Rapture (song)
Encyclopedia
"Rapture" is a single by the American
new wave
band Blondie
. It was released in January 1981 and was the second and final song to be released from the band's 1980 top 10 album Autoamerican
, the first being "The Tide Is High
", which had topped the chart in the US and UK. "Rapture" went on to reach number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100
, number one on the U.S. Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart number 4 in Australia, and number five in the UK singles chart
. The B-side was "Walk Like Me", also from Autoamerican.
, disco, jazz, pop
, and rap music, with the rap section forming an extended coda
. While it was not the first single involving rap to be successful, it was the first to top the charts.
The Sugarhill Gang
's 1979 hit "Rapper's Delight
", a straightforward rap track based on the backing track of Chic's
"Good Times", reached #36 on the U.S. Hot 100 chart and was certified Gold. Kurtis Blow
's "The Breaks
" was released in 1980, and became the second rap single to be certified Gold. And as far back as 1977, The Stranglers
hit #5 in the UK charts with the rap lyric Peaches.
The lyrics of "Rapture" included references to hip-hop pioneers Fab Five Freddy
and Grandmaster Flash
.
was the first rap video ever broadcast on MTV. Set in the East Village
section of Manhattan, the "Man from Mars" or "voodoo god" (dancer William Barnes in the white suit and top hat) is the introductory and central figure. Barnes also choreographed the piece. The final shot is a one-take scene of Debbie Harry dancing along the street, passing by graffiti artists, Uncle Sam, a Native American and a goat. Fab Five Freddy
and graffiti artists Lee Quinones
and Jean-Michel Basquiat
make cameo appearances. Basquiat was hired when Grandmaster Flash did not show for the filming.
in 1981. The track "Live It Up" was also extended and remixed for the B-side of the international 12" single, the 8 minute version was included on the deleted 1994 UK CD edition of Autoamerican but was re-issued as part of EMI's lavish 14 disc Singles Box in 2004.
The picture of Debbie Harry used for the UK/international editions of the original 7" and 12" "Rapture" singles was later used for the cover of 1995 compilation Beautiful - The Remix Album
.
. The track was remixed again and re-issued as a single in both the UK and the US in 1994 and included on compilations The Platinum Collection
, Beautiful - The Remix Album
and Remixed Remade Remodeled - The Remix Project
.
scratch mixed "Rapture" on his single "The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel
" and also included the track on his 2002 DJ mix
album Essential Mix: Classic Edition
. In 1996, Foxy Brown (featuring Jay-Z
) used the song as the base for her hit, "I'll Be". It was also sampled
by Won-G for his single "Caught Up in the Rapture", and was interpolated
by rapper KRS-One
on his 1997 single "Step into a World (Rapture's Delight)". In 2000, it was sampled once more by Glamma Kid
on his single "Bills 2 Pay". In that same year, Destiny's Child
sampled it on their single "Independent Women". The song was also sampled by the Jungle Brothers in the song "In Days 2 Come" from the album "Done by the Forces of Nature". Elements of "Rapture" were recreated for the Joe Pesci
song "Wise Guy", in which he raps in-character as Vincent LaGuardia Gambini from the film My Cousin Vinny
.
English synthpop
duo Erasure
covered
"Rapture" on the US version of their 1997 album Cowboy
, with Vince Clarke
providing the rap.
In 2004 at VH1
's annual Diva's Live concert, Debbie Harry performed "Rapture" with rapper Eve who performed her own original rap.
At the 2003 Brit Awards
, Justin Timberlake
performed part of the song with Kylie Minogue
singing the rap, as the finale of a medley including his hit songs "Cry Me a River" and "Like I Love You
". During their raunchy routine, Timberlake infamously touched Minogue’s behind. The performance reportedly caused a dispute between Minogue and her then-boyfriend, model James Gooding. The much-publicised bottom grope was later revealed to be a part of the sequence’s planned choreography.
In 2005, "Rapture" was fused with The Doors
' "Riders on the Storm
" into "Rapture Riders" by Go Home Productions
. This unofficial mashup
remix
was later approved to be included on Blondie's Greatest Hits: Sight + Sound
/Greatest Hits: Sound & Vision. The song was a Top 40 hit in Australia and made the top ten on the U.S. Hot Dance Club Play
chart.
Chilean musician Nicole also did a cover of this song in 2006, included on her album Apt. Dub Pistols
covered the song for their 2007 album Speakers and Tweeters
, featuring Terry Hall
from The Specials
at the vocals.
In 2009, the song was remixed side by side with the Beastie Boys
' "Intergalactic
" in a "Versus" mix track for the Rhythm video game "DJ Hero
"
Alicia Keys
performed a cover of this song on the Sex and the City 2
soundtrack, released on May 25, 2010.
Eurobeat/Italodisco artist Sophie (Elena Ferretti) released an Italodisco cover of the song in 1989 initially on her My World album. The song later appeared on Super Eurobeat Volume 1 in 1994.
US 12" (12 CHS 2485, January 1981)
UK 7" (CHS 2485, January 1981)
UK 12" (CHS 12 2485, January 1981)
US 1994 Remix CD (7243 8 85277 2 3)
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
new wave
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
band Blondie
Blondie (band)
Blondie is an American rock band, founded by singer Deborah Harry and guitarist Chris Stein. The band was a pioneer in the early American New Wave and punk scenes of the mid-1970s...
. It was released in January 1981 and was the second and final song to be released from the band's 1980 top 10 album Autoamerican
Autoamerican
Autoamerican is the fifth studio album by the US new wave band Blondie. It was released in November 1980 and reached #3 in the UK charts, #8 in Australia and #7 in the US....
, the first being "The Tide Is High
The Tide Is High
"The Tide Is High" is a 1967 song written by John Holt and originally performed by The Paragons with John Holt as lead singer. The song went mainly unnoticed in the rest of the world until it was rediscovered in 1980 when it became a US/UK number 1 hit for the band Blondie...
", which had topped the chart in the US and UK. "Rapture" went on to reach number one on the 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...
, number one on the U.S. Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart number 4 in Australia, and number five 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 B-side was "Walk Like Me", also from Autoamerican.
History
"Rapture" is a combination of new waveNew Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
, disco, jazz, pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
, and rap music, with the rap section forming an extended coda
Coda (music)
Coda is a term used in music in a number of different senses, primarily to designate a passage that brings a piece to an end. Technically, it is an expanded cadence...
. While it was not the first single involving rap to be successful, it was the first to top the charts.
The Sugarhill Gang
The Sugarhill Gang
The Sugarhill Gang is an American hip hop group, known mostly for their 1979 hit, "Rapper's Delight", the first hip hop single to become a Top 40 hit. The song uses the instrumental track from the classic hit "Good Times" by Chic as its foundation....
's 1979 hit "Rapper's Delight
Rapper's Delight
"Rapper's Delight" is a 1979 single by American hip hop trio The Sugarhill Gang. While it was not the first single to feature rapping, it is generally considered to be the song that first popularized hip hop in the United States and around the world. The song's opening lyric "I said a hip hop, a...
", a straightforward rap track based on the backing track of Chic's
Chic (band)
Chic was an African American disco and R&B band that was organized during 1976 by guitarist Nile Rodgers and bassist Bernard Edwards. It is known best for its commercially successful disco songs, including "Dance, Dance, Dance " , "Everybody Dance" , "Le Freak" , "I Want Your Love" , "Good Times"...
"Good Times", reached #36 on the U.S. Hot 100 chart and was certified Gold. Kurtis Blow
Kurtis Blow
Kurt Walker , better known by his stage name Kurtis Blow, is an American rapper and record producer. He is one of the first commercially successful rappers and the first to sign with a major record label...
's "The Breaks
The Breaks (song)
"The Breaks" is a critically acclaimed 1980 hit single by Kurtis Blow from his self-titled debut album. It was one of the earliest hip-hop hits, peaking at #87 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.-Remakes:...
" was released in 1980, and became the second rap single to be certified Gold. And as far back as 1977, The Stranglers
The Stranglers
The Stranglers are an English punk/rock music group.Scoring some 23 UK top 40 singles and 17 UK top 40 albums to date in a career spanning five decades, the Stranglers are the longest-surviving and most "continuously successful" band to have originated in the UK punk scene of the mid to late 1970s...
hit #5 in the UK charts with the rap lyric Peaches.
The lyrics of "Rapture" included references to hip-hop pioneers Fab Five Freddy
Fab Five Freddy
Fred Brathwaite , more popularly known as Fab 5 Freddy, is an American Hip hop historian, Hip hop pioneer and former graffiti artist...
and Grandmaster Flash
Grandmaster Flash
Joseph Saddler better known as King Grandmaster Flash, is an American hip hop musician and DJ; one of the pioneers of hip-hop DJing, cutting, and mixing....
.
Music video
Debuting in 1981, the music videoMusic 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...
was the first rap video ever broadcast on MTV. Set in the East Village
East Village, Manhattan
The East Village is a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, lying east of Greenwich Village, south of Gramercy and Stuyvesant Town, and north of the Lower East Side...
section of Manhattan, the "Man from Mars" or "voodoo god" (dancer William Barnes in the white suit and top hat) is the introductory and central figure. Barnes also choreographed the piece. The final shot is a one-take scene of Debbie Harry dancing along the street, passing by graffiti artists, Uncle Sam, a Native American and a goat. Fab Five Freddy
Fab Five Freddy
Fred Brathwaite , more popularly known as Fab 5 Freddy, is an American Hip hop historian, Hip hop pioneer and former graffiti artist...
and graffiti artists Lee Quinones
Lee Quinones
George Lee Quiñones is an American artist and actor. He is one of the several artists rising from the New York City Subway graffiti movement....
and Jean-Michel Basquiat
Jean-Michel Basquiat
Jean-Michel Basquiat was an American artist. His career in art began as a graffiti artist in New York City in the late 1970s, and in the 1980s produced Neo-expressionist painting.-Early life:...
make cameo appearances. Basquiat was hired when Grandmaster Flash did not show for the filming.
Versions
The versions appearing on the U.S. and UK 7" and 12" singles were quite different. The US 7" single, also issued with a different cover picture, used the regular Autoamerican album version, the US 12" single a version with an additional verse partly in French, making it just 40 seconds longer. For the UK and international single releases, producer Mike Chapman remixed the track completely. The Special Disco Mix has a different intro and it was also given a longer instrumental break with new percussion overdubbed, making it ten minutes long. The UK 7" version (4:59) was an edit of this Special Disco Mix, and a slightly different edit (5:33) appeared on the band's first 'greatest hits' compilation The Best of BlondieThe Best of Blondie
- Chart positions :- References :# [ Allmusic]...
in 1981. The track "Live It Up" was also extended and remixed for the B-side of the international 12" single, the 8 minute version was included on the deleted 1994 UK CD edition of Autoamerican but was re-issued as part of EMI's lavish 14 disc Singles Box in 2004.
The picture of Debbie Harry used for the UK/international editions of the original 7" and 12" "Rapture" singles was later used for the cover of 1995 compilation Beautiful - The Remix Album
Beautiful - The Remix Album
Beautiful - The Remix Album is a remix album of recordings by Blondie released by Chrysalis/EMI Records in the UK during 1995. The album spun off a series of remix singles in various formats...
.
Remixes
Another official remix of "Rapture" can be found on the 1988 compilation Once More into the BleachOnce More into the Bleach
Once More into the Bleach is a remix album released in 1988 by the band Blondie and Debbie Harry. The thirteen-track compilation contains remixes of Blondie songs and material from Debbie Harry's solo career. It was issued as a double vinyl album, double cassette, and compact disc...
. The track was remixed again and re-issued as a single in both the UK and the US in 1994 and included on compilations The Platinum Collection
The Platinum Collection (Blondie)
The Platinum Collection is a two disc compilation album of recordings by Blondie released by EMI/Chrysalis in 1994. The forty-seven track compilation contains the A- and B-sides of all singles issued by the band in the U.S...
, Beautiful - The Remix Album
Beautiful - The Remix Album
Beautiful - The Remix Album is a remix album of recordings by Blondie released by Chrysalis/EMI Records in the UK during 1995. The album spun off a series of remix singles in various formats...
and Remixed Remade Remodeled - The Remix Project
Remixed Remade Remodeled - The Remix Project
Remixed Remade Remodeled—The Remix Project is a remix album of recordings by Blondie released by Chrysalis/EMI Records in the US and the UK in 1995 as part of EMI’s Brilliant series...
.
Covers
Grandmaster FlashGrandmaster Flash
Joseph Saddler better known as King Grandmaster Flash, is an American hip hop musician and DJ; one of the pioneers of hip-hop DJing, cutting, and mixing....
scratch mixed "Rapture" on his single "The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel
The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel
"The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel" is a single released by Grandmaster Flash in 1981. It is a live DJ mix recording of Flash scratching and mixing records from various groups using three turntables...
" and also included the track on his 2002 DJ mix
DJ mix
A DJ mix or DJ mixset is a sequence of musical tracks typically mixed together to appear as one continuous track. When a DJ mix or DJ mixset is recorded onto some medium, it is often referred to as a mix tape...
album Essential Mix: Classic Edition
Essential Mix: Classic Edition
Essential Mix: Classic Edition is an album released by Grandmaster Flash. It was released in 2002 and features Grandmaster Flash remixing classic club and dance tunes into a constant megamix.-Track listing:#"Intro" - Grandmaster Flash - 0:31...
. In 1996, Foxy Brown (featuring Jay-Z
Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter , better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $450 million as of 2010...
) used the song as the base for her hit, "I'll Be". It was also sampled
Sampling (music)
In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...
by Won-G for his single "Caught Up in the Rapture", and was interpolated
Interpolation (music)
Interpolation in music refers to an abrupt change in musical elements from the main theme.-In classical music:In music and musical composition, especially 20th century and later, interpolation is an abrupt change of elements, with continuation of the first idea...
by rapper KRS-One
KRS-One
Lawrence Krisna Parker , better known by his stage names KRS-One , and Teacha, is an American rapper...
on his 1997 single "Step into a World (Rapture's Delight)". In 2000, it was sampled once more by Glamma Kid
Glamma Kid
Iyael Iyases Tafari Constable better known as Glamma Kid, is a British ragga and dancehall toaster and former Royal Air Force trainee of part Jamaican descent.-Career:...
on his single "Bills 2 Pay". In that same year, Destiny's Child
Destiny's Child
Destiny's Child was an American R&B girl group whose final line-up comprised lead singer Beyoncé Knowles alongside Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams. Formed in 1997 in Houston, Texas, Destiny's Child members began their musical endeavors in their pre-teens under the name Girl's Tyme...
sampled it on their single "Independent Women". The song was also sampled by the Jungle Brothers in the song "In Days 2 Come" from the album "Done by the Forces of Nature". Elements of "Rapture" were recreated for the Joe Pesci
Joe Pesci
Joseph Frank "Joe" Pesci is an American actor, comedian, and musician.He is known for playing a variety of different roles, from violent mobsters to comedic leads to quirky sidekicks...
song "Wise Guy", in which he raps in-character as Vincent LaGuardia Gambini from the film My Cousin Vinny
My Cousin Vinny
My Cousin Vinny is a 1992 American comedy film written and produced by Dale Launer, directed by Jonathan Lynn and starring Joe Pesci, Ralph Macchio, Marisa Tomei, Mitchell Whitfield, Lane Smith, Bruce McGill and Fred Gwynne...
.
English synthpop
Synthpop
Synthpop is a genre of popular music that first became prominent in the 1980s, in which the synthesizer is the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s by the use of synthesizers in progressive rock, electronic art rock, disco and particularly the "Kraut rock" of...
duo Erasure
Erasure
Erasure are an English synthpop duo, consisting of songwriter and keyboardist Vince Clarke and singer Andy Bell. Erasure entered the music scene in 1985 with their debut single "Who Needs Love Like That"...
covered
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
"Rapture" on the US version of their 1997 album Cowboy
Cowboy (album)
Cowboy is an album recorded by Erasure in 1997 and released by Mute Records in the UK. In the U.S., it was released by Madonna's former label Maverick Records...
, with Vince Clarke
Vince Clarke
Vince Clarke is an English synthpop musician and songwriter. Clarke has been involved with a number of successful groups, including Depeche Mode, Yazoo, The Assembly and Erasure....
providing the rap.
In 2004 at VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
's annual Diva's Live concert, Debbie Harry performed "Rapture" with rapper Eve who performed her own original rap.
At the 2003 Brit Awards
Brit Awards
The Brit Awards are the British Phonographic Industry's annual pop music awards. The name was originally a shortened form of "British", "Britain" or "Britannia", but subsequently became a backronym for British Record Industry Trust...
, Justin Timberlake
Justin Timberlake
Justin Randall Timberlake is an American pop musician and actor. He achieved early fame when he appeared as a contestant on Star Search, and went on to star in the Disney Channel television series The New Mickey Mouse Club, where he met future bandmate JC Chasez...
performed part of the song with Kylie Minogue
Kylie Minogue
Kylie Ann Minogue, OBE - often known simply as Kylie - is an Australian singer, recording artist, songwriter, and actress. After beginning her career as a child actress on Australian television, she achieved recognition through her role in the television soap opera Neighbours, before commencing...
singing the rap, as the finale of a medley including his hit songs "Cry Me a River" and "Like I Love You
Like I Love You
"Like I Love You" is the first single from Justin Timberlake's solo debut album Justified, featuring a rap from hip hop duo Clipse. Released in 2002, the Neptunes-produced single peaked at #11 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. It also peaked at #2 in the United Kingdom, with Dilemma keeping the song...
". During their raunchy routine, Timberlake infamously touched Minogue’s behind. The performance reportedly caused a dispute between Minogue and her then-boyfriend, model James Gooding. The much-publicised bottom grope was later revealed to be a part of the sequence’s planned choreography.
In 2005, "Rapture" was fused with The Doors
The Doors
The Doors were an American rock band formed in 1965 in Los Angeles, California, with vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, drummer John Densmore, and guitarist Robby Krieger...
' "Riders on the Storm
Riders on the Storm
"Riders on the Storm" is a song by The Doors from their 1971 album, L.A. Woman. It reached number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US, number 22 on the UK singles charts and number 7 in the Netherlands.-Overview:...
" into "Rapture Riders" by Go Home Productions
Go Home Productions
Go Home Productions is the alter ego of Mark Vidler, a producer/remixer/DJ based in Watford, Hertfordshire, England...
. This unofficial mashup
Mashup (music)
A mashup or bootleg is a song or composition created by blending two or more pre-recorded songs, usually by overlaying the vocal track of one song seamlessly over the instrumental track of another...
remix
Remix
A remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
was later approved to be included on Blondie's Greatest Hits: Sight + Sound
Greatest Hits: Sight + Sound
Greatest Hits: Sight + Sound is a two disc compilation album by the band Blondie released in the UK on November 8, 2005. This was the first Blondie hits package to combine the CD and DVD formats...
/Greatest Hits: Sound & Vision. The song was a Top 40 hit in Australia and made the top ten on the U.S. Hot Dance Club Play
Hot Dance Club Play
The Hot Dance Club Songs chart is a weekly national survey of the songs that are most popular in U.S. dance clubs...
chart.
Chilean musician Nicole also did a cover of this song in 2006, included on her album Apt. Dub Pistols
Dub Pistols
Dub Pistols are a London based dub music and big beat band, founded by ex-club promoter, Barry Ashworth, in 1996. The other members of the band were record producer and bassist Jason O'Bryan, Brooklyn producer and lyricist, T. K. Lawrence on vocals, Jap Slut guitarist John King, and turntablist DJ...
covered the song for their 2007 album Speakers and Tweeters
Speakers and Tweeters
Speakers and Tweeters is the third studio album released by London-based band, the Dub Pistols. Many of the tracks feature vocals by ex-Specials singer Terry Hall.-Track listing:All songs co-written by band members Barry Ashworth, T. K...
, featuring Terry Hall
Terry Hall (singer)
Terry Hall is the lead singer of The Specials, and formerly of Fun Boy Three, The Colourfield, Terry, Blair & Anouchka and Vegas. He has released two solo albums and has also collaborated with many artists including David A...
from The Specials
The Specials
The Specials are an English 2 Tone ska revival band formed in 1977 in Coventry, England. Their music combines a "danceable ska and rocksteady beat with punk's energy and attitude", and had a "more focused and informed political and social stance" than other ska groups...
at the vocals.
In 2009, the song was remixed side by side with the Beastie Boys
Beastie Boys
Beastie Boys are an American hip hop trio from New York City. The group consists of Mike D who plays the drums, MCA who plays the bass, and Ad-Rock who plays the guitar....
' "Intergalactic
Intergalactic (song)
"Intergalactic" is a Grammy-winning song by American hip-hop group the Beastie Boys, released as the first single from their fifth studio album Hello Nasty on May 12, 1998....
" in a "Versus" mix track for the Rhythm video game "DJ Hero
DJ Hero
DJ Hero is a music video game, developed by FreeStyleGames and published by Activision as a rhythm game spin-off of the Guitar Hero franchise. It was released on October 27, 2009 in North America and on October 29, 2009 in Europe...
"
Alicia Keys
Alicia Keys
Alicia Augello Cook , better known by her stage name Alicia Keys, is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and occasional actress. She was raised by a single mother in the Hell's Kitchen area of Manhattan in New York City. At age seven, Keys began playing the piano...
performed a cover of this song on the Sex and the City 2
Sex and the City 2
Sex and the City 2 is a 2010 American romantic comedy film directed by Michael Patrick King. It is the sequel to the 2008 film Sex and the City, which is based on the HBO TV series of the same name....
soundtrack, released on May 25, 2010.
Eurobeat/Italodisco artist Sophie (Elena Ferretti) released an Italodisco cover of the song in 1989 initially on her My World album. The song later appeared on Super Eurobeat Volume 1 in 1994.
Appearances in popular culture
- The song is played during the Manhattan gallery scene in the hip-hop film Wild StyleWild StyleWild Style is a 1983 hip hop film produced by Charlie Ahearn. Released theatrically in 1983 by First Run Features and later re-released for home video by Rhino Home Video, it is regarded as the first hip hop motion picture...
(1983) - Blondie's recording featured in the film 200 Cigarettes200 Cigarettes200 Cigarettes is a 1999 comedy-drama film starring Ben Affleck, Casey Affleck, Dave Chappelle, Guillermo Díaz, Angela Featherstone, Janeane Garofalo, Gaby Hoffman, Kate Hudson, Courtney Love, Jay Mohr, Martha Plimpton, Christina Ricci and Paul Rudd. The film also features paintings by Sally...
(1999) - The song appears in the film The Heartbreak KidThe Heartbreak Kid (2007 film)The Heartbreak Kid is a 2007 romantic comedy film directed by Bobby and Peter Farrelly. Starring Ben Stiller and Malin Åkerman, The Heartbreak Kid is a remake of the italian film Luna di miele in tre and a version of the 1972 film of the same name. Also starring are Michelle Monaghan, Jerry...
(2007) - Blondie's version is used on Nip/TuckNip/TuckNip/Tuck is an American drama series created by Ryan Murphy, which aired on FX in the United States. The series focuses on McNamara/Troy, a plastic surgery practice, and follows its founders, Sean McNamara and Christian Troy...
last chapter of its first season, "Escobar Gallardo".
Track listing
US 7" (CHS 2485, January 1981)- "Rapture" (Album version) (Deborah HarryDebbie HarryDeborah Ann "Debbie" Harry is an American singer-songwriter and actress, best known for being the lead singer of the punk rock and new wave band Blondie. She has also had success as a solo artist, and in the mid-1990s she performed and recorded as part of The Jazz Passengers...
, Chris SteinChris SteinChristopher "Chris" Stein is co-founder and guitarist in the New Wave band, Blondie. He is also a producer and performer for the classic soundtrack of the hip hop film Wild Style....
) - 6:33 - "Walk Like Me" (Jimmy DestriJimmy DestriJimmy Destri is an American musician. He played keyboards in the rock band Blondie, and is one of the principal songwriters for the band along with Chris Stein and Deborah Harry. Destri stopped touring with the band in 2004, but remained an official member of the band for several more years...
) - 3:45
US 12" (12 CHS 2485, January 1981)
- "Rapture" (US 12" Mix) (Harry, Stein) - 7:13
- "Walk Like Me" (Destri) - 3:45
UK 7" (CHS 2485, January 1981)
- "Rapture" (UK 7" Mix) (Harry, Stein) - 4:59
- "Walk Like Me" (Destri) - 3:45
UK 12" (CHS 12 2485, January 1981)
- "Rapture" (Special Disco Mix) (Harry, Stein) - 10:01
- "Live It Up" (Stein) (Special Disco Mix) - 8:14
US 1994 Remix CD (7243 8 85277 2 3)
- "Rapture" (K-klassic Radio Mix) - 4:20
- "Rapture" (Original Single Version) - 4:57
- "Rapture" (Guru's Fly Party Mix) - 4:11
- "Rapture" (K-klassic Mix) - 7:07
- "Rapture" (Original Disco Mix) - 10:00 *
- "Rapture" (Pharmacy Dub) - 6:00
- "Rapture" (Phactory Beats) - 4:22
- "Call MeCall Me (Blondie song)"Call Me" is a song by the American new wave band Blondie. Released in 1980, "Call Me" topped the singles charts in both the US and the UK ....
" (American Gigolo Version) - 8:04
- * Identical to the original Special Disco Mix.
Chart positions
| Chart (1981) | Peak Position |
|---|---|
| Australia ARIA Singles Chart ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
4 |
| Dutch NVPI NVPI The NVPI is the Dutch tradeassociation of the entertainment industry... Charts |
20 |
| German Media Control Media Control Charts The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie... Singles Chart |
40 |
| 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... |
4 |
| New Zealand RIANZ Singles Chart | 4 |
| Sweden IFPI The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry is the organisation that represents the interests of the recording industry worldwide. It is a not-for-profit members' organisation registered in Switzerland... |
13 |
| 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 ... |
5 |
| 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... |
1 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play Hot Dance Club Play The Hot Dance Club Songs chart is a weekly national survey of the songs that are most popular in U.S. dance clubs... |
1 |
| U.S. Billboard R&B Singles | 33 |
| U.S. Billboard Mainstream Rock Mainstream rock Mainstream rock is a radio format used by many commercial radio stations in the United States and Canada.-Format background:... |
35 |
| Chart (1995) | Peak Position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play Hot Dance Club Play The Hot Dance Club Songs chart is a weekly national survey of the songs that are most popular in U.S. dance clubs... |
8 |