Quit Playing Games (With My Heart)

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“Quit Playing Games (with My Heart)”
“Quit Playing Games (with My Heart)” cover
International CD single cover
Single by The Backstreet Boys
from the album Backstreet Boys
Released October 29, 1996Flag of Europe
June 10, 1997Flag of the United States
Format CD single
Genre Pop
Label Jive
Writer(s) Max Martin
Herbert Crichlow
Producer Max Martin
Kristian Lundin
Certification * #2 (USA, UK)
Backstreet Boys int'l singles chronology
"I'll Never Break Your Heart"
(1996)		 "Quit Playing Games (with My Heart)"
(1996)		 "Anywhere for You"
(1997)
Backstreet Boys US singles chronology
"We've Got It Goin' On"
(1995)		 "Quit Playing Games (with My Heart)"
(1997)		 "As Long As You Love Me"
(1997)

"Quit Playing Games (With My Heart)" is the fifth single from the Backstreet Boys' international album. Released in 1996, reached #1 in Switzerland and Austria, #2 on the UK Singles Chart, and #7 in the Netherlands. and the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It was subsequently included on the band's debut US album, and was released as the first single in 1997. It reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song remains the band's highest-peaking single on that chart.

The single was not the label's first choice as single from the US debut. They initially wanted to release the Mutt Lange-produced "If You Want It to Be Good Girl", but the band argued against it, claiming it to be one of their worst songs.[1] Jive president Barry Weiss claims that the serious contenders as first single also included "Anywhere for You" and "All I Have To Give".[1] The band wanted to redo the music video, but the label refused, arguing that they planned to market to radio, and not video. The song ultimately succeeded without MTV support.[1]

The original recording of the song features Brian Littrell singing both verses, with A. J. McLean singing the bridge. Nick Carter had subsequently emerged as a popular member of the band, so before the song was released as a single, a year after it was recorded, Max Martin was flown to London to re-recorded the second verse with Nick at Battery Studios.[1] This version was used for radio and the music video, and was included on the US album.

All of the background vocals on the song, other than McLean's singing harmony with himself on the bridge, are those of Littrell and Kevin Richardson, who decided to finish up the song while the other members were having lunch.[1] The song was unexpectedly offered to the band while recording "We've Got It Goin' On". They accepted the offer when they completed that recording in only two days of their planned week-long session.[1]

There is also an Italian version of this song, titled "Non puoi lasciarmi così", sung by the Backstreet Boys for their fans in Italy.

Contents

[edit] Track listing

US

  1. Quit Playing Games (With My Heart) (Video Version)
  2. Lay Down Beside Me

Europe

  1. Quit Playing Games (With My Heart) (Video Version)
  2. Nobody But You (Long Version)
  3. Give Me Your Heart
  4. Quit Playing Games (With My Heart) (Acoustic Version)

Europe Christmas edition

  1. Quit Playing Games (With My Heart) (Video Version)
  2. Christmas Time
  3. Lay Down Beside Me
  4. Quit Playing Games (With My Heart) (Acoustic Version)

UK

  1. Quit Playing Games (With My Heart) (Video Version)
  2. Nobody But You (Long Version)
  3. Give Me Your Heart
  4. Lay Down Beside Me

Japan

  1. Quit Playing Games (With My Heart) (Video Version)
  2. Quit Playing Games (With My Heart) (Acoustic Version)
  3. Anywhere for You
  4. Don't Leave Me

US commercial vinyl

  1. Quit Playing Games (E-SMOOVE Vocal Mix)
  2. Quit Playing Games (LP Version)
  3. Quit Playing Games (Jazzy Jim's Mixxshoww Slamma)
  4. Quit Playing Games (Maurice Joshua Club Mix)

Remixes double vinyl

  1. Quit Playing Games (E-SMOOVE Generator Mix)
  2. Quit Playing Games (E-SMOOVE Reactor Mix)
  3. Quit Playing Games (DJ Sneak's Hardsteppin' Mongoloid Mix)
  4. Quit Playing Games (LP Version)
  5. Quit Playing Games (Jazzy Jim's Mixxshoww Slamma)
  6. Quit Playing Games (E-SMOOVE Vocal Mix)
  7. Quit Playing Games (Maurice Joshua Club Mix)
  8. Quit Playing Games (E-SMOOVE Generator Beatz)

[edit] Music video

Three of the Boys are shown with shirts unbuttoned in the later half of the music video.
Three of the Boys are shown with shirts unbuttoned in the later half of the music video.

The music video, directed by Kai Sehr, shows the Boys dancing and singing on a deserted basketball court at night. Halfway through the video, it begins to rain. The boys dance in the rain, some of them have their shirts unbuttoned.

[edit] Chart performances

Chart (1997)[2][3] Peak
position
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 2
U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks 2
U.S. Billboard Hot Latin Tracks 12
U.S. Billboard Rhythmic Top 40 5
U.S. Billboard Top 40 Mainstream 2
Australian ARIA Singles Chart 27
Austrian Singles Chart 1
Belgian (Flanders) Singles Chart 8
Belgian (Wallonia) Singles Chart 8
Canadian Singles Chart 3
Chile 100 Singles Chart 1
German Singles Chart[4] 1
Irish Singles Chart[5] 5
New Zealand Singles Chart 27
Norwegian Singles Chart 10
Singapore Singles Chart 1
Swedish Singles Chart 15
Swiss Singles Chart 1
UK Singles Chart[6] 2
United World Chart 6

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Interview with Backstreet Boys, management, and others from Entertainment Weekly 10th Anniversary Issue.
  2. ^ "Quit Playing Games (With My Heart)", in various Singles Chart Lescharts.com (Retrieved April 20, 2008)
  3. ^ Billboard allmusic.com (Retrieved April 20, 2008)
  4. ^ German Singles Chart Charts-surfer.de (Retrieved April 20, 2008)
  5. ^ Irish Single Chart Irishcharts.ie (Retrieved April 20, 2008)
  6. ^ UK Singles Chart Chartstats.com (Retrieved April 20, 2008)
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Backstreet Boys
Nick Carter · Howie Dorough · Brian Littrell · A. J. McLean
Kevin Richardson
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