Wild, Wild West (The Escape Club song)
| "Wild, Wild West" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by The Escape Club | ||||
| from the album Wild Wild West | ||||
| Released | 1988 | |||
| Format | CD single, 7" | |||
| Recorded | 1987 | |||
| Genre | Pop rock | |||
| Length |
5:44 3:59 (7" version) | |||
| Label | EMI, Atlantic | |||
| Writer(s) | The Escape Club | |||
| Producer(s) | The Escape Club | |||
| The Escape Club singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"Wild, Wild West" is a song by The Escape Club from their similarly named debut album, Wild Wild West. The single hit the charts in late 1988 eventually reaching No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 the week of November 12, 1988, making The Escape Club the only British artist to have a No. 1 hit in America while never charting in the UK.
The lyrics, with phrases such as "I love her eyes and her wild, wild hair," "heading for the '90s, living in the wild, wild west," are augmented with gunshot sound effects, and a section of phrases are performed in Spanish. Critics have noted that portions of the song bore a strong similarity to Elvis Costello's "Pump It Up" due to the distinct drum beat and vocal patterns during the verses.[1]
The music video is noted for using mirror imaging of actors to give the illusion of disembodied arms and legs.
In 1989, Wally Wingert parodied it on the Dr. Demento radio show as "Adam West," in response to the casting of Michael Keaton as the title character for that year's Batman film.
Single
- "Wild Wild West" - 3:59
- "We Can Run" - 3:40
The B-Side is previously unreleased.
Charts
| Chart (1988) | Peak Position |
|---|---|
| Australian ARIA Singles Chart | 6 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 1 |
| U.S. Billboard Modern Rock Tracks | 3 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play | 36 |
| Preceded by "Kokomo" by The Beach Boys |
Billboard Hot 100 number-one single November 12, 1988 (1 week) |
Succeeded by "Bad Medicine" by Bon Jovi |
References
- ↑ English, Timothy (2007). Sounds like teen spirit : stolen melodies, ripped-off riffs, and the secret history of rock and roll. iUniverse Star. p. 55. ISBN 9781583480236. OCLC 191820511. Retrieved July 7, 2014.