| "Walking on Broken Glass" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Annie Lennox | ||||
| from the album Diva | ||||
| B-side | "Don't Let Me Down" | |||
| Released | August 1992 | |||
| Format | CD single, 7" Vinyl, 12" Vinyl, Cassette Single | |||
| Genre | Adult alternative | |||
| Length | 4:12 (Album Version) 3:58 (Single Mix) |
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| Label | BMG, Arista | |||
| Writer(s) | Annie Lennox | |||
| Producer | Stephen Lipson | |||
| Annie Lennox singles chronology | ||||
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"Walking on Broken Glass" is a song written and performed by Scottish singer Annie Lennox, taken from her 1992 album, Diva. This song reached #1 in Canada, #8 in the UK and Ireland and #14 in the US singles charts.
Contents |
Tracks 2-5 were recorded for MTV Unplugged in July 1992.
Directed by Sophie Muller, the music video is based in part on the 1988 film Dangerous Liaisons, and on period films dealing with the late 18th Century, such as Amadeus. John Malkovich, who starred in the former film, is joined by Hugh Laurie, in character as Prince George, The Prince Regent from Blackadder the Third.[1] The setting of the video is that of a salon evening at Prince George's Carlton House, and is meant to represent an assembly of nobles and notables for an evening of society, gambling and dancing. Annie Lennox's character is striking in her somewhat unusual dress (a royal red in an environment dominated by white), and in wearing a 'Turkish' headdress hat in an environment dominated by wigs of the period. Lennox character displays significant jealousy of, and dramatically attempting to woo back her former lover (played by Malkovich), who is accompanied by someone new, in the process spurning the advances of, and embarrassing, The Prince Regent (Laurie).
The orchestration of the music, with prominent harpsichord and string orchestra, echoes the musical style of the period. Stylistic elements of late 18th Century music come forth in the form of piano & harpsichord providing the leading theme of the song, and with string section then elaborating on the central theme. Period musical flourishes include the use of the trill and the use of bridging passages as to present variations on the central theme. Modern percussion and synthesiser instrumentation provide additional thematic strength to the central themes played on the period instruments, but do not dominate to the point of drowning out the main instrumentation chosen.[2]
The CD Single was housed in a cardboard sleeve.
| Chart (1992) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canadian Singles Chart | 1 |
| UK Singles Chart[3] | 8 |
| Irish Singles Chart | 8 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Chart[4] | 14 |
| U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary Chart[5] | 6 |
| U.S. Billboard Alternative Songs[5] | 7 |
| Swedish Singles Chart | 31 |
| German Singles Chart | 51 |
| Australian Singles Chart | 58 |
| Preceded by "Layla" by Eric Clapton |
Canadian RPM Singles Chart number-one single November 14, 1992 |
Succeeded by "Song Instead of a Kiss" by Alannah Myles |
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