Nothing Compares 2 U
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| “Nothing Compares 2 U” | |||||
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| Single by Sinéad O'Connor from the album I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got |
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| Released | 1990 (U.K.) | ||||
| Format | CD single 7" Single 12" Single |
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| Recorded | 1989 | ||||
| Genre | Pop | ||||
| Length | 5:09 | ||||
| Label | Chrysalis Records | ||||
| Writer(s) | Prince | ||||
| Producer | Sinéad O'Connor | ||||
| Sinéad O'Connor singles chronology | |||||
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"Nothing Compares 2 U" is a song written in the mid-1980s by Prince for The Family. In 1990, a cover version by Sinéad O'Connor became a number-one hit in many countries, charting in the U.S., UK, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and Germany.
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[edit] The Family version
In 1985, The Family (a funk band created as an outlet to release more of Prince's music) released a self-titled album. "Nothing Compares 2 U" appeared on the album, but was not released as a single and received little recognition.
[edit] Sinéad O'Connor version
[edit] Background
Irish singer Sinéad O'Connor re-recorded the track in 1990 and included it on her second album I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got, bringing the song to worldwide prominence. The song's music video was a hit on MTV. The single topped the charts worldwide, including the United States, UK and Australia. Unusually (for a ballad), the song also topped the Modern Rock Tracks.
[edit] Music video
Mainly shot in Paris, the video for "Nothing Compares 2 U" was directed by John Maybury. The clip consists almost solely of a closeup on O'Connor's face as she sings the song's lyrics. Toward the end of the video, two tears roll down her face, one per cheek. O'Connor stated on VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of the 90s that it was caused by the lyric "All the flowers that you planted, Mama/All died when you went away", because she had a very complex relationship with her late mother, who she claims abused her. The clip won Best Video at the 1990 MTV Video Music Awards – the first video by a female artist to win in this category.
[edit] Critical reception
- In 2004, Rolling Stone magazine placed the Sinéad O'Connor single at number 162 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, which contains only two songs of the 1990s ranked higher.
- In a 2006 poll for a Channel 5 program "Britain's Favourite Break-up Songs", Sinéad O'Connor's version of "Nothing Compares 2 U" was voted fifth.
- VH1 Classic listed Sinead O'Connor's version as the second greatest classic love song, behind Al Green's "Let's Stay Together".
- In 2002, VH1 ranked the song the 18th greatest one-hit wonder.
- In 2007, VH1 ranked O'Connor's rendition number 10 of the "100 Greatest Songs of the 90s".
- In 2008, VH1 ranked the song the number 1 on "Final Countdown - Top 50 Heartbreakers".
[edit] Track listings
- 7" single
- "Nothing Compares 2 U" (5:08)
- "Jump in the River" (4:13)
- CD maxi
- "Nothing Compares 2 U" (5:08)
- "Jump in the River" (4:13)
- "Jump in the River" (instrumental) (4:04)
[edit] Charts
| Chart (1989-1990)[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]
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Peak position |
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| US Billboard Hot 100 | 1 |
| US Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks | 23 |
| US Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks | 2 |
| US Billboard Hot Modern Rock Tracks | 1 |
| US ARC Weekly Top 40 | 1 |
| Australian Singles Chart | 1 |
| Austrian Singles Chart | 1 |
| French Singles Chart | 5 |
| German Singles Chart | 1 |
| Irish Singles Chart | 1 |
| Italian Singles Chart | 1 |
| Norwegian Singles Chart | 1 |
| Swedish Singles Chart | 1 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 1 |
| UK Singles Chart | 1 |
[edit] Prince version
Due to the popularity of the O'Connor cover, Prince began to perform the song in concert, and included a live rendition on his 1993 compilations The Hits/The B-Sides and The Hits 1. His version is a duet between himself and Rosie Gaines, who at the time was in his group the New Power Generation.
[edit] All Angels version
| “Nothing Compares 2 U” | |||||
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| Single by All Angels from the album Into Paradise |
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| Released | November 26, 2007 | ||||
| Format | CD | ||||
| Genre | Pop | ||||
| Length | 4:30 | ||||
| Label | UCJ (Universal) | ||||
| All Angels singles chronology | |||||
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The opera girlband All Angels have covered the song and have recorded a music video for the track as the lead single for their new album "Into Paradise" (2007).
[edit] Other covers
- Dune covered the song on their 1995 album Forever which was recorded together with the London Session Orchestra.
- The song was covered by Me First and the Gimme Gimmes on their 2003 album Take a Break.
- It was also covered by Shiny Toy Guns for the Electro Goth Tribute to Prince compilation in 2005.
- The Welsh band Stereophonics performed a cover version of the song for the charity War Child Music. They also performed the song on BBC Radio 1 DJ, Jo Whiley's Live Lounge.
- South African Indie Pop-Rock group Fire Through The Window covered the song and it appears on their self-titled debut album.
- Chypnotic released a dance music cover in 1990 on the German record label Coconut Records. Catalog number 613199 was the 12" Single which contained two versions of the song, The Ultimate Dance Version and The Techno Mix.
- The song was covered by Jimmy Scott, on the Album "Holding back the Years" (ist auch Filmmusik in "Liebe Zartbitter").
- The song has been translated into the Hawaiian Language by The Coconutz and lead singer Daniel Ho. It is included on the soundtrack to the film Forgetting Sarah Marshall.
- Australian electro-rock band Rogue Traders performed a cover of the song on their Better In The Dark tour in 2008, which is rumored to be released on DVD.
- British band Hot Chip covered the track, in June 2008, singing the original The Family lyrics, as part as a session for Radio 1 DJ Colin Murray. They sang the "Nothing Compares 2 U" going in to their own track "In The Privacy of Our Love".
[edit] References
- ^ "Nothing Compares 2 U", in various Singles Chart Lescharts.com (Retrieved April 7, 2008)
- ^ German Singles Chart Charts-surfer.de (Retrieved April 7, 2008)
- ^ Irish Single Chart Irishcharts.ie (Retrieved April 7, 2008)
- ^ UK Singles Chart Chartstats.com (Retrieved April 7, 2008)
- ^ Billboard Billboard.com (Retrieved April 7, 2008)
- ^ Italian Single Chart Hit parade Italia (Retrieved May 30, 2008)
[edit] External links
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