| "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Culture Club | ||||
| from the album Kissing to Be Clever | ||||
| Released | 1 September 1982 | |||
| Genre | New Wave, pop, reggae, blue-eyed soul, R&B, Lovers rock | |||
| Label | Virgin Epic (US) |
|||
| Writer(s) | Culture Club | |||
| Producer | Steve Levine | |||
| Culture Club singles chronology | ||||
|
||||
"Do You Really Want to Hurt Me" is a song recorded by Culture Club and was released as a single from the album Kissing to Be Clever.
Contents |
"Do You Really Want to Hurt Me" was the third single released by the Culture Club and the first single released in the USA and Canada. The song was picked up by BBC Radio 2 and became a UK number one single for three weeks in October 1982. The song reached number two on the American Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in March 1983 (kept from the number one spot by Michael Jackson's smash hit "Billie Jean") and number one in the Canadian RPM listing on the 5th of the same month.[1] It was also number one in Australia.
This was Culture Club's first success, after their first two releases, "White Boy" and "I'm Afraid of Me" charted in the UK at #114 and #100 respectively. According to George, it was their last chance to get an album deal. Helen Terry mentioned that her backing vocals were recorded on 24 May 1982.
The B-side was a dub version featuring Pappa Weasel in many countries and "You Know I'm Not Crazy" on the USA release. On the 12" version of the record, the track "Love Is Cold (You Were Never No Good)" was also included.
The video for the song featured lead singer Boy George on trial in a courtroom, with flashbacks to a 1936 nightclub and a 1957 health club. The jury was in blackface making jazz hands gestures. One band member, Mikey Craig, was not in the video, and was replaced by his brother Greg.
The song was remixed by DJ's Quivver and Kinky Roland, in 1998 for a Culture Club compilation called Greatest Moments and the single "I Just Wanna Be Loved". It was also remixed and presented on Culture Club's 2002 Box Set along with the original demo version.
Re-released in a reggaeton remix in France, it was again a top 20 hit in the summer of 2005. The music video was shot & directed by J.G Biggs. Famous French gay figure Steevy Boulay plays a garage owner who is victim of a homophobic client.
The song can be heard in the 2004 box office hit The Day After Tomorrow starring Dennis Quaid and Jake Gyllenhaal. It is also featured as a running gag in The Wedding Singer (1998).
In Shrek, during the karaoke party at the end of the film, the Gingerbread Man briefly sings the song.
A. "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me" – 4:22
A1. "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me" – 4:22 |
(Released as a remix version in France, to promote the compilation album Culture Club 2005 - Singles & Remixes, with new video) |
|
|
| Order of precedence | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by "Pass the Dutchie" by Musical Youth |
UK Singles Chart number-one single 23 October 1982 – 6 November 1982 |
Succeeded by "I Don't Wanna Dance" by Eddy Grant |
| Australian Kent Music Report number-one single 27 December 1982 – 31 January 1983 |
Succeeded by "Gloria" by Laura Branigan |
|
| Preceded by "Starmaker" by Kids from Fame |
Irish Singles Chart number-one single 31 October 1982 |
Succeeded by "Starmaker" by Kids from Fame |
| Preceded by "Words" by F. R. David |
German Singles Chart number-one single 10 December 1982 – 21 January 1983 |
Succeeded by "Major Tom (Völlig Losgelöst)" by Peter Schilling |
| Preceded by "Come on Eileen" by Dexys Midnight Runners and The Emerald Express |
Swiss Singles Chart number-one single (first run) 12 December 1982 – 9 January 1983 |
Succeeded by "Pass the Dutchie" by Musical Youth |
| Preceded by "Heartbreaker" by Dionne Warwick |
Swedish Singles Chart number-one single 11 January 1983 – 25 January 1983 |
Succeeded by "Our House" by Madness |
| Preceded by "Weil i di mog" by Relax |
Austrian Singles Chart number-one single 15 January 1983 – 15 February 1983 |
Succeeded by "Major Tom (völlig losgelöst)" by Peter Schilling |
| Preceded by "Pass the Dutchie" by Musical Youth |
Swiss Singles Chart number-one single (second run) 23 January 1983 |
Succeeded by "I Don't Wanna Dance" by Eddy Grant |
| Preceded by "Sexual Healing" by Marvin Gaye |
Canadian RPM number-one single 5 March 1983 – 12 March 1983 |
Succeeded by "Hungry Like the Wolf" by Duran Duran |
| "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me" | |
|---|---|
| Single by Violent Femmes | |
| from the album Why Do Birds Sing? | |
| Released | 1991 |
| Genre | Alternative rock |
| Label | Reprise Records |
| Producer | Violent Femmes, Michael Beinhorn |
In 1991, the Violent Femmes covered this song on their album Why Do Birds Sing?. The new version consisted of almost all new lyrics, retaining only the first verse and chorus; the music itself was slightly modified as well. Unlike the original, this version is very rock-heavy and therefore stands out clearly from the original.
| "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Blue Lagoon | ||||
| from the album Club Lagoon | ||||
| B-side | Extended version | |||
| Released | 2005 | |||
| Format | CD single CD maxi |
|||
| Length | 3:29 | |||
| Label | Kon$um, SME | |||
| Writer(s) | Michael Craig Roy Hay Jon Moss George O'Dowd |
|||
| Producer | Felix J. Gauder | |||
| Blue Lagoon singles chronology | ||||
|
||||
The song was covered in 2005 by German band Blue Lagoon on its album Club Lagoon and became a hit in Europe.
| Chart (2005) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Austrian Singles Chart[15] | 21 |
| Danish Singles Chart[16] | 11 |
| German Singles Chart[3] | 13 |
| Swedish Singles Chart[17] | 29 |
| Swiss Singles Chart[18] | 32 |
|
|||||||||||||||||