Easy Lover
Encyclopedia
"Easy Lover" is a hit song performed by Philip Bailey
and Phil Collins
, and written by Bailey, Collins, and Nathan East
. The song appeared on Bailey's solo album Chinese Wall
. Collins has performed the song in his live concerts and it appears on his 1990 album Serious Hits... Live!, as well as his 1998 compilation album
, ...Hits
.
The song was a hit in several countries worldwide. In the US it reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100
, and in the UK it reached #1, staying there for four weeks. The single sold over a million copies worldwide. It has only been certified Gold -- not Platinum -- since the RIAA requirement for a Platinum single wasn't lowered to 1,000,000 units until 1989.
"Easy Lover" won an MTV Video Music Award for Best Overall Performance in 1985 and was Grammy nominated for Best Pop Vocal Performance By A Duo or Group.
The lighthearted video
for the song was filmed in London
, England
and is essentially a music video about the making of a music video.
in 1985. The song also featured in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories
as part of its soundtrack in the fictional pop radio station, Flash FM. The song was also used in the TV advertisements for the game in the United States
and the United Kingdom
. In 1994 it was sampled by Chris Morris
for "Uzi Lover", a parody of gangsta rap
(with Morris portraying its fictitious performer "Fur-Q") in an episode of The Day Today
. The song was also covered by R&B/Gospel
singer, Cheryl Gamble of SWV
in 2001.
The Mission 1 theme in the arcade version of Double Dragon II: The Revenge
(Mission 2 in the NES version), composed by Kazunaka Yamane, is an instrumental rendition of the song. An arranged version is featured in the official album of the game under the title of Shizukanaru Tsuiseki ("A Quiet Pursuit").
Philip Bailey
Philip Irvin Bailey is an American R&B, soul, gospel and funk singer, songwriter, percussionist and actor, best known as one of the longtime members of Earth, Wind & Fire. Together with Verdine White, B. David Whitworth, and Ralph Johnson he forms the heart of the current EWF line-up on...
and Phil Collins
Phil Collins
Philip David Charles "Phil" Collins, LVO is an English singer-songwriter, drummer, pianist and actor best known as a drummer and vocalist for British progressive rock group Genesis and as a solo artist....
, and written by Bailey, Collins, and Nathan East
Nathan East
Nathan Harrell East is a jazz, R&B and rock bass player and vocalist. East holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music from the University of California, San Diego...
. The song appeared on Bailey's solo album Chinese Wall
Chinese Wall (album)
Chinese Wall is a 1984 album by Philip Bailey which was released on the Columbia Records label. Chinese Wall has been certified gold in the US. The album reached number 22 and number 10 on the Billboard 200 and Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts respectively....
. Collins has performed the song in his live concerts and it appears on his 1990 album Serious Hits... Live!, as well as his 1998 compilation album
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
, ...Hits
Hits (Phil Collins album)
-Track notes:*Track 1 features David Crosby on backing vocals.*Track 2 features Babyface on backing vocals, keyboard and drum programming, and Sheila E on percussion.*Track 3 features Philip Bailey on vocals.*Track 6 features Eric Clapton on guitar....
.
The song was a hit in several countries worldwide. In the US it reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
, and in the UK it reached #1, staying there for four weeks. The single sold over a million copies worldwide. It has only been certified Gold -- not Platinum -- since the RIAA requirement for a Platinum single wasn't lowered to 1,000,000 units until 1989.
"Easy Lover" won an MTV Video Music Award for Best Overall Performance in 1985 and was Grammy nominated for Best Pop Vocal Performance By A Duo or Group.
The lighthearted video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for the song was filmed in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and is essentially a music video about the making of a music video.
Chart performance
| Chart (1984-1985) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Austrian Singles Chart | 18 |
| Dutch Top 40 Dutch Top 40 The Dutch Top 40 is a weekly music chart, which started as the "Veronica Top 40", because the offshore radio station Radio Veronica was the first to introduce it. It remained "The Veronica Top 40" until 1974, when the station was forced to stop broadcasting... |
1 |
| French Singles Chart | 14 |
| German Singles Chart | 5 |
| Oricon Oricon , established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc... Japanese Weekly Singles Chart |
19 |
| Oricon Oricon , established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc... Japanese International Chart |
1 |
| Swedish Singles Chart | 10 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 8 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
1 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
2 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks The Adult Contemporary chart is a weekly chart published in Billboard magazine that lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary and "lite-pop" radio stations in the United States... |
15 |
| U.S. Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks Mainstream Rock Tracks Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks is a ranking in Billboard magazine of the most-played songs on mainstream rock radio stations, a category that includes stations that play primarily rock music. Modern rock tracks are counted in the Alternative Songs chart.This chart began with the March 21, 1981, issue... |
5 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,... |
3 |
Cultural references
The song was used as a theme song to the inaugural WrestleManiaWrestleMania (1985)
WrestleMania was the first annual WrestleMania professional wrestling event produced by the World Wrestling Federation. It took place on March 31, 1985, at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The attendance for the event was 19,121 fans...
in 1985. The song also featured in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories is a 2006 sandbox-style action video game developed by Rockstar Leeds in association with Rockstar North. It was published by Rockstar Games for the PlayStation Portable in late 2006 and later for the PlayStation 2 in March 2007. The game is the eighth...
as part of its soundtrack in the fictional pop radio station, Flash FM. The song was also used in the TV advertisements for the game in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. In 1994 it was sampled by Chris Morris
Chris Morris (satirist)
Christopher Morris is an English satirist, writer, director and actor. A former radio DJ, he is best known for anchoring the spoof news and current affairs television programmes The Day Today and Brass Eye, as well as his frequent engagement with controversial subject matter.In 2010 Morris...
for "Uzi Lover", a parody of gangsta rap
Gangsta rap
Gangsta Rap is a subgenre of hip hop music that evolved from hardcore hip hop and purports to reflect urban crime and the violent lifestyles of inner-city youths. Lyrics in gangsta rap have varied from accurate reflections to fictionalized accounts. Gangsta is a non-rhotic pronunciation of the word...
(with Morris portraying its fictitious performer "Fur-Q") in an episode of The Day Today
The Day Today
The Day Today is a surreal British parody of television current affairs programmes, broadcast in 1994, and created by the comedians Armando Iannucci and Chris Morris. It is an adaptation of the radio programme On the Hour, which was broadcast on BBC Radio 4 between 1991 and 1992...
. The song was also covered by R&B/Gospel
Gospel
A gospel is an account, often written, that describes the life of Jesus of Nazareth. In a more general sense the term "gospel" may refer to the good news message of the New Testament. It is primarily used in reference to the four canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John...
singer, Cheryl Gamble of SWV
SWV
Sisters with Voices, better known as SWV, is an American female R&B trio from New York. Formed in 1990 as a gospel group, SWV became one of the most successful R&B groups of the 1990s. They had a series of hits, including "Weak", "Right Here/Human Nature", "I'm So Into You", and "You're the One"....
in 2001.
The Mission 1 theme in the arcade version of Double Dragon II: The Revenge
Double Dragon II: The Revenge
is a side-scrolling beat 'em up produced by Technos originally released as a coin-operated arcade game in . It is the sequel to Double Dragon, released during the previous year. A home version for the Nintendo Entertainment System was released in which differs drastically from the original arcade...
(Mission 2 in the NES version), composed by Kazunaka Yamane, is an instrumental rendition of the song. An arranged version is featured in the official album of the game under the title of Shizukanaru Tsuiseki ("A Quiet Pursuit").
External links
- Video on VH1 ClassicVH1 ClassicVH1 Classic is a television network, launched on May 8, 2000. It is operated as part of MTV Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom and primarily features music videos and concert footage from the 1970s through the mid-1990s, though it formerly included a wider range of genres and time periods...