"White Wedding" | ||||
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Single by Billy Idol | ||||
from the album Billy Idol | ||||
A-side | "White Wedding (Parts 1 and 2)" | |||
B-side | "White Wedding (Part 2)" | |||
Released | October 1982 | |||
Genre | Post-punk [1] | |||
Length |
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Label | Chrysalis | |||
Songwriter(s) | Billy Idol | |||
Producer(s) | Keith Forsey | |||
Billy Idol singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"White Wedding Pt 1" on YouTube |
"White Wedding" is a song by Billy Idol that was released as the second single from his self-titled studio album in 1982. Although not Idol's highest-charting hit, it is often considered one of his most recognizable songs. In the US, it peaked at No. 10 on the Billboard Bubbling Under the Hot 100 chart on 27 November 1982, [2] then reached No. 36 on the Billboard Hot 100 on 2 July 1983 after it was re-issued. [3] In the UK, it reached No. 6 in the UK Singles Chart upon its re-release there on 1 July 1985, when it was re-issued to promote the Vital Idol remix album. [4]
Cash Box called it "a powerful entry" whose "ominous guitar intro" and "accusatory tone" command attention. [5]
The music video, featuring Idol attending a goth wedding, is one of his best-known. The bride is played by Perri Lister, Idol's real-life girlfriend at the time. She is also one of the three dancers clad in black leather, who slap their buttocks in time with the clap track in the song as they shimmy downwards near the end. "That's the kind of thing they love in England", says Idol. [6]
In one scene, Idol forces a wedding ring made of barbed wire onto Lister's finger and cuts her knuckle. Lister insisted that her knuckle actually be cut in order for the scene to appear more realistic. [6] MTV initially removed this scene from the video. [7] Also controversial were the apparent Nazi salutes made by the crowd toward the couple. Director David Mallet says he was merely "playing with the power of crowd imagery" when he had the extras reach toward the bride and did not realize how it looked until after it was filmed. [6]
The MTV-edited version of the video is included on the DVD portion of The Very Best of Billy Idol: Idolize Yourself CD/DVD package.
The song was featured in the 1998 film The Wedding Singer (in which Idol appears), on the American TV series My Name Is Earl and on the British TV series Blackpool .
Idol performed the song as part of the pre-game entertainment for the 2002 NRL Grand Final in Sydney, Australia. Idol entered the playing field on a hovercraft when he managed to sing only two words before a power failure prematurely ended the performance. [8]
The line "It's a nice day to start again" was featured on the sticker on the front of Idol's 2005 album, Devil's Playground .
The song is featured in the 1985 Italian horror film Demons. [9]
On The Colbert Report , a couple who had been prevented from wedding at the Jefferson Memorial, by the 2013 government shutdown, were married. The couple shared their first dance as Audra McDonald sang the song. [10]
The German heavy metal singer Doro Pesch featured a cover of "White Wedding" on her 2000 album Calling the Wild. [11]
The American metal band In This Moment was set to collaborate with Idol on the track "Black Wedding" off their sixth album Ritual ; the song's chorus contains the line, "it's a nice night for a black wedding," an obvious homage to Idol's "White Wedding." Due to claimed scheduling difficulties, Rob Halford of Judas Priest was featured on the track instead. [12]
Slipknot drummer Joey Jordison's side project – the US horror punk band Murderdolls – reached number 24 on the UK Singles chart in 2003 with their cover of "White Wedding." [13]
The American rock band Queens of the Stone Age released a cover of the song in 2007.
7″: Chrysalis – CHS 2656 (UK)
12″: Chrysalis – CHS 12 2656 (UK)
7″: Chrysalis – CHS 2648 (US)
12″: Chrysalis – EPC 5002 (US)
12″: Chrysalis – 4V9 42685 (US)
7″: Chrysalis – CHS 42697 (US)
7″: Chrysalis – IDOL 5 (UK)
12″: Chrysalis – IDOLX 5 (UK)
Chart (1982–1983) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australia (Kent Music Report) [14] | 9 |
Canada Top Singles ( RPM ) [15] | 1 |
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ) [16] | 5 |
US Billboard Hot 100 [17] | 36 |
US Billboard Top Tracks [17] | 4 |
US Billboard Dance/Disco Top 80 | 10 |
Chart (1985) | Peak position |
UK Singles (OCC) [18] | 6 |
Chart (1983) | Position |
---|---|
Australia (Kent Music Report) [19] | 61 |
Canada Top Singles (RPM) [20] | 21 |
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ) [21] | 11 |
Chart (1985) | Position |
UK Singles (OCC) [22] | 58 |
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Canada (Music Canada) [23] | Gold | 50,000^ |
United Kingdom (BPI) [24] | Gold | 400,000‡ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
Rebel Yell is the second studio album by the English rock singer Billy Idol, released on 10 November 1983 by Chrysalis Records. After the release of his 1982 eponymous debut studio album, Idol continued his collaboration with producer Keith Forsey and multi-instrumentalist Steve Stevens. The album was recorded at Electric Lady Studios in New York. Initially recording without a drummer, utilizing only the LinnDrum and Roland TR-808 drum machines, Forsey and Stevens later decided to hire Thommy Price to play drums on some of the songs. Musically, Rebel Yell is a new wave album with hard rock and other influences. The cover sleeve and images were shot by Brian Griffin. Idol got the idea of the album's title after attending a party with the Rolling Stones and drinking Rebel Yell bourbon whiskey.
"Mickey" is a song recorded by American singer Toni Basil for her debut studio album, Word of Mouth (1981). It was first recorded by the pop group Racey. Mike Chapman and Nicky Chinn wrote the song, while production was helmed by Greg Mathieson and Trevor Veitch. Basil's version is new wave, featuring guitar, synthesizers and cheerleading chants. It garnered a mixed response from music critics, with some critics praising the radio-friendly nature of the song, while others described some of the lyrics as obscene.
"Angels" is a song by the English singer-songwriter Robbie Williams. It was included on Williams's debut solo album, Life thru a Lens (1997), and released as a single on 1 December 1997 by Chrysalis. "Angels" was written by Williams and Guy Chambers, who produced alongside Steve Power. The song is based on an earlier version written by Ray Heffernan.
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Billy Idol is the debut studio album by English rock singer Billy Idol, released on 16 July 1982 by Chrysalis Records. After the breakup of the band Generation X and the release of his first solo extended play, Don't Stop (1981), Idol began working on his debut album. Produced by Keith Forsey, Billy Idol is a rock album with strong influences of new wave music.
Whiplash Smile is the third studio album by the English rock singer Billy Idol, released on 20 October 1986 by Chrysalis Records. After his successful studio album Rebel Yell (1983), Idol continued his collaboration with producer Keith Forsey and guitarist Steve Stevens while writing and producing songs for the album. The album utilizes Stevens' characteristic guitar work, dance beats, and synth-heavy production.
"Electric Blue" is a song by Australian rock band Icehouse. It was co-written by Iva Davies of Icehouse and John Oates of US band Hall & Oates. Oates became involved with Davies after contacting him to state he was a fan. The resulting collaboration produced this song and Oates has stated that if Davies had not released the song under the Icehouse name, then it would have been a Hall & Oates track.
"Eyes Without a Face" is a song by the English rock musician Billy Idol, from his second studio album Rebel Yell (1983). It was released in April 1984 as the second single from the album. The song is softer and more ballad-like than most of the album's other singles. It reached No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Idol's first top-10 hit in the US. The song's title was borrowed from the 1960 horror film known in English as Eyes Without a Face.
"Rebel Yell" is a song by English-American rock musician Billy Idol. It is the title track of his second album Rebel Yell (1983), and was released as the album's lead single in January 1984 by Chrysalis Records. Initially, it only reached No. 62 in the UK and No. 46 in the US upon its release. However, a 1985 re-issue proved to be a big hit, peaking at no. 6 in the UK. The song received wide critical acclaim and in 2009 was named the 79th best hard rock song of all time by VH1 based on a public vote.
"(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher" is an R&B song written by Gary Jackson, Raynard Miner, and Carl Smith. It was recorded by Jackie Wilson for his album Higher and Higher (1967), produced by Carl Davis, and became a Top 10 pop and number one R&B hit.
"Mony Mony" is a 1968 single by American pop rock band Tommy James and the Shondells, which reached No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart and No. 3 in the U.S. Written by Bobby Bloom, Ritchie Cordell, Bo Gentry, and Tommy James, the song has appeared in various film and television works such as the Oliver Stone drama Heaven & Earth. It was also covered by English singer-songwriter Billy Idol in 1981. Idol's version, which took in more of a rock sound, became an international top 40 hit and additionally revived public interest in the original garage rock single. Idol recorded a live version in 1985 which was ultimately released in 1987 where it became an even bigger hit than the Shondells' 1968 original, reaching No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
"Tell Her About It" is a song written and performed by Billy Joel from his album An Innocent Man (1983), released as the album's first single in 1983. In the song, the singer exhorts a young man to tell the woman he loves how he feels about her before he misses his chance. It hit the number one spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for one week on September 24, 1983, replacing "Maniac" by Michael Sembello. The single was certified Gold by the RIAA for US sales of over 500,000 copies.
"Get Outta My Dreams, Get into My Car" is a song by the Trinidadian-British singer Billy Ocean, based on a line in the Sherman Brothers' song "You're Sixteen". It was released as the first single from Ocean's seventh studio album Tear Down These Walls (1988). Part of its popularity lay in its cutting-edge music video, which features animation mixed with live-action sequences. The saxophone solo is performed by Vernon Jeffrey Smith.
"Cradle of Love" is a rock song written by Billy Idol and David Werner for Idol's 1990 fourth studio album Charmed Life. The song is the album's sixth track and was released as its first single. "Cradle of Love" became Idol's last top-10 hit in the United States, where it reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was also Idol's first and only No. 1 hit on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. On the UK Single Chart, it stalled at No. 34.
William Michael Albert Broad, known professionally as Billy Idol, is a British and American singer, songwriter, musician and actor. He first achieved fame in the 1970s emerging from the London punk rock scene as the lead singer of the group Generation X. Subsequently, he embarked on a solo career which led to international recognition and made Idol a lead artist during the MTV-driven "Second British Invasion" in the US. The name "Billy Idol" was inspired by a schoolteacher's description of him as "idle".
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