Cruel Summer (song)

"Cruel Summer"

Standard picture sleeve
Single by Bananarama
from the album Bananarama
B-side "Cairo"
Released 27 June 1983
Format
Recorded April 1983
Genre
Length 3:35
Label London
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) Jolley & Swain
Bananarama singles chronology
"Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye"
(1983)		 "Cruel Summer"
(1983)		 "Robert De Niro's Waiting..."
(1984)

"Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye"
(1983)		 "Cruel Summer"
(1983)		 "Robert De Niro's Waiting..."
(1984)
"Help!"
(1989) Help!1989
"Cruel Summer '89"
(1989) Cruel Summer '891989
"Megarama '89"
(1989) Megarama '891989
Audio sample
  • file
  • help

"Cruel Summer" is a song by the English girl group Bananarama. The song was a top-ten hit on the UK Singles Chart in 1983, and the Billboard Hot 100 in 1984.

Bananarama singer Sara Dallin said the song "played on the darker side (of summer songs): it looked at the oppressive heat, the misery of wanting to be with someone as the summer ticked by. We've all been there!"[1] It was ranked number 44 on VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of the '80s.[2] Billboard named the song #13 on their list of 100 Greatest Girl Group Songs of All Time.[3]

History

"Cruel Summer" was not an immediate international success when it was released. Although it reached No.8 on the UK Singles Chart, its international popularity soared after its inclusion in the 1984 feature film The Karate Kid; this was a year after the song's original release (the song was released in 1984 in the U.S.). The group did not allow the song to be included on the film's soundtrack album, but it still reached No.9 in the U.S., their first top ten hit there. When Bananarama were still struggling to make money in their early years, they even performed the song at a beauty contest in Hawaii.

The song has since been revived in various forms. It has appeared in several television commercials, and was covered by other acts, such as Ace of Base, who scored an international hit with it (their version even reached gold in the US), and Blestenation on the Blue Crush soundtrack. In 2003, Swedish electronica female artist Sophie Rimheden sampled the beat and bassline from the song on the track "In Your Mind" of her album HiFi. In 2011, Athens, Ohio-based rock band Downplay covered the song on their album Beyond the Machine.

Since its success, the group have recorded another three versions of the song. "Cruel Summer '89" was recorded with new member Jacquie O'Sullivan in 1989, and given a new jack swing makeover. It reached number 19 on the UK singles chart in June. This version was not included on any Bananarama album until 2005's Really Saying Something: The Platinum Collection.

Another version of the song was recorded and featured on their 2001 album Exotica. This version featured Latin instrumentation and additional lyrics, but it was not released as a single. They released another updated version in 2009, as a B-side of their single "Love Comes".

The song was also featured as the theme tune of the first series of Trouble's reality show of the same name, where a group of young adults was sent off to a holiday camp, only to be tortured and humiliated in an attempt to win a large sum of money.

Music video

The music video was shot in New York City in the summer of 1983 and features a take on the American TV show The Dukes of Hazzard, with a bumbling cop duo who chase the girls as they make their escape in a truck (at one point, Bananarama members throw bananas at a trailing police car).

"[It] was just an excuse to get us to the fabled city of New York for the first time," Siobhan Fahey has said. She recalled the shoot, conducted during a heatwave, as a difficult experience. "It was August, over one hundred degrees. Our HQ was a tavern under the Brooklyn Bridge, which had a ladies' room with a chipped mirror where we had to do our makeup."[4]

After an exhausting morning shooting in the city in brutal August heat, the band returned to the tavern for lunch. They made the acquaintance of some local dockworkers, who, upon learning of their situation, shared vials of cocaine with them. "That was our lunch" said Fahey, who had never tried the drug before. "When you watch that video, we look really tired and miserable in the scenes we shot before lunch, and then the after-lunch shots are all euphoric and manic."[4]

The music video for the 1989 remix was a compilation of different shots from Bananarama's earlier videoclips. Notably missing are clips from the original 1983 video. Fahey is only featured in a pair of frames. Bananarama were unable to record a proper video for the song, because they were in the middle of a world tour at the time of its release.

As well as being featured in The Karate Kid, the song is featured in the Knight Rider episode "K.I.T.T vs K.A.R.R".

Track listing

UK & USA 7" vinyl single

UK: London Records NANA 5 / USA: London Records 810 127-7

  1. "Cruel Summer" (Album Version) 3:35
  2. "Cruel Summer" (Summer Dub) 3:30
UK & USA 12" vinyl single

UK: London Records NANX 5 / USA: London Records 810 291-1

  1. "Cruel Summer" (Extended Version) 4:55
  2. "Cruel Summer" (Summer Dub) 5:15
  3. "Cairo" 3:15

Cruel Summer '89

UK CD single
  1. "Cruel Summer '89" (Swing Beat Version) 3:22
    Remixed by Freddy Bastone
    Also available from CD the albums The Works, Now That's What I Call Music 15 and Really Saying Something: The Platinum Collection.
  2. "Venus" (The Greatest Remix Edit) 3:42
    Remixed by Phil Harding & Ian Curnow
  3. "I Heard a Rumour" (Corporation of Bananarama Remix) 5:44
    Remixed by Freddy Bastone
Japanese 3-inch CD single
  1. "Cruel Summer '89" (Swing Beat Dub) 5:20
    Remixed by Freddy Bastone
    Also available from the CD albums The Greatest Remixes Collection and The Very Best of Bananarama.
  2. "I Heard a Rumour" (Corporation of Bananarama Remix) 5:44
    Remixed by Freddy Bastone
  3. "Venus" (The Greatest Remix) 7:57
    Remixed by Phil Harding and Ian Curnow
Other versions
  1. "Cruel Summer" (2001 Version) 4:05
    Taken from the album Exotica
  2. "Cruel Summer" (Digital Mix) 6:03
    Taken from the album The Twelve Inches of Bananarama
  3. "Cruel Summer '09"
    B-Side of "Love Comes" single

Personnel

Bananarama

Chart performance

Original version

Chart (1983–1984) Peak
position
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[5] 40
Canadian RPM Top Singles[6] 33
France (SNEP)[7] 5
Germany (Media Control Charts)[8] 24
Irish Singles Chart[9] 7
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[10] 48
South African Chart[11] 3
UK (Official Charts Company)[12] 8
U.S. Billboard Hot 100[13] 9
U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play[14] 11
U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary[15] 44
Chart (1985) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[16] 32
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[17] 32

Cruel Summer '89

Chart (1989) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA Chart)[18] 158
Germany (Media Control Charts)[19] 24
Irish Singles Chart[9] 16
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[20] 22
UK (Official Charts Company)[12] 19

Ace of Base version

"Cruel Summer"

Scandinavian cover
Single by Ace of Base
from the album Flowers and Cruel Summer
B-side "Into the Night of Blue"
Released 7 July 1998 (1998-07-07)
Format CD single, cassette single, 12" single
Genre Pop, Eurodance, Dance-pop
Length 4:05 (big bonus mix / normal version)
3:33 (Cutfather & Joe mix)
Label Mega
Songwriter(s) Sara Dallin, Siobhan Fahey, Keren Woodward, Steve Jolley, Tony Swain
Producer(s) Stephen Hague, Jonas "Joker" Berggren, Ulf "Buddha" Ekberg, Johnny Jam & Delgado
Ace of Base singles chronology
"Life Is a Flower"
(1998)		 "Cruel Summer"
(1998)		 "Whenever You're Near Me"
(1998)

"Life Is a Flower"
(1998)		 "Cruel Summer"
(1998)		 "Whenever You're Near Me"
(1998)
Music video
"Cruel Summer" on YouTube

In 1998, the Swedish pop group Ace of Base recorded the song at the request of their German and American record labels PolyGram and Arista Records. It was released as the second single from their third album Flowers and as the lead single from the American version of the album titled Cruel Summer. A different "dancier" version of the song (known as the Big Bonus mix on the album), produced by Stephen Hague, Jonas "Joker" Berggren, Ulf "Buddha" Ekberg, and Johnny Jam & Delgado, was released on mainland Europe and in the United Kingdom. The original album version, produced by Cutfather & Joe, was released in North America.

"Cruel Summer" reached number 10 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and was certified gold. In the United Kingdom, the song reached number eight on the UK Singles Chart, matching the peak of the original Bananarama version. It also became Ace of Base' fifth and final top 10 single in the UK.

Music video

A music videos was filmed and directed by Nigel Dick. There are three versions of the video:

The original video and the video using the Big Bonus Mix contain identical and similar footage, whereas the Frenglish version contains completely new footage.

Track listings

  1. "Cruel Summer" (normal version) – 4:05
  2. "Cruel Summer" (Cutfather & Joe edit) – 3:33
  1. "Cruel Summer" (normal version) – 4:05
  2. "Cruel Summer" (Cutfather & Joe mix) – 3:33
  3. "Cruel Summer" (Hartmann & Langhoff radio edit) – 3:23
  4. "Cruel Summer" (Hartmann & Langhoff club) – 7:45
  5. "Into the Night of Blue" (bonus track)" – 4:11
  1. "Cruel Summer" (KLM club mix) – 10:27
  2. "Cruel Summer" (Hani Num club mix) – 8:13
  3. "Cruel Summer" (Soul Poets House Bust) – 3:40
  4. "Cruel Summer" (Hartmann & Langhoff club) – 7:45
UK CD 1
  1. Cutfather and Joe Mix
  2. Big Bonus Mix
  3. Hartmann and Langhoff Short Mix
  4. Hartmann and Langhoff Club Mix
UK CD 2
  1. "Cruel Summer" (Cutfather and Joe Mix)
  2. "Don't Turn Around" (The 7" Aswad Mix)
  3. "Beautiful Life" (Single Version)
US Maxi CD
  1. Album Version a.k.a. Cutfather and Joe Mix
  2. Hani Radio Mix a.k.a. Blazin' Rhythm Remix
  3. KLM Radio Mix
  4. Hani Num Club Mix
  5. KLM Club Mix
US Promo 12" Vinyl
  1. KLM Dub 1
  2. KLM Beats
  3. Hani Dub
  4. KLM Short Dub

Chart performance

Weekly charts

Chart (1998) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[21] 59
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[22] 28
Belgium (Ultratip Flanders)[23] 3
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[24] 27
Canadian Singles Chart[25] 5
Chile Hot 100 5
Denmark (Tracklisten) 5
Europe European Hot 100 Singles 16
France (SNEP) 24
Germany (Official German Charts)[26] 28
MTV Europe 6
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[27] 55
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[28] 40
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[29] 33
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[30] 21
South African Chart 3
UK (Official Charts Company)[31] 8
U.S. Billboard Adult Top 40[32] 33
U.S. Billboard Hot 100[32] 10
U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary[32] 22
U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play[32] 10
U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales[32] 6
U.S. Billboard Rhythmic Top 40[32] 29
U.S. Billboard Top 40 Mainstream[32] 20

Year-end charts

Chart (1998) Position
U.S. Billboard Hot 100[33] 66

Sales and certifications

Region Certification Certified units/Sales
United States (RIAA)[34] Gold 500,000[35]

Ace of Base and Alliage version

"Cruel Summer"
Single by Ace of Base & Alliage
from the album Musics
Released 30 June 1998[36]
Recorded Rock-stone Studios, London
Genre Pop, house
Length 3:24
Label Baxter, Mercury, PolyGram
Songwriter(s) Sara Dallin, Siobhan Fahey, Keren Woodward, Steve Jolley, Tony Swain, Daniel Moyne, Jean-Toussaint Tosi
Producer(s) Steve Mac
Alliage singles chronology
"Je sais"
(1998)		 "Cruel Summer"
(1998)		 "Je I'aime à mourir"
(1998)

"Je sais"
(1998)		 "Cruel Summer"
(1998)		 "Je I'aime à mourir"
(1998)
Ace of Base singles chronology
"Life Is a Flower"
(1998) Life Is a Flower1998		 "Cruel Summer"
(1998) Cruel Summer1998		 "Whenever You're Near Me"
(1998) Whenever You're Near Me1998
Music video
"Cruel Summer" (Ace of Base / Alliage version) on YouTube

Ace of Base united with the French boy band Alliage and re-recorded as a duet in a release designed specifically for the French markets. It is bilingual in English and French with added lyrics to the original. Ace of Base also performed the song live on French television joined by Alliage.

The joint version peaked at #24 in SNEP, the official French Singles Chart.

Chart Peak
position
France (SNEP)[37] 24

Rico Bernasconi vs Ace of Base version

"Cruel Summer"
Single by Rico Bernasconi vs Ace of Base
Released 2009
Genre House, progressive house, electronic dance
Songwriter(s) Sara Dallin, Siobhan Fahey, Keren Woodward, Steve Jolley, Tony Swain
Music video
"Cruel Summer" (Rico Bernasconi vs Ace of Base version) on YouTube

Rico Bernasconi released a remix EP with 8 remix versions of Ace of Base version of "Cruel Summer" which peaked at #69 in Germany.[38]

Track list

  1. "Cruel Summer (Screen Mix)" (3:19)
  2. "Cruel Summer (Tom Pulse Sunshine Radio Mix)" (3:00)
  3. "Cruel Summer (Original Club Mix)" (6:21)
  4. "Cruel Summer (Tom Pulse Sunshine Club Mix)" (5:24)
  5. "Cruel Summer (Max Farenthide Remix)" (5:48)
  6. "Cruel Summer (DJ Tom Cut Remix)" (5:26)
  7. "Cruel Summer (DJ Tomekk vs. Anady Club Remix)" (6:10)
  8. "Cruel Summer (Chris Galmon vs. Christopher GrEy Club Mix)" (6:13)

Other versions

References

  1. ↑ Rogers, Jude (22 July 2009). "What makes a great summer pop hit?". The Guardian.
  2. ↑ "VH1: 100 Greatest Songs of the 80's". Rock on the Net. Retrieved 6 February 2017.
  3. ↑ "100 Greatest Girl Group Songs of All Time: Critics' Picks". Billboard. Retrieved July 11, 2017.
  4. 1 2 Marks, Craig; Tannenbaum, Rob (2011). I Want My MTV: The Uncensored Story of the Music Video Revolution. New York, NY: Dutton. p. 271. ISBN 978-0-525-95230-5.
  5. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Bananarama – Cruel Summer" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  6. ↑ "Cruel summer in Canadian Top Singles Chart". Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 24 June 2013.
  7. ↑ "Cruel summer in French Chart" (in French). Dominic DURAND / InfoDisc. 24 June 2013. Archived from the original on 20 September 2013. Retrieved 24 June 2013. You have to use the index at the top of the page and search "Bananarama"
  8. ↑ "Bananarama – Cruel Summer" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 6 February 2017.
  9. 1 2 "The Irish Charts – All there is to know > Search results for 'Cruel Summer'". Fireball Media. Retrieved 6 February 2017.
  10. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Bananarama – Cruel Summer" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  11. ↑ John Samson. "Cruel summer in South African Chart". Retrieved 24 June 2013.
  12. 1 2 "Official Charts > Bananarama". The Official UK Charts Company. Retrieved 6 February 2017.
  13. ↑ "Billboard > Artists / Bananarama > Chart History > The Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved 6 February 2017.
  14. ↑ "allmusic > Bananarama". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 29 October 2012. Retrieved 6 February 2017.
  15. ↑ "Billboard > Artists / Bananarama > Chart History > Adult Contemporary". Billboard. Retrieved 6 February 2017.
  16. ↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. Australian Chart Book, St Ives, N.S.W. p. 25. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  17. ↑ "Charts.org.nz – Bananarama – Cruel Summer". Top 40 Singles.
  18. ↑ "Response from ARIA re: chart inquiry, received 5 June 2015". imgur.com. Archived from the original on 5 June 2015. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
  19. ↑ "Bananarama – Cruel Summer '89" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 6 February 2017.
  20. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Bananarama – Cruel Summer '89". Swiss Singles Chart.
  21. ↑ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010. Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing.
  22. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Ace of Base – Cruel Summer" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  23. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Ace of Base – Cruel Summer" (in Dutch). Ultratip.
  24. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Ace of Base – Cruel Summer" (in French). Ultratop 50.
  25. ↑ AllMusic. Ace of Base | Ace of Base award on AllMusic.
  26. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Ace of Base – Cruel Summer". GfK Entertainment Charts.
  27. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Ace of Base – Cruel Summer" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  28. ↑ "Charts.org.nz – Ace of Base – Cruel Summer". Top 40 Singles.
  29. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Ace of Base – Cruel Summer". Singles Top 100.
  30. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Ace of Base – Cruel Summer". Swiss Singles Chart.
  31. ↑ "1998 Top 40 Official UK Singles Archive – 10th October 1998". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 24 June 2013.
  32. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Ace of Base awards on AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 26 June 2013.
  33. ↑ "Billboard Top 100 – 1998". Archived from the original on 9 March 2009. Retrieved 2010-08-28.
  34. ↑ "American single certifications – Ace of Base – Cruel Summer". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH
  35. ↑ "Best-Selling Records of 1998". Billboard. BPI Communications Inc. 111 (5): 75. 30 January 1999. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved 3 June 2015.
  36. ↑ "Alliage & Ace Of Base - Cruel Summer". Discogs.
  37. ↑ Hung Medien. "Cruel summer in French Chart". Retrieved 24 June 2013.
  38. ↑ "Cruel summer in German Chart". Media control. Retrieved 24 June 2013.
  39. ↑ "Cruel Summer". 17 February 2017.
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