Hammer Horror (song)
Encyclopedia
"Hammer Horror" was Kate Bush
's third single release and first single from her second album Lionheart. It was released on 27 October 1978. Following the top ten success of her first two singles, this charted at a much lower #44 in the UK singles chart
. The parent album released a few weeks later was unaffected however as it entered the top ten. "Hammer Horror" proved to be a temporary blip as Bush's next single returned her to the top 20. In other countries it fared better, such as Ireland where it reached #10.
The song is a tribute to Hammer Films, a company specialising in horror movies. The story of the song concerns an actor who gets thrust into the lead role of The Hunchback of Notre Dame
and ends up being haunted by the jealous original actor, a friend of the song's narrator until the re-casting. A promotional video was made for the single featuring Bush and a black-masked dancer performing the song against a black background.
The B-side of the song was "Coffee Homeground", which also featured on Lionheart.
Kate Bush
Kate Bush is an English singer-songwriter, musician and record producer. Her eclectic musical style and idiosyncratic vocal style have made her one of the United Kingdom's most successful solo female performers of the past 30 years.In 1978, at the age of 19, Bush topped the UK Singles Chart...
's third single release and first single from her second album Lionheart. It was released on 27 October 1978. Following the top ten success of her first two singles, this charted at a much lower #44 in the 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 ...
. The parent album released a few weeks later was unaffected however as it entered the top ten. "Hammer Horror" proved to be a temporary blip as Bush's next single returned her to the top 20. In other countries it fared better, such as Ireland where it reached #10.
The song is a tribute to Hammer Films, a company specialising in horror movies. The story of the song concerns an actor who gets thrust into the lead role of The Hunchback of Notre Dame
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
The Hunchback of Notre-Dame is a novel by Victor Hugo published in 1831. The French title refers to the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, on which the story is centered.-Background:...
and ends up being haunted by the jealous original actor, a friend of the song's narrator until the re-casting. A promotional video was made for the single featuring Bush and a black-masked dancer performing the song against a black background.
The B-side of the song was "Coffee Homeground", which also featured on Lionheart.
Charts
| Chart (1978) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Irish Singles Chart Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured... |
10 |
| Australian Singles Chart | 17 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart | 21 |
| Dutch Single Top 100 | 25 |
| 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 ... |
44 |