 50 Ultratop 50 singles, often just Ultratop 50, is the weekly chart of fifty best-selling singles in Flanders, Belgium, and is produced and published by the Ultratop organization. The chart has existed since March 31, 1995... (Flanders) |
21 |
| Dutch Singles Chart | 83 |
| Finnish Singles Chart Mitä hittiä The Official Finnish Charts is a national record chart in Finland composed by Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland.The singles chart was started in January 1991 as Radiomafian lista and was broadcast on the radio station Radiomafia of the Finnish Broadcasting Company, YLE. This chart is based on a... |
18 |
| Swedish Singles Chart Sverigetopplistan Sverigetopplistan, earlier known as Topplistan and Hitlistan and other names, is since October 2007 the Swedish national record chart, based on sales data from Swedish Recording Industry Association .... |
30 |
| Swiss Singles Chart Swiss Music Charts The Swiss Music Charts are Switzerland's main music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland.The Swiss Charts include:* Singles Top 75... |
76 |
| Hot Dance Club Play Hot Dance Club Play The Hot Dance Club Songs chart is a weekly national survey of the songs that are most popular in U.S. dance clubs... |
30 |
| Japan | 3 |
Other versions
- A cover of the song was the last successful single by LiverpoolLiverpoolLiverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
-based pop group The FarmThe Farm (band)The Farm were a British band from Liverpool, popular through the early 1990s. Their album Spartacus reached the top position on the UK Albums Chart when it was released in March, 1991.-History:They formed in early 1983....
, reaching #18 in the UK Singles Chart in late 1992. It was originally recorded for the NME charity album Ruby Trax. - Stephin MerrittStephin MerrittStephin Merritt is an American singer-songwriter based in Los Angeles , best known as the principal singer and songwriter in the band The Magnetic Fields...
project Future Bible HeroesFuture Bible HeroesFuture Bible Heroes is one of several musical groups led by Stephin Merritt, best known for his work with The Magnetic Fields. He shares vocal duties with Claudia Gonson, who sings on the entirety of 2002's Eternal Youth...
recorded a cover of "Don't You Want Me" which is featured on Reproductions: Songs Of The Human LeagueReproductions: Songs Of The Human LeagueReproductions is a studio album of cover versions of songs by The Human League by various artists. It was released in 2001 as a tribute to The Human League.-Track listing:# Stephin Merritt - "Get Carter" 00:29...
. - ElectronicaElectronicaElectronica includes a wide range of contemporary electronic music designed for a wide range of uses, including foreground listening, some forms of dancing, and background music for other activities; however, unlike electronic dance music, it is not specifically made for dancing...
band Hyper CrushHyper CrushHyper Crush is a band from Los Angeles, California. It consists of a rapper, Donny Fontaine, a vocalist, Holly Valentine, and a DJ/keytarist, Preston Moronie.-Early career :Hyper Crush began with Fontaine and Moronie...
recorded a cover version of the song for their Mixtape Volume 2 CD. - A cover of the song was performed as a duet on the hit show GleeGlee (TV series)Glee is an American musical comedy-drama television series that airs on Fox in the United States, and on GlobalTV in Canada. It focuses on the high school glee club New Directions competing on the show choir competition circuit, while its members deal with relationships, sexuality and social issues...
by actor/singers Lea MicheleLea MicheleLea Michele Sarfati , known professionally as Lea Michele, is an American actress and singer. Michele began working professionally as a child actress on Broadway in productions such as Ragtime and Les Misérables. She originated the role of Wendla in the musical Spring Awakening and currently plays...
and Darren CrissDarren CrissDarren Everett Criss is an American actor, singer-songwriter, musician, composer, and a founding member and co-owner of the theater company StarKid Productions. He currently portrays Blaine Anderson, an openly gay high school student, on the FOX television series Glee...
in season 2, episode 14 named "Blame It On The Alcohol". - A cover of the song was recorded by Atomic TomAtomic TomAtomic Tom is a rock band from Brooklyn, New York, consisting of Luke White , Eric Espiritu , Philip Galitzine , and Tobias Smith .-History:...
for the soundtrack of the 2011 Michael DowseMichael DowseMichael Dowse is a Canadian film director.Born and raised in London, Ontario, he was trained as a film editor. His first full-length movie, FUBAR was shot on a digital camera with a tiny budget, but was selected by the Sundance Film Festival and screened on the prestigious midnight slot, which had...
film Take Me Home Tonight. The music video featured members of the film's cast. - A cover of the song was composed by the Electronic artist Leæther StripLeæther StripLeæther Strip is a Danish musical project founded on January 13, 1988 by Claus Larsen. Its influence has been most felt in the electronic body music and electro-industrial genres. Perhaps to a certain extent, it may have influenced various film score productions. Leæther Strip was one of the...
which was featured on Yes, I'm Limited IV. The cover featured Unter NullUnter nullUnter Null is an Aggrotech music project formed in 1998 by the then 17 year old Erica Dunham, in Seattle, USA. , she is based in Portland, Oregon.-Overview:...
.