Bringin' on the Heartbreak
Encyclopedia
"Bringin' On the Heartbreak" is a song originally recorded by British hard rock
band Def Leppard
. It was the second single from their 1981 album High 'n' Dry
. The song was written by three of the band's members: Steve Clark
, Pete Willis
, and Joe Elliott
. In 2002, it was covered by American pop
/R&B
singer Mariah Carey
for her album Charmbracelet
. Many reviews of the R&B cover were positive, as was the reaction from Def Leppard's Joe Elliott.
' thing; Steve [Clark] likes that long wrangled guitar jangle." Cliff Burnstein, the manager of Def Leppard and an A&R representative for Mercury Records
, later said that Peter Willis was embarrassed to play the song for him because it was a ballad. Burnstein originally thought it only had potential to be a hit single if it was recorded by an artist such as Bonnie Tyler
.
High 'n' Dry was released in the U.S. in summer 1981. "Bringin' On the Heartbreak" was commercially released in the U.S. on November 13, with "Me and My Wine" (a non-album track) and "You Got Me Runnin'" included as B-sides. It did not appear on the U.S. charts, but its music video was picked up by the recently launched television channel MTV
and received heavy rotation. The popularity of the video and the exposure the band received caused a resurgence in sales of High 'n' Dry, which subsequently sold over two million copies. It was released in Mexico as "Llevarlo en la Desilusión" with "Yo y mi Vino" ("Me and My Wine") featuring the cover art from the single of "Too Late for Love
".
High 'n' Dry was re-issued in May 1984 with two new tracks, one of which was a synthesizer
-heavy remix of "Bringin' On the Heartbreak". Featuring Phil Collen
on guitar, the remix was released as a single with a newly filmed video and peaked at 61 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100
. The original version of the song was later included on three of their compilation albums: Vault: Def Leppard Greatest Hits (1980–1995) (1995) Best of Def Leppard
(2004) and Rock of Ages: The Definitive Collection
(2005). The latter compilation ends with the instrumental "Switch 625," as it does in High 'n' Dry. Steve Huey of Allmusic has characterised the song as an "unabashedly dramatic rock ballad."
's Rock Concert television series on the U.S. network ABC
. The second music video, directed by David Mallet
, was shot on February 1984 in Jacob's Biscuit Factory in Lake, Dublin, Ireland.
1 Remix.
co-produced her cover of the song with Randy Jackson
for her 9th album, Charmbracelet
(2002). Carey cites the original song as one of her favorites when she was growing up, and she said that she first came up with the idea of covering it when listening to Def Leppard's album Vault during the album photo shoot for Charmbracelet—"I just put on the music and started listening to it, and I said, 'You know what? I could do this my own way'," she said. The song was produced in a rock ballad style and features guitar-playing by Rob Bacon. (the single version also featured a newly recorded solo and extra guitar overdubs performed by Dave Navarro
). One of Carey's few songs with a heavy rock
influence, it was released as the album's third single in 2003. Her vocal range spans from C3 to C7.
Like "Boy (I Need You)
," the album's second single, "Bringin' On the Heartbreak" failed to enter the US Billboard Hot 100
, or the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles
chart because it was only an airplay single. It reached the top 40 in Switzerland but peaked outside the top 40 in Austria. Junior Vasquez
, Mike Rizzo
and Ruanne produced club remixes of the song, which received a wider release on promotional singles than commercial singles and received spins in nightclubs worldwide—the song reached the top five on the US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play
. The single's video is based on the 1979 film The Rose
, which features a rock star (played by Bette Midler
) who struggles to find happiness as she goes from her rough "rock and roll
" lifestyle to her final high profile concert. The video was shot in Los Angeles
on March 8, 2003 by director Sanaa Hamri
, and features cameo appearances by Randy Jackson, Dave Navarro, Evan Marriott (as a helicopter pilot/bodyguard) and Guess? model Damon Willis.
When asked about Carey's cover version, Joe Elliott told the Las Vegas Sun
, "I think she's done a very good job. It's faithful to the arrangement, but not done like a rock song." Referring to Carey's whistle register
vocals at the end, Elliot commented that her "astonishing vocal gymnastics toward the end...make Minnie Riperton
sound like Tom Waits
." A number of reviews were positive, with Rolling Stone
describing the song as "the catchiest cut [on Charmbracelet]...a fascinatingly overblown orchestral remake." Phil Collen praised Carey's cover as a "genuine version of our song" and defended it from Def Leppard's more critical fans: "The fans really get it wrong sometimes. She's on our side and it's an honour she's done it. Really, that's the only way we're getting played." Carey's version was number 24 on VH1's "Least Metal Moments"—in a segment subtitled "Bringin' On the Headache"—because many metal fans and musicians didn't like the remake. Bill Lamb of About.com
ranked it at number 2 on his list of "Top 5 R&B/Pop Crossover Cover Songs" and said Carey's version is "superior to the original."
European CD maxi-single
Hard rock
Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...
band Def Leppard
Def Leppard
Def Leppard are an English rock band formed in 1977 in Sheffield as part of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal movement. Since 1992, the band have consisted of Joe Elliott , Rick Savage , Rick Allen , Phil Collen , and Vivian Campbell...
. It was the second single from their 1981 album High 'n' Dry
High 'n' Dry
High 'n' Dry is the second studio album by British heavy metal band Def Leppard, released on 11 July 1981. Its title song, "High 'n' Dry ", ranked number 33 on VH1's 40 Greatest Metal Songs. High 'n' Dry was Pete Willis' last full time album with Def Leppard...
. The song was written by three of the band's members: Steve Clark
Steve Clark
Stephen Maynard Clark was an English musician, co-lead guitarist for the British hard rock band Def Leppard up until his death in 1991 due to a combination of alcohol and multiple prescription drugs...
, Pete Willis
Pete Willis
Pete Willis was one of the original guitarists for the British rock band Def Leppard, until he was replaced by Phil Collen in 1982...
, and Joe Elliott
Joe Elliott
Joseph Thomas "Joe" Elliott Jr is an English singer-songwriter, and musician, best known as the lead vocalist and occasional rhythm guitarist of the British rock band Def Leppard. He has also been the lead singer of David Bowie cover band, the Cybernauts and the Mott the Hoople cover band, Down...
. In 2002, it was covered by American 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...
/R&B
Contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...
singer Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. She made her recording debut with the release of her eponymous studio album in 1990, under the guidance of Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola, whom she later married in 1993...
for her album Charmbracelet
Charmbracelet
Charmbracelet is the ninth studio album by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey, released on December 3, 2002 through Island Records and MonarC Entertainment. The album was her first release since facing a breakdown following the release of her film Glitter and its accompanying...
. Many reviews of the R&B cover were positive, as was the reaction from Def Leppard's Joe Elliott.
Def Leppard versions
Def Leppard recorded the song for their second album, High 'n' Dry. Its working title had been "A Certain Heartache," and the track (along with the others on the album) was produced by Robert John "Mutt" Lange. Lange said he thought the band was intending to make the song's verse "jangley" and "a kind of 'Stairway to HeavenStairway to Heaven
"Stairway to Heaven" is a song by the English rock band Led Zeppelin, released in late 1971. It was composed by guitarist Jimmy Page and vocalist Robert Plant for the band's untitled fourth studio album . The song, running eight minutes and two seconds, is composed of several sections, which...
' thing; Steve [Clark] likes that long wrangled guitar jangle." Cliff Burnstein, the manager of Def Leppard and an A&R representative for Mercury Records
Mercury Records
Mercury Records is a record label operating as a standalone company in the UK and as part of the Island Def Jam Motown Music Group in the US; both are subsidiaries of Universal Music Group. There is also a Mercury Records in Australia, which is a local artist and repertoire division of Universal...
, later said that Peter Willis was embarrassed to play the song for him because it was a ballad. Burnstein originally thought it only had potential to be a hit single if it was recorded by an artist such as Bonnie Tyler
Bonnie Tyler
Bonnie Tyler is a Welsh singer, most notable for her hits in the 1970s and 1980s including "It's a Heartache", "Holding Out for a Hero" and "Total Eclipse of the Heart".-Early life:...
.
High 'n' Dry was released in the U.S. in summer 1981. "Bringin' On the Heartbreak" was commercially released in the U.S. on November 13, with "Me and My Wine" (a non-album track) and "You Got Me Runnin'" included as B-sides. It did not appear on the U.S. charts, but its music video was picked up by the recently launched television channel 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....
and received heavy rotation. The popularity of the video and the exposure the band received caused a resurgence in sales of High 'n' Dry, which subsequently sold over two million copies. It was released in Mexico as "Llevarlo en la Desilusión" with "Yo y mi Vino" ("Me and My Wine") featuring the cover art from the single of "Too Late for Love
Too Late for Love (song)
"Too Late for Love" is a 1983 single by British hard rock band Def Leppard from their multi-platinum album Pyromania. When released as a single, it reached #9 on the Mainstream Rock charts....
".
High 'n' Dry was re-issued in May 1984 with two new tracks, one of which was a synthesizer
Synthesizer
A synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
-heavy remix of "Bringin' On the Heartbreak". Featuring Phil Collen
Phil Collen
Philip Kenneth "Phil" Collen is the co-lead guitarist and one of the backing vocalists for English rock band Def Leppard. He joined the band in 1982 following the departure of Pete Willis.-Early years:...
on guitar, the remix was released as a single with a newly filmed video and peaked at 61 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...
. The original version of the song was later included on three of their compilation albums: Vault: Def Leppard Greatest Hits (1980–1995) (1995) Best of Def Leppard
Best of Def Leppard
- Certifications :...
(2004) and Rock of Ages: The Definitive Collection
Rock of Ages: The Definitive Collection
Rock of Ages: The Definitive Collection is the North American version of the second compilation by British rock band Def Leppard. The 2-Disc anthology featuring 35 hit songs by the band and was released in North America on May 17, 2005.The album charted at #10 on The Billboard 200.Its worldwide...
(2005). The latter compilation ends with the instrumental "Switch 625," as it does in High 'n' Dry. Steve Huey of Allmusic has characterised the song as an "unabashedly dramatic rock ballad."
Music video
The first music video was directed by Doug Smith, and is a live recording of Def Leppard performing the song at the Royal Court Theatre in Liverpool, England on July 22, 1981. It was originally filmed (along with clips for "Let It Go" and "High 'n' Dry") as part of Don KirshnerDon Kirshner
Don Kirshner , known as "The Man With the Golden Ear", was an American song publisher and rock producer who is best known for managing songwriting talent as well as successful pop groups, such as The Monkees, Kansas and The Archies.-Early life:Don Kirshner was born to Gilbert Kirshner, a tailor,...
's Rock Concert television series on the U.S. network ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
. The second music video, directed by David Mallet
David Mallet (director)
David Mallet is a British director particularly noted for his work on music videos, including David Bowie's innovative "Ashes to Ashes", Rush's "Distant Early Warning, and Queen's "Radio Ga Ga" and "I Want to Break Free" videos. He has also served as a producer on television programmes including...
, was shot on February 1984 in Jacob's Biscuit Factory in Lake, Dublin, Ireland.
Track listing
7" Mercury / 818 779-7 (U.S.)- "Bringin' On the Heartbreak" (remix)
- "Me & My Wine" (remix)
Charts
| Chart (1984) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US 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 |
61 |
1 Remix.
Mariah Carey version
Mariah CareyMariah Carey
Mariah Carey is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. She made her recording debut with the release of her eponymous studio album in 1990, under the guidance of Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola, whom she later married in 1993...
co-produced her cover of the song with Randy Jackson
Randy Jackson
Randall Darius "Randy" Jackson is an American bassist, singer, record producer, music manager, A&R executive, entrepreneur, and television personality. He is best known as a judge on American Idol and executive producer for MTV's America's Best Dance Crew...
for her 9th album, Charmbracelet
Charmbracelet
Charmbracelet is the ninth studio album by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey, released on December 3, 2002 through Island Records and MonarC Entertainment. The album was her first release since facing a breakdown following the release of her film Glitter and its accompanying...
(2002). Carey cites the original song as one of her favorites when she was growing up, and she said that she first came up with the idea of covering it when listening to Def Leppard's album Vault during the album photo shoot for Charmbracelet—"I just put on the music and started listening to it, and I said, 'You know what? I could do this my own way'," she said. The song was produced in a rock ballad style and features guitar-playing by Rob Bacon. (the single version also featured a newly recorded solo and extra guitar overdubs performed by Dave Navarro
Dave Navarro
David Michael "Dave" Navarro is an American guitarist who plays in the alternative rock band Jane's Addiction and cover band Camp Freddy. He has also played with the Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Panic Channel, and many others.- Early life :...
). One of Carey's few songs with a heavy rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
influence, it was released as the album's third single in 2003. Her vocal range spans from C3 to C7.
Like "Boy (I Need You)
Boy (I Need You)
"Boy " is a song co-written and co-produced by Mariah Carey and Just Blaze for Carey's twelfth album Charmbracelet . It features a sample of the Rose Royce song "I'm Going Down", which is also sampled in the same fashion in rapper Cam'ron's 2002 single "Oh Boy". Cam'ron himself provides verses for...
," the album's second single, "Bringin' On the Heartbreak" failed to enter the US 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...
, or the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles
Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles
The Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States. It lists the top 25 singles below number 100 that have not yet charted on the Billboard Hot 100. Sometimes, however, singles halt their progress on this chart, and never appear on the Hot 100...
chart because it was only an airplay single. It reached the top 40 in Switzerland but peaked outside the top 40 in Austria. Junior Vasquez
Junior Vasquez
Junior Vasquez, , is an American club DJ and remixer/producer.-Career:...
, Mike Rizzo
Mike Rizzo
Michael "Mike" Rizzo, is an American DJ/remixer from New York City since the early 1990s. He is well known for working with various artists such as Jennifer Green and Sun, all of whom scored hits on both Billboard's Hot Dance Club Play and Hot Dance Airplay charts.He also achieved success on both...
and Ruanne produced club remixes of the song, which received a wider release on promotional singles than commercial singles and received spins in nightclubs worldwide—the song reached the top five on the US 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...
. The single's video is based on the 1979 film The Rose
The Rose (film)
The Rose is a 1979 American musical drama film which tells the story of a self-destructive 1960s rock star who struggles to cope with the constant pressures of her career and the demands of her ruthless business manager...
, which features a rock star (played by Bette Midler
Bette Midler
Bette Midler is an American singer, actress, and comedian, also known by her informal stage name, The Divine Miss M. She became famous as a cabaret and concert headliner, and went on to star in successful and acclaimed films such as The Rose, Ruthless People, Beaches, and For The Boys...
) who struggles to find happiness as she goes from her rough "rock and roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
" lifestyle to her final high profile concert. The video was shot in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
on March 8, 2003 by director Sanaa Hamri
Sanaa Hamri
Sanaa Hamri is a Moroccan American music video and film director. She is one of the few prominent female film and music video directors of color.-Early life and breakthrough:...
, and features cameo appearances by Randy Jackson, Dave Navarro, Evan Marriott (as a helicopter pilot/bodyguard) and Guess? model Damon Willis.
When asked about Carey's cover version, Joe Elliott told the Las Vegas Sun
Las Vegas Sun
The Las Vegas Sun is a Pulitzer Prize-winning newspaper. It is one of Las Vegas, Nevada's two daily newspapers. It is owned by the Greenspun family and is affiliated with Greenspun Media Group....
, "I think she's done a very good job. It's faithful to the arrangement, but not done like a rock song." Referring to Carey's whistle register
Whistle register
The whistle register is the highest register of the human voice, lying above the modal register and falsetto register...
vocals at the end, Elliot commented that her "astonishing vocal gymnastics toward the end...make Minnie Riperton
Minnie Riperton
Minnie Julia Riperton was an American singer-songwriter best known for her 1975 single "Lovin' You". She was married to songwriter and music producer Richard Rudolph from 1972 until her death in the summer of 1979. They had two children - music engineer Marc Rudolph and actress/comedienne Maya...
sound like Tom Waits
Tom Waits
Thomas Alan "Tom" Waits is an American singer-songwriter, composer, and actor. Waits has a distinctive voice, described by critic Daniel Durchholz as sounding "like it was soaked in a vat of bourbon, left hanging in the smokehouse for a few months, and then taken outside and run over with a car."...
." A number of reviews were positive, with Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
describing the song as "the catchiest cut [on Charmbracelet]...a fascinatingly overblown orchestral remake." Phil Collen praised Carey's cover as a "genuine version of our song" and defended it from Def Leppard's more critical fans: "The fans really get it wrong sometimes. She's on our side and it's an honour she's done it. Really, that's the only way we're getting played." Carey's version was number 24 on VH1's "Least Metal Moments"—in a segment subtitled "Bringin' On the Headache"—because many metal fans and musicians didn't like the remake. Bill Lamb of About.com
About.com
About.com is an online source for original information and advice. It is written in English, and is aimed primarily at North Americans. It is owned by The New York Times Company....
ranked it at number 2 on his list of "Top 5 R&B/Pop Crossover Cover Songs" and said Carey's version is "superior to the original."
Formats and track listings
European CD single- "Bringin' On the Heartbreak" (Mainstream Edit)
- "Miss You" (featuring JadakissJadakissJason Phillips , better known as Jadakiss, is an American rapper. He is a member of the group The LOX. Jadakiss is one of the three owners of the imprint known as D-Block. In early 2007, Jadakiss signed to Roc-a-Fella Records / Def Jam Records.-Early life:By the age of 16, Jadakiss was a freestyle...
)
European CD maxi-single
- "Bringin' On the Heartbreak" (Mainstream Edit)
- "Miss You" (featuring Jadakiss)
- "Bringin' On the Heartbreak" (Live)
- "Bringin' On the Heartbreak" (Video)
Charts
| Chart (2003) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Austrian Singles Chart | 55 |
| Belgian Wallonia Singles Chart | 40 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 28 |
| US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play | 5 |