Mickey (song)

"Kitty"
Song by Racey from the album Smash and Grab
Released 1979
Genre Bubblegum pop
Writer
Producer Mike Chapman
"Mickey"
Single by Toni Basil
from the album Word of Mouth
Released 5 February 1982
Recorded 1981
Genre
Length
  • 4:12 (album)
  • 3:36 (single)
Label
Writer(s)
Producer(s)
Toni Basil singles chronology
"Breakaway"
(1966)		 "Mickey"
(1982)		 "Nobody"
(1982)

"Mickey" is a 1982 song recorded by American singer and choreographer Toni Basil on her debut album Word of Mouth. Written by Mike Chapman and Nicky Chinn as "Kitty", it was first recorded by UK music group Racey during 1979 appearing on their debut album Smash and Grab.

Toni Basil changed the name from Kitty to Mickey to make the song about a man. For years, it had been rumored that the name was changed to Mickey because Basil was fond of The Monkees' drummer and lead vocalist Micky Dolenz after meeting him on the set of their movie Head for which she was the choreographer; however, this claim has been disputed by Basil, who said she didn't know Dolenz that well.[4] Rumors also circulated that the lines "any way you want to do it / I'll take it like a man", in the gender-swapped lyrics, referred to anal sex; Basil strenuously denies this interpretation, calling it "ridiculous".[4]

A music video for the song, featuring costuming and choreography inspired by cheerleader dance routines, was played heavily on MTV. Filmed in 1981, the video is considered the very first choreographed dance video, and the opening stunt, where a cheerleader jumps through the center of a human pyramid, is now illegal in competition.[5]

The single scored number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 for one week and number two in the UK Singles Chart. The song was Basil's only Top 40 success,[6] making her a "one-hit wonder".[7] It was named #5 on VH1's 100 Greatest One Hit Wonders of All Time, #16 on 20 to 1's Top 20 One Hit Wonders Countdown and #57 on VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of the '80s. It has also appeared on multiple greatest or best lists and countdowns.

Charts and certifications

Weekly charts

Chart (1982–83) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[8] 1
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[9] 39
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[10] 1
Germany (Official German Charts)[11] 69
Ireland (IRMA)[12] 3
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[13] 39
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[14] 2
South Africa (Springbok Radio)[15] 3
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[16] 2
US Billboard Hot 100[6] 1
US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play[6] 3
US Cash Box[17] 2

Year-end charts

Chart (1982) Position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[18] 6
Canada (RPM Top 100 Singles)[19] 63
US Cash Box[20] 36
Chart (1983) Position
Canada (RPM Top Singles)[21] 35
US Billboard Hot 100[22] 36

Sales and certifications

Region Certification Sales/shipments
Canada (Music Canada)[23] 2× Platinum 200,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[24] Gold 500,000^
United States (RIAA)[25] Platinum 2,000,000^

^shipments figures based on certification alone

Preceded by
"I Love Rock 'n' Roll" by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts		 Australian Kent Music Report number-one single
7 June 1982 – 14 June 1982 (2 weeks) 		Succeeded by
"I've Never Been to Me" by Charlene
Preceded by
"Truly" by Lionel Richie		 Canadian RPM number-one single
25 December 1982 – 15 January 1983 (4 weeks) 		Succeeded by
"Pass the Dutchie" by Musical Youth
US Billboard Hot 100 number-one single
11 December 1982 (1 week) 		Succeeded by
"Maneater" by Hall & Oates

Track listings

US 7" single
  1. "Mickey" – 3:36
  2. "Thief on the Loose" – 3:50
International 7" single
  1. "Mickey" – 3:36
  2. "Hanging Around" – 4:06
US 12" single
  1. "Mickey" (Special Club Mix) (Short) – 4:32
  2. "Mickey" (Special Club Mix) (Long) – 5:58
Alternate US 12" single
  1. "Mickey" (Special Club Mix) – 5:58
  2. "Mickey" (Spanish Version) – 5:12

Lolly version

"Mickey"
Single by Lolly
from the album My First Album
Released 1999
Genre Dance-pop
Length 3:36 (album version)
Label Polydor
Writer(s)
Producer(s) Dufflebag Boys
Lolly singles chronology
"Viva La Radio"
(1999)		 "Mickey"
(1999)		 "Big Boys Don't Cry"
(1999)

The UK singer Lolly scored a top ten hit in the UK Singles Chart in 1999. In addition, there is also a karaoke version of the cover in the album.

Track listings

UK CD Single #1[26]
  1. "Mickey" – 3:36
  2. "Sweetheart" – 2:54
  3. "Mickey" (Karaoke Version) - 3:36
UK CD Single #2[27]
  1. "Mickey" - 3:36
  2. "Mickey" (Creator Remix) - 5:58
  3. "Mickey" (D-Bop Remix Edit) - 4:22
  4. "Mickey" (The Bold & The Beautiful Remix) - 5:50
UK Cassette Single[28]
  1. "Mickey" - 3:36
  2. "Mickey" (Karaoke Version) - 3:36

Charts

Chart (1999) Peak
position
Ireland (IRMA)[12] 14
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[29] 4

Other notable versions

  • Irish girl group B*Witched covered the song for their American EP Across America 2000. It was released as a promotional single outside of the UK and was used for the film Bring It On.
  • Japanese comedian-musician Gorie scored no. 1 on the Japanese singles chart for two weeks with a version featuring vocals by American-born Jasmine Ann Allen.
  • 2002 saw the release of New Zealand band Elemeno P version on B-side of single Fast Times In Tahoe.
  • In 2010, the South Korean girl group Girls' Generation released a reworked version "Cooky" to promote the LG Cyon Cooky mobile phone.
  • In 2011, the song was parodied as "Moshi" for commercials advertising the website Moshi Monsters.
  • In 2012, Olivia Newton-John recorded the song for the soundtrack to her motion picture A Few Best Men. The song was the first single released from the album on 9 January 2012.

Songs which sample the Toni Basil recording

  • The entire structure of the Run–D.M.C. song "It's Tricky" was consciously lifted from Mickey. According to DMC: "I just changed the chorus around and we just talked about how this rap business can be tricky to a brother."[31]
  • Heidi Montag recorded a song titled "Bad Boy", which starts off sampling the song with "Bad boy you so fine, you so fine, you blow my mind."
  • Kylie Minogue blended "Mickey" with her own song "Heart Beat Rock" on her KylieX2008 tour. The word "Mickey" was replaced with "Minnie".

In popular culture

  • In the film Wayne's World, the song is sung by Tia Carrere and Mike Myers.
  • On September 25, 2009, a flash mob and orchestra performed a parody version ("Oh, Mackey, you're a swine. You're a swine, you blow my mind," etc.) inside a Whole Foods grocery store in Oakland, California, to protest Whole Foods' CEO John Mackey's public opposition to health care reform in the US, including his rejection of the principle that people have a right to health care.
  • Spanish TV show Sé lo que hicisteis... (I know what you did...) used to play the song to introduce one of the hosts, Micki Nadal.
  • The song is sung in a short scene on the American sitcom Friends, in the episode "The One Where They're Up All Night".
  • This song is sung in the show Napoleon Dynamite with the name "Rico" replacing "Mickey".
  • This song has been used twice in the animated American sitcom King of the Hill: Kahn sings and dances to it at the opening of "Three Days at the Kahn-do" and it is used during a montage for "The Powder Puff Boys".
  • The song is sung in the show George Lopez with the name "Ernie" replacing "Mickey", in the 2003 episode "Team Leader". Season 2, episode 22.
  • This song is featured in the 2012 video game Lollipop Chainsaw: It is played when Juliet, the player character, enters a temporary powered-up state. It is also unlockable as a background song.
  • The song is featured as part of the Riff-Off sequence of scenes in the 2012 film Pitch Perfect.
  • In the 2014 Doctor Who episode "Death in Heaven", Missy, the female incarnation of the long-running foe of the show the Master, sings the song at one point to taunt one of her enemies, changing the word Mickey to Missy for her version. In the series 9 opener, "The Magician's Apprentice", Missy uses the lyrics of the song to communicate with UNIT; in the same episode, the Doctor plays the chorus on his guitar.
  • A version of this song was performed by Vocal Adrenaline in the 6th season of Glee. The choir changed clothes to cheerleader outfits while singing and performed an extreme routine including human cannonballs.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Cateforis, Theo (2011). Are We Not New Wave? : Modern Pop at the Turn of the 1980s. University of Michigan Press. ISBN 0-472-03470-7.
  2. 1 2 Robbins, Ira. "Toni Basil". Trouser Press. Retrieved 13 June 2014.
  3. 1 2 "Mickey / Thief On The Loose". 45cat.com. Retrieved 25 June 2013.
  4. 1 2 Day, Adrienne (17 August 2012). "Vulture Investigates: Is Toni Basil's 'Mickey' Really About...Well, You Know?". Vulture. Retrieved 13 June 2014.
  5. ↑ "Toni Basil – Biography". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 12 June 2014.
  6. 1 2 3 "Toni Basil – Awards". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved 13 June 2014.
  7. ↑ Huey, Steve. "Toni Basil – Artist Biography". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved 13 June 2014.
  8. ↑ "Australia No. 1 hits -- 1980's". World Charts. Retrieved 9 June 2013.
  9. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Toni Basil – Mickey" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 5 June 2013.
  10. ↑ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 6192." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 5 June 2013.
  11. ↑ "Musicline.de – Toni Basil Single-Chartverfolgung" (in German). Media Control Charts. PhonoNet GmbH. Retrieved 5 June 2013.
  12. 1 2 "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Mickey". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 5 June 2013.
  13. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Toni Basil – Mickey" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 5 June 2013.
  14. ↑ "Charts.org.nz – Toni Basil – Mickey". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 5 June 2013.
  15. ↑ "South African Rock Lists Website SA Charts 1969 – 1989 Acts (B)". Rock.co.za. Retrieved 5 June 2013.
  16. ↑ "Archive Chart: 1982-03-06" UK Singles Chart. Retrieved 5 June 2013.
  17. ↑ CASH BOX Top 100 Singles – Week ending DECEMBER 18, 1982 at the Wayback Machine (archived 21 September 2012). Cash Box magazine. Retrieved 13 June 2014.
  18. ↑ "Forum – ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts – Top 100 End of Year AMR Charts – 1980s". Australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 13 June 2014.
  19. ↑ "Top Singles – Volume 37, No. 19, December 25, 1982". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 13 June 2014.
  20. ↑ The CASH BOX Year-End Charts: 1982 at the Wayback Machine (archived 21 September 2012). Cash Box magazine. Retrieved 13 June 2014.
  21. ↑ "Top Singles – Volume 39, No. 17, December 24, 1983". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 13 June 2014.
  22. ↑ "Top 100 Hits for 1983". The Longbored Surfer. Retrieved 13 June 2014.
  23. ↑ "Canadian single certifications – Toni Basil – Mickey". Music Canada.
  24. ↑ "British single certifications – Toni Basil – Mickey". British Phonographic Industry. Enter Mickey in the field Keywords. Select Title in the field Search by. Select single in the field By Format. Select Gold in the field By Award. Click Search
  25. ↑ "American single certifications – Toni Basil – Mickey". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH
  26. ↑ "Lolly (2) – Mickey". Discogs. Retrieved 13 June 2014.
  27. ↑ "Lolly (2) – Mickey – The Mixes". Discogs. Retrieved 13 June 2014.
  28. ↑ "Lolly (2) – Mickey". Discogs. Retrieved 13 June 2014.
  29. ↑ "Archive Chart: 1999-09-18" UK Singles Chart. Retrieved 24 June 2013.
  30. ↑ "Främling" (in Swedish). Svensk mediedatabas. Retrieved 3 October 2015.
  31. ↑ McLeod, Kembrew; DiCola, Peter (2011). Creative License: The Law and Culture of Digital Sampling. Duke University Press. p. 32. ISBN 978-0-8223-4875-7.
  32. ↑ "Nitty's Hey Bitty samples Toni Basil's Mickey". WhoSampled. Retrieved 11 July 2013.
  33. ↑ "Limp Bizkit's Nookie [Androids vs. Las Putas Remix] samples Toni Basil's Mickey". WhoSampled. Retrieved 11 July 2013.
  34. ↑ "Boards of Canada's Nine-Rubber Wisdom samples Toni Basil's Mickey". WhoSampled. Retrieved 11 July 2013.
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