Sleeping Satellite
Encyclopedia
"Sleeping Satellite" was the debut single by the British singer-songwriter
Tasmin Archer
, released in 1992. The song peaked at no.1 in the UK, and was also an international hit.
Four instruments were used in the recording of "Sleeping Satellite", John Hughes and Robbie McIntosh
provided the guitars in the song, and John Beck
and Paul Wickens
were keyboard players. The drummer was Charlie Morgan
whilst Gary Maughan played Fairlight
.
Archer sings backing vocals on the track along with Tessa Niles
and Carol Kenyon
.
" by The Shamen
. It stayed there for two weeks, before being dethroned by Boyz II Men
’s "End of the Road
".
The song was a multiformat success in the U.S. The song hit the Modern Rock Tracks
chart the last week of February 1993. Inching up to a peak of #11, it was her best showing on any U.S. chart, but the song gradually proved its crossover potential in April when it appeared first on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles
chart and the following week hit the main chart. By the early '90s, the Hot 100 had splintered into several sub-charts, and the song hit two of these, peaking in late May/early June 1993 at #29 on the Hot 100 Airplay chart, and at #16 on the Top 40 Mainstream chart. "Sleeping Satellite" also hit #24 on the Adult Contemporary chart. The single peaked at #32 on the traditional Hot 100.
Archer's song was successful throughout the world, notably hitting the top 5 in Sweden and Switzerland, #6 in France, and #14 in Australia.
"Sleeping Satellite" is Tasmin Archer’s most successful single to date, her only UK Top 10, and her only single to chart in the U.S.
The song was the final song played on Pennine FM before the station's closure in April 2010.
7"
12"
U.S. CD single
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
Tasmin Archer
Tasmin Archer
Tasmin Archer is an English pop singer. Her first album, Great Expectations, spawned the hit "Sleeping Satellite" which reached number one in the United Kingdom and Ireland.-Biography:...
, released in 1992. The song peaked at no.1 in the UK, and was also an international hit.
Lyrics and music
Although first released in 1992, Archer and her co-writers wrote the song in the late 1980s, but it was only when Archer got a record deal that the song saw the light of day.Four instruments were used in the recording of "Sleeping Satellite", John Hughes and Robbie McIntosh
Robbie McIntosh
Robbie McIntosh is an English guitarist. McIntosh is well known as a session guitarist and member of The Pretenders from 1982 until 1987. In 1988 he began doing session guitar work for Paul McCartney joining his band full time until early 1994...
provided the guitars in the song, and John Beck
John Beck
John Dalton Beck is an American football quarterback starting for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the second round of the 2007 NFL Draft...
and Paul Wickens
Paul Wickens
Paul "Wix" Wickens is a keyboardist and composer from Essex, United Kingdom. Wickens has worked with musicians such as Paul McCartney, Nik Kershaw, Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Bon Jovi and many other artists. Wickens has been a member of McCartney's touring band since 1989.-Career:Wickens began...
were keyboard players. The drummer was Charlie Morgan
Charlie Morgan
Charlie Morgan is an English drummer and percussionist.In 1985 his drumming work with Nik Kershaw attracted the attention of Elton John, who booked him to play on his Ice on Fire album. Later that year John invited him to play with his band at Live Aid...
whilst Gary Maughan played Fairlight
Fairlight
Fairlight is a digital audio company based in Sydney, Australia. In 1979 they created the Fairlight CMI, the first digital audio sampler, quickly used by artists such as Peter Gabriel, Kate Bush, and Jean Michel Jarre. They are now a manufacturer of media solutions tools such as digital audio...
.
Archer sings backing vocals on the track along with Tessa Niles
Tessa Niles
Tessa Niles is an English singer, best known as a backing singer for a wide variety of artists.-Early life and career:Born in Kent, Niles began her professional singing career, as both a lead and a backing vocalist, in 1979...
and Carol Kenyon
Carol Kenyon
Carol Kenyon , is a British singer. She was born c. 1959.Although primarily known as a session vocalist on many albums and singles by a variety of prominent artists, as well as in many concerts, Kenyon has also released several singles as a solo artist...
.
Chart performances
"Sleeping Satellite" was released to the UK on 31 August 1992 and swiftly rose up the UK charts to the number one spot, replacing "Ebeneezer GoodeEbeneezer Goode
"Ebeneezer Goode" is a song by Scottish electronic music group The Shamen, which, after being heavily remixed by The Beatmasters, became their biggest hit when released as a single in September 1992. The band's original version also featured on the vinyl edition of their album Boss Drum...
" by The Shamen
The Shamen
The Shamen were an experimental electronic music band, from 1985–1999, initially formed in Aberdeen, Scotland, as a psychedelic-influenced indie rock act. The founding members are Colin Angus , Derek McKenzie and Keith McKenzie...
. It stayed there for two weeks, before being dethroned by Boyz II Men
Boyz II Men
Boyz II Men is an American R&B vocal group best known for emotional ballads and a cappella harmonies. They are the most successful R&B group of all time, having sold more than albums worldwide. In the 1990s, Boyz II Men found fame on Motown Records as a quartet, but original member Michael McCary...
’s "End of the Road
End of the Road
"End of the Road" is a 1992 Grammy Award-winning, number-one song recorded in May 1992 by Boyz II Men for the Motown label. Written and produced by Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, Antonio "L.A." Reid and Daryl Simmons. It is Boyz II Men's most successful single and replaced Diana Ross and Lionel...
".
The song was a multiformat success in the U.S. The song hit the Modern Rock Tracks
Modern Rock Tracks
Alternative Songs is a music chart in the United States that has appeared in Billboard magazine since September 10, 1988. It lists the 40 most-played songs on modern rock radio stations, most of which are alternative rock songs...
chart the last week of February 1993. Inching up to a peak of #11, it was her best showing on any U.S. chart, but the song gradually proved its crossover potential in April when it appeared first on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles
Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles
The Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States. It lists the top 25 singles below number 100 that have not yet charted on the Billboard Hot 100. Sometimes, however, singles halt their progress on this chart, and never appear on the Hot 100...
chart and the following week hit the main chart. By the early '90s, the Hot 100 had splintered into several sub-charts, and the song hit two of these, peaking in late May/early June 1993 at #29 on the Hot 100 Airplay chart, and at #16 on the Top 40 Mainstream chart. "Sleeping Satellite" also hit #24 on the Adult Contemporary chart. The single peaked at #32 on the traditional Hot 100.
Archer's song was successful throughout the world, notably hitting the top 5 in Sweden and Switzerland, #6 in France, and #14 in Australia.
"Sleeping Satellite" is Tasmin Archer’s most successful single to date, her only UK Top 10, and her only single to chart in the U.S.
The song was the final song played on Pennine FM before the station's closure in April 2010.
Cover versions
- 1992: A danceDance musicDance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement...
remake was released by ItalyItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
-based Ketty DB featuring the same lyrics and melody but with a danceable, haunting arrangement. - 2003: Another dance remix was released by AuroraAurora (band)Aurora, also known as Aurora UK, are a British electronic dance music group, consisting of keyboardist/guitarist Sacha Collisson and fellow keyboardist Simon Greenaway.-Albums:-Singles:*"Hear You Calling" 1999 #71 UK...
. A selection of the original lyrics were used with an electronic synth sound as a backing track. - 2005: The song was also covered by AustraliaAustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n progressive rockProgressive rockProgressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
band KarnivoolKarnivoolKarnivool are an Australian progressive rock band formed in Perth in 1997. The group currently consists of Ian Kenny on vocals, Drew Goddard and Mark Hosking on guitar, Jon Stockman on bass guitar, and Steve Judd on drums. Karnivool emerged from a band Kenny and Goddard formed during high school...
and was released as the B-side to their single "Themata". - 2007: DanishDenmarkDenmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
singer Bryan RiceBryan RiceBrian Risberg Clausen, better known as Bryan Rice , is a Danish pop singer and songwriter.His debut single "No Promises" was a huge hit in Denmark in the fall of 2005/spring of 2006. The song was covered and released by British X Factor winner Shayne Ward reaching #2 in the official U.K...
covered the song for his second album Good NewsGood News (Bryan Rice album)-Charts:...
. - 2007: RussianRussiansThe Russian people are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Russia, speaking the Russian language and primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries....
vocal drum and bass duo Stim Axel mixed a cover. - 2008: A houseHouse musicHouse music is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in Chicago, Illinois, United States in the early 1980s. It was initially popularized in mid-1980s discothèques catering to the African-American, Latino American, and gay communities; first in Chicago circa 1984, then in other...
remixRemixA remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
of the song was released by FrenchFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
DJ Junior CalderaJunior CalderaJunior Caldera is a French disc jockey from Paris. A multi-instrumentalist, Caldera was influenced by many musical styles and made rock music before becoming involved in house music in 2002 whilst working as a stage designer in a number of Parisian nightclubs...
and peaked at #37 on the French Singles Chart. - 2009: Jan JohnstonJan JohnstonJan Johnston is an English professional singer, best known for collaborating with some of the world's top trance music DJs.-Career:...
released a cover with multiple mixes on the PerfectoPerfecto-People:*Gregorio Perfecto , Filipino journalist, politician and jurist*Martín Perfecto de Cos , 19th-century Mexican general*Perfecto de Castro , multi-awarded Filipino musician*Saint Perfecto -People:*Gregorio Perfecto (1891–1949), Filipino journalist, politician and jurist*Martín Perfecto de Cos...
label. - 2011: Kim WildeKim WildeKim Wilde is an English pop singer, author and television presenter who burst onto the music scene in 1981 with the number 2 UK Singles Chart new wave classic "Kids in America". In 1987 she had a major hit in the United States when her version of The Supremes' classic "You Keep Me Hangin' On"...
recorded the song for her covers album, SnapshotsSnapshots (Kim Wilde album)Snapshots is the twelfth studio album and the first covers album by British singer Kim Wilde. It was released in Germany on 26 August 2011 by Columbia SevenOne and was released in other regions as an import on 13 September 2011...
, and it was released as the lead single along with "It's Alright".
Track listings
CD single- "Sleeping Satellite"
- "Sleeping Satellite" (acoustic version)
- "Man at the Window" (acoustic version)
- "Sleeping Satellite" (extended version)
7"
- "Sleeping Satellite"
- "Sleeping Satellite" (acoustic version)
12"
- "Sleeping Satellite"
- "Sleeping Satellite" (acoustic version)
- "Sleeping Satellite" (extended version)
U.S. CD single
- "Sleeping Satellite" (CHR edit)
- "Sleeping Satellite" (A/C version)
- "Sleeping Satellite" (alternative rock version)
- "Sleeping Satellite" (full CHR mix)
Certifications
| Country | Certification | Date | Sales certified |
|---|---|---|---|
| UK | Silver | 1 October 1992 | 200,000 |
Peak positions
| Chart (1992-1993) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian ARIA 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... Singles Chart |
14 |
| Austrian Singles Chart | 11 |
| Dutch Top 40 Dutch Top 40 The Dutch Top 40 is a weekly music chart, which started as the "Veronica Top 40", because the offshore radio station Radio Veronica was the first to introduce it. It remained "The Veronica Top 40" until 1974, when the station was forced to stop broadcasting... |
9 |
| French SNEP Singles Chart | 6 |
| German Singles Chart | 12 |
| Irish Singles Chart Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured... |
1 |
| Swedish Singles Chart | 4 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 5 |
| 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 ... |
1 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 32 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks The Adult Contemporary chart is a weekly chart published in Billboard magazine that lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary and "lite-pop" radio stations in the United States... |
24 |
| U.S. Billboard Modern Rock Tracks Modern Rock Tracks Alternative Songs is a music chart in the United States that has appeared in Billboard magazine since September 10, 1988. It lists the 40 most-played songs on modern rock radio stations, most of which are alternative rock songs... |
11 |
| U.S. Billboard Top 40 Mainstream | 16 |
End of year charts
| End of year chart (1992) | Position |
|---|---|
| Dutch Top 40 | 77 |