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I Think We're Alone Now (song)
Encyclopedia
"I Think We're Alone Now" is a song written by Ritchie Cordell. It was initially a 1967 hit for the American
recording artists Tommy James & the Shondells
, reaching #4 on the Billboard Hot 100
. The song has since been covered several times by other artists. In 1987, a version of the song by Tiffany
reached #1 on the charts of various countries including the U.S., the UK, Canada, and New Zealand. Other cover versions have also charted, including those by The Rubinoos
(#45 US, 1977) and Girls Aloud
(#4 UK, 2006).
Rock critic Lester Bangs
called the single "the bubblegum
apotheosis
."
"I Think We're Alone Now" stands out as one of Tommy James' most successful recordings and was sampled in a scene in the 1980s slasher film Mother's Day.
Cordell wrote or co-wrote many songs for James, including "Run, Run, Baby, Run" (the B-side to "I Think We're Alone Now"), the follow-up single "Mirage
," and 1968's "Mony Mony
."
the song for her first album Tiffany
(1987). Tiffany's version of the song spent two weeks at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 (and was unusually followed on the top spot by another Tommy James & the Shondells cover, "Mony Mony" by Billy Idol
) and three weeks at #1 on the UK Singles Chart
. The video was shot in a shopping mall which echoed the way her early career had been promoted. Elements of the video were filmed in the now demolished Bullring Centre in Birmingham
, UK.
When George Tobin
, Tiffany's manager, gave Tiffany the cassette
of the original version by Tommy James & the Shondells, Tiffany hated the idea of recording a version of her own for her album mostly because she thought the song wasn't modern or hip enough. It turned out to be her biggest hit once she recorded it.
"I Think We're Alone Now" was not the first single off Tiffany's debut album. The first single was "Danny
," but radio started picking up "I Think We're Alone Now," another track on the album. It became a runaway #1 hit and was the eighteenth highest selling single for 1987 and the thirty-second highest selling single in Australia for 1988.
This version is referenced in the alternative group Weezer
's song "Heart Songs" on the band's 2008 Red Album, but in the song it is mentioned that it was sung by Debbie Gibson, another teen idol who was around at the same time as Tiffany. When Rivers Cuomo
wrote the song, he had noticed the oversight on his part and that he knew that the song was recorded by Tiffany, but he left the part in the song where he mentions Debbie Gibson singing the song.
A 2008 documentary focusing on two fans obsessed with Tiffany was named after the song.
12" vinyl single
covered the song for the compilation album Punk Chartbusters Vol 3. Unlike the original, this version is very punk-heavy. In addition to the original length of the song that was released, many different length versions of the song exist: there is such a extended version with a length from 6:36 minutes, a 3:00 minutes long remix, and an a capella version, which contains a length from 5:50 minutes. On the B-side of the song is the single Christmas song.
CD single
group Girls Aloud
covered "I Think We're Alone Now" for their greatest hits album The Sound of Girls Aloud
and the soundtrack
of It's a Boy Girl Thing
. Girls Aloud's version was produced by Brian Higgins
and his production team Xenomania
. The song was recorded just days before the group's greatest hits was sent to be manufactured. Following a single remix, "I Think We're Alone Now" was released as a contender for the Christmas number one. It reached the top five on the UK Singles Chart.
The music video, inspired by heist film
s, features Girls Aloud robbing a Las Vegas
casino. "I Think We're Alone Now" was promoted through various live appearances and was featured on 2007's The Sound of Girls Aloud: The Greatest Hits Tour
. The track was criticised and labelled "pointless" by contemporary music critics.
's "What A Feeling
" was going to be in place of "I Think We're Alone Now". Girls Aloud had called their record label on a Friday afternoon to say they'd rather record "I Think We're Alone Now" — the group recorded the song the following morning and the album was mastered on Monday, three days afterwards. The album version was drastically reworked for the single release, due to the initial version being hasilty recorded. Higgins said that "Xenomania used the only idea they could think of, which was to make the song sound like 'Something Kinda Ooooh
'". Sarah Harding
said, "We’ve given it a Girls Aloud twist, made it a bit clubbier, and also brought it up to date." The single features an alternative vocal arrangement and an entirely new backing track. Later pressings of the greatest hits include the single version of "I Think We're Alone Now."
The song was released on 18 December 2006. It was available on two CD single
formats and as a digital download
. The first disc included a previously unreleased track entitled "Why Do It?", co-written by Girls Aloud. The second CD format features a number of remixes, as well as a cover of the Christmas
classic "Jingle Bell Rock
." Girls Aloud's cover of "Jingle Bell Rock" was originally featured on the Christmas bonus disc that came with the limited edition of 2005's Chemistry. The artwork for the second disc features Girls Aloud draped over a Fender
guitar amplifier
.
Girls Aloud's version of "I Think We're Alone Now" appears on the soundtrack to the film It's a Boy Girl Thing
(2006), starring Samaire Armstrong
and Kevin Zegers
. The film was produced by Elton John
's partner David Furnish
.
exclaimed, "Christmas does funny things to people. Even pop groups as reliably excellent at singles as Girls Aloud toss out pointless, lazy covers in a ruthless attempt to snare that coveted seasonal chart-topper from the X-Factor's clutches." A BBC Music
review of The Sound of Girls Aloud chose to "ignore the Xmas party cover." Yahoo! Music
stated "the karaoke rendition[s] of [...] Tiffany's "I Think We're Alone Now" really drag this collection down." On the other hand, John Murphy of musicOMH said the cover "actually does the impossible by making Tiffany's version sound good."
' "A Moment Like This." The song slipped to #7 in its second week. It spent a total of seven weeks in the top 75. The song also peaked at #11 on the Irish Singles Chart
and spent six weeks in Ireland's top 50.
The video, directed by Alex Hemming and Nick Collett, is based on films like Ocean's 11
and Casino
. During the video, the group attempt to rob a Las Vegas casino.
Three different endings to the video were shot. The first shows the girls getting caught and tied up after opening a box full of money in the casino's safe; the second features Kimberley Walsh
(with her back to the camera) removing her clothes in front of casino owners, causing them to faint; and the third features the girls playing with the money. 3 Mobile customers were allowed to vote on their favourite ending from November 8 to November 15, 2006. The latter ending won the vote, despite the version with Kimberley stripping being uploaded to the internet. Since March 2007, all versions of the video have been made available to download on iTunes (UK Store only).
UK CD2 (Fascination / 1714587)
The Singles Boxset (CD14)
, The Monkees
, Gary Lewis and the Playboys, The Spinto Band
, Lene Lovich
, Pascal
featuring Karen Parry
, The Click Five
, Bel's Boys
, The Birthday Massacre
, Comadre
, The Pipettes
, Screeching Weasel
, The Crimea
, and Me First and the Gimme Gimmes
.
The song was spoofed by "Weird Al" Yankovic
on his 1988 album, Even Worse
, as "I Think I'm a Clone Now
."
Dave Garr, who wrote a good deal of song parodies about computers, covered this as "I Think We're a Clone Now." The parody dealt with the licensing of the Macintosh
from Apple Computer
to other companies during the short period in which Macintosh clones were made. The video was recorded in 1995 at Apple's headquarters and features the building and its landmarks of the day, references to former Apple CEOs Mike Spindler and John Sculley
, and some vintage Macintosh computers including a Macintosh Classic
and an Apple Lisa
.
Also, as part of RadioShack's
new "TheShack" commercial campaign, one commercial features a man in an office cubicle
with headphones on singing part of the bridge and chorus in a falsetto
range.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
recording artists Tommy James & the Shondells
Tommy James & the Shondells
Tommy James and the Shondells are an American rock and roll group whose period of greatest success came in the late 1960s. They had two No. 1 singles in the U.S. — "Hanky Panky" and "Crimson and Clover" — and also charted 12 other Top 40 hits, including five in the top ten: "Crystal...
, reaching #4 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...
. The song has since been covered several times by other artists. In 1987, a version of the song by Tiffany
Tiffany (singer)
Tiffany Renee Darwish , known popularly as Tiffany, is an American singer and former teen icon. She is most notable for her 1987 cover version of "I Think We're Alone Now", originally recorded by Tommy James and the Shondells in 1967. Released as the second single from her eponymous album, Tiffany,...
reached #1 on the charts of various countries including the U.S., the UK, Canada, and New Zealand. Other cover versions have also charted, including those by The Rubinoos
The Rubinoos
The Rubinoos are an American power pop band that formed in 1970 in Berkeley, California. They are perhaps best known for their singles "I Think We're Alone Now" , "I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend" , and for the theme song to the 1984 film Revenge of the Nerds...
(#45 US, 1977) and Girls Aloud
Girls Aloud
Girls Aloud are a British and Irish pop girl group based in London. They were created through the ITV1 talent show Popstars The Rivals in 2002. The group consists of Cheryl Cole , Nadine Coyle, Sarah Harding, Nicola Roberts and Kimberley Walsh. They are signed to Fascination Records, a Polydor...
(#4 UK, 2006).
Original version by Tommy James & the Shondells
"I Think We're Alone Now" was a 1967 hit for Tommy James & the Shondells, reaching #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 during a 17-week stay. The recording was produced by Ritchie Cordell and Bo Gentry.Rock critic Lester Bangs
Lester Bangs
Leslie Conway "Lester" Bangs was an American music journalist, author and musician. He wrote for Creem and Rolling Stone magazines, and was known for his leading influence in rock 'n' roll criticism....
called the single "the bubblegum
Bubblegum pop
Bubblegum pop is a genre of pop music with an upbeat sound contrived and marketed to appeal to pre-teens and teenagers, produced in an assembly-line process, driven by producers, often using unknown singers.Bubblegum's classic period ran from 1967 to 1972...
apotheosis
Apotheosis
Apotheosis is the glorification of a subject to divine level. The term has meanings in theology, where it refers to a belief, and in art, where it refers to a genre.In theology, the term apotheosis refers to the idea that an individual has been raised to godlike stature...
."
"I Think We're Alone Now" stands out as one of Tommy James' most successful recordings and was sampled in a scene in the 1980s slasher film Mother's Day.
Cordell wrote or co-wrote many songs for James, including "Run, Run, Baby, Run" (the B-side to "I Think We're Alone Now"), the follow-up single "Mirage
Mirage (song)
"Mirage" is a song by Tommy James and the Shondells released in 1967 on the album, I Think We're Alone Now. The song debuted on the Hot 100 on Tommy's 20th birthday, eventually reaching No. 10 there and No. 2 on the Canadian charts....
," and 1968's "Mony Mony
Mony Mony
"Mony Mony" is a 1968 single by Tommy James & the Shondells, that reached #1 in the UK charts.-History:"Mony Mony" was credited to Tommy James, Bo Gentry, Ritchie Cordell, and Bobby Bloom. The hook in the song is said to have been inspired by James' view of a MONY sign atop the Mutual of New York...
."
Tiffany version
The song was re-popularized when American singer Tiffany coveredCover 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...
the song for her first album Tiffany
Tiffany (album)
-B-sides:*"No Rules" *"The Heart Of Love" *"Mr. Mambo" *"Gotta Be Love" *"Out Of My Heart"...
(1987). Tiffany's version of the song spent two weeks at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 (and was unusually followed on the top spot by another Tommy James & the Shondells cover, "Mony Mony" by Billy Idol
Billy Idol
William Michael Albert Broad , better known by his stage name Billy Idol, is an English rock musician. A member of the Bromley Contingent of Sex Pistols fans, Idol first achieved fame in the punk rock era as a member of the band Generation X...
) and three weeks at #1 on 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 video was shot in a shopping mall which echoed the way her early career had been promoted. Elements of the video were filmed in the now demolished Bullring Centre in Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, UK.
When George Tobin
George Tobin
George Tobin is a record producer who has produced albums for a long list of musical artists including Robert John, Smokey Robinson, Kim Carnes, Kicking Harold, and PC Quest. He is best known, however, for discovering, managing, and producing the teenage singer Tiffany and showcasing her in malls...
, Tiffany's manager, gave Tiffany the cassette
Compact Cassette
The Compact Cassette, often referred to as audio cassette, cassette tape, cassette, or simply tape, is a magnetic tape sound recording format. It was designed originally for dictation, but improvements in fidelity led the Compact Cassette to supplant the Stereo 8-track cartridge and reel-to-reel...
of the original version by Tommy James & the Shondells, Tiffany hated the idea of recording a version of her own for her album mostly because she thought the song wasn't modern or hip enough. It turned out to be her biggest hit once she recorded it.
"I Think We're Alone Now" was not the first single off Tiffany's debut album. The first single was "Danny
Danny (song)
"Danny" was the first single from pop singer Tiffany's self-titled debut album.Contrary to popular belief, "I Think We're Alone Now" was not Tiffany's first single. "Danny" was the first release from her debut album, but wasn't heavily promoted and didn't sell well...
," but radio started picking up "I Think We're Alone Now," another track on the album. It became a runaway #1 hit and was the eighteenth highest selling single for 1987 and the thirty-second highest selling single in Australia for 1988.
This version is referenced in the alternative group Weezer
Weezer
Weezer is an American alternative rock band. The band currently consists of Rivers Cuomo , Patrick Wilson , Brian Bell , and Scott Shriner . The band has changed lineups three times since its formation in 1992...
's song "Heart Songs" on the band's 2008 Red Album, but in the song it is mentioned that it was sung by Debbie Gibson, another teen idol who was around at the same time as Tiffany. When Rivers Cuomo
Rivers Cuomo
Rivers Cuomo is an American musician, best known as the lead singer, lead guitarist, and principal songwriter of the alternative rock band Weezer. Raised in an Ashram in Connecticut, Cuomo moved to Los Angeles at age 19, where he participated in a number of rock bands before founding Weezer in 1992...
wrote the song, he had noticed the oversight on his part and that he knew that the song was recorded by Tiffany, but he left the part in the song where he mentions Debbie Gibson singing the song.
A 2008 documentary focusing on two fans obsessed with Tiffany was named after the song.
Track listings and formats
7"/CD single- "I Think We're Alone Now" — 3:47
- "No Rules" — 4:05
12" vinyl single
- "I Think We're Alone Now" (extended version) — 6:35
- "I Think We're Alone Now" (single version) — 4:25
- "I Think We're Alone Now" (dub version) — 6:35
Charts
| Chart (1987/1988) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian ARIA Singles Chart | 46 |
| Australian Kent Music Report Singles Chart | 13 |
| Austrian Singles Chart | 24 |
| Canadian Singles chart | 1 |
| Dutch Singles Chart 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... |
2 |
| French Singles Chart | 9 |
| 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... |
14 |
| Irish Singles Chart | 1 |
| Italian singles Chart | 5 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart | 1 |
| Norwegian Singles Chart | 3 |
| South African Singles Chart | 1 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 10 |
| 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 ... |
1 |
| 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 Music/Maxi-Singles Sales Hot Dance Singles Sales Hot Dance Singles Sales is a chart released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States, established in 1985. It measures the sale of commercially released singles that deal with dance music and remixes... |
7 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music/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... |
26 |
Snuff version
In 1998, SnuffSnuff (band)
Snuff are a British punk rock band formed in Hendon in 1986. Their name reportedly came about after a long discussion about names ended up with one of them claiming "That's Enough", which was then shortened to Snuff...
covered the song for the compilation album Punk Chartbusters Vol 3. Unlike the original, this version is very punk-heavy. In addition to the original length of the song that was released, many different length versions of the song exist: there is such a extended version with a length from 6:36 minutes, a 3:00 minutes long remix, and an a capella version, which contains a length from 5:50 minutes. On the B-side of the song is the single Christmas song.
Track listings and formats
7"- "I Think We're Alone Now" — 1:50
- "Christmas song" — :05
CD single
- "I Think We're Alone Now" — 1:50
- "I Think We're Alone Now" (extended version) — 6:36
- "I Think We're Alone Now" (remix) — 3:00
- "I Think We're Alone Now" (a capella version) — 5:50
Girls Aloud version
In 2006, the British all-female popPop 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...
group Girls Aloud
Girls Aloud
Girls Aloud are a British and Irish pop girl group based in London. They were created through the ITV1 talent show Popstars The Rivals in 2002. The group consists of Cheryl Cole , Nadine Coyle, Sarah Harding, Nicola Roberts and Kimberley Walsh. They are signed to Fascination Records, a Polydor...
covered "I Think We're Alone Now" for their greatest hits album The Sound of Girls Aloud
The Sound of Girls Aloud
The Sound of Girls Aloud: The Greatest Hits is the first greatest hits anthology by British and Irish all-female pop group Girls Aloud. It was released in the United Kingdom on 30 October 2006 and entered the UK Albums Chart at number one, making it Girls Aloud's first number one album. As of...
and the soundtrack
Soundtrack
A soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
of It's a Boy Girl Thing
It's a Boy Girl Thing
It's A Boy Girl Thing is a 2006 romantic comedy film directed by Nick Hurran and written by Geoff Deane, starring Samaire Armstrong and Kevin Zegers and set in the United States but produced in the United Kingdom. The producers of the film are David Furnish, Steve Hamilton Shaw of Rocket Pictures...
. Girls Aloud's version was produced by Brian Higgins
Brian Higgins (producer)
Brian Thomas Higgins is a British music producer who has written and produced albums and tracks for several highly successful pop music singers and groups, most notably Girls Aloud, through his Xenomania production group...
and his production team Xenomania
Xenomania
Xenomania is a British songwriting and production team founded by Brian Higgins and based in Kent, England. Formed after Higgins met Miranda Cooper, Xenomania has written and produced for renowned artists such as Cher, Kylie Minogue, Dannii Minogue, Pet Shop Boys, and Sugababes...
. The song was recorded just days before the group's greatest hits was sent to be manufactured. Following a single remix, "I Think We're Alone Now" was released as a contender for the Christmas number one. It reached the top five on the UK Singles Chart.
The music video, inspired by heist film
Heist film
A heist film is a film that has an intricate plot woven around a group of people trying to steal something. Versions with dominant or prominent comic elements are often called caper movies. They could be described as the analogues of caper stories in film history...
s, features Girls Aloud robbing a Las Vegas
Las Vegas metropolitan area
The Las Vegas Valley is the heart of the Las Vegas-Paradise, NV MSA also known as the Las Vegas–Paradise–Henderson MSA which includes all of Clark County, Nevada, and is a metropolitan area in the southern part of the U.S. state of Nevada. The Valley is defined by the Las Vegas Valley landform, a ...
casino. "I Think We're Alone Now" was promoted through various live appearances and was featured on 2007's The Sound of Girls Aloud: The Greatest Hits Tour
The Sound of Girls Aloud: The Greatest Hits Tour
The Sound of Girls Aloud: The Greatest Hits Tour is Girls Aloud's third concert tour, in support of the group's first greatest hits album The Sound of Girls Aloud: The Greatest Hits...
. The track was criticised and labelled "pointless" by contemporary music critics.
Background and release
Until three days before the greatest hits was manufactured, a cover of Irene CaraIrene Cara
Irene Cara is an American singer and actress. Cara won an Academy Award in 1984 in the category of Best Original Song for co-writing "Flashdance... What a Feeling." She is also known for her recording of the song "Fame", and she also starred in the 1980 film Fame.She married Hollywood stuntman...
's "What A Feeling
Flashdance... What a Feeling
"Flashdance... What a Feeling" is a song from the 1983 film Flashdance, written by Giorgio Moroder, Keith Forsey, and Irene Cara, and performed by Cara. Despite the title, the word "Flashdance" is never used in the lyrics; however, the line "In a flash, take a hold of my heart" refers to the...
" was going to be in place of "I Think We're Alone Now". Girls Aloud had called their record label on a Friday afternoon to say they'd rather record "I Think We're Alone Now" — the group recorded the song the following morning and the album was mastered on Monday, three days afterwards. The album version was drastically reworked for the single release, due to the initial version being hasilty recorded. Higgins said that "Xenomania used the only idea they could think of, which was to make the song sound like 'Something Kinda Ooooh
Something Kinda Ooooh
"Something Kinda Ooooh" is a song by British all-female pop group Girls Aloud, taken from their first greatest hits collection The Sound of Girls Aloud: The Greatest Hits . The song was written by Miranda Cooper, Brian Higgins and his production team Xenomania, and produced by Higgins and Xenomania...
'". Sarah Harding
Sarah Harding
Sarah Nicole Harding is an English singer-songwriter, actress and model best known for being a member of the pop group Girls Aloud, formed through ITV's reality television programme Popstars: The Rivals...
said, "We’ve given it a Girls Aloud twist, made it a bit clubbier, and also brought it up to date." The single features an alternative vocal arrangement and an entirely new backing track. Later pressings of the greatest hits include the single version of "I Think We're Alone Now."
The song was released on 18 December 2006. It was available on two CD single
CD single
A CD single is a music single in the form of a standard size Compact Disc, not to be confused with the 3-inch CD single, which uses a smaller form factor. The format was introduced in the mid-1980s, but did not gain its place in the market until the early 1990s...
formats and as a digital download
Music download
A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment...
. The first disc included a previously unreleased track entitled "Why Do It?", co-written by Girls Aloud. The second CD format features a number of remixes, as well as a cover of the Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
classic "Jingle Bell Rock
Jingle Bell Rock
"Jingle Bell Rock" is the name of a popular Christmas song first released by Bobby Helms in 1957. It has received frequent airplay in the United States during every Christmas time since then. "Jingle Bell Rock" was composed by Joseph Carleton Beal , and James Ross Boothe...
." Girls Aloud's cover of "Jingle Bell Rock" was originally featured on the Christmas bonus disc that came with the limited edition of 2005's Chemistry. The artwork for the second disc features Girls Aloud draped over a Fender
Fender
Fender Musical Instruments Corporation, commonly referred to as simply Fender, of Scottsdale, Arizona is a manufacturer of stringed instruments and amplifiers, such as solid-body electric guitars, including the Stratocaster and the Telecaster...
guitar amplifier
Guitar amplifier
A guitar amplifier is an electronic amplifier designed to make the signal of an electric or acoustic guitar louder so that it will produce sound through a loudspeaker...
.
Girls Aloud's version of "I Think We're Alone Now" appears on the soundtrack to the film It's a Boy Girl Thing
It's a Boy Girl Thing
It's A Boy Girl Thing is a 2006 romantic comedy film directed by Nick Hurran and written by Geoff Deane, starring Samaire Armstrong and Kevin Zegers and set in the United States but produced in the United Kingdom. The producers of the film are David Furnish, Steve Hamilton Shaw of Rocket Pictures...
(2006), starring Samaire Armstrong
Samaire Armstrong
Samaire Rhys Armstrong is an American actress, fashion designer and model. She is best known for her roles in Stay Alive, The O.C. and It's a Boy Girl Thing. Her best known role to date is portraying the role of Juliet Darling in the ABC television series Dirty Sexy Money...
and Kevin Zegers
Kevin Zegers
Kevin Joseph Zegers is a Canadian actor and model. He is best known for his leading roles as Josh Framm in the Air Bud series, as well as playing Damien Dalgaard in the Gossip Girl series and the protagonist in Rock Mafia's The Big Bang...
. The film was produced by Elton John
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
's partner David Furnish
David Furnish
David James Furnish is a Canadian/British filmmaker, former advertising executive, and now a film director and producer most known for his documentary Elton John: Tantrums & Tiaras...
.
Critical reception
Girls Aloud's cover of the song was widely slated by music critics. It was called "cheap, obnoxious, totally pointless and, destined to be loved only by people too out of their heads on Christmas spirit to know any better." Adam Burling of musicOMHMusicOMH
musicOMH is a United Kingdom-based website which publishes independent reviews, featues and interviews from across all musical genres including classical, metal, rock and R&B.-History:...
exclaimed, "Christmas does funny things to people. Even pop groups as reliably excellent at singles as Girls Aloud toss out pointless, lazy covers in a ruthless attempt to snare that coveted seasonal chart-topper from the X-Factor's clutches." A BBC Music
BBC Music
BBC Music is a team working in the department of Audio and Music Interactive at the BBC. Responsible for the BBC Music website - the portal site to music content across the BBC website....
review of The Sound of Girls Aloud chose to "ignore the Xmas party cover." Yahoo! Music
Yahoo! Music
Yahoo! Music, owned by Yahoo!, is the provider of a variety of music services, including Internet radio, music videos, news, artist information, and original programming...
stated "the karaoke rendition[s] of [...] Tiffany's "I Think We're Alone Now" really drag this collection down." On the other hand, John Murphy of musicOMH said the cover "actually does the impossible by making Tiffany's version sound good."
Chart performance
The single debuted at #50 on the UK Singles Chart a week prior to its physical release, due to download sales. The following week, "I Think We're Alone Now" peaked at #4 on the Christmas chart, being beaten by Leona LewisLeona Lewis
Leona Louise Lewis is a British singer and songwriter. Lewis first came to prominence in 2006 when she won the third series of the British television series The X Factor....
' "A Moment Like This." The song slipped to #7 in its second week. It spent a total of seven weeks in the top 75. The song also peaked at #11 on the 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...
and spent six weeks in Ireland's top 50.
Music video
Ocean's Eleven (2001 film)
Ocean's Eleven is a 2001 American comedy-crime caper and remake of the 1960 Rat Pack caper film of the same name. The 2001 film was directed by Steven Soderbergh and features an ensemble cast including George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Don Cheadle, Andy García, and Julia Roberts. The film was...
and Casino
Casino (film)
Casino is a 1995 crime drama film directed by Martin Scorsese. It is based on the non-fiction book of the same name by Nicholas Pileggi, who also co-wrote the screenplay for the film with Scorsese...
. During the video, the group attempt to rob a Las Vegas casino.
Three different endings to the video were shot. The first shows the girls getting caught and tied up after opening a box full of money in the casino's safe; the second features Kimberley Walsh
Kimberley Walsh
Kimberley Jane Walsh is an English singer-songwriter, dancer, model, television presenter and actress. She is best known for being a member of girl group Girls Aloud, formed through ITV's reality television programme Popstars: The Rivals...
(with her back to the camera) removing her clothes in front of casino owners, causing them to faint; and the third features the girls playing with the money. 3 Mobile customers were allowed to vote on their favourite ending from November 8 to November 15, 2006. The latter ending won the vote, despite the version with Kimberley stripping being uploaded to the internet. Since March 2007, all versions of the video have been made available to download on iTunes (UK Store only).
Live performances
The band performed the song at the following events:- G-A-YG-A-YG-A-Y is a gay nightclub in London. It operated from the London Astoria music venue for 15 years until July 2008. The Boston Globe described it as "London's largest gay-themed club night", NME reported that it "attracts 6,000 clubbers each week", and The Independent described it as "the one London...
- Strictly Come DancingStrictly Come DancingStrictly Come Dancing is a British television show, featuring celebrities with professional dance partners competing in Ballroom and Latin dances. The title of the show suggests a continuation of the long-running series Come Dancing, with an allusion to the film Strictly Ballroom...
- PopworldPopworldPopworld was a British television programme that was broadcast on Channel 4, offering pop news, trivia, gossip, interviews and music videos, as well as musical performances from the most recent top artists....
- The Sound of Girls Aloud: The Greatest Hits Tour
Track listings and formats
UK CD1 (Fascination / 1714586)- "I Think We're Alone Now" (single mix) — 3:42
- "Why Do It?" (Girls AloudGirls AloudGirls Aloud are a British and Irish pop girl group based in London. They were created through the ITV1 talent show Popstars The Rivals in 2002. The group consists of Cheryl Cole , Nadine Coyle, Sarah Harding, Nicola Roberts and Kimberley Walsh. They are signed to Fascination Records, a Polydor...
, Miranda CooperMiranda CooperMiranda Eleanor De Fonbrune Cooper has been on the UK charts longer than any other female songwriter in the country. In 2007 Harper's Bazaar wrote of her: ‘If it's a hit you want, you'd better talk to Cooper...
, Brian HigginsBrian Higgins (producer)Brian Thomas Higgins is a British music producer who has written and produced albums and tracks for several highly successful pop music singers and groups, most notably Girls Aloud, through his Xenomania production group...
, Nick Coler) — 2:53
UK CD2 (Fascination / 1714587)
- "I Think We're Alone Now" (single mix) — 3:42
- "I Think We're Alone Now" (Uniting Nations Remix) — 6:18
- "I Think We're Alone Now" (Tony Lamezma Baubletastic Remix) — 5:32
- "Jingle Bell RockJingle Bell Rock"Jingle Bell Rock" is the name of a popular Christmas song first released by Bobby Helms in 1957. It has received frequent airplay in the United States during every Christmas time since then. "Jingle Bell Rock" was composed by Joseph Carleton Beal , and James Ross Boothe...
" (Joe Beal, Jim Boothe) — 1:59 - "I Think We're Alone Now" (video) — 3:37
The Singles Boxset (CD14)
- "I Think We're Alone Now" (single mix) — 3:42
- "Why Do It?" — 2:53
- "I Think We're Alone Now" (Uniting Nations Remix) — 6:18
- "I Think We're Alone Now" (Tony Lamezma Baubletastic Remix) — 5:32
- "Jingle Bell Rock" — 1:59
- "I Think We're Alone Now" (Alternative Mix) —
- "I Think We're Alone Now" (Co-Stars Epic Club Mix) —
- "I Think We're Alone Now" (Flip & Fill Remix) —
- "I Think We're Alone Now" (video) — 3:37
Credits and personnel
- Guitar: Nick Coler
- Keyboards: Brian HigginsBrian Higgins (producer)Brian Thomas Higgins is a British music producer who has written and produced albums and tracks for several highly successful pop music singers and groups, most notably Girls Aloud, through his Xenomania production group...
, Tim Powell, Toby Scott - Mastering: Dick Beetham for 360 Mastering
- Mixing: Brian Higgins, Tim Powell
- Production: Brian Higgins, XenomaniaXenomaniaXenomania is a British songwriting and production team founded by Brian Higgins and based in Kent, England. Formed after Higgins met Miranda Cooper, Xenomania has written and produced for renowned artists such as Cher, Kylie Minogue, Dannii Minogue, Pet Shop Boys, and Sugababes...
- Programming: Miranda CooperMiranda CooperMiranda Eleanor De Fonbrune Cooper has been on the UK charts longer than any other female songwriter in the country. In 2007 Harper's Bazaar wrote of her: ‘If it's a hit you want, you'd better talk to Cooper...
, Brian Higgins, Tim Powell, Paul Woods - Vocals: Girls AloudGirls AloudGirls Aloud are a British and Irish pop girl group based in London. They were created through the ITV1 talent show Popstars The Rivals in 2002. The group consists of Cheryl Cole , Nadine Coyle, Sarah Harding, Nicola Roberts and Kimberley Walsh. They are signed to Fascination Records, a Polydor...
- Published by Warner/Chappell MusicWarner/Chappell MusicWarner/Chappell Music, Inc. is an American music publishing company, and a division of the Warner Music Group. The company traces its origins back to 1811 and the founding of Chappell & Company, a music publishing company and instrument shop on London’s Bond Street that, in 1929, began a rapid...
and Xenomania Music
Charts
| Chart (2006) | Peak position |
|---|
Year-end charts
| Chart (2006) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles (2006 2006 in British music This is a summary of 2006 in music in the United Kingdom including the official single and album charts.-Summary:*At both ends of the year, the chart was dominated by acts from series 2 and series 3 of the television show The X Factor... ) |
196 |
Other cover versions
The song has been covered by a number of artists including The TurtlesThe Turtles
The Turtles are an American rock group led by vocalists Howard Kaylan and Mark Volman. The band became notable for several Top 40 hits beginning with its cover version of Bob Dylan's "It Ain't Me Babe" in 1965...
, The Monkees
The Monkees
The Monkees are an American pop rock group. Assembled in Los Angeles in 1966 by Robert "Bob" Rafelson and Bert Schneider for the American television series The Monkees, which aired from 1966 to 1968, the musical acting quartet was composed of Americans Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith and Peter Tork,...
, Gary Lewis and the Playboys, The Spinto Band
The Spinto Band
The Spinto Band is an indie rock band from Wilmington, Delaware. They are currently signed to Park the Van Records.-Biography:The Spinto Band was originally formed as recording project by high school students in Wilmington, Delaware in the late 1990s...
, Lene Lovich
Lene Lovich
Lene Lovich is an American singer based in England, who first gained attention as part of the New Wave music scene of the late 1970s and early 1980s. Her most popular hit single was "Lucky Number", first released in 1979.-Early years:...
, Pascal
Pascal (musician)
Pascal is the stage name of drum and bass DJ and producer Pascal Redpath.Like many other producers in the genre, Pascal's involvement in drum and bass came through a love of hip hop...
featuring Karen Parry
Karen Parry
Karen Parry is a dance vocalist who featured on a number of European hits in the 2000s. Parry featured with Flip & Fill on chart hit "Shooting Star" in 2002, originally recorded by happy hardcore act Bang!. This reached number 3 in the UK....
, The Click Five
The Click Five
The Click Five is an American power pop band from Boston, Massachusetts. The original members, most of them students at Berklee College of Music, started on January 1, 2003 and played in various local venues. They then quickly got the attention of talent scout Wayne Sharp...
, Bel's Boys
Bel's Boys
Bel's Boys refers to a pop/rock band based in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and also to a children's television program which the band feature in.-The band:...
, The Birthday Massacre
The Birthday Massacre
The Birthday Massacre is a synthrock band, based in Toronto, Canada. The band formed in 1999, known then as Imagica...
, Comadre
Comadre (band)
Comadre is a band from Redwood City, a suburb of San Francisco, California, composed of former members of Heartcrosslove, One's Own Ruin, What Life Makes Us, and Light This City. Their sound is a shoot-off of emotive and punk, played fast and chaotic with an abundance of energy, but with a large...
, The Pipettes
The Pipettes
The Pipettes are a British indie pop girl group formed in 2003 in Brighton by "svengali" Robert "Monster Bobby" Barry. The group has released two albums, We Are the Pipettes, and Earth vs...
, Screeching Weasel
Screeching Weasel
Screeching Weasel is an American punk rock band originally from Chicago, Illinois. The band was formed in 1986 by Ben Weasel and John Jughead.Since their formation, Screeching Weasel have broken up and reformed numerous times with numerous line-up changes. Ben Weasel has been the only constant...
, The Crimea
The Crimea (band)
The Crimea are a British indie band, based in Camden, London. The band were featured in the late John Peel's Festive Fifty, ranking higher than bands such as The White Stripes and all eleven of the initial album demos were played on his show...
, and Me First and the Gimme Gimmes
Me First and the Gimme Gimmes
Me First and the Gimme Gimmes is a punk rock supergroup and cover band that formed in 1995. The Gimmes work exclusively as a cover band. The band is named after a children's book of the same name by Gerald G. Jampolsky and Diane V. Cirincione...
.
The song was spoofed by "Weird Al" Yankovic
"Weird Al" Yankovic
Alfred Matthew "Weird Al" Yankovic is an American singer-songwriter, music producer, accordionist, actor, comedian, writer, satirist, and parodist. Yankovic is known for his humorous songs that make light of popular culture and that often parody specific songs by contemporary musical acts...
on his 1988 album, Even Worse
Even Worse
Even Worse is the fifth studio album by "Weird Al" Yankovic, released in 1988. The album was the fifth produced by former The McCoys guitarist Rick Derringer...
, as "I Think I'm a Clone Now
I Think I'm a Clone Now
"I Think I'm a Clone Now" is a song by "Weird Al" Yankovic. It is a parody of "I Think We're Alone Now", which was originally recorded by Tommy James & The Shondells...
."
Dave Garr, who wrote a good deal of song parodies about computers, covered this as "I Think We're a Clone Now." The parody dealt with the licensing of the Macintosh
Macintosh
The Macintosh , or Mac, is a series of several lines of personal computers designed, developed, and marketed by Apple Inc. The first Macintosh was introduced by Apple's then-chairman Steve Jobs on January 24, 1984; it was the first commercially successful personal computer to feature a mouse and a...
from Apple Computer
Apple Computer
Apple Inc. is an American multinational corporation that designs and markets consumer electronics, computer software, and personal computers. The company's best-known hardware products include the Macintosh line of computers, the iPod, the iPhone and the iPad...
to other companies during the short period in which Macintosh clones were made. The video was recorded in 1995 at Apple's headquarters and features the building and its landmarks of the day, references to former Apple CEOs Mike Spindler and John Sculley
John Sculley
John Sculley is an American businessman. Sculley was vice-president and president of PepsiCo , until he became CEO of Apple on April 8, 1983, a position he held until leaving in 1993...
, and some vintage Macintosh computers including a Macintosh Classic
Macintosh Classic
The Macintosh Classic was a personal computer manufactured by Apple Computer. Introduced on October 15, 1990, it was the first Apple Macintosh to sell for less than US$1,000. Production of the Classic was prompted by the success of the Macintosh Plus and the SE...
and an Apple Lisa
Apple Lisa
The Apple Lisa—also known as the Lisa—is a :personal computer designed by Apple Computer, Inc. during the early 1980s....
.
Also, as part of RadioShack's
RadioShack
RadioShack Corporation is an American franchise of electronics retail stores in the United States, as well as parts of Europe, South America and Africa. As of 2008, RadioShack reported net sales and operating revenues of $4.81 billion. The headquarters of RadioShack is located in Downtown...
new "TheShack" commercial campaign, one commercial features a man in an office cubicle
Cubicle
Тhe cubicle, cubicle desk, office cubicle or cubicle workstation is a partially enclosed workspace, separated from neighboring workspaces by partitions that are usually tall...
with headphones on singing part of the bridge and chorus in a falsetto
Falsetto
Falsetto is the vocal register occupying the frequency range just above the modal voice register and overlapping with it by approximately one octave. It is produced by the vibration of the ligamentous edges of the vocal folds, in whole or in part...
range.