Kiss from a Rose
Encyclopedia
"Kiss from a Rose" is a song from Seal
's second eponymous album Seal (aka Seal II)
. The song was first released as a single in July 1994. Re-released in 1995, it was included on the Batman Forever film soundtrack
, helping it top the charts in the U.S. and Australia. It took the 1996 Grammy Awards for both Record of the Year and Song of the Year. Seal also won Best Male Pop Vocal Performance.
film soundtrack, topped the U.S. Billboard Hot 100
for one week in August 1995. It also went to number four on the UK Singles Chart
. The single originally made it to #20 in 1994, but upon being re-released after being featured in the film, it reached the top position. It was also nominated for a 1996 MTV Movie Award
. Seal talked about the long, strange journey that the song went through on The Brian McKnight Show season finale that aired Sunday, 12:30 A.M., 30 May 2010. He said the song first arrived on the charts at #60 and then got dropped off the charts. It wasn't until he got a call from Joel Schumacher
that he wanted to use the song to play over a love scene between the characters played by Nicole Kidman
and Val Kilmer
. It wound up being moved to play over the end credits and, as Seal said, many people that saw the movie recalled the song and loved it which he admitted wasn't commercial. He also pointed out that the song is a waltz done in 3/4 time.
were produced:
" (a Jimi Hendrix
cover) and "Blues in 'E'"; remixes of "Kiss from a Rose" by Adamski
(who produced the original version of "Killer"); and remixes of album track "I'm Alive" by Steve Fitzmaurice
and Sasha
with BT.
.
Seal (musician)
Seal Henry Olusegun Olumide Adeola Samuel , known simply as Seal, is a British soul and R&B singer-songwriter, of Nigerian and Brazilian background. Seal has won numerous music awards throughout his career, including three Brit Awards—winning Best British Male in 1992, four Grammy Awards, and an...
's second eponymous album Seal (aka Seal II)
Seal (1994 album)
Seal is the second self-titled album of singer Seal...
. The song was first released as a single in July 1994. Re-released in 1995, it was included on the Batman Forever film soundtrack
Batman Forever (soundtrack)
Batman Forever: Music from the Motion Picture is the 1995 soundtrack to the motion picture Batman Forever.-Background:Only five of the songs are actually featured in the movie. Hit singles from the soundtrack include "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me" by U2 and "Kiss from a Rose" by Seal, both...
, helping it top the charts in the U.S. and Australia. It took the 1996 Grammy Awards for both Record of the Year and Song of the Year. Seal also won Best Male Pop Vocal Performance.
Description
Written by Seal, the single "Kiss from a Rose", the second taken from the Batman ForeverBatman Forever
Batman Forever is a 1995 American superhero film directed by Joel Schumacher and produced by Tim Burton. Based on the DC Comics character Batman, the film is a sequel to Batman Returns , with Val Kilmer replacing Michael Keaton as Batman...
film soundtrack, topped 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...
for one week in August 1995. It also went to number four 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 single originally made it to #20 in 1994, but upon being re-released after being featured in the film, it reached the top position. It was also nominated for a 1996 MTV Movie Award
MTV Movie Awards 1996
-Performers:* Whitney Houston — "Why Does It Hurt So Bad"* Garbage — "Only Happy When It Rains"* Adam Sandler — "Mel Gibson"* Fugees and Roberta Flack — "Killing Me Softly"- Best Movie :Seven* Apollo 13* Braveheart* Clueless...
. Seal talked about the long, strange journey that the song went through on The Brian McKnight Show season finale that aired Sunday, 12:30 A.M., 30 May 2010. He said the song first arrived on the charts at #60 and then got dropped off the charts. It wasn't until he got a call from Joel Schumacher
Joel Schumacher
Joel T. Schumacher is an American film director, screenwriter and producer.-Early life:Schumacher was born in New York City, the son of Marian and Francis Schumacher. His mother was a Swedish Jew, and his father was a Baptist from Knoxville, Tennessee, who died when Joel was four years old...
that he wanted to use the song to play over a love scene between the characters played by Nicole Kidman
Nicole Kidman
Nicole Mary Kidman, AC is an American-born Australian actress, singer, film producer, spokesmodel, and humanitarian. After starring in a number of small Australian films and TV shows, Kidman's breakthrough was in the 1989 thriller Dead Calm...
and Val Kilmer
Val Kilmer
Val Edward Kilmer is an American actor. Originally a stage actor, Kilmer became popular in the mid-1980s after a string of appearances in comedy films, starting with Top Secret! , then the cult classic Real Genius , as well as blockbuster action films, including a supporting role in Top Gun and a...
. It wound up being moved to play over the end credits and, as Seal said, many people that saw the movie recalled the song and loved it which he admitted wasn't commercial. He also pointed out that the song is a waltz done in 3/4 time.
Music video
Two versions of 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...
were produced:
- The original version is set in a photographic studioPhotographic studioA photographic studio is both a workspace and a corporate body. As a workspace it is much like an artist’s studio, but providing space to take, develop, print and duplicate photographs. Photographic training and the display of finished photographs may also be accommodated in a photographic studio...
and was directed by Matthew RolstonMatthew RolstonMatthew Russell Rolston is an American photographer and music video director. Rolston is known for his signature lighting techniques and detailed approach to art direction and design, and has been repeatedly identified throughout his career with the revival and modern expression of Hollywood glamour...
. - The second version was directed by Joel SchumacherJoel SchumacherJoel T. Schumacher is an American film director, screenwriter and producer.-Early life:Schumacher was born in New York City, the son of Marian and Francis Schumacher. His mother was a Swedish Jew, and his father was a Baptist from Knoxville, Tennessee, who died when Joel was four years old...
and has Seal performing the song beside the Bat-SignalBat-SignalThe Bat-Signal is a distress signal device appearing in the various interpretations of the Batman mythos. It is a specially modified Klieg searchlight with a stylized symbol of a bat attached to the light so that it projects a large Bat emblem on the sky or buildings of Gotham City...
, interspersed with clips from the film Batman Forever. This is the more popular video of the song. The director of photography of this version of the music video was Neil Abramson, backing vocals by several singers including Kelly Parkins an up and coming singer from Plymouth. Oddly enough, the song was scrapped from appearing in the movie.
Track listing
Between all the formats of the single release, bonus tracks include the non-album tracks "The Wind Cries MaryThe Wind Cries Mary
The Wind Cries Mary is a song by The Jimi Hendrix Experience released as the band's third single, backed with "Highway Chile", on May 5, 1967. It reached no. 6 in the UK Charts. The track is an example of psychedelic blues-rock, as the song is in the key of F major, with a guitar solo primarily...
" (a Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
cover) and "Blues in 'E'"; remixes of "Kiss from a Rose" by Adamski
Adamski
Adamski is an English dance music producer, prominent at the time of acid house for his tracks "N-R-G" and "Killer" .-Career:...
(who produced the original version of "Killer"); and remixes of album track "I'm Alive" by Steve Fitzmaurice
Steve Fitzmaurice
Steven Fitzmaurice is a Grammy Award-winning mixer and producer based in London, UK. His credits include albums for Craig David, Depeche Mode, Kate Nash, Seal, and U2.Born in Ireland, Fitzmaurice moved to London in 1987 to carve out a career in music...
and Sasha
Sasha (DJ)
Sasha is a Welsh DJ and record producer. Sasha began his career playing acid house dance music in the late 1980s...
with BT.
- "Kiss from a Rose" (radio edit) — 3:38
- "Kiss from a Rose" (album version) — 4:47
Cover versions
- Grammy Winning vocalist, Darlene KoldenhovenDarlene KoldenhovenDarlene Koldenhoven is an American singer/songwriter, arranger, keyboardist, record producer, author, actor, motivational speaker, and music therapist...
, recorded her arrangement of Kiss From a Rose on her 2011 CD, Solitary Treasures. - Guitarist John WilliamsJohn Williams (guitarist)John Christopher Williams is an Australian classical guitarist, and a long-term resident of the United Kingdom. In 1973, he shared a Grammy Award win in the 'Best Chamber Music Performance' category with Julian Bream for Julian and John .-Biography:John Williams was born on 24 April 1941 in...
performed an instrumental version for his album "John Williams Plays The Movies" - Irish vocal trio TrinitíTrinitíTrinití was a Dublin-based female vocal trio.-History:According to record label PR, Eve O'Donnell, Laura Cunningham and Sharon Moran met in Dublin. They were all blonde and were all in their early twenties. The three girls sang barefoot practising the "Alexander Technique" while singing...
have recorded cover versionCover versionIn 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...
s of the song. - Lee DeWyzeLee DeWyzeLeon James "Lee" DeWyze, Jr. is an American singer-songwriter from Mount Prospect, Illinois, and the winner of the ninth season of American Idol. Prior to Idol, DeWyze had a solo career and formed the Lee DeWyze Band. He had also released two independent albums called So I'm Told in 2007 and...
performed a cover version as his "Songs from the Movies" category entry in the ninth season of the American Idol. DeWyze went on to become the winner in the competition. - Jack BlackJack BlackJack Black , is an American actor and musician, notably of Tenacious D.Jack Black may also refer to:* Jack Black , late 19th - early 20th Century author and hobo* Jack Black , drummer for 1970s UK punk band The Boys...
performed a cover version on an American IdolAmerican IdolAmerican Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
charity special in 2007. The judges (Randy JacksonRandy JacksonRandall 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...
, Paula AbdulPaula AbdulPaula 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...
, and Simon CowellSimon CowellSimon Phillip Cowell is an English A&R executive, television producer, entrepreneur, and television personality. He is known in the United Kingdom and United States for his role as a talent judge on TV shows such as Pop Idol, The X Factor, Britain's Got Talent and American Idol...
) each gave mixed reviews of the performance (Randy said he wasn't feeling it, but that it would help if Black got better pants, Paula gave a negative review, while Simon said that Black sounded better than Sanjaya MalakarSanjaya MalakarSanjaya Joseph Malakar is an American singer of Indian origin, who was a finalist on the sixth season of American Idol. He gained national attention on the series, controversially advancing to 7th place with public votes, despite being poorly received by the show's judges, particularly Simon...
). However Seal, being the original artist who wrote and sang the song, had stood up for Black and said it was "the best rendition of Kiss from a Rose [he] ever heard". - Head Control SystemHead Control SystemHead Control System is a cross-national groove rock/metal band featuring Portuguese Daniel Cardoso and Norwegian Kristoffer Rygg . Head Control System is currently part of North-American The End Records' roster along with bands such as Voivod, The Gathering, Sleepytime Gorilla Museum and Ulver...
released a cover version of the song on their official Myspace. - The King's SingersKing's SingersThe King's Singers is a British a cappella vocal ensemble who celebrated their 40th anniversary in 2008. Their name recalls King's College in Cambridge, England, where the group was formed by six choral scholars in 1968. In the United Kingdom, their popularity peaked in the 1970s and early 1980s...
recorded a version of the song on their 1999 album Circle of Life. - Katherine JenkinsKatherine JenkinsKatherine Jenkins is a Welsh mezzo-soprano. She is a classical-popular crossover singer who performs across a spectrum of operatic arias, popular songs, musical theatre and hymns.-Early life and education:...
recorded her version of the track in her 2007 album Rejoice. - Finnish symphonic metal Northern KingsNorthern KingsNorthern Kings is a Finnish symphonic metal cover supergroup, made up of four musicians who have already become well known in their existing bands: Jarkko Ahola from Teräsbetoni, ex-Dreamtale, Marco Hietala from Nightwish and Tarot, Tony Kakko from Sonata Arctica and Juha-Pekka Leppäluoto from...
recorded a cover version as a track on their second album Rethroned, which was also released as a single. - Welsh male voice choir Only Men Aloud!Only Men Aloud!Only Men Aloud! is a male voice choir from Wales. The choir came to national prominence in the UK when they won the Last Choir Standing competition run by BBC television during 2008.-Overview:...
also sang an arrangement by Tim Rhys-Evans & Jeffrey Howard on the BBC 1 Show Last Choir StandingLast Choir StandingLast Choir Standing was a 2008 talent show-themed television series produced by the BBC in the United Kingdom. Broadcast on BBC One in July and August 2008, the series saw amateur choirs competing each week to be the 'last choir standing'....
in 2008. They subsequently released it on their self-titled début album. - US soul singer Jazmine SullivanJazmine SullivanJazmine Marie Sullivan is an American recording artist from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She is also the protégé of rapper Missy Elliott. Her debut single "Need U Bad" reached number one on Billboards Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, while her second single, "Bust Your Windows" peaked at number four...
covered the song for French TV show Taratata. Her performance first aired on 15 May 2009, on French TV and is also available online on Taratata's official website. - Hank MarvinHank MarvinHank Brian Marvin is an English guitarist, best known as the lead guitarist for The Shadows. The group, which primarily performed instrumentals, was formed as a backing band for vocalist Cliff Richard...
covered the song on his 2000 album Marvin at the Movies. - Idina MenzelIdina MenzelIdina Kim Menzel is an American actress, singer and songwriter. She is widely known for originating the roles of Maureen in Rent and Elphaba in Wicked.-Early life:...
covered the song during her 2008 Fall tour promoting her album I Stand. - Japanese artist Angela AkiAngela Aki, born Kiyomi Angela Aki on September 15, 1977, is a Japanese pop singer-songwriter, guitarist and pianist from Itano, Tokushima, Japan.-Early life:...
rendition included Japanese lyrics on her fourth single This Love. - French Canadian singer Bruno PelletierBruno PelletierBruno Pelletier , is a francophone Quebecer singer.-Life:Pelletier was born in Charlesbourg, a suburb of Quebec City. In 1983 Pelletier performed in the bands Amanite and Sneak Preview, which sang in English. He later started a group called Pëll, singing in French. At 23 years old, he moved to...
covered the song for his 2007 tour of Bruno Pelletier et le GrosZorchestre. - The song was featured in an episode of the third season of the popular NBC television series "Community."
Video games
The Batman Forever film edit version of the song is featured in Backyard Football '09Backyard Football '09
Backyard Football is a sports game that was released on October 21, 2008. This is the eighth iteration of the Backyard Football game from the Backyard Sports series. The cover athlete is Tom Brady of the New England Patriots....
.
Peak positions
| Chart (1994) | 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... |
87 |
| Canadian Singles Chart RPM (magazine) RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,... |
22 |
| New Zealand RIANZ 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 ... |
20 |
| Chart (1995) | Peak position |
| Australian ARIA Singles Chart | 1 |
| Austrian Singles Chart | 3 |
| Belgian (Flanders) Singles Chart | 36 |
| Belgian (Wallonia) Singles Chart | 11 |
| Canadian Singles Chart RPM (magazine) RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,... |
2 |
| Danish Singles Chart | 6 |
| 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... |
4 |
| French SNEP Singles Chart | 8 |
| German Singles Chart | 11 |
| Irish Singles Chart | 4 |
| New Zealand RIANZ Singles Chart | 16 |
| Norwegian Singles Chart | 3 |
| Swedish Singles Chart | 8 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 7 |
| UK Singles Chart | 4 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 1 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks | 1 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks | 1 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip Hop Songs | 52 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Modern Rock Tracks | 35 |
| U.S. Billboard Rhythmic Top 40 | 5 |
| U.S. Billboard Top 40 Mainstream | 1 |
End of year charts
| End of year chart (1995) | Position |
|---|---|
| Austrian Singles Chart | 39 |
| Belgian (Wallonia) Singles Chart | 71 |
| Dutch Top 40 | 36 |
| French Singles Chart | 41 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 47 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 4 |
End of decade charts
| Chart (1990–1999) | Position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 58 |
Certifications
| Country | Certification | Date | Sales certified |
|---|---|---|---|
| France | Gold | 1996 | 125,000 |
| UK | Silver | 1 August 1995 | 200,000 |
| U.S. | Gold | 25 August 1995 | 500,000 |
See also
- List of number-one singles in Australia during the 1990s
- List of Hot 100 number-one singles of 1995 (U.S.)
- List of number-one adult contemporary singles of 1995 (U.S.)
- List of Mainstream Top 40 number-one hits of 1995 (U.S.)