Sounds Like a Melody

"Sounds Like a Melody" is a song by West German rock/synthpop group Alphaville, from the group's debut album Forever Young. The single was released on May 14, 1984.

In Sweden, the song topped the very first Tracks ever on September 8, 1984.

Unlike most pop music, where song structure is focused on vocal melodies with alternating stanzas, this song also includes an 8-bar instrumental synthesizer melody which is heard once at the beginning, is followed by a verse-chorus-verse structure, and then repeats for almost 1 minute to end the song.

Track listings

7" Single WEA

1. "Sounds Like a Melody" — 4:29
2. "The Nelson Highrise Sector One: the Elevator" — 3:14

12" Maxi WEA

1. "Sounds Like a Melody (Special Long Version)" — 7:42
2. "The Nelson Highrise Sector One: the Elevator" — 4:12

• The 7" version is a completely new studio recording from the album version
• The B-side is commonly referred to simply as "The Elevator," and a remix appears on 1999's Dreamscapes.

Other releases

• In 1999's Dreamscapes, Alphaville included an early demo of this song as well as a reggae-inspired live version recorded in 1997
• 2001's Forever Pop includes a new remix (the "Staggman Mix")
• 2003's CrazyShow includes another new remix ("MaXx Mystery's 80's Remix")

The Nelson Highrise

This single contains the first of 4 songs that Alphaville have designated a "Nelson Highrise Sector:"

• The Nelson Highrise Sector 2 is "The Other Side of U," the B-side to 1986's single "Dance with Me"
• The Nelson Highrise Sector 3 is "The Garage," the B-side to two 1986 singles, "Jerusalem" and "Sensations"
• The Nelson Highrise Sector 4 is "The Scum of the Earth," from 2003's CrazyShow

Certifications

Charts

Cover versions

Parts of this song sometimes appear in dance music. In 1993 a eurodance duo Cappella made a club hit "U Got 2 Let the Music" by sampling this song.

DJ Doo's "The Beginning" is based on the riff which closes "Sounds Like a Melody."

The dance group Lichtenfels and the European group Vanity Affair both covered this song as well, while the German alternative/hard rock band A Life Divided recorded a cover of the song for their recent album "Passenger".

References