Follow Me (Amanda Lear song)

"Follow Me"
Single by Amanda Lear
from the album Sweet Revenge
B-side "Mother, Look What They've Done to Me"
"Run Baby Run" (Spain)
"Enigma (Give a Bit of Mmh to Me)" (Canada)
Released 1978
Format 7"
Genre Euro disco
Length 3:52
Label Ariola Records
Songwriter(s) Anthony Monn, Amanda Lear
Producer(s) Anthony Monn
Amanda Lear singles chronology
"Queen of Chinatown"
(1977)		 "Follow Me"
(1978)		 "Run Baby Run"
(1978)

"Queen of Chinatown"
(1977)		 "Follow Me"
(1978)		 "Run Baby Run"
(1978)

"Follow Me" - a song by French singer Amanda Lear released in 1978 by Ariola Records.

Song information

"Follow Me" was released as the first single from Amanda's second album, Sweet Revenge, in the spring of 1978. The B-side of the single was "Mother, Look What They've Done to Me" in most countries. The only exception to this in Europe was Spain, with "Run Baby Run", that would later become the second A-side release off the album, and where the single bore the subtitle "Sigueme".[1] In Canada, the B-side was "Enigma (Give a Bit of Mmh to Me)", later a separate single from the album.

Amanda Lear wrote the song lyrics herself, as she did on every Sweet Revenge track, and the music was composed by Anthony Monn, her long-time producer and collaborator. Musically, "Follow Me" showcased mainstream disco sound, popular in the second half of the 1970s. However, it contained symphonic elements and revealed inspiration from the innovatory work of German band Kraftwerk.[2] Lyrically, the song tells about seduction. It was the first of five Sweet Revenge tracks, that made a compact whole on the album, a conceptual suite telling a story about a girl being tempted by a Devil. An alternative version of "Follow Me" tops the suite, billed as "Follow Me (Reprise)" and containing different lyrics. A 10-minute Wally MacDonald remix of the song was released in Canada, which was a blend of the original version and the reprise.

The song turned out to be Amanda's biggest hit to date and her trademark tune. The single reached Top 10 in no less than six European countries, including Germany and the Netherlands, and sold in an estimated number of 2 million copies worldwide.[3] The singer performed it in a number of television shows, including Disco or Musikladen.

The song was most recently featured in the film, Dallas Buyers Club.

Re-recordings

Amanda recorded several remakes of "Follow Me" in later years to revive her career. In 1987 the song was remixed and released both on 7" and 12" singles. Two years later English DJ Ian Levine produced a Hi-NRG versions of "Follow Me" and "Gold" which were released as a commercial double A-side single, on both vinyl and CD.[4]

1993 saw the release of another version of "Follow Me". This time Lear provided the remake with newly recorded vocal and included it on her comeback studio album Cadavrexquis. That version didn't make a single release, but a video was shot for it and two years later Lear sang it at the La fièvre du disco concert held in Paris. The song was recorded again in 1998 for the Back in Your Arms album. Lear also recorded another version in the early 2000s (decade).

In 2006 Spanish singer Pedro Marín covered the song on his record Diamonds, a tribute album including interpretations of chosen Amanda Lear's tracks.[5] His version was released as a single.

Music video

In 1978 Amanda Lear shot the "Follow Me" music video for German TV show Musikladen. It presents Amanda Lear singing the title song in front of the camera. The singer wears a dark coat and after she takes it off, her characteristic bright pink outfit is revealed. Amanda's picture from the Sweet Revenge album cover is being shown behind her as well as night sky full of stars. The clip was produced using the bluescreen technique, like every other video that Lear made for Musikladen.

Also in 1978, another videoclip for the song was produced, this time as a part of Italian TV show Stryx. Amanda again wore a dark coat in it, only this time revealing another costume underneath. The video was directed by Enzo Trapani. In the early 1980s Lear's Italian television special Ma chi è Amanda? premiered, which included a new "Follow Me" video.

Music video was produced for the 1993 re-recording, with Amanda Lear performing the song in front of a green background.

Track listing

A. "Follow Me" - 3:52
B. "Mother, Look What They've Done to Me" - 4:25
A. "Follow Me (Sigueme)" - 3:55
B. "Run Baby Run" - 4:25
A. "Follow Me" - 10:48
B. "Enigma (Give a Bit of Mmh to Me)" - 5:08
A. "Follow Me" (New Mix) - 3:49
B. "I'm a Mistery" - 4:35
A. "Follow Me" (The Special 1987 Mix) - 7:18
B1. "Follow Me" (Radio Mix) - 3:49
B2. "I'm a Mistery" (Remix) - 5:18

Chart performance

Chart (1978) Peak
position
Germany[11] 3
Austria[12] 6
Switzerland[13] 7
Netherlands[14] 3
Italy[15] 9
France[16] 6
South Africa[17] 3

References

  1. 1 2 "FOLLOW ME 1978 Spain". amandalear_singoli.tripod.com. Retrieved 2011-04-30.
  2. ↑ "Amanda Lear Biography". www.eurodancehits.com. Retrieved 2011-04-30.
  3. ↑ "Amanda Lear is back!". www.innastrona.pl (in Polish). Archived from the original on 2004-01-17. Retrieved 2009-11-23.
  4. ↑ "GOLD/FOLLOW ME 1989 Germany". amandalear_singoli.tripod.com. Retrieved 2011-04-30.
  5. ↑ "Pedro Marin Diamonds (cd) Disco Compact Discs & MP3s". www.discomusic.com. Archived from the original on 2012-07-28. Retrieved 2011-04-29.
  6. ↑ "Amanda Lear - Follow Me (Vinyl) at Discogs". www.discogs.com. Retrieved 2011-04-30.
  7. ↑ "FOLLOW ME 1978 Austria". amandalear_singoli.tripod.com. Retrieved 2011-04-30.
  8. ↑ "Amanda Lear - Follow Me (Vinyl) at Discogs". www.discogs.com. Retrieved 2011-04-30.
  9. ↑ "Follow Me 1987 Germany". amandalear_singoli.tripod.com. Retrieved 2011-04-30.
  10. ↑ "Amanda Lear - Follow Me (The Special 1987-Mix) (Vinyl) at Discogs". www.discogs.com. Retrieved 2011-04-30.
  11. ↑ "Chartverfolgung / LEAR,AMANDA / Single". Musicline.de (in German). Retrieved 2009-10-08.
  12. ↑ "Discographie Amanda Lear". austriancharts.at (in German). Archived from the original on 2010-10-30. Retrieved 2009-09-23.
  13. ↑ "Amanda Lear". hitparade.ch (in German). Retrieved 2009-09-23.
  14. ↑ "Discografie Amanda Lear". dutchcharts.nl (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 2012-10-22. Retrieved 2009-09-23.
  15. ↑ "Indice per Interprete: L". www.hitparadeitalia.it (in Italian). Retrieved 2009-10-08.
  16. ↑ "Tous les Albums classés par Artiste". www.infodisc.fr (in French). Archived from the original on 2010-06-21. Retrieved 2010-05-11.
  17. ↑ "SA Charts 1969 - 1989 Acts (L)". www.rock.co.za. Retrieved 2009-10-08.
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