Open Your Heart (M People song)
Encyclopedia
"Open Your Heart" is the eleventh overall single from British band M People
. It is the second single from their third album Bizarre Fruit
(1994). Written by Mike Pickering
, Paul Heard and Heather Small
. Produced by M People
. It was released on 23 January 1995. The song peaked at number nine on the UK Singles Chart
.
" and a Top 5 album Bizarre Fruit
and a sold out UK Tour, M People
released this single in a slight reshuffle, as "Search for the Hero
" was meant to be the second single but the band were re-editing the Bizarre Fruit
version to a more radio friendly edit so "Open Your Heart
" was released instead. The band had been on on holiday together over the New Year break in Grenada, while dance mixes of this single had been released early and on UK radio, Pete Tong had been rotating several mixes on BBC Radio 1
.
single to be available on two CD formats. CD1 and the 12" maxi were released on 23 January 1995 and CD2 was released on 30 January 1995 and was only available in the UK and contained the very sought after E-Smoove remix of Sight for Sore Eyes
.
The Bizarre Fruit
album also underwent a resurgence in sales, re-entering the Album Chart Top 10 at number 8, so the band once again recorded simultaneous single and album Top 10s, being at numbers 9 and 8, respectively in the first week of February 1995 like the last two singles.
It also became M People
's second single to top the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart in the U.S. in May 1995.
had remained in the airplay Top 20 two three months after entering. In the three weeks prior to airplay the single entered the chart at #195, scaling to number 35 and then moving to number 19. Only after physical release did the single enter the Airplay Top 10 and peak at number 5.
Sight for Sore Eyes re-entered the Airplay 20 at number 20 when Open Your Heart
peaked, and so for the first and only time, M People
had two singles in the UK Airplay Top 20.
The single stayed in the chart for 13 weeks but peaked lower than any of the other Bizarre Fruit singles; Sight for Sore Eyes
: number 2, Search for the Hero
: number 1, Love Rendezvous
, number 4 and Itchycoo Park
, number 3.
, Fire Island, Check yer Head and Brothers in Rhythm
, "Open Your Heart" had a set of club versions. It also contained an exclusive re-mix of previous single Sight for Sore Eyes done bone by Producers: E-Smoove.
For the first time, specifically for a remix, Heather went back into the recording studio for Brothers in Rhythm
to re-sing both the verses and chorus in a different arrangement. The band had done all this during the promotion of "Sight for Sore Eyes" in the Autumn of 1994.
with the corrugated metal sheets and the barbed-wire pear on the artwork of the Bizarre Fruit album.
special with Jools Holland
in March 1998.
, Paul Heard, and Shovell are in amongst the crowd dancing while Heather stands still singing in a red Oriental-style dress on the other side of the viewing glass, as people dance around her and then leave or even disappear as quickly as they arrived. As the video continues, the camera is continuously panning from right to left encircling the body of the elevator moving from the front where you can see the people dancing to round to the back where you can see the mechanisms in the lift shaft.
were nominated for the category Best British Dance Act at the 1995 Brit Awards
for the second time. They won. They also performed with Best UK Male Artist winner Sting on his classic "If You Love Somebody Set Them Free
". The band went on to promote the album in Switzerland, Denmark, Holland Italy, Norway and Greece as well as Sweden and Germany for three months.
M People
M People are a British house music act from Manchester, who formed in 1990 and achieved success throughout most of the 1990s. The name M People is from the initials of Mike Pickering, who formed the group.-Career:...
. It is the second single from their third album Bizarre Fruit
Bizarre Fruit
- Release history :...
(1994). Written by Mike Pickering
Mike Pickering
Michael "Duncan" Pickering has DJed at The Haçienda's infamous "Nude" and "Hot" nights and later "Shine". He worked for Factory Records where he signed Happy Mondays, To Hell With Burgundy and James amongst others...
, Paul Heard and Heather Small
Heather Small
Heather Small is a British soul singer, best known for being the lead singer in the Manchester based band M People. Her debut solo album was Proud in 2000...
. Produced by M People
M People
M People are a British house music act from Manchester, who formed in 1990 and achieved success throughout most of the 1990s. The name M People is from the initials of Mike Pickering, who formed the group.-Career:...
. It was released on 23 January 1995. The song peaked at number nine 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 ...
.
Background
Hot on the heels of their single "Sight for Sore EyesSight for Sore Eyes
"Sight For Sore Eyes" is the tenth overall single from the British band M People released as the lead single from multi-platinum album Bizarre Fruit.Written by Mike Pickering, Paul Heard and Heather Small and Produced by M People. It was released on 5 November 1994...
" and a Top 5 album Bizarre Fruit
Bizarre Fruit
- Release history :...
and a sold out UK Tour, M People
M People
M People are a British house music act from Manchester, who formed in 1990 and achieved success throughout most of the 1990s. The name M People is from the initials of Mike Pickering, who formed the group.-Career:...
released this single in a slight reshuffle, as "Search for the Hero
Search for the Hero
Search for the Hero is the third single from Bizarre Fruit , the multi-platinum selling album from M People Written by Mike Pickering and Paul Heard. Produced by M People. It was released on 12th June 1995...
" was meant to be the second single but the band were re-editing the Bizarre Fruit
Bizarre Fruit
- Release history :...
version to a more radio friendly edit so "Open Your Heart
Open Your Heart (M People song)
"Open Your Heart" is the eleventh overall single from British band M People. It is the second single from their third album Bizarre Fruit . Written by Mike Pickering, Paul Heard and Heather Small. Produced by M People. It was released on 23 January 1995...
" was released instead. The band had been on on holiday together over the New Year break in Grenada, while dance mixes of this single had been released early and on UK radio, Pete Tong had been rotating several mixes on BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
.
Formats
This single was the first M PeopleM People
M People are a British house music act from Manchester, who formed in 1990 and achieved success throughout most of the 1990s. The name M People is from the initials of Mike Pickering, who formed the group.-Career:...
single to be available on two CD formats. CD1 and the 12" maxi were released on 23 January 1995 and CD2 was released on 30 January 1995 and was only available in the UK and contained the very sought after E-Smoove remix of Sight for Sore Eyes
Sight for Sore Eyes
"Sight For Sore Eyes" is the tenth overall single from the British band M People released as the lead single from multi-platinum album Bizarre Fruit.Written by Mike Pickering, Paul Heard and Heather Small and Produced by M People. It was released on 5 November 1994...
.
Chart Performance
The single entered the chart outside the Top 10 at number 11, but ever growing airplay and the release of the exclusive second CD meant that sales surged from 63,000 copies in its first week to 78,000 copies in its second. The single climbed from number 11 into the Top 10 at number 9 where it peaked, providing the band with their seventh consecutive top 10 hit in just two years since the release of How Can I Love You More (Mixes). It spent in total four weeks in the top 10 and a total seven weeks on the Singles Chart.The Bizarre Fruit
Bizarre Fruit
- Release history :...
album also underwent a resurgence in sales, re-entering the Album Chart Top 10 at number 8, so the band once again recorded simultaneous single and album Top 10s, being at numbers 9 and 8, respectively in the first week of February 1995 like the last two singles.
It also became M People
M People
M People are a British house music act from Manchester, who formed in 1990 and achieved success throughout most of the 1990s. The name M People is from the initials of Mike Pickering, who formed the group.-Career:...
's second single to top the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart in the U.S. in May 1995.
Airplay
Generally, radio support for the single grew relatively slowly, despite being serviced to radio in the first week of 1995, which is traditionally a very quiet time for single releases. Also predecessor Sight for Sore EyesSight for Sore Eyes
"Sight For Sore Eyes" is the tenth overall single from the British band M People released as the lead single from multi-platinum album Bizarre Fruit.Written by Mike Pickering, Paul Heard and Heather Small and Produced by M People. It was released on 5 November 1994...
had remained in the airplay Top 20 two three months after entering. In the three weeks prior to airplay the single entered the chart at #195, scaling to number 35 and then moving to number 19. Only after physical release did the single enter the Airplay Top 10 and peak at number 5.
Sight for Sore Eyes re-entered the Airplay 20 at number 20 when Open Your Heart
Open Your Heart
Open Your Heart may refer to:* "Open Your Heart" * "Open Your Heart" * "Open Your Heart" * "Open Your Heart" , the Icelandic entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2003, by Birgitta Haukdal...
peaked, and so for the first and only time, M People
M People
M People are a British house music act from Manchester, who formed in 1990 and achieved success throughout most of the 1990s. The name M People is from the initials of Mike Pickering, who formed the group.-Career:...
had two singles in the UK Airplay Top 20.
The single stayed in the chart for 13 weeks but peaked lower than any of the other Bizarre Fruit singles; Sight for Sore Eyes
Sight for Sore Eyes
"Sight For Sore Eyes" is the tenth overall single from the British band M People released as the lead single from multi-platinum album Bizarre Fruit.Written by Mike Pickering, Paul Heard and Heather Small and Produced by M People. It was released on 5 November 1994...
: number 2, Search for the Hero
Search for the Hero
Search for the Hero is the third single from Bizarre Fruit , the multi-platinum selling album from M People Written by Mike Pickering and Paul Heard. Produced by M People. It was released on 12th June 1995...
: number 1, Love Rendezvous
Love Rendezvous
Love Rendezvous is the fourth single from the album Bizarre Fruit/Bizarre Fruit II by British band M People. Written by Mike Pickering and Paul Heard and Heather Small. Produced by M People. It was released on 14 October 1995, after the band’s World Tour...
, number 4 and Itchycoo Park
Itchycoo Park
"Itchycoo Park" is a psychedelic pop song written by Steve Marriott and Ronnie Lane, first recorded by their group, the Small Faces. The song reached number three in the UK Singles Chart, 1967.-Song profile:...
, number 3.
Remixes
With four remixes in total across both CD singles, from the likes of Armand Van HeldenArmand Van Helden
Armand Van Helden is a record producer, DJ and remixer whose biggest commercial successes came from his remixes of the 1996 Tori Amos song "Professional Widow" , which reached number 1 in the UK Singles Chart in January 1997, and his own track "U Don't Know Me ", which went to number 1...
, Fire Island, Check yer Head and Brothers in Rhythm
Brothers in Rhythm
Brothers In Rhythm is a house music duo consisting of producers / remixers and DJs Steve Anderson and Dave Seaman. As a duo and individually, they have remixed and/or produced tracks by Lulu, M People, Secret Life, Janet Jackson, Michael Jackson, New Order, Pet Shop Boys, Kylie Minogue, Garbage,...
, "Open Your Heart" had a set of club versions. It also contained an exclusive re-mix of previous single Sight for Sore Eyes done bone by Producers: E-Smoove.
For the first time, specifically for a remix, Heather went back into the recording studio for Brothers in Rhythm
Brothers in Rhythm
Brothers In Rhythm is a house music duo consisting of producers / remixers and DJs Steve Anderson and Dave Seaman. As a duo and individually, they have remixed and/or produced tracks by Lulu, M People, Secret Life, Janet Jackson, Michael Jackson, New Order, Pet Shop Boys, Kylie Minogue, Garbage,...
to re-sing both the verses and chorus in a different arrangement. The band had done all this during the promotion of "Sight for Sore Eyes" in the Autumn of 1994.
Artwork
The artwork for the single is a heart shaped tin can that half opened against a caustic bronze background. Photographed by Jason Tozer, it continues the metal artwork theme as seen on the artwork of previous single Sight for Sore EyesSight for Sore Eyes
"Sight For Sore Eyes" is the tenth overall single from the British band M People released as the lead single from multi-platinum album Bizarre Fruit.Written by Mike Pickering, Paul Heard and Heather Small and Produced by M People. It was released on 5 November 1994...
with the corrugated metal sheets and the barbed-wire pear on the artwork of the Bizarre Fruit album.
Live
They also performed this song in a stripped down acoustic version on various occasions, most notable when they performed their M PeopleM People
M People are a British house music act from Manchester, who formed in 1990 and achieved success throughout most of the 1990s. The name M People is from the initials of Mike Pickering, who formed the group.-Career:...
special with Jools Holland
Jools Holland
Julian Miles "Jools" Holland OBE, DL is an English pianist, bandleader, singer, composer, and television presenter. He was a founder of the band Squeeze and his work has involved him with many artists including Sting, Eric Clapton, George Harrison, The Who, David Gilmour and Bono.Holland is a...
in March 1998.
Music Video
The video was filmed over two days: 25/26 November 1994, before the Bizarre Fruit tour kicked off and was the most expensive video done to that point. Produced by Matthew Amos, this more adventurous offering showed the band in an elevator moving between floors and watching clubbers come in and out of the sliding doors exiting onto another dancefloor. Band members Mike PickeringMike Pickering
Michael "Duncan" Pickering has DJed at The Haçienda's infamous "Nude" and "Hot" nights and later "Shine". He worked for Factory Records where he signed Happy Mondays, To Hell With Burgundy and James amongst others...
, Paul Heard, and Shovell are in amongst the crowd dancing while Heather stands still singing in a red Oriental-style dress on the other side of the viewing glass, as people dance around her and then leave or even disappear as quickly as they arrived. As the video continues, the camera is continuously panning from right to left encircling the body of the elevator moving from the front where you can see the people dancing to round to the back where you can see the mechanisms in the lift shaft.
Other promotion
With two dance singles lifted off Bizarre Fruit and a European Tour beckoning, M PeopleM People
M People are a British house music act from Manchester, who formed in 1990 and achieved success throughout most of the 1990s. The name M People is from the initials of Mike Pickering, who formed the group.-Career:...
were nominated for the category Best British Dance Act at the 1995 Brit Awards
Brit Awards
The Brit Awards are the British Phonographic Industry's annual pop music awards. The name was originally a shortened form of "British", "Britain" or "Britannia", but subsequently became a backronym for British Record Industry Trust...
for the second time. They won. They also performed with Best UK Male Artist winner Sting on his classic "If You Love Somebody Set Them Free
If You Love Somebody Set Them Free
"If You Love Somebody Set Them Free" is the first single released from Sting's solo debut album The Dream of the Blue Turtles. It is also the opening track of the album, and is featured on Fields of Gold: The Best of Sting 1984-1994 as well as The Very Best of Sting & The Police...
". The band went on to promote the album in Switzerland, Denmark, Holland Italy, Norway and Greece as well as Sweden and Germany for three months.
Charts
| Chart (1995) | Peak Position |
|---|---|
| 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 ... |
9 |
| 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... |
25 |
| New Zealand RIANZ Singles Chart | 21 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 36 |