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Beethoven (I Love to Listen to)
Encyclopedia
"Beethoven" is a song by the British pop music
duo Eurythmics
, released as the first single (in the UK) from their 1987 album, Savage
.
and David A. Stewart
. Although not released as a single in the United States, the track appeared as a double A-side of the 12 inch single for "I Need a Man", and received heavy rotation on MTV
. It was a Top 20 hit in several European territories and also in Australia.
sound and the "Beethoven" vocals are performed mostly as spoken-word from Lennox, with the exception of the repeated phrase "I love to" throughout the track.
s were produced for all twelve tracks on the Savage album, all directed by Sophie Muller
, and most of them with a shared concept featuring character(s) played by Lennox who display characteristics of dissociative identity disorder
or split personalities.
As the first part of this loose narrative, the "Beethoven" video begins with Lennox portraying a repressed, middle-class housewife, knitting in her apartment. She exhibits characteristics of obsessive-compulsive disorder
through her habitual cleaning and chopping of vegetables. The video also includes a mischievous little girl who has blonde hair, and a man who is wearing make-up and an evening gown, neither of whom are directly noticed by the housewife even though they are in her living room with her. These characters are seemingly components of a new character that the dowdy housewife becomes as she has a nervous breakdown and transforms herself into a blonde, overtly sexual vixen. In this new extroverted persona, she then trashes the apartment that, as a housewife, she meticulously kept clean. The video ends with her walking out into the street laughing.
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...
duo Eurythmics
Eurythmics
Eurythmics were a British pop rock duo, formed in 1980, currently disbanded, but known to reunite from time to time. Consisting of members Annie Lennox and David A...
, released as the first single (in the UK) from their 1987 album, Savage
Savage (album)
-Personnel:*Annie Lennox - vocals, keyboards and programming*Dave Stewart - backing vocals, guitar, keyboards and programming*Olle Romo - programming-Production:*Producer: Dave Stewart*Engineers: Fred DeFaye, Manu Guiot, Alan Moulder...
.
Writing
It was written by group members Annie LennoxAnnie Lennox
Annie Lennox, OBE , born Ann Lennox, is a Scottish singer-songwriter, political activist and philanthropist. After achieving minor success in the late 1970s with The Tourists, with fellow musician David A...
and David A. Stewart
David A. Stewart
David Allan Stewart , often known as Dave Stewart, is an English musician, songwriter and record producer, best known for his work with Eurythmics. He is usually credited as David A. Stewart, to avoid confusion with other musicians named "Dave Stewart".-Early life:Stewart was born in Sunderland,...
. Although not released as a single in the United States, the track appeared as a double A-side of the 12 inch single for "I Need a Man", and received heavy rotation on MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
. It was a Top 20 hit in several European territories and also in Australia.
Style
The Savage album returned Eurythmics to a more electronicElectronica
Electronica includes a wide range of contemporary electronic music designed for a wide range of uses, including foreground listening, some forms of dancing, and background music for other activities; however, unlike electronic dance music, it is not specifically made for dancing...
sound and the "Beethoven" vocals are performed mostly as spoken-word from Lennox, with the exception of the repeated phrase "I love to" throughout the track.
7":RCA (UK, GER, FR, SP, AUS)
- "Beethoven (I Love to Listen to)" (Single Version) – 3:54
- "Heaven" – 3:24
12":RCA (UK, GER, FR, SP, AUS)
- "Beethoven (I Love to Listen to)" (Dance Mix) – 5:18
- "Heaven" – 3:24
- "Beethoven (I Love to Listen to)" (Album Version) – 4:48
CD Single:RCA (UK, GER)
- "Beethoven (I Love to Listen to)" (Single Version) – 3:54
- "Heaven" – 3:22
- "Beethoven (I Love to Listen to)" (Dance Mix) – 5:18
CD Single:RCA (JP)
- "Beethoven (I Love to Listen to)" (Single Version) – 3:54
- "Heaven" – 3:24
Music Video
Background
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...
s were produced for all twelve tracks on the Savage album, all directed by Sophie Muller
Sophie Muller
Sophie Muller is a British music video director, noted for her long-time collaborations with artists like Sophie Ellis-Bextor, No Doubt, Sade, Shakira, Shakespears Sister, Garbage, Blur, Annie Lennox and Eurythmics.-Background:...
, and most of them with a shared concept featuring character(s) played by Lennox who display characteristics of dissociative identity disorder
Dissociative identity disorder
Dissociative identity disorder is a psychiatric diagnosis and describes a condition in which a person displays multiple distinct identities , each with its own pattern of perceiving and interacting with the environment....
or split personalities.
As the first part of this loose narrative, the "Beethoven" video begins with Lennox portraying a repressed, middle-class housewife, knitting in her apartment. She exhibits characteristics of obsessive-compulsive disorder
Obsessive-compulsive disorder
Obsessive–compulsive disorder is an anxiety disorder characterized by intrusive thoughts that produce uneasiness, apprehension, fear, or worry, by repetitive behaviors aimed at reducing the associated anxiety, or by a combination of such obsessions and compulsions...
through her habitual cleaning and chopping of vegetables. The video also includes a mischievous little girl who has blonde hair, and a man who is wearing make-up and an evening gown, neither of whom are directly noticed by the housewife even though they are in her living room with her. These characters are seemingly components of a new character that the dowdy housewife becomes as she has a nervous breakdown and transforms herself into a blonde, overtly sexual vixen. In this new extroverted persona, she then trashes the apartment that, as a housewife, she meticulously kept clean. The video ends with her walking out into the street laughing.
Chart performance
| Chart (1987) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Belgian Singles Chart | 25 |
| Dutch Singles Chart | 41 |
| French Singles Chart | 74 |
| German Singles Chart | 28 |
| Irish Singles Chart | 11 |
| Italian Singles Chart | 10 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart | 6 |
| Norwegian Singles Chart | 6 |
| Polish Singles Chart | 27 |
| Swedish Singles Chart | 9 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 19 |
| UK Singles Chart | 25 |