Up Where We Belong
| "Up Where We Belong" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Joe Cocker and Jennifer Warnes | ||||
| from the album An Officer and a Gentleman soundtrack | ||||
| B-side | "Sweet Lil' Woman" (Joe Cocker) | |||
| Released | August, 1982 | |||
| Format | CD, Cassette | |||
| Recorded | 1982 | |||
| Length | 4:00 | |||
| Label | Island | |||
| Writer(s) |
Jack Nitzsche Buffy Sainte-Marie Will Jennings[1] | |||
| Producer(s) | Stewart Levine | |||
| Joe Cocker and Jennifer Warnes singles chronology | ||||
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"Up Where We Belong" is a Platinum-certified, Grammy Award-winning hit song written by Jack Nitzsche, Buffy Sainte-Marie, and Will Jennings. It was recorded by Joe Cocker (lead vocals) and Jennifer Warnes (lead and background vocals) for the smash 1982 film An Officer and a Gentleman.[1]
Use in the film
Richard Gere balked at shooting the ending of the film, in which Zack arrives at Paula's factory wearing his naval dress whites and carries her off the factory floor; he thought that wouldn't work because it was too sentimental. Director Taylor Hackford agreed with Gere until, during a rehearsal, the extras playing the workers began to cheer and cry. When Gere saw the scene later, with the music added ("Up Where We Belong"), he said it gave him chills. Gere is now convinced Hackford made the right decision.[2]
Producer Don Simpson unsuccessfully demanded "Up Where We Belong" be cut from An Officer and a Gentleman, saying, "The song is no good. It isn't a hit."
Release and awards
However, the American Top 40 radio stations disagreed with Simpson's comments, as the single, released by Island Records in 1982,[3] hit #1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 on November 6, 1982 and held the top chart position for three consecutive weeks, also reaching number 7 in the UK Singles Chart.[1] It was certified Platinum by the RIAA for sales of over two million copies in the United States.
"Up Where We Belong" won the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song and the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1983.[1] It also won the BAFTA Film Awards for Best Original Song in 1984. Cocker and Warnes also won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal in 1983 for their rendition of this song. In 2004 it finished at #75 in AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs survey of top tunes in American cinema.
In popular culture
- The song was performed by Nell Carter and Andy Gibb in the Gimme a Break! episode "The Groupie."
- The song was featured in the 1985 Alvin and the Chipmunks episode "The Chipmunks Go to Washington", as performed by Alvin and the Chipmunks and The Chipettes.
- Buffy Sainte-Marie, who composed the song with Jack Nitzsche (Will Jennings wrote the lyrics), recorded the song on her Up Where We Belong album in 1996, a "songwriter's version", as she said.
- In The Simpsons episode "Life on the Fast Lane" the song was played during a parody of the film ending of Homer carrying Marge.
- The song was performed by Stewie Griffin and Bertram in the Family Guy episode "Emission Impossible". Another parody of the song was found in the show in the episode "Herpes the Love Sore".
- The song was featured in the South Park episode "Erection Day" as parody on final scene from film.
- The chorus of the song is featured in the "Elephant Love Medley" in the 2001 film "Moulin Rouge".
- The original 1982 version was featured in a 1987 episode of the American soap opera Santa Barbara. In the episode, the Eden Capwell and Cruz Castillo characters danced to the song in a daydream sequence.
- Patti LaBelle performed a gospel version of the song entitled 'Lord Lift Us Up Where We Belong' on her Look To The Rainbow Tour in 1985.
- The song was featured in Everybody Hates Chris Season 1 episode, "Everybody Hates Food Stamps".
- An instrumental version of the song was featured in Miranda, during the first season episode, "Job".
- An instrumental version of the song is playing over the tannoy when Michael goes to Staples to give Dwight his job back, in The Office season 3 episode 13 The Return.
Cover versions
- The Shadows did an instrumental version of the song in 1983, on their album XXV.
- Cocker performed the song with Joan Baez singing Warnes' lines in the 1986 TV special '60s Reunion at the Fillmore.
- Frank Galan & Sandra Kim did a Dutch version in 1997, entitled De liefde neemt ons mee.
- Bebe Winans & Cece Winans did a version of the song in 1984, on their album Lord lift us up
- Namibian singer Nianell and South African singer Dozi did a version of the song in 2009 on their album It Takes Two.[4]
- Filipino singer Christian Bautista also covered this song from the GMA 7 Koreanovela Drama Series Empress Ki.
Charts and sales
| Chart (1982-1983) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report)[5] | 1 |
| Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[6] | 14 |
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[7] | 32 |
| Canada (RPM) | 1 |
| Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM) | 2 |
| Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[8] | 13 |
| Germany (Media Control Charts)[9] | 6 |
| Ireland (IRMA)[10] | 3 |
| New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[11] | 3 |
| Norway (VG-lista)[12] | 3 |
| Spain (AFYVE)[13] | 2 |
| Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[14] | 3 |
| Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[15] | 7 |
| United Kingdom (The Official Charts Company) | 7 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 1 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks | 3 |
| Preceded by "Who Can It Be Now?" by Men at Work |
Billboard Hot 100 number one single November 6, 1982 - November 20, 1982 (3 weeks) |
Succeeded by "Truly" by Lionel Richie |
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Sales/shipments |
|---|---|---|
| Canada (Music Canada)[16] | Gold | 5,000^ |
|
^shipments figures based on certification alone | ||
See also
- List of RPM number-one singles of 1982
- List of Hot 100 number-one singles of 1982 (U.S.)
- List of number-one singles in Australia during the 1980s
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 136. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
- ↑ "Gere begged director not to shoot romantic scene". PR Inside. 2007-04-29. http://www.pr-inside.com/gere-begged-director-not-to-shoot-r108124.htm.
- ↑ Jennifer Warnes, official home site
- ↑ http://www.kalahari.com/Music/It-Takes-Two_p_34516058?gclid=CKeQ-t3v67sCFYUewwodXAsAGw Retrieved 7 January 2014
- ↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book Ltd. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Joe Cocker & Jennifer Warnes – Up Where We Belong)" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
- ↑ "Ultratop.be – Joe Cocker & Jennifer Warnes – Up Where We Belong)" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
- ↑ Nyman, Jake (2005). Suomi soi 4: Suuri suomalainen listakirja (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Tammi. ISBN 951-31-2503-3.
- ↑ "Chartverfulgong > Joe Cocker & Jennifer Warnes > Up Where We Belong) – musicline.de" (in German). Media Control Charts. PhonoNet GmbH.
- ↑ Search for Irish peaks
- ↑ "Charts.org.nz – Joe Cocker & Jennifer Warnes – Up Where We Belong)". Top 40 Singles.
- ↑ "Norwegiancharts.com – Joe Cocker & Jennifer Warnes – Up Where We Belong)". VG-lista.
- ↑ Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
- ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Joe Cocker & Jennifer Warnes – Up Where We Belong)". Singles Top 60.
- ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Joe Cocker & Jennifer Warnes – Up Where We Belong)". Swiss Singles Chart.
- ↑ "Canadian single certifications – Joe Cocker – Up Where We Belong". Music Canada. Retrieved 23 February 2013.
External links
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