Heart of Stone (Bucks Fizz song)
"Heart of Stone" | ||||
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Single by Bucks Fizz | ||||
from the album The Story So Far | ||||
B-side | "Here's Looking at You" | |||
Released | 25 October 1988 | |||
Format | 7" single, CD single, 12" single | |||
Recorded | October 1988 | |||
Genre | Pop rock | |||
Length | 4:22 | |||
Label | RCA | |||
Writer(s) | Andy Hill and Pete Sinfield | |||
Producer(s) | Andy Hill | |||
Bucks Fizz singles chronology | ||||
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"Heart of Stone" is a song written by Andy Hill and Pete Sinfield for the band Bucks Fizz in 1988, and recorded by the band at Abbey Road Studios in London. The following year it was recorded by Cher as the title track of her album of the same name.[1]
Bucks Fizz version
"Heart of Stone" was originally recorded by Bucks Fizz and released as a single in 1988. It was the group's 20th single and their last one to chart, reaching number 50 on the UK Singles Chart in November 1988.[2] The single was accompanied by a Promotional video of the group performing the song inside and outside of a country mansion.[3] The mansion was owned by Robin Gibb of the Bee Gees who claimed that his house was haunted by the ghost of a gardener who enjoys playing pranks on the Gibb family. As a reference to this, a gardener was fleetingly seen in some shots.[4]
Soon after this, the group released The Story so Far, a greatest hits album, which featured "Heart of Stone" as the only new track (at a shortened 3:58). Bucks Fizz recorded several other songs at this time, but due to the low chart position of this single, went unreleased until they were unearthed for a compilation album of unreleased Bucks Fizz songs, The Lost Masters in 2006. Member Cheryl Baker later recorded a lead vocal for the track which was also included on The Lost Masters collection. Journalist Mark Frith said that the song was "a gusty pop classic".[5]
Track listing
7" single
- "Heart of Stone" (4.22)
- "Here's Looking at You" (5.49)
12" single
- "Heart of Stone" (4.29)
- "Here's Looking at You" (5.49)
- "My Camera Never Lies" (3.43)
Cher version
"Heart of Stone" | ||||||||||
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Single by Cher | ||||||||||
from the album Heart of Stone | ||||||||||
B-side | "All Because of You" | |||||||||
Released | January 23, 1990 | |||||||||
Recorded | November 1988 | |||||||||
Genre | Pop rock | |||||||||
Length | 4:18 | |||||||||
Label | Geffen | |||||||||
Writer(s) | Andy Hill and Pete Sinfield | |||||||||
Producer(s) | Peter Asher | |||||||||
Cher singles chronology | ||||||||||
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"Heart of Stone" is the fourth North American and third European single release from American singer/actress Cher's nineteenth studio album Heart of Stone. The video featured Cher in a dark room with old clips of herself projected onto screens in the background. The video was shot in the first week of 1990. It made the Top 20 in the United States, Ireland and Poland. It narrowly missed the Top 40 in the UK. Her vocal range spans from a D3 and belting up to an Eb5, making her vocal range here about 2 octaves and a semi-tone.
Live performances
Cher performed the song on the following concert tours:
- Heart of Stone Tour (omitted from some dates)
- Do You Believe? Tour (dropped from the show's setlist after the first few shows)
- The Farewell Tour (sung on the first leg, the second leg and the final two shows of the tour)
- Dressed to Kill Tour
Track listing
Heart Of Stone CD Single[6]
- "Heart of Stone" (LP version) (4:18)
- "Heart of Stone" (Remix) (4:16)
- "All Because of You"
Charts
Chart (1990) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australia (ARIA)[7] | 70 |
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[8] | 26 |
Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)[9] | 31 |
Ireland (IRMA)[10] | 24 |
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[11] | 43 |
US Billboard Hot 100[12] | 20 |
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[13] | 30 |
References
- ↑ (Bucks Fizz Guitarist) Ian Bairnson site with song clip
- ↑ Chart Stats - Bucks Fizz - Heart Of Stone
- ↑ Bucksfizztheearlyyears.co.uk - "Heart of Stone" Video shots
- ↑ Brothersgibb.org Article on the mansion with references to the ghosts
- ↑ Mark Frith, Classic Pop Magazine, issue #5. June/July 2013. Anthem publishing
- ↑ "Heart Of Stone Single".
- ↑ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988-2010. Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing.
- ↑ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 9018." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved November 3, 2015.
- ↑ "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 1240." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved November 3, 2015.
- ↑ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Heart of Stone". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved November 3, 2015.
- ↑ "Cher: Artist Chart History" Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 3, 2015.
- ↑ "Cher – Chart history" Billboard Hot 100 for Cher. Retrieved November 3, 2015.
- ↑ "Cher – Chart history" Billboard Adult Contemporary for Cher. Retrieved November 3, 2015.