When I Think of You
Encyclopedia
"When I Think of You" is the third single
from Janet Jackson
's third studio album, Control
(1986). Written by Jackson and Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis
, and produced by Jam and Lewis, the song is about a person who finds relief and fun in a lover. It is Jackson's first number-one hit on the Billboard Hot 100
, and also peaked at number ten in the United Kingdom.
The song was resurrected in 1995 when released on two limited-edition CD single formats in the United Kingdom, one containing remixes by Deep Dish
and Heller
& Farley, and the other containing remixes by David Morales. That same year these remixes were included on certain releases of "Runaway
".
chart. After "When I Think of You" reached number one, it made Jackson and her brother Michael Jackson
the first, and so far, only siblings to both have solo number-one hits on the Hot 100. At the time she was 20 years old, making Jackson the youngest artist since Stevie Wonder
to top the Billboard Hot 100. It also reached number three on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
and number one on the Hot Dance Club Play in 1986. "When I Think of You" was the 32nd biggest Hot 100 single of 1986, as well as the 47th biggest Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs single of 1986 and the 22nd biggest Hot Dance Club Play single of 1986.
finds Jackson going around a neighborhood. Each location she visits has the same mysterious man in different costumes saying a brief statement to her and then vanishing as she turns around. The director of "When I Think of You", Julien Temple
, would later direct Jackson's "Alright
" video, and both videos have a similar style. "When I Think of You" has only five cuts. The video is quite similar to the opening segment of Temple's 1986 film Absolute Beginners
, which stars David Bowie
and Sade Adu
. The style is that the video is assumed to be one long take, but in fact it is five smaller takes. Although fluid in nature, obvious mistakes can be seen in the edits, especially when she comes out of the back door of the club, and a photographer takes her picture. The flash acts as an edit, but the people in the background are in quite different positions before and after the flash. Two of Jackson's nephews, TJ and Taryll Jackson, make a cameo in the video. The video was choreographed by Paula Abdul
.
The video is also based on an edit of the 12" Dance Remix version of the song, instead of the album version.
In February 2007, the video was made available on the iTunes Store
, this time using the Deep Dish Chocolate City Remix for the audio. Jackson would later repeat the same type of format for her video "Rock with U
" from 2008's Discipline
.
, janet. Tour
, The Velvet Rope Tour
, All for You Tour
, and Rock Witchu Tour
. It was also included in her current tour, Number Ones: Up Close and Personal
.
UK CD 2 single – The David Morales Remixes
1995
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
from Janet Jackson
Janet Jackson
Janet Damita Jo Jackson is an American recording artist and actress. Known for a series of sonically innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows, television and film roles, she has been a prominent figure in popular culture for over 25 years...
's third studio album, Control
Control (Janet Jackson album)
Control is the third studio album by American recording artist Janet Jackson, released on February 6, 1986 by A&M Records. Her collaborations with songwriters and record producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis resulted in an unconventional sound: a fusion of rhythm and blues, funk, disco, rap vocals,...
(1986). Written by Jackson and Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis
Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis
James Samuel "Jimmy Jam" Harris III and Terry Steven Lewis are an American R&B and pop-music songwriting and record production team...
, and produced by Jam and Lewis, the song is about a person who finds relief and fun in a lover. It is Jackson's first number-one hit 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 also peaked at number ten in the United Kingdom.
The song was resurrected in 1995 when released on two limited-edition CD single formats in the United Kingdom, one containing remixes by Deep Dish
Deep Dish
Deep Dish is a duo of DJs and house-music producers consisting of Iranian-American members Ali "Dubfire" Shirazinia and Sharam Tayebi. Based in Washington, D.C., Shirazinia and Tayebi are well known for providing house or dance remixes of tracks of famous stars such as Madonna, Cher and Gabrielle,...
and Heller
Pete Heller
Pete Heller is an English electronic and house music producer. He is recognised in the dance community for his solo work, and his remixes with frequent collaborator Terry Farley. As a duo they have released popular tunes under the names Heller & Farley Project , Fire Island plus The Look and Feel...
& Farley, and the other containing remixes by David Morales. That same year these remixes were included on certain releases of "Runaway
Runaway (Janet Jackson song)
"Runaway" is a song by American singer Janet Jackson from her first greatest hits album, Design of a Decade 1986/1996 . Written and produced by Jackson and Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, the track was released as the album's lead single on August 29, 1995...
".
Chart performance
The single became Jackson's first number-one hit on the Billboard Hot 100Billboard 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...
chart. After "When I Think of You" reached number one, it made Jackson and her brother Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
the first, and so far, only siblings to both have solo number-one hits on the Hot 100. At the time she was 20 years old, making Jackson the youngest artist since Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist...
to top the Billboard Hot 100. It also reached number three on the 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,...
and number one on the Hot Dance Club Play in 1986. "When I Think of You" was the 32nd biggest Hot 100 single of 1986, as well as the 47th biggest Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs single of 1986 and the 22nd biggest Hot Dance Club Play single of 1986.
Music video
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...
finds Jackson going around a neighborhood. Each location she visits has the same mysterious man in different costumes saying a brief statement to her and then vanishing as she turns around. The director of "When I Think of You", Julien Temple
Julien Temple
Julien Temple is an English film, documentary and music video director. He began his career with short films featuring the Sex Pistols, and has continued with various off-beat projects, including The Great Rock And Roll Swindle, Absolute Beginners and a documentary film about Glastonbury.-Temple...
, would later direct Jackson's "Alright
Alright (Janet Jackson song)
"Alright" is the fourth single from American R&B and pop singer Janet Jackson's fourth studio album, Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814 .-Song information:...
" video, and both videos have a similar style. "When I Think of You" has only five cuts. The video is quite similar to the opening segment of Temple's 1986 film Absolute Beginners
Absolute Beginners (film)
Absolute Beginners is a 1986 British rock musical film adapted from the Colin MacInnes book of the same name about life in late 1950s London. The film was directed by Julien Temple, featured David Bowie and Sade, and a breakout role by Patsy Kensit...
, which stars David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
and Sade Adu
Sade Adu
Helen Folasade Adu OBE , is a British singer-songwriter, composer, and record producer. She first achieved success in the 1980s as the frontwoman and lead vocalist of the Brit and Grammy Award winning English group Sade.-Biography:Sade was born in Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria...
. The style is that the video is assumed to be one long take, but in fact it is five smaller takes. Although fluid in nature, obvious mistakes can be seen in the edits, especially when she comes out of the back door of the club, and a photographer takes her picture. The flash acts as an edit, but the people in the background are in quite different positions before and after the flash. Two of Jackson's nephews, TJ and Taryll Jackson, make a cameo in the video. The video was choreographed by Paula Abdul
Paula Abdul
Paula Julie Abdul is an American singer-songwriter, dancer, choreographer, actress and television personality.In the 1980s, Abdul rose from cheerleader for the Los Angeles Lakers to highly sought-after choreographer at the height of the music video era before scoring a string of pop music-R&B hits...
.
The video is also based on an edit of the 12" Dance Remix version of the song, instead of the album version.
In February 2007, the video was made available on the iTunes Store
ITunes Store
The iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
, this time using the Deep Dish Chocolate City Remix for the audio. Jackson would later repeat the same type of format for her video "Rock with U
Rock with U
"Rock with U" is a song by American singer Janet Jackson from her tenth studio album, Discipline. It was written by Ne-Yo, Jermaine Dupri, and Eric Stamile, and produced by Dupri. The song, released in U.S...
" from 2008's Discipline
Discipline (Janet Jackson album)
Discipline is the tenth studio album by American recording artist Janet Jackson, released by Island Records on February 26, 2008. It was her only album released for Island Records, after her five-album deal with Virgin Records was fulfilled with the release of 20 Y.O....
.
Live performances
Jackson has performed the song on all of her tours, Rhythm Nation 1814 TourRhythm Nation 1814 Tour
The Rhythm Nation World Tour is the debut concert tour by American recording artist Janet Jackson. It was launched in support of her fourth studio album Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814 , and also contained material from her third studio album Control...
, janet. Tour
Janet. Tour
The Janet. World Tour is the second concert tour by American recording artist Janet Jackson. It was launched in support of her fifth studio album Janet . It began in November, 1993 and continued through April, 1995...
, The Velvet Rope Tour
The Velvet Rope Tour
The Velvet Rope World Tour is the third concert tour by American recording artist Janet Jackson. Launched in support of her sixth studio album The Velvet Rope , the tour embarked on an international trek that included Europe, North America, Africa, Asia, New Zealand and Australia.Due to the fact...
, All for You Tour
All for You Tour
The All for You Tour was a worldwide concert tour in 2001 by American pop/R&B singer Janet Jackson in support of her multi-platinum album All for You...
, and Rock Witchu Tour
Rock Witchu Tour
The Rock Witchu Tour was the fifth concert tour by American singer-songwriter, Janet Jackson, in support of her tenth studio album Discipline. This was Jackson's first tour in nearly seven years. The tour visited North America...
. It was also included in her current tour, Number Ones: Up Close and Personal
Number Ones: Up Close and Personal
Number Ones: Up Close and Personal is the sixth concert tour by American recording artist Janet Jackson. Described as her "largest world tour", the show is in support of her second compilation album, Number Ones...
.
Track listings
UK CD 1 single – Deep Dish/Heller & Farley Mixes- "When I Think of You" (Deep DishDeep DishDeep Dish is a duo of DJs and house-music producers consisting of Iranian-American members Ali "Dubfire" Shirazinia and Sharam Tayebi. Based in Washington, D.C., Shirazinia and Tayebi are well known for providing house or dance remixes of tracks of famous stars such as Madonna, Cher and Gabrielle,...
Chocolate City Mix) – 9:35 - "When I Think of You" (Deep Dish Quiet Storm Dub) – 7:52
- "When I Think of You" (Deep Dish Dished Out Bums) – 11:22
- "When I Think of You" (HellerPete HellerPete Heller is an English electronic and house music producer. He is recognised in the dance community for his solo work, and his remixes with frequent collaborator Terry Farley. As a duo they have released popular tunes under the names Heller & Farley Project , Fire Island plus The Look and Feel...
& Farley Project Mix) – 10:46 - "When I Think of You" (Junior Trackhead Joint) – 7:08
UK CD 2 single – The David Morales Remixes
- "When I Think of You" (Morales Extended House Mix) – 7:43
- "When I Think of You" (Morales Drum Mix) – 5:10
- "When I Think of You" (Morales Jazzy Mix) – 10:19
- "When I Think of You" (Morales Crazy Love Mix) – 8:45
- "When I Think of You" (Morales Classic Club Mix) – 6:57
- "When I Think of You" (Morales Incredible Boss Dub) – 7:12
Official versions/remixes
1986- Album Version – 3:56
- Instrumental – 4:00
- Dance Remix – 6:25
- Dub Version – 3:15
- Extra Beats – 2:00
1995
- MoralesDavid MoralesDavid Morales is an internationally acclaimed Grammy-winning house music DJ and producer. In addition to his production and DJ work, Morales is one of the most prolific remixers of all time, transforming many pop music songs into club-friendly dance tracks...
Classic Mix – 6:57 - Morales Extended House Mix – 7:43
- Morales Jazzy Mix – 10:19
- Morales Crazy Love Mix – 8:44
- Morales Drum Mix – 5:10
- Morales Incredible Boss Dub – 7:12
- Deep DishDeep DishDeep Dish is a duo of DJs and house-music producers consisting of Iranian-American members Ali "Dubfire" Shirazinia and Sharam Tayebi. Based in Washington, D.C., Shirazinia and Tayebi are well known for providing house or dance remixes of tracks of famous stars such as Madonna, Cher and Gabrielle,...
Chocolate City Mix – 9:35 - Deep Dish Dished Out Bums – 11:22
- Deep Dish Quiet Storm Dub – 7:52
- HellerPete HellerPete Heller is an English electronic and house music producer. He is recognised in the dance community for his solo work, and his remixes with frequent collaborator Terry Farley. As a duo they have released popular tunes under the names Heller & Farley Project , Fire Island plus The Look and Feel...
& Farley Project Mix – 10:46 - Junior Trackhead Joint – 7:08
Charts
| Chart (1986) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian 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... |
53 |
| Belgian Singles Chart Ultratop 50 Ultratop 50 singles, often just Ultratop 50, is the weekly chart of fifty best-selling singles in Flanders, Belgium, and is produced and published by the Ultratop organization. The chart has existed since March 31, 1995... (Flanders) |
8 |
| Canadian Singles Chart Canadian Singles Chart The Canadian Singles Chart is currently compiled by the U.S.-based music sales tracking company, Nielsen SoundScan . The chart is compiled every Wednesday, and is published by Jam! Canoe on Thursdays.... |
15 |
| 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... |
3 |
| German Singles Chart 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... |
36 |
| 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 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart Recording Industry Association of New Zealand The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand... |
23 |
| Spanish Singles Chart | 24 |
| 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 ... |
10 |
| 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 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 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play | 1 |
| U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary 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... |
10 |
End of year charts
| End of year chart (1986) | Position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 32 |