They (song)

"They"
Single by Jem
from the album Finally Woken
Released 2004 (US)
13 March 2005 (Europe)
Format CD
Genre Trip hop, breakbeat
Writer(s) Jem
Producer(s) Jem, Yoad Nevo, Ge-ology
Jem singles chronology
"They"
(2005)		 "Just a Ride"
(2005)
Alternative covers
Uk pt2/Australian Cover
They: Remixes
Music sample
"They"

"They" is the first single released by Jem from her debut album Finally Woken. It includes a sample of the Swingle Singers' 1963 adaptation of Johann Sebastian Bach's Prelude in F minor (BWV 881) from Book II of Well-Tempered Clavier from their album Jazz Sebastian Bach.[1]

The song became her most popular single, peaking at #6 on the UK Singles Chart. "They" was used in TV series like Crossing Jordan and Grey's Anatomy. Taiwanese singer Jolin Tsai recorded a Chinese adaptation of the song, titled "Le Yuan," for use in an advertisement promoting Motorola telephones. "They" is also the title song for the hit MTV show The X Effect and formerly featured on a Pantene shampoo advertisement in the UK.

Track listing

They Pt. 1

  1. "They"
  2. "Maybe I'm Amazed" (Paul McCartney)

They Pt. 2/Australian CD

  1. "They" (Original Version)
  2. "They (Cut Chemist Remix)"
  3. "They Mdk & Ayesha Mix (Eye in the Sky Mix)"
  4. Music video

They remixes

  1. "They" (Cut Chemist Remix)
  2. "They" (Cut Chemist Instrumental Remix)
  3. "They" (Eye in the Sky Mix)
  4. "They" (Tech Breaks Mix) by Kid Freeze
  5. "They" (Photek Mix)
  6. "They" (Album version)

Music videos

Jem released two music videos for They. The UK version, inspired by the Barbarella opening scene, features Jem stripping herself in a spaceship (although she remains covered by strategically placed holograms); actually a boy dreams her as he constructs a model of the same spaceship back on Earth. The US version features Jem walking at a park while being accompanied by a number of children. She then encounters several signs and decides to violate them. Some intercut scenes show her at a roundabout being spun by children.

Chart positions

Chart (2005) Peak
Position
Australia (ARIA)[2] 28
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[3] 15
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[4] 61
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[5] 47
Germany (Media Control Charts)[6] 45
Ireland (IRMA)[7] 8
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[8] 27
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[9] 47
United Kingdom (Official Charts Company)[10] 6

References

  1. ↑ Allegro, Ostin. "Ostin Allegro's Pop Meets The Classics". Retrieved 2007-12-22.
  2. ↑ "Australian-charts.com – Jem – They". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  3. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Jem – They" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  4. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Jem – They" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  5. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Jem – They" (in French). Ultratop 50.
  6. ↑ "Chartverfulgong > Jem > They – musicline.de" (in German). Media Control Charts. PhonoNet GmbH.
  7. ↑ ACharts.us Jem - They
  8. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Jem search results" (in Dutch) Dutch Top 40.
  9. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Jem – They". Singles Top 60.
  10. ↑ UK Singles Chart Archive