She Drives Me Crazy

Summary

"She Drives Me Crazy" is a song by British group Fine Young Cannibals, released in 1988 by London Records as the first single from their second and final album, The Raw & the Cooked (1989). "She Drives Me Crazy" peaked at number five on the UK Singles Chart in January 1989, becoming the band's highest charting single.[3] The single proved an even bigger hit in the US, topping the Billboard Hot 100 on 15 April 1989 for one week and becoming the first of two chart-topping singles for the band on that chart. "She Drives Me Crazy" also reached No.1 on the Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play Singles chart,[4] as well as in countries including Australia, Austria, Canada, New Zealand and Spain. It reached the top 3 on several European charts including Belgium, West Germany, Iceland, Ireland and Switzerland.

"She Drives Me Crazy"
Standard artwork for original 1988 release
Single by Fine Young Cannibals
from the album The Raw & the Cooked
B-side"Pull the Sucker Off"
Released26 December 1988
StudioPaisley Park, Chanhassen, Minnesota, US
Genre
Length
  • 3:38 (LP version)
  • 3:48 (single remix)
LabelLondon Records
Songwriter(s)Roland Gift, David Steele
Producer(s)David Z, Fine Young Cannibals
Fine Young Cannibals singles chronology
"Ever Fallen in Love (With Someone You Shouldn't've)"
(1987)
"She Drives Me Crazy"
(1988)
"Good Thing"
(1989)
Music video
"She Drives Me Crazy" on YouTube

In 2018, Time Out magazine listed "She Drives Me Crazy" at No. 28 in their countdown of "The 50 Best '80s Songs".[5] In 2023, Billboard magazine ranked it No. 77 in their "500 Best Pop Songs of All Time".[6] American country artist Dolly Parton included a reimagined country cover version on her 2008 album Backwoods Barbie.

Background and recording edit

Co-produced by Prince associate David Z, the track was recorded in Studio B of Prince's Paisley Park complex outside of Minneapolis. The unique snare drum "pop" sound was created by recording the snare drum portion separately. A speaker was then placed on top of the snare drum, and a microphone below. The original recording of the snare drum part was played back through the speaker and re-recorded.[7]

Critical reception edit

Jo-Ann Greene from AllMusic stated that the song "features the most unique, and instantly identifiable, beat/riff combination of the decade."[8] The Daily Vault's Christopher Thelen noted that "She Drives Me Crazy", "with its synthesized drums, was a great party song - Gift's falsetto delivery which went into a full-fledged roar was perfect for the track. Even the guitar work fits the track - from the jangly jazz riffs to the crunch of the power chords."[9] Pan-European magazine Music & Media described it as a "subtly persuasive pop number that is sure to attract major airplay on pop and rock radio."[10] Pop Rescue called it a "real gem with plenty of guitar, interesting vocals and beeping synth layers."[11] Andy Strickland from Record Mirror wrote, "Always interesting, always a few surprises and this is no exception from the bandy trio. A stuttering pop record that's too slow to dance to and too fast to smooch to. The FYCs always sprinkle some interesting sounds over their records and here we have funky guitar breaks, heavy metal chords and plenty of things going boing, clicky click ding."[12] James Hamilton from the magazine's DJ Directory deemed it a "haunting sparse jittery tapped then chunky rock guitar chorded whinneying falsetto 108½bpm lurcher".[13]

Music video edit

Two music videos were produced for the song, one by Philippe Decouflé[14][15] and another by Pedro Romhanyi.[16]

The video received several nominations at the 1989 MTV Video Music Awards, including "Best Video".[citation needed]

Re-release edit

 
CD edition of the 1996/97 re-release

The song was re-released in 1997 in support of Fine Young Cannibals' compilation album The Finest. It included a remix by Roger Sanchez, as well as Mousse T. remixes of "Johnny Come Home". The single reached No. 36 on the UK Singles Chart.

Track listings edit

  • 7" single
  1. "She Drives Me Crazy" – 3:35
  2. "Pull the Sucker Off" – 3:34
  • 12" single
  1. "She Drives Me Crazy" (David Z Remix) - 7:05
  2. "She Drives Me Crazy" (Driven Crazy Dub) - 5:33
  3. "She Drives Me Crazy (Justin Strauss Remix) - 7:39
  4. "She Drives Me Crazy (Single Remix) - 3:48
  • CD maxi
  1. "She Drives Me Crazy" - 3:35
  2. "Pull the Sucker Off" - 3:37
  3. "Tired of Getting Pushed Around" (The Mayhem Rhythm Remix) - 6:37
  • CD maxi (1997 Re-release)
  1. "She Drives Me Crazy" (Original 7") - 3:36
  2. "She Drives Me Crazy" (Roger Sanchez Radio Edit) - 3:33
  3. "Johnny Come Home" (Mousse T. Edit) - 4:06
  4. "Johnny Come Home" (Mousse T. Cocktail Mix) - 4:13

Personnel edit

Charts edit

Certifications edit

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[44] Platinum 70,000^
Canada (Music Canada)[58] Gold 50,000^
Germany (BVMI)[59] Gold 250,000^
Sweden (GLF)[60] Gold 25,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[61] Platinum 600,000
United States (RIAA)[62] Gold 500,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References edit

  1. ^ Breihan, Tom (28 July 2021). "Fine Young Cannibals' 'Good Thing'". Stereogum. Retrieved 26 August 2022.
  2. ^ a b c Billboard Staff (19 October 2023). "The 500 Best Pop Songs: Staff List". Billboard. Retrieved 24 February 2024. But its blend of funk, soul, rock and pop melodies into something a little weird and wonderful proved alchemical...
  3. ^ "Official Charts; Fine Young Cannibals. Retrieved 19 October 2018". Official Charts.
  4. ^ "Fine Young Cannibals Artist Biography by Ed Nimmervoll - Awards". Allmusic.com. Retrieved 11 March 2014.
  5. ^ "The 50 best '80s songs". Time Out. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
  6. ^ "The 500 Best Pop Songs: Staff List". Billboard. 19 October 2023. Retrieved 20 October 2023.
  7. ^ Daley, Dan (1 March 2001). "Classic Tracks: Fine Young Cannibals' "She Drives Me Crazy"". Retrieved 28 November 2020.
  8. ^ Greene, Jo-Ann. "Fine Young Cannibals – The Raw & the Cooked". AllMusic. Retrieved 10 November 2020.
  9. ^ Thelen, Christopher (2 June 1997). "The Raw And The Cooked – Fine Young Cannibals". The Daily Vault. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
  10. ^ "Previews: Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. 21 January 1989. p. 25. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
  11. ^ "Review: "The Raw & The Cooked" By Fine Young Cannibals (CD, 1988)". Pop Rescue. 7 October 2015. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
  12. ^ Strickland, Andy (7 January 1989). "45". Record Mirror. p. 29. Retrieved 25 August 2021.
  13. ^ Hamilton, James (28 January 1989). "DJ Directory — Pop Dance". Record Mirror. p. 39. Retrieved 25 August 2021.
  14. ^ Compagnie DCA - Philippe Decouflé Archived 15 September 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  15. ^ "mvdbase.com: "She Drives Me Crazy" (version 1)". Archived from the original on 5 June 2011. Retrieved 27 March 2010.
  16. ^ "mvdbase.com: "She Drives Me Crazy" (version 2)". Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 5 August 2008.
  17. ^ "Fine Young Cannibals – She Drives Me Crazy". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  18. ^ "Fine Young Cannibals – She Drives Me Crazy" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  19. ^ "Fine Young Cannibals – She Drives Me Crazy" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  20. ^ "RPM 100 Singles – April 17, 1989" (PDF). RPM. Vol. 49, no. 25. 17 April 1989. p. 6. Retrieved 28 February 2020.
  21. ^ "RPM 20 Dance Singles – March 27, 1989" (PDF). RPM. Vol. 49, no. 22. 27 March 1989. p. 14. Retrieved 28 February 2020.
  22. ^ "Eurochart Hot 100" (PDF). Music & Media. 11 March 1989. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
  23. ^ Pennanen, Timo (2021). "Fine Young Cannibals". Sisältää hitin - 2. laitos Levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla 1.1.1960–30.6.2021 (PDF) (in Finnish). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. p. 80. Retrieved 26 June 2022.
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  25. ^ "Íslenski Listinn Topp 10 (10. mars 1989)" (PDF) (in Icelandic). Dagblaðið Vísir. Retrieved 24 July 2018.
  26. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – She Drives Me Crazy". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 5 June 2021.
  27. ^ "Classifiche". Musica e Dischi (in Italian). Retrieved 4 June 2022. Set "Tipo" on "Singoli". Then, in the "Artista" field, search "Fine Young Cannibals".
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  32. ^ Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
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