Walking on Thin Ice

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For Ono's 1992 greatest hits album, see Walking on Thin Ice (album)

"Walking on Thin Ice"

Single by Yoko Ono
Single-only release
Single Released	1981 (remix 2003))
Single Format	7", 12" (remix also on CD)
Recorded	December 8, 1980
Genre	Rock, New Wave, Dance
Song Length	6:00
Record label	Geffen Records
Producer	Yoko Ono
Chart positions	#58 US
Yoko Ono single chronology
"Run, Run, Run" (1973)	"Walking on Thin Ice" (1981)	"No, No, No" (1981)

"Walking On Thin Ice" is a New Wave/dance song by Yoko Ono, released in 1981. It was recorded on December 8, 1980 in collaboration with her husband John Lennon. Later that night when the couple returned to The Dakota (their home in New York City), Lennon was murdered by deranged fan Mark David Chapman. Lennon's guitarwork on the track was thus his final creative act. Less than a month later, "Walking on Thin Ice" was released as a single and became Ono's first chart success, peaking at No. 58 and gaining major underground airplay. The lyrics talk of the unpredictability of life and death -- of "throwing the dice in the air" -- and reach the conclusion, "when our hearts return to ashes, it will be just a story....". With the world in shock, a new poignancy was added to the already haunting yet highly danceable track.

The cover of ONO's successful "Walking on Thin Ice" 2003 remix single.

In 2003, riding on the success of several Ono club remixes including "Open Your Box" and "Kiss Kiss Kiss", "Walking On Thin Ice" was released as a maxi-single with remixes by distinguished dance artists including the Pet Shop Boys, Danny Tenaglia and Felix Da Housecat. It met incredible success, spending many weeks on the U.S. dance charts before reaching No. 1, beating Madonna and Justin Timberlake. Ono is probably the first 70-year-old to have a No. 1 hit anywhere in the world. It is worth noting that on the extended 12" mix of the original track (available as the B-side to "Cape Clear"), Lennon can be heard remarking "I think we've just got your first No. 1, Yoko."

"It Happened" was selected as the B-side to the 1981 single - a slower, mellow track about acceptance from Ono's vaults that was originally recorded for A Story and had already seen limited release in Japan as the B-side to "Yume O Moto". Much like the A-side, the lyrics have a new haunting quality given Lennon's assassination: "It happened at a time of my life/When I least expected... And I know there's no return, no way". In the essay on the back of the single, Ono talks about how Lennon picked out this track from her old tapes and marked it as a hit. She said "No way!" to which he responded "I'll make it a hit". He was killed hours later.

[edit] Releases

1981 Geffen:

7" P/S single(w/It Happened on the flipside)
7" promo w/radio edit
12" P/S single (+"Hard Times Are Over")
Cassingle (+"Hard Times Are Over")

1985 Polygram:

B-side to "Cape Clear" 12" (extended version)

1992 Rykodisc:

Onobox (incl. on compilation)
Walking On Thin Ice (incl. on compilation)

1997 Rykodisc:

Season of Glass (Bonus track for CD reissue)

2000 Capitol Records:

Double Fantasy (Bonus track for CD reissue)

2003 as Ono on Twisted Records:

CD Maxi-single of remixes

Pet Shop Boys Radio Mix
Danny Tenaglia Walked Across The Lake Mix
Pet Shop Boys Electro Mix
Felix Da Housecat's Tribute Mix
Pet Shop Boys Extended Dance Mix
Rui Da Silva's Kismet Mix
Peter Rauhofer Electro Mix
Orange Factory Radio Mix
Fkek Vocal Mix
Peter Rauhofer Chill Mix

CD single with Pet Shop Boys and Danny Tenaglia mixes
Double-12" single pack

[edit] Promos

Yoko Ono herself directed a music video for "Walking On Thin Ice" which was released in February 1981. In 2003 Mike Mills and Arya Senboutaraj (one half of the directing duo Rainbows & Vampires) directed an animated black and white video featuring the "Pet Shop Boys Electro Mix Edit" of the song. You can watch it here, here or here.