Back to Life (However Do You Want Me)
| "Back to Life (However Do You Want Me)" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Soul II Soul featuring Caron Wheeler | ||||
| from the album Club Classics Vol. One | ||||
| Released | 29 May 1989 | |||
| Format |
7" single 12" maxi single Cassette CD single | |||
| Recorded | May 1989 | |||
| Genre | R&B | |||
| Length | 3:52 | |||
| Label | Virgin[1] | |||
| Writer(s) |
Jazzie B Caron Wheeler Nellee Hooper Simon Law[1] | |||
| Producer(s) |
Jazzie B Nellee Hooper[1] | |||
| Soul II Soul singles chronology | ||||
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"Back to Life (However Do You Want Me)" is a song by British R&B band Soul II Soul. It appeared on their debut album Club Classics Vol. One ("Keep on Movin'" in the United States) and was released as its second single on 29 May 1989. "Back to Life" was one of two songs on the album featuring British R&B singer Caron Wheeler and gained success in both the United Kingdom and in the United States.
The album version of the song was an a cappella which was remixed and re-recorded before being released as a single. Two new versions were produced — the first taking the original recording with instrumentation added, and the second was a re-working of the song with new lyrics and chorus (also adding "However Do You Want Me" to the title).
It was the second version that became most popular. "Back to Life (However Do You Want Me)" peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming one of Soul II Soul's most successful singles in the United States (and the only one to enter in the top 10). In the United Kingdom it performed even better, reaching number one in the UK Singles Chart for four weeks in June 1989.[2] For a time, the album was packaged together with a CD3 single including the new versions of the song. In 2006, Slant Magazine ranked the song at number 57 in their list of the "100 Greatest Dance Songs".[3] In 2015 the song was voted by the British public as the nation's 18th favourite 1980s number one in a poll for ITV.[4]
Cover versions
- The song was covered live by Lynn Mabry and George Michael at the Rock in Rio 2 music festival in 1991 as well as certain shows during his Cover To Cover tour in 1991. A version of George Michael's "Freedom 90" (Back to Reality Mix) features an interpolation of the song.
- English powerpop trio Dodgy included a cover of the song on the CD single for their 1994 song "Staying Out for the Summer".
- DJ Clue produced a version featuring Mary J. Blige & Jadakiss called "Back to Life 2001" which was on his sophomore album The Professional 2.
Chart performance
Peak positions |
End of year charts
|
| Preceded by "Sealed with a Kiss" by Jason Donovan |
UK number-one single 18 June 1989 – 16 July 1989 (4 weeks) |
Succeeded by "You'll Never Stop Me Loving You" by Sonia |
| Preceded by "Batdance" by Prince |
Billboard Hot Dance Club Play number-one single 26 August 1989 – 9 September 1989 |
Succeeded by "It's Time to Get Funky" by D Mob featuring LRS |
| Preceded by "Can't Get Over You" by Maze featuring Frankie Beverly |
Billboard's Hot R&B Songs number-one single 7 October 1989 |
Succeeded by "Miss You Much" by Janet Jackson |
References
- 1 2 3 "Soul II Soul Featuring Caron Wheeler - Back To Life (However Do You Want Me) (CD) at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 30 March 2014.
- 1 2 Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. pp. 502–3. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
- ↑ http://www.slantmagazine.com/features/article/100-greatest-dance-songs/P5
- ↑ Westbrook, Caroline (25 July 2015). "The Nation’s Favourite 80s Number One: 12 more classic 80s chart-toppers which didn’t make the cut". Metro. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
- ↑ "De Nederlandse Top 40, week 30, 1989". Archived from the original on 3 August 2008. Retrieved 14 July 2008.
- ↑ "Billboard Top 100 - 1990". Longboredsurfer.com. Retrieved 15 September 2009.
External links
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