"Mysterious Girl" is the second overall single and third British single from singer-songwriter Peter Andre's second studio album, Natural (1996). It was written by Glen Goldsmith, Philip Jackson, Ollie Jacobs and Andre, and produced by Jacobs & Mubs. The song features guest vocals from Caribbean rapper Bubbler Ranx. It was first released as a single by Melodian Records in Australia on 14 August 1995 and was issued in the United Kingdom the same year, but it was not until a re-release in 1996 that the song became a commercial success there.
During its original 1995–1996 release, "Mysterious Girl" peaked at number one in New Zealand and number two in the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. It was also a top-10 hit in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Sweden, and Switzerland. On the Eurochart Hot 100, the single reached number 11 in September 1996. In 2004, the song was once again re-released in Ireland and the UK, where it topped the UK Singles Chart following extensive promotion.
Critical receptionedit
Clem Bastow from The Guardian described "Mysterious Girl" as "a perennial classic from that peculiarly mid-90s period where reggae and dancehall had invaded the pop charts. It holds its own (perhaps due to the guest spot from Caribbean rapper Bubbler Ranx) alongside Maxi Priest's That Girl, Shaggy's Oh Carolina and Chaka Demus & Pliers' ebullient cover of Twist And Shout."[3] Pan-European magazine Music & Media wrote that "Andre's sunshine reggae single automatically conjures up tropical beaches, palm and coconut trees. As this summer seems to be without end, the chances look good for the Australian."[4] A reviewer from Music Week rated the song three out of five, adding, "After patiently building a UK fanbase, Australian Andre could make the Top 10 with this pleasant reggae track."[5]James Hamilton from the magazine's RM Dance Update described it as a "accomplished but derivative Chaka Demus & Pliers/UB40/Bitty McLean-ish catchy 85.9bpm pop-reggae roller".[6]
Chart performanceedit
The song reached the top of the charts in New Zealand and number eight in Australia, and it peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart. Following a lengthy campaign on The Chris Moyles Show in 2004,[7] and Andre's appearance on the British reality show I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here!, the song was re-released as the first single from Andre's fourth studio album The Long Road Back, peaking at number one in February 2004.[8] In Ireland, "Mysterious Girl" reached number three upon its initial release in 1996, but the 2004 reissue saw the song reach a new peak of number two.[9]
Music videoedit
Filmed in Thailand, the music video for "Mysterious Girl" depicts Ranx and Andre on a beach. There are montages of several women, Andre, and Ranx dancing in a lagoonshirtless and in their jeans. Andre is later seen dancing underneath a waterfall, a more iconic part of the video. Andre is last seen walking along the beach shirtless and later rolls in the sand as the sun sets. Clem Bastow from The Guardian wrote, "The video for the single was as much an advertisement for Andre’s personal trainer and spray-tan artist as it was a music video; the sight of him grooving in searingly blue tropical waters, proudly displaying his new look, was eye-popping (though not necessarily for the reasons he might have hoped)."[3]
Track listingsedit
Australian CD and cassette single; UK CD single (1995)[10][11][12]
^Fletcher, Alex (29 July 2009). "Ten Things You Never Knew About Peter Andre". Digital Spy.
^ abBastow, Clem (23 September 2014). "Mysterious Girl by Peter Andre – pop on the beach with a side of spray tan". The Guardian. Retrieved 7 October 2021.
^"New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. 26 August 1995. p. 7. Retrieved 27 February 2018.
^"Reviews" (PDF). Music Week. 18 May 1996. p. 8. Retrieved 17 August 2021.
^Hamilton, James (16 September 1995). "Dj directory" (PDF). Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental Insert). p. 11. Retrieved 12 May 2021.
^"Peter Andre | Free Music Download | Hot Topic at Peter-Andre.net". Archived from the original on 21 July 2011. Retrieved 17 December 2010.
^Mysterious Girl (Australian CD single liner notes). Peter Andre. Melodian Records. 1995. D11921.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^Mysterious Girl (Australian cassette single sleeve). Peter Andre. Melodian Records. 1995. C11921.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^Mysterious Girl (UK CD single liner notes). Peter Andre. Mushroom Records. 1995. D11921.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^Mysterious Girl (UK 7-inch single sleeve). Peter Andre. Mushroom Records. 1995. S11921.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^Mysterious Girl (UK CD1 liner notes). Peter Andre. Mushroom Records. 1996. D2000.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^Mysterious Girl (UK CD2 liner notes). Peter Andre. Mushroom Records. 1996. DX2000.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^Mysterious Girl (UK cassette single sleeve). Peter Andre. Mushroom Records. 1996. C2000.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^Mysterious Girl (Dutch CD single liner notes). Peter Andre. Mushroom Records. 1996. 74321 402052.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^Mysterious Girl (French CD single liner notes). Peter Andre. Mushroom Records, BMG France. 1996. 74321 40250 2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^Mysterious Girl (European maxi-CD single liner notes). Peter Andre. Mushroom Records. 1996. 74321 37847 2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^Mysterious Girl (UK CD single liner notes). Peter Andre. Warner Music UK. 2004. PA001CD.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^ ab"ARIA Top 50 Singles for 1995". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 29 July 2019.
^"Jahreshitparade Singles 1996" (in German). Retrieved 29 July 2019.
^"Jaaroverzichten 1996" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Retrieved 29 July 2019.
^"Rapports annuels 1996" (in French). Ultratop. Retrieved 29 July 2019.
^"1996 Year-End Sales Charts: Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 13, no. 51/52. 12 December 1996. p. 12. Retrieved 18 December 2019.
^"Tops de L'année | Top Singles 1996" (in French). SNEP. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
^"Top 100 Single–Jahrescharts 1996" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 7 August 2015.
^"Jaaroverzichten – Single 1996" (in Dutch). MegaCharts. Retrieved 29 July 2019.