Owner of a Lonely Heart
Encyclopedia
"Owner of a Lonely Heart" is a song by the progressive rock
band Yes
. It is the opening track of their 1983 album 90125
. Written primarily by Trevor Rabin
, the song reached number one on the United States Billboard Hot 100
— to date Yes's biggest chart success. Since then, it has seen many releases; the original release had "Our Song
" as the B-side, while others had various B-sides such as "Leave It
", "Make It Easy
", and remixes of this song.
, directed by Storm Thorgerson
, received a great deal of airplay on MTV
, introducing the revamped Yes lineup and sound to a new generation of fans largely unfamiliar with the band's very different earlier work, which had helped to define the genre of progressive rock
. The video begins with the band playing on a sound stage rehearsing. Then the band stops and each member turns into a different animal. Then a bird flying over different areas and then cuts to an archetypal Everyman
as he tries to make it through a day whilst being shocked by pseudo-psychotic flashes of being menaced by the various animals. He is brought to court by government-looking toughs, summarily thrown out of court and into a boiler room where he fights a bruiser, then runs onto the roof of the building. There, he is confronted by the various band members, shifting back and forth between human and animal guises, which drives him to leap from the building. The video then ends with the same man in the same crowd as at the beginning of the video, but instead he turns back, presumably to go home and avoid the day.
Notably, keyboardist Tony Kaye
does not appear in the video. At the time of the video shoot, Eddie Jobson
was standing in as the band's keyboardist. He can be seen briefly in a few quick shots, but he was not part of the video's "animal transformation" scene in which the other four band members take part. Ultimately, Kaye returned to the lineup, and it is not believed that Jobson ever recorded any material with the band.
Another video was issued combining the rehearsal footage with some more of the less disturbing footage that was excised.
and the electronic group The Art Of Noise
; as well as being a former member of Yes, Trevor Horn served the role of one of the band's producers during the recording of 90125 and "Owner of a Lonely Heart". With him were Gary Langan
, J.J. Jeczalik
and Anne Dudley
, all working with Horn as his production team, in the roles of engineers and arrangers. Taking samples and loops directly from these Yes recording sessions (as well as work done on Malcolm McLaren
's Duck Rock
), the team subsequently formed the Art Of Noise under the auspice of Trevor Horn, becoming the first signed act of his ZTT Records label. The crunching stabs, orchestral samples and thunderous drums of "Owner of a Lonely Heart" can be heard in the Art Of Noise's initial recordings.
"Owner of a Lonely Heart" has been remix
ed several times, most notably by Max Graham
in April 2005
; his version reached number nine in the UK Singles Chart
and the music video is still popular. 808 State
also did remixes ('2 Close To the Edge Mix' and 'Not Fragile Mix'). and Kyper
used riff
s of the song in his own song "Tic-Tac-Toe". The title is also covered by 2 Ruff in year 1998. The song is also covered by Colin Blunstone
, backed by an orchestra
. Yet another remix was done in 2004
by Deep Dish
. The track had also been sampled by the group Dubstar
; a sample of the drum fill can be heard at the beginning of "No More Talk" (on their Goodbye
album). Turkish electronic music singer Hande Yener
has sampled "Owner of a Lonely Heart"s melody throughout her song Hipnoz
. Also rapper Rufus Blaq sampled the main riff (but slowed it down) on the track "Make It Hot" from the 1998 album Credentials
Venezuelan rock band Caramelos de Cianuro
quotes the main guitar riff of the song throughout their song "Baby Cohete" of their 2006 album Flor De Fuego
.
Frank Zappa
also incorporated parts of the song into the guitar solo of one of his own songs, "Bamboozled by Love" on his 1984 and 1988 tours (see You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. 3
).
On Yes' 35th Anniversary tour, "Owner of a Lonely Heart" was frequently played acoustically.
"Owner of a Lonely Heart" was featured on Flash FM, a radio station in video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
.
The song was afeatured in a D-TV
music video on The Disney Channel, set entirely to clips from the 1936 cartoon Elmer Elephant.
An excerpt of "Owner of a Lonely Heart" is featured in Michael Jackson
's "D.S." from his 1995 album, HIStory
. The album focuses on Jackson's isolation after the then-recent child abuse allegations.
In an Episode of The Simpsons
entitled "The Debarted
" Homer does his own version of the song, singing "Driver of a loaner car", while driving a car on loan from a body shop.
Both hit shows Grey's Anatomy
and Degrassi: The Next Generation
named an episode after this song. Both shows are known to name their episodes after hit songs.
"Weird Al" Yankovic
used a section of the song in his polka medley "Hooked on Polkas".
The song also appears in an episode of Knight Rider, starring David Hasselhoff
.
Mystery Science Theater 3000
parodied the song, with Tom Servo
pondering the implications of the song (Tom: "How does the (singing) "Owner of a lonely heart" (normal voice) compare to, say, the (singing) "Owner of a broken gas fireplace?" (Normal voice) Or for that matter, to the (singing) "Owner of a perfectly functional cheese slicer?" (Normal voice) As the (singing) "Owner of a lonely heart" (normal voice) how do I stack up against the (singing) "Owner of a pencil?" I mean, come on, Yes!"), then Mike and the bots were constantly assaulted by the orchestral hit.
Cover versions include a soft jazz one by Iceland
ic duo Kristjana & Agnar
on their album Ég um þig (Me for you) and Brooklyn
indie band Grizzly Bear
on their EP Sorry for the Delay
.
The Atlanta-based rapper E-Dubb's debut single "Whooty (White Girl with a Booty)" has a riff that mimicks the Yes song, but later re-released with a similar sounding riff.
The "Class President" episode of Everybody Hates Chris
features this song.
Two characters in the movie The Break-Up
sing the song at a dinner. The song is included on an album of music from the movie.
According to The Roots
Questlove, "Owner of a Lonely Heart" contained the first use of a sample as a breakbeat
(as opposed to a sound effect). Yes incorporated five seconds of Funk Inc's "Kool is Back" (1972), itself a cover of Kool and the Gang's "Kool is Back".
with Yes in 1991 (during the Union tour), originally written as a ballad, not as the rock song that became famous. Jon Anderson convinced producer
Trevor Horn to speed it up and add some guitar riffs to make it stand out and be more "upbeat". However, as the next paragraph states, Trevor Rabin had already recorded an upbeat demo version of this song before Jon Anderson and Trevor Horn joined the 90125 project, so this story is probably not true.
An extremely raw demo version of the song can be found on Rabin's album 90124
, with the original, quite different, pre-chorus verse and a jazz fusion
keyboard solo reminiscent of Chick Corea
.
The orchestra and drum samples were lifted from Funk, Inc.
's "Kool is Back".
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
band Yes
Yes (band)
Yes are an English rock band who achieved worldwide success with their progressive, art, and symphonic style of rock music. Regarded as one of the pioneers of the progressive genre, Yes are known for their lengthy songs, mystical lyrics, elaborate album art, and live stage sets...
. It is the opening track of their 1983 album 90125
90125
-Yes:*Jon Anderson – lead vocals*Tony Kaye – keyboards*Trevor Rabin – guitars, additional keyboards, backing vocals*Chris Squire – bass, backing vocals*Alan White – drums, percussion, backing vocals- Studio personnel :...
. Written primarily by Trevor Rabin
Trevor Rabin
Trevor Charles Rabin is a South African born musician, best known as a guitarist, vocalist and songwriter for the British progressive rock band Yes from 1983–1994, and since then, as a film composer.- Early years :...
, the song reached number one on the United States 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...
— to date Yes's biggest chart success. Since then, it has seen many releases; the original release had "Our Song
Our Song (Yes song)
"Our Song" is a song by the progressive rock band Yes, from their 1983 album 90125. It reached number 32 on the U.S. Mainstream Rock chart in 1983.- Details :...
" as the B-side, while others had various B-sides such as "Leave It
Leave It
"Leave It" is a song by Yes. It appears on their 1983 album, 90125. The song featured repeated single issues, most backed with remixes of the song or an a cappella version. The original version was occasionally placed as the B-side of "Owner of a Lonely Heart", and on another instance, the original...
", "Make It Easy
Make It Easy
"Make It Easy" is a 1981 song by the progressive rock band Yes. An early version of this song was written and sung by Trevor Rabin, originally as a demo titled "Don't Give In"...
", and remixes of this song.
Music video
The song's 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...
, directed by Storm Thorgerson
Storm Thorgerson
Storm Thorgerson is an English graphic designer, known for his work for rock bands such as Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, 10cc, Dream Theater, The Mars Volta, Muse, The Cranberries, and Biffy Clyro.-Biography:...
, received a great deal of airplay on MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
, introducing the revamped Yes lineup and sound to a new generation of fans largely unfamiliar with the band's very different earlier work, which had helped to define the genre of progressive rock
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
. The video begins with the band playing on a sound stage rehearsing. Then the band stops and each member turns into a different animal. Then a bird flying over different areas and then cuts to an archetypal Everyman
Everyman
In literature and drama, the term everyman has come to mean an ordinary individual, with whom the audience or reader is supposed to be able to identify easily, and who is often placed in extraordinary circumstances...
as he tries to make it through a day whilst being shocked by pseudo-psychotic flashes of being menaced by the various animals. He is brought to court by government-looking toughs, summarily thrown out of court and into a boiler room where he fights a bruiser, then runs onto the roof of the building. There, he is confronted by the various band members, shifting back and forth between human and animal guises, which drives him to leap from the building. The video then ends with the same man in the same crowd as at the beginning of the video, but instead he turns back, presumably to go home and avoid the day.
Notably, keyboardist Tony Kaye
Tony Kaye (musician)
Tony Kaye is a British musician.Kaye was the original keyboard player for the progressive rock group Yes from 1968 to 1971, and rejoined Yes from 1983 to 1995...
does not appear in the video. At the time of the video shoot, Eddie Jobson
Eddie Jobson
Edwin "Eddie" Jobson is an English keyboardist and violinist noted for his use of synthesizers. He has been a member of several progressive rock bands, including Curved Air, Roxy Music, U.K., and Jethro Tull. He was also part of Frank Zappa's band in 1976-77...
was standing in as the band's keyboardist. He can be seen briefly in a few quick shots, but he was not part of the video's "animal transformation" scene in which the other four band members take part. Ultimately, Kaye returned to the lineup, and it is not believed that Jobson ever recorded any material with the band.
Another video was issued combining the rehearsal footage with some more of the less disturbing footage that was excised.
Remixes and pop culture influence
The biggest major legacy of the track is arguably the beginnings of ZTT RecordsZTT Records
ZTT Records is a record label founded in 1983 by NME journalist Paul Morley, record producer Trevor Horn, and businesswoman Jill Sinclair. The label's name was also printed as "Zang Tumb Tuum" and "Zang Tuum Tumb" on various releases....
and the electronic group The Art Of Noise
The Art of Noise
Art of Noise was an avant-garde synthpop group formed in 1983 by engineer/producer Gary Langan, programmer J. J. Jeczalik, along with arranger Anne Dudley, producer Trevor Horn and music journalist Paul Morley. The group's mostly instrumental compositions were novel melodic sound collages based on...
; as well as being a former member of Yes, Trevor Horn served the role of one of the band's producers during the recording of 90125 and "Owner of a Lonely Heart". With him were Gary Langan
Gary Langan
Gary Langan is an audio engineer and record producer.-Biography:In 1983, Langan co-founded the ZTT Records label with Trevor Horn, Paul Morley and Jill Sinclair...
, J.J. Jeczalik
J.J. Jeczalik
Jonathan Edward Stephen Jeczalik [pronounced 'Yencharlik'], better known as J. J. Jeczalik, is a retired electronic musician, and co-founder of the former electronic music group, Art of Noise. Jeczalik also worked as a record producer and musician on a number of the Pet Shop Boys early recordings...
and Anne Dudley
Anne Dudley
Anne Dudley is an English composer and pop musician, and was the first BBC Concert Orchestra's Composer in Association in 2001. She has worked in both the classical and pop genres. She is perhaps best known, however, as one of the core members of the synthpop band Art of Noise and also as a film...
, all working with Horn as his production team, in the roles of engineers and arrangers. Taking samples and loops directly from these Yes recording sessions (as well as work done on Malcolm McLaren
Malcolm McLaren
Malcolm Robert Andrew McLaren was an English performer, impresario, self-publicist and manager of the Sex Pistols and the New York Dolls...
's Duck Rock
Duck Rock
Duck Rock is an album released by British impresario Malcolm McLaren In 1983. The album mixes up styles from South Africa, Central, and South America, the Caribbean, and the US, including hip hop. The album proved to be highly influential in bringing hip hop to a wider audience in the UK...
), the team subsequently formed the Art Of Noise under the auspice of Trevor Horn, becoming the first signed act of his ZTT Records label. The crunching stabs, orchestral samples and thunderous drums of "Owner of a Lonely Heart" can be heard in the Art Of Noise's initial recordings.
"Owner of a Lonely Heart" has been remix
Remix
A remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
ed several times, most notably by Max Graham
Max Graham
Max Graham is a Canadian DJ, composer and producer who manages to transcend genres while producing international hits in the dance music scene. He is most famous for his hits “Sun in the Winter” and “Nothing Else Matters”, His Cycles CD Series/Radio show as well as his remix of the classic song...
in April 2005
2005 in music
-Events:*During the year 2005, 12 rock music albums scored number 1 in the USA. This was the first time even ten albums have scored number 1 since 1996.-January:...
; his version reached number nine in 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 ...
and the music video is still popular. 808 State
808 State
808 State are a British electronic music outfit, formed in 1987 in Manchester, taking their name from the Roland TR-808 drum machine and their common state of mind...
also did remixes ('2 Close To the Edge Mix' and 'Not Fragile Mix'). and Kyper
Kyper
Kyper is an electro hop rapper, D.J. and actor based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. His success occurred in the early 1990s with a string of club hits including "Conceited," "What Gets Your Body Hyped ," "Tic-Tac-Toe," "Throw Down," and "Spin the Bottle."...
used riff
RIFF
The Resource Interchange File Format is a generic file container format for storing data in tagged chunks. It is primarily used to store multimedia such as sound and video, though it may also be used to store any arbitrary data....
s of the song in his own song "Tic-Tac-Toe". The title is also covered by 2 Ruff in year 1998. The song is also covered by Colin Blunstone
Colin Blunstone
Colin Blunstone is an English pop singer-songwriter, best known as a member of the pop group The Zombies, and for his participation on various albums with The Alan Parsons Project.-Biography:...
, backed by an orchestra
Orchestra
An orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
. Yet another remix was done in 2004
2004 in music
See also:* 2004 in music Record labels established in 2004-January:*January 1**The Vienna New Year's Concert is conducted by Riccardo Muti.**Kurt Nilsen wins World Idol....
by Deep Dish
Deep Dish
Deep Dish is a duo of DJs and house-music producers consisting of Iranian-American members Ali "Dubfire" Shirazinia and Sharam Tayebi. Based in Washington, D.C., Shirazinia and Tayebi are well known for providing house or dance remixes of tracks of famous stars such as Madonna, Cher and Gabrielle,...
. The track had also been sampled by the group Dubstar
Dubstar
Dubstar are an English band, performing mostly dream pop and indie dance music, as well as occasional pop ballads and, on later releases, guitar-heavy rock with an industrial influence. The group was formed in 1992 by Steve Hillier and Chris Wilkie in Newcastle-upon-Tyne...
; a sample of the drum fill can be heard at the beginning of "No More Talk" (on their Goodbye
Goodbye (Dubstar album)
Goodbye is Dubstar's second album. It was released in September 1997 on the Food Records label, a division of EMI that was also home to Blur.-Track listing:#"I Will Be Your Girlfriend"#"Inside"#"No More Talk"#"Polestar"#"Say the Worst Thing First"...
album). Turkish electronic music singer Hande Yener
Hande Yener
Hande Yener is a Turkish pop singer. Over the past decade, she has introduced different styles to the ever expanding Turkish pop music scenery. Each one of her albums has generated a lot of interest as well as anticipation due to the different styles, genres and rhythms that she incorporates into...
has sampled "Owner of a Lonely Heart"s melody throughout her song Hipnoz
Hipnoz
Hipnoz is the sixth studio album by Turkish singer-songwriter Hande Yener, released on May 14, 2008 by Erol Köse Exclusive.-Release:The single from the album is called Hipnoz...
. Also rapper Rufus Blaq sampled the main riff (but slowed it down) on the track "Make It Hot" from the 1998 album Credentials
Venezuelan rock band Caramelos de Cianuro
Caramelos de Cianuro
Caramelos de Cianuro is a Latin rock band from Venezuela formed in 1991. They recorded their first songs, "Nadando a Través De la Galaxia" and "Tu Mamá Te Va a Pegar" , in 1992.-Career:...
quotes the main guitar riff of the song throughout their song "Baby Cohete" of their 2006 album Flor De Fuego
Flor De Fuego
Flor de Fuego is the fourth studio album from the Venezuelan Latin rock band Caramelos de Cianuro.-Members:* Asier Cazalís * Alfonso Tosta * Pável Tello * Miguel González "El Enano" -Track listing:...
.
Frank Zappa
Frank Zappa
Frank Vincent Zappa was an American composer, singer-songwriter, electric guitarist, record producer and film director. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa wrote rock, jazz, orchestral and musique concrète works. He also directed feature-length films and music videos, and designed...
also incorporated parts of the song into the guitar solo of one of his own songs, "Bamboozled by Love" on his 1984 and 1988 tours (see You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. 3
You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. 3
You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. 3 is a double disc collection of live recordings by Frank Zappa, spanning from December 10, 1971 to December 23, 1984. "Sharleena" had been previously issued as a flexidisc in "Guitar Player" magazine. All the songs on disc one are by the 1984 band...
).
On Yes' 35th Anniversary tour, "Owner of a Lonely Heart" was frequently played acoustically.
"Owner of a Lonely Heart" was featured on Flash FM, a radio station in video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City is a 2002 open world action computer and video game developed by British games developer Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. It is the second 3D game in the Grand Theft Auto video game franchise and sixth original title overall...
.
The song was afeatured in a D-TV
D-TV
D-TV was a series of music videos created by Walt Disney Productions in 1984 using popular music and video footage from Disney videos, mostly cartoons, created out of the trend of music videos on cable channel MTV, which inspired the name of this series...
music video on The Disney Channel, set entirely to clips from the 1936 cartoon Elmer Elephant.
An excerpt of "Owner of a Lonely Heart" is featured in Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
's "D.S." from his 1995 album, HIStory
HIStory
HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I is the ninth studio album by American songwriter and recording artist Michael Jackson, released on June 16, 1995 by Epic Records. The majority of the album's tracks were written and produced by Jackson...
. The album focuses on Jackson's isolation after the then-recent child abuse allegations.
In an Episode of The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
entitled "The Debarted
The Debarted
"The Debarted" is the thirteenth episode of The Simpsons nineteenth season. It was first broadcast on March 2, 2008, and guest stars Topher Grace and radio host Terry Gross have a cameo. A new troublesome student named Donny arrives at Springfield Elementary School, prompting a gleeful Bart to...
" Homer does his own version of the song, singing "Driver of a loaner car", while driving a car on loan from a body shop.
Both hit shows Grey's Anatomy
Grey's Anatomy
Grey's Anatomy is an American medical drama television series created by Shonda Rhimes. The series premiered on March 27, 2005 on ABC; since then, seven seasons have aired. The series follows the lives of interns, residents and their mentors in the fictional Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital in...
and Degrassi: The Next Generation
Degrassi: The Next Generation
Degrassi: The Next Generation is a Canadian teen drama television series set in the Degrassi universe, which was created by Linda Schuyler and Kit Hood in 1979. Degrassi is the fourth fictional series in the Degrassi franchise, and follows The Kids of Degrassi Street, Degrassi Junior High, and...
named an episode after this song. Both shows are known to name their episodes after hit songs.
"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...
used a section of the song in his polka medley "Hooked on Polkas".
The song also appears in an episode of Knight Rider, starring David Hasselhoff
David Hasselhoff
David Michael Hasselhoff is an American actor, singer, producer and businessman. He is best known for his lead roles as Michael Knight in the popular 1980s US series Knight Rider and as L.A. County Lifeguard Mitch Buchannon in the series Baywatch...
.
Mystery Science Theater 3000
Mystery Science Theater 3000
Mystery Science Theater 3000 is an American cult television comedy series created by Joel Hodgson and produced by Best Brains, Inc., that ran from 1988 to 1999....
parodied the song, with Tom Servo
Tom Servo
Tom Servo is a fictional character from the American science fiction comedy television show Mystery Science Theater 3000 . Tom is one of two wise-cracking, robotic main characters of the show, built by Joel Robinson to act as a companion and help stave off space madness as Joel was forced to watch...
pondering the implications of the song (Tom: "How does the (singing) "Owner of a lonely heart" (normal voice) compare to, say, the (singing) "Owner of a broken gas fireplace?" (Normal voice) Or for that matter, to the (singing) "Owner of a perfectly functional cheese slicer?" (Normal voice) As the (singing) "Owner of a lonely heart" (normal voice) how do I stack up against the (singing) "Owner of a pencil?" I mean, come on, Yes!"), then Mike and the bots were constantly assaulted by the orchestral hit.
Cover versions include a soft jazz one by Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
ic duo Kristjana & Agnar
Kristjana & Agnar
Kristjana & Agnar are an Icelandic jazz duo, comprising Kristjana Stefánsdóttir and Agnar Már Magnússon.The have worked together since the met in the Netherlands whilst Kristjana was studying jazz at the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague, where she graduated cum laude in Spring 2000. Agnar had...
on their album Ég um þig (Me for you) and Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
indie band Grizzly Bear
Grizzly Bear (band)
Grizzly Bear is a Brooklyn-based indie rock band, composed of Edward Droste , Daniel Rossen , Chris Taylor and Christopher Bear . The band employs traditional and electronic instruments...
on their EP Sorry for the Delay
Sorry for the Delay
Sorry for the Delay is a limited-release mini-album by Brooklyn-based indie rock band Grizzly Bear.The track "Owner of a Lonely Heart" is a Yes cover.-Track listing:# "Sorry for the Delay" – 3:29# "Sure Thing" – 6:49...
.
The Atlanta-based rapper E-Dubb's debut single "Whooty (White Girl with a Booty)" has a riff that mimicks the Yes song, but later re-released with a similar sounding riff.
The "Class President" episode of Everybody Hates Chris
Everybody Hates Chris
Everybody Hates Chris is an African American television period sitcom inspired by the teenage experiences of comedian Chris Rock , while growing up in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York . The show is set from 1982 to 1987; however, Rock himself was a teenager during years...
features this song.
Two characters in the movie The Break-Up
The Break-Up
The Break-Up is a 2006 American comedy-drama romance film directed by Peyton Reed, starring Jennifer Aniston and Vince Vaughn. It was written by Jay Lavender and Jeremy Garelick and produced by Universal Pictures.-Plot:...
sing the song at a dinner. The song is included on an album of music from the movie.
According to The Roots
The Roots
The Roots is an American hip hop/neo soul band formed in 1987 by Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter and Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are famed for beginning with a jazzy, eclectic approach to hip hop which still includes live instrumentals...
Questlove, "Owner of a Lonely Heart" contained the first use of a sample as a breakbeat
Breakbeat
In 1992, a new style called "jungalistic hardcore" emerged, and for many ravers it was too funky to dance to. Josh Lawford of Ravescene prophesied that the breakbeat was "the death-knell of rave" because the ever changing drumbeat patterns of breakbeat music didn't allow for the same zoned out,...
(as opposed to a sound effect). Yes incorporated five seconds of Funk Inc's "Kool is Back" (1972), itself a cover of Kool and the Gang's "Kool is Back".
Origins
"Owner of a Lonely Heart" was, according to a radio interviewInterview
An interview is a conversation between two people where questions are asked by the interviewer to obtain information from the interviewee.- Interview as a Method for Qualitative Research:"Definition" -...
with Yes in 1991 (during the Union tour), originally written as a ballad, not as the rock song that became famous. Jon Anderson convinced producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
Trevor Horn to speed it up and add some guitar riffs to make it stand out and be more "upbeat". However, as the next paragraph states, Trevor Rabin had already recorded an upbeat demo version of this song before Jon Anderson and Trevor Horn joined the 90125 project, so this story is probably not true.
An extremely raw demo version of the song can be found on Rabin's album 90124
90124 (Trevor Rabin album)
90124 is an album by Trevor Rabin consisting of previously unreleased demos and session work prior and during to his time in the progressive rock supergroup Yes. The name 90124 references Yes' 90125 album.- Track listing :...
, with the original, quite different, pre-chorus verse and a jazz fusion
Jazz fusion
Jazz fusion is a musical fusion genre that developed from mixing funk and R&B rhythms and the amplification and electronic effects of rock, complex time signatures derived from non-Western music and extended, typically instrumental compositions with a jazz approach to lengthy group improvisations,...
keyboard solo reminiscent of Chick Corea
Chick Corea
Armando Anthony "Chick" Corea is an American jazz pianist, keyboardist, and composer.Many of his compositions are considered jazz standards. As a member of Miles Davis' band in the 1960s, he participated in the birth of the electric jazz fusion movement. In the 1970s he formed Return to Forever...
.
The orchestra and drum samples were lifted from Funk, Inc.
Funk, Inc.
Funk, Inc. was a jazz funk/soul jazz group founded in Indianapolis, Indiana in 1969 by Bobby Watley, Eugene Barr, Steve Weakley, Jimmy Munford and Cecil Hunt...
's "Kool is Back".
Chart performance
| Chart (1983/1984) | 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 ... |
28 |
| Austrian Singles Chart | 17 |
| 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... |
2 |
| 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... |
30 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart | 16 |
| Norwegian Singles Chart | 6 |
| Swedish Singles Chart | 4 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 11 |
| 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 |
| US Billboard Top Rock Tracks | 1 |
| US 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... |
3 |
See also
- List of number-one mainstream rock hits (United States)
- List of Hot 100 number-one singles of 1984 (U.S.)
External links
- "Owner of a Lonely Heart" at DiscogsDiscogsDiscogs, short for discographies, is a website and database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. The Discogs servers, currently hosted under the domain name discogs.com, are owned by Zink Media, Inc., and are...
(all releases)