Self Control (song)
Encyclopedia
"Self Control" is the name of an international hit song recorded in 1984 by Laura Branigan
, as well as the album on which it appears. The song was recorded that same year with the same English lyrics by Italian singer Raf
, who co-wrote the song with Giancarlo Bigazzi and Steve Piccolo. Branigan's version first hit #1 in Germany on June 15, 1984. Raf's version first hit #1 in Italy on June 23, 1984. Branigan's version was the most popular song across Europe during much of the summer of 1984 and was the song of the year in Switzerland. Branigan's version peaked at #4 on the US Billboard Hot 100
chart and also went to number two on the dance chart.
The song has become one of the defining pop songs of the 1980s
, with a number of remakes recorded each year. Notable covers include Puerto Rican
singer Ricky Martin
in 1993, a hit dance remake by Branigan in 2004 and two 2006 versions that hit the Top 5 in various European enclaves, by Danish dance group Infernal
and Spanish
singer Soraya Arnelas
.
. The following year Branigan recorded another new English song written over a Tozzi and Bigazzi song, "Mama", which was an album track on 1983's Branigan 2
. Branigan chose two more Italian songs for her third album: one, "Ti Amo", featured new lyrics by Diane Warren
over a song originally written by Tozzi and Bigazzi that had been a 1977 single for Tozzi. The other would become the title track to the album and her biggest international hit. "Self Control" was the only one of the four Italian songs recorded by Branigan which had been written with English lyrics, and Branigan chose to record the song as written. Also unlike the other songs, Branigan's version was contemporaneous with that of its co-writer.
The Branigan recording was arranged by Giorgio Moroder
protégé Harold Faltermeyer
with Robbie Buchanan
and produced by Buchanan with Jack White in Germany and Los Angeles. A keyboard hook in the Raf version was changed to a guitar riff for Branigan's version and a vocal break from the Raf version was repeated and paired with a sharper and repeated percussive element.
when William Friedkin
(The French Connection
) directed the clip. Filmed in New Jersey
and New York City
, the video was produced by Fred Caruso and first aired in April 1984. The video ultimately drew controversy, as it was considered so shockingly steamy that MTV required some edits before it could air. Entertainment Tonight
aired a segment on the network's reaction to the clip, which was being played in late-night slots on other networks. Though Branigan resisted at first, her record company convinced her to allow a minor alteration and the video was aired on MTV, though by this time the single had peaked on the charts. Branigan would go on to be nominated for a 1985 American Music Award for Favorite Pop/Rock Female Video Artist. Branigan's fellow nominees were Tina Turner
and Cyndi Lauper
, who won the award.
Branigan performed the song live in her debut on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
on April 27. She also promoted the song during appearances on The Merv Griffin Show
, Solid Gold
(May 12), Dick Clark's American Bandstand
(June 9) and the syndicated Dick Clark television special Rock Rolls On, which she also co-hosted.
" and "How Am I Supposed to Live Without You
". "Self Control" peaked at #2 on the Billboard Hot Dance/Disco
chart, #4 on the Hot 100
and #5 on the Adult Contemporary
chart. In Canada, the track hit #1 on both the pop and AC charts. Both the Raf original and the Branigan version of "Self Control" entered the German Top 20
in May 1984: on 15 June the Branigan single assumed the #1 position where it remained for six weeks while the Raf version was relegated to a #2 peak. Branigan's "Self Control" also entered the Italian charts although the dominance of the Raf version in his native Italy predicated a comparatively low peak Italian chart peak of #29 for Branigan's version.
"Self Control" afforded Laura Branigan a #1 hit in Austria, Sweden and South Africa and was also a smash hit for Branigan in Norway (#3), Ireland (#3), Australia (#3) and the UK
(#5). Branigan's album Self Control went Silver, Gold or Platinum in several countries and yielded subsequent charting singles, though not of the title track's magnitude, in "The Lucky One", "Ti Amo" and "Satisfaction".
Branigan's version of "Self Control" was featured on a November 1984 episode of the hit NBC
series Miami Vice
and was featured in the fact-based 1989 TV movie The Preppie Murder
and a 2007 episode of the series Cold Case. In 2002 the Branigan recording was used as a track from fictional radio station Flash FM on video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
, and it appears on the CD collection Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Official Soundtrack Box Set
as well as numerous other hits collections. It was often used as bumper music
by late night radio talk show host Art Bell
when he hosted Coast to Coast AM
in the 1990s.
, while Branigan held at number one. Their eighth week on the charts saw Raf regain the number two spot behind Branigan. The following week the Wham! single moved back to number two and Raf fell three spaces, but Branigan held firm. In their tenth week on the charts, Wham! fell to number five, Raf fell two more spots, and Branigan maintained pole position. Finally on the week of August 26, "Such a Shame
" by Talk Talk
moved Branigan out of the number one spot, though she would remain in the top five for another three weeks. In all Branigan's record was in the Swiss top 30 for 16 weeks, including 12 weeks in the top five and eight weeks at number one. It was joined by her follow-up single, "The Lucky One (Like a Wild Bird of Pray)", as it was erroneously subtitled in Europe, which charted in the top 30 for seven weeks. Raf's version spent 14 weeks in the top 30, including eight in the top five and one at number one.
Branigan's version was most successful single of 1984 in Switzerland, earning Branigan the number one spot on the year-end charts.
, the singer repeatedly declares to a phantom protagonist
that "you take my self, you take my self-control".
12" maxi
. In 1999, four new remixes of "Self Control" were commissioned for a South African collection called Back in Control, on Atlantic/Gallo. "Self Control '99" was released as a CD single there. In the mid 2000s, several trance music
remixes featuring samples of various length from the 1984 Branigan original surfaced from various entities including Crooklyn Clan, Imperial Machine, and SK featuring Laura Branigan. None of these mixes were done with Branigan's participation.
As of 2010, the Self Control album remains in print and the original version can also be heard on The Best of Branigan (1993), and in remastered versions on The Essentials: Laura Branigan
(2002) and The Platinum Collection
(2006).
chart following Branigan's sudden death from an aneurysm in August of that year.
and later known as Raf, he co-wrote the song "Self Control" with Giancarlo Bigazzi and Steve Piccolo. Raf's version of "Self Control" which peaked at No.1 in Italy, was more popular at his home country of Italy than the version released later by Laura Branigan. Raf's version also notably edged into No.1 in Switzerland between runs at the top spot by Branigan, and Raf peaked at No.2 in Germany, No.7 in Austria and at No.40 in France. Like Branigan, Raf released an extended dance mix of the song, but Raf's version featured a rap
(performed by two other rap-vocalists), relatively rare for a white artist at the time.
He would release several more tracks in English and re-release his debut 1984 album Raf in 1987 under the title Self Control featuring two of these tracks. Although, his English-language album and especially the singles proved to be quite successful in Italy and outside, he began releasing his later albums in his native-language with almost all of which having been received better in Italy than the former, lot of them entered Italy's Top-10 album-chart.
recorded a Spanish-language cover of "Self Control", titled "Que Dia Es Hoy" (English
: "What Day Is Today"). With lyrics by producer Juan Carlos Calderón and Mikel Herzog, the song was released as single off Martin's second solo album, Me Amarás, on September 28, 1993. The single featured a remixed version of the track.
A music video was also released.
In 2008, the remixed version was included on CD and DVD, called 17.
hit "Somebody's Watching Me
". The song's most notable success were Top 20 chartings in Denmark and Finland.
dance
band Infernal
, best known for the club hit "From Paris to Berlin
", released a cover of the song on November 6 in the UK. The song debuted in the chart at #61 based on downloads only. The track was also released in Australia, as a Double A-side with "I Won't Be Crying", though it did not chart there. Their recording was notably Top 10 in Finland and their native Denmark.
7-track enhanced promo single
12" single
1984 as "Viet Itsekontrollin" (Finnish): versions by Merja Lehtinen; Meiju Suvas; Leena Vanamo
1985 Helena Vondráčková
on her album I'm Your Song
1987 Dr. Felix & M.M. Band: rap version
1988 as "Come" (Turkish) by Gökben for Forbidden Love soundtrack (Yasak Aşk Film Müziği)
1994 Carol Bailey: "Feel It" samples Branigan's version
1995 Carmen Grace: version released in Germany
1996 Umberto Tozzi
: on concert album Royal Albert Hall
1999 Sheila
on album Dense (French and English versions)
2001 covered by Uruguayan band Loop Lascano
2002 Paralysed Age
: gothic cover on album Into the Ice
2003 Amber White (2 Step
version)
2004 Crooklyn Clan featuring Laura Branigan: rap version samples Branigan's vocals in chorus
2005 DJK: male vocal version
2005 (cont.) Digimind: three trance mixes on an EP released
2006 Soraya Arnelas
: first single from the album Ochenta's
, #2 in Spain, Gold disc
2007 Caramelle featuring Nitro: R&B/hip Hop remixes with female vocals, released in Germany
2008 Dave Sinclair subtitled "The Annual Remake 2008", on album 80s Club Hits Reloaded, Vol. 2
2009 Paffendorf
(five hard trance mixes on an EP)
2010 Sunday Girl
(dreamy synthpop version)
Laura Branigan
Laura Ann Branigan was an American singer-songwriter and actress of Italian and Irish ancestry. She is best known in the United States for her 1982 Platinum-certified hit "Gloria" and in Europe for the number-one single "Self Control"...
, as well as the album on which it appears. The song was recorded that same year with the same English lyrics by Italian singer Raf
Raffaele Riefoli
Raffaele Riefoli is an Italian popular singer who is better known as simply Raf.-Biography:...
, who co-wrote the song with Giancarlo Bigazzi and Steve Piccolo. Branigan's version first hit #1 in Germany on June 15, 1984. Raf's version first hit #1 in Italy on June 23, 1984. Branigan's version was the most popular song across Europe during much of the summer of 1984 and was the song of the year in Switzerland. Branigan's version peaked at #4 on the US Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
chart and also went to number two on the dance chart.
The song has become one of the defining pop songs of the 1980s
1980s
File:1980s decade montage.png|thumb|400px|From left, clockwise: The first Space Shuttle, Columbia, lifted off in 1981; American President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev eased tensions between the two superpowers, leading to the end of the Cold War; The Fall of the Berlin Wall in...
, with a number of remakes recorded each year. Notable covers include Puerto Rican
Puerto Rican people
A Puerto Rican is a person who was born in Puerto Rico.Puerto Ricans born and raised in the continental United States are also sometimes referred to as Puerto Ricans, although they were not born in Puerto Rico...
singer Ricky Martin
Ricky Martin
Enrique "Ricky" Martín Morales , better known as Ricky Martin, is a Puerto Rican and Spanish pop singer and actor who achieved prominence, first as a member of the Latin boy band Menudo, then as a solo artist since 1991.During his career he has sold more than 60 million album copies worldwide...
in 1993, a hit dance remake by Branigan in 2004 and two 2006 versions that hit the Top 5 in various European enclaves, by Danish dance group Infernal
Infernal (band)
Infernal is dance/pop group from Denmark, consisting of members Lina Rafn and Paw Lagermann. They made their Danish debut in 1997 with the release of the track "Sorti de L'enfer", and have gone on to international chart success in recent years. Their most successful single to date has been "From...
and Spanish
Spanish people
The Spanish are citizens of the Kingdom of Spain. Within Spain, there are also a number of vigorous nationalisms and regionalisms, reflecting the country's complex history....
singer Soraya Arnelas
Soraya Arnelas
Soraya Arnelas Rubiales , better known by her stage name Soraya, is a popular Spanish singer...
.
History
Branigan's first major hit had also been co-written by Bigazzi. "Gloria" (1982) was an English-language song written over a 1979 Italian song recorded by Umberto TozziUmberto Tozzi
Umberto Antonio Tozzi is an Italian pop/rock singer and composer, born in Turin. His most internationally famous song is "Gloria" -Biography:...
. The following year Branigan recorded another new English song written over a Tozzi and Bigazzi song, "Mama", which was an album track on 1983's Branigan 2
Branigan 2
- Personnel :* Laura Branigan - vocals* Dennis Belfield - bass guitar* Michael Boddicker - synthesizer* Robbie Buchanan - synthesizer, keyboards* Lenny Castro - percussion* Joe Esposito - background vocals* Jim Haas - background vocals...
. Branigan chose two more Italian songs for her third album: one, "Ti Amo", featured new lyrics by Diane Warren
Diane Warren
Diane Eve Warren , is a US songwriter. Her songs have received six Academy Award nominations, five Golden Globe nominations, including one win and seven Grammy Award nominations, including one win. She was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2001...
over a song originally written by Tozzi and Bigazzi that had been a 1977 single for Tozzi. The other would become the title track to the album and her biggest international hit. "Self Control" was the only one of the four Italian songs recorded by Branigan which had been written with English lyrics, and Branigan chose to record the song as written. Also unlike the other songs, Branigan's version was contemporaneous with that of its co-writer.
The Branigan recording was arranged by Giorgio Moroder
Giorgio Moroder
Hansjörg "Giorgio" Moroder is an Italian record producer, songwriter and performer based in Los Angeles. When in Munich in the 1970s, he started his own record label called Oasis Records, which several years later became a subdivision of Casablanca Records...
protégé Harold Faltermeyer
Harold Faltermeyer
Harold Faltermeyer is a German musician, keyboardist, composer and record producer.He is recognized as one of the composers/producers who best captured the zeitgeist of 1980s synth-pop in film scores...
with Robbie Buchanan
Robbie Buchanan
Robbie Buchanan is a Canadian keyboardist, songwriter, arranger, and producer.Buchanan began playing the piano at the age of 6. He acquired his first paying gig as a pianist at the age of 12 playing 6 nights a week in Dawson City, Yukon Territory. While still a teenager, Buchanan joined a band...
and produced by Buchanan with Jack White in Germany and Los Angeles. A keyboard hook in the Raf version was changed to a guitar riff for Branigan's version and a vocal break from the Raf version was repeated and paired with a sharper and repeated percussive element.
Music video and television performances
Branigan was one of the first artists of the video era to work with an Academy Award-winning film director on a 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...
when William Friedkin
William Friedkin
William Friedkin is an American film director, producer and screenwriter best known for directing The French Connection in 1971 and The Exorcist in 1973; for the former, he won the Academy Award for Best Director...
(The French Connection
The French Connection (film)
This article is about the 1971 film. For the British fashion label, see French Connection .The French Connection is a 1971 American crime film directed by William Friedkin. The film was adapted and fictionalized by Ernest Tidyman from the non-fiction book by Robin Moore...
) directed the clip. Filmed in New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
and New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, the video was produced by Fred Caruso and first aired in April 1984. The video ultimately drew controversy, as it was considered so shockingly steamy that MTV required some edits before it could air. Entertainment Tonight
Entertainment Tonight
Entertainment Tonight is a daily tabloid television entertainment television news show that is syndicated by CBS Television Distribution throughout the United States, Canada and in many countries around the world. Linda Bell Blue is currently the program's executive producer...
aired a segment on the network's reaction to the clip, which was being played in late-night slots on other networks. Though Branigan resisted at first, her record company convinced her to allow a minor alteration and the video was aired on MTV, though by this time the single had peaked on the charts. Branigan would go on to be nominated for a 1985 American Music Award for Favorite Pop/Rock Female Video Artist. Branigan's fellow nominees were Tina Turner
Tina Turner
Tina Turner is an American singer and actress whose career has spanned more than 50 years. She has won numerous awards and her achievements in the rock music genre have led many to call her the "Queen of Rock 'n' Roll".Turner started out her music career with husband Ike Turner as a member of the...
and Cyndi Lauper
Cyndi Lauper
Cynthia Ann Stephanie "Cyndi" Lauper is an American singer, songwriter, actress and LGBT rights activist. She achieved success in the mid-1980s with the release of the album She's So Unusual and became the first female singer to have four top-five singles released from one album...
, who won the award.
Branigan performed the song live in her debut on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson is a talk show hosted by Johnny Carson under the Tonight Show franchise from 1962 to 1992. It originally aired during late-night....
on April 27. She also promoted the song during appearances on The Merv Griffin Show
The Merv Griffin Show
The Merv Griffin Show is an American television talk show, starring Merv Griffin. The series ran from October 1, 1962 to March 29, 1963 on NBC, September 20, 1965 to September 26, 1969 in first-run syndication, from August 18, 1969 to February 11, 1972 at 11:30 PM ET weeknights on CBS and again in...
, Solid Gold
Solid Gold (TV series)
Solid Gold is an American syndicated music television series that debuted on September 13, 1980. Like many other shows of its genre, such as American Bandstand, Solid Gold featured musical performances and various other elements such as music videos...
(May 12), Dick Clark's American Bandstand
American Bandstand
American Bandstand is an American music-performance show that aired in various versions from 1952 to 1989 and was hosted from 1956 until its final season by Dick Clark, who also served as producer...
(June 9) and the syndicated Dick Clark television special Rock Rolls On, which she also co-hosted.
Worldwide chart success
Branigan's recording was a worldwide multi-format hit. In the U.S. the song became Branigan's fourth consecutive top ten hit on a Billboard chart in a year and a half, following "Gloria", "SolitaireSolitaire (Laura Branigan song)
-Background:The song originated as a 1981 recording in French by Martine Clemencau for whom "Solitaire" was a modest hit with a French chart peak of #50 on the French pop charts where it remained for 22 weeks. Written by Clemencau herself, the French version of "Solitaire" concerned a recluse who...
" and "How Am I Supposed to Live Without You
How Am I Supposed to Live Without You
"How Am I Supposed to Live Without You" is a song originally recorded by Laura Branigan in 1983. The song was recorded later the same decade by its co-writer, Michael Bolton.-Background:...
". "Self Control" peaked at #2 on the Billboard Hot Dance/Disco
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...
chart, #4 on the 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...
and #5 on the Adult Contemporary
Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks
The Adult Contemporary chart is a weekly chart published in Billboard magazine that lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary and "lite-pop" radio stations in the United States...
chart. In Canada, the track hit #1 on both the pop and AC charts. Both the Raf original and the Branigan version of "Self Control" entered the German Top 20
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...
in May 1984: on 15 June the Branigan single assumed the #1 position where it remained for six weeks while the Raf version was relegated to a #2 peak. Branigan's "Self Control" also entered the Italian charts although the dominance of the Raf version in his native Italy predicated a comparatively low peak Italian chart peak of #29 for Branigan's version.
"Self Control" afforded Laura Branigan a #1 hit in Austria, Sweden and South Africa and was also a smash hit for Branigan in Norway (#3), Ireland (#3), Australia (#3) and the UK
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 ...
(#5). Branigan's album Self Control went Silver, Gold or Platinum in several countries and yielded subsequent charting singles, though not of the title track's magnitude, in "The Lucky One", "Ti Amo" and "Satisfaction".
Branigan's version of "Self Control" was featured on a November 1984 episode of the hit NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
series Miami Vice
Miami Vice
Miami Vice is an American television series produced by Michael Mann for NBC. The series starred Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas as two Metro-Dade Police Department detectives working undercover in Miami. It ran for five seasons on NBC from 1984–1989...
and was featured in the fact-based 1989 TV movie The Preppie Murder
The Preppie Murder
The Preppie Murder is a TV movie starring William Baldwin as Robert Chambers and Lara Flynn Boyle as Jennifer Levin. The film aired on ABC in 1989. It was based on the events of a murder committed by Rob Chambers, nicknamed the Preppie Killer...
and a 2007 episode of the series Cold Case. In 2002 the Branigan recording was used as a track from fictional radio station Flash FM on 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...
, and it appears on the CD collection Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Official Soundtrack Box Set
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Official Soundtrack Box Set
The official and complete collection of the Grand Theft Auto: Vice City soundtrack was released internationally on October 29, 2002.In addition to the box set each soundtrack available in the collection can be purchased individually...
as well as numerous other hits collections. It was often used as bumper music
Bumper music
Bumper music, or a bump, is a term used in the radio broadcasting industry to refer to short clips of signature or theme music used to buffer transitions between programming elements. Bumper music is commonly employed when a syndicated program takes a break for local station identification or...
by late night radio talk show host Art Bell
Art Bell
Arthur W. "Art" Bell, III is an American broadcaster and author, known primarily as one of the founders and the original host of the paranormal-themed radio program Coast to Coast AM. He also created and formerly hosted its companion show, Dreamland...
when he hosted Coast to Coast AM
Coast to Coast AM
Coast to Coast AM is a North American late-night syndicated radio talk show that deals with a variety of topics, but most frequently ones that relate to either the paranormal or conspiracy theories. It was created by Art Bell and is distributed by Premiere Radio Networks. The program currently...
in the 1990s.
Swiss hit
Raf's version exceeded the success of Branigan's only in his native Italy. The only other territory where Raf topped the charts was in Switzerland. His single debuted in the Swiss Top 30 at number seven on June 17, the same week Branigan's version debuted at number 24. The following week, Raf's single had climbed to number two. Branigan's single, however, had leapt to number one. In their third week, Raf's version supplanted Branigan's at number one, but she regained the top spot in the fourth week and the two versions would remain there, Branigan at number one and Raf at number two, for three more weeks. In their seventh week on the charts, Raf fell to number three, below "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" by Wham!WHAM!
Wham! were a short-lived British musical duo formed by George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley in the early 1980s. They were briefly known in the United States as Wham! UK due to a naming conflict with an American band....
, while Branigan held at number one. Their eighth week on the charts saw Raf regain the number two spot behind Branigan. The following week the Wham! single moved back to number two and Raf fell three spaces, but Branigan held firm. In their tenth week on the charts, Wham! fell to number five, Raf fell two more spots, and Branigan maintained pole position. Finally on the week of August 26, "Such a Shame
Such a Shame
12" maxi7" single - 1990 release*James Marsh - Cover art-Peak positions:-Year-end charts:-Sandra version:German singer Sandra covered "Such a Shame" for her seventh studio album The Wheel of Time in 2002. Sandra's version was produced by Michael Cretu and Jens Gad...
" by Talk Talk
Talk Talk
Talk Talk were an English musical group, active from 1981 to 1991. The group had a string of international hit singles including "Today", "Talk Talk", "It's My Life", "Such a Shame", "Dum Dum Girl", "Life's What You Make It" and "Living in Another World"....
moved Branigan out of the number one spot, though she would remain in the top five for another three weeks. In all Branigan's record was in the Swiss top 30 for 16 weeks, including 12 weeks in the top five and eight weeks at number one. It was joined by her follow-up single, "The Lucky One (Like a Wild Bird of Pray)", as it was erroneously subtitled in Europe, which charted in the top 30 for seven weeks. Raf's version spent 14 weeks in the top 30, including eight in the top five and one at number one.
Branigan's version was most successful single of 1984 in Switzerland, earning Branigan the number one spot on the year-end charts.
Theme
The song narrates the singer's slip into the world of nightlife, the allure of which has her "livin' only for the night" and deeming herself to "live among the creatures of the night". Rather than actually invoking control over herselfSelf control
Self control is the ability to control one's emotions, behavior and desires in order to obtain some reward later. In psychology it is sometimes called self-regulation...
, the singer repeatedly declares to a phantom protagonist
Protagonist
A protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
that "you take my self, you take my self-control".
Track listings
7" single- "Self Control" — 4:08
- "Silent Partners" — 3:58
12" maxi
- "Self Control" (extended version) — 5:00
- "Silent Partners" (extended version) — 4:10
Peak positions
| Chart (1984) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Singles Chart | 3 |
| Austrian Singles Chart | 1 |
| Canadian Singles Chart | 1 |
| Canadian Adult Contemporary Chart | 1 |
| 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... |
7 |
| Eurochart Hot 100 | 1 |
| French SNEP Singles Chart | 13 |
| German Singles Chart | 1 |
| Irish Singles Chart | 2 |
| Italian Singles Chart | 15 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart | 26 |
| Norwegian Singles Chart | 2 |
| South African Singles Chart | 1 |
| Spanish Singles Chart | 24 |
| Swedish Singles Chart | 1 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 1 |
| UK Singles Chart | 5 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Dance/Disco 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... |
2 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 4 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks | 5 |
| U.S. Cash Box | 5 |
Year-end charts
| Chart (1984) | Position |
|---|---|
| Austrian Singles Chart | 5 |
| Canadian Singles Chart | 15 |
| Eurochart Hot 100 | 3 |
| German Singles Chart | 2 |
| South African Singles Chart | 5 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 1 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 20 |
Certifications
| Country | Certification | Date | Sales certified |
|---|---|---|---|
| Germany | Gold | 1984 | 250,000 |
| UK | Silver | September 1, 1984 | 250,000 |
Chart successions
Re-releases
Branigan's "Self Control" was paired with follow-up single "The Lucky One" for an "oldies series" release in the U.S. In the UK a similar release paired the song with her earlier hit, "Gloria". In 1992, the original single mix of "Self Control" was re-released on CD single and 12" vinyl by Atlantic/WEA in Germany featuring two new remixes. One of those, the 'Classic Summer Mix', appeared on the European greatest hits album The Very Best of Laura BraniganThe Very Best of Laura Branigan
The Very Best of Laura Branigan is a collection of American singer Laura Branigan's greatest hits released only in Europe on November 15, 1992 The album includes fifteen hits and a new 'Classic Summer Mix' of Branigan's biggest international hit "Self Control". An American greatest hits, The Best...
. In 1999, four new remixes of "Self Control" were commissioned for a South African collection called Back in Control, on Atlantic/Gallo. "Self Control '99" was released as a CD single there. In the mid 2000s, several trance music
Trance music
Trance is a genre of electronic dance music that developed in the 1990s.:251 It is generally characterized by a tempo of between 125 and 150 bpm,:252 repeating melodic synthesizer phrases, and a musical form that builds up and breaks down throughout a track...
remixes featuring samples of various length from the 1984 Branigan original surfaced from various entities including Crooklyn Clan, Imperial Machine, and SK featuring Laura Branigan. None of these mixes were done with Branigan's participation.
As of 2010, the Self Control album remains in print and the original version can also be heard on The Best of Branigan (1993), and in remastered versions on The Essentials: Laura Branigan
The Essentials: Laura Branigan
The Essentials: Laura Branigan was released in 2002 and was the second greatest-hits collection of singer Laura Branigan that was issued in the United States...
(2002) and The Platinum Collection
The Platinum Collection (Laura Branigan album)
The Platinum Collection is the first greatest hits collection of American singer Laura Branigan that was released posthumously. It was released only in the United Kingdom on July 24, 2006, however is available as an import in other regions. The album is part of the Warner Platinum series released...
(2006).
2004 version
Branigan sought to reclaim her career after years away from the music industry first to take care of her ailing husband and then to mourn his loss. She re-recorded her two biggest club hits for the 20th anniversary of "Self Control" and they were released in a slew of remixes as "Gloria 2004" and "Self Control 2004". The latter track hit the Top 10 on the Billboard Hot Dance Singles SalesHot 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...
chart following Branigan's sudden death from an aneurysm in August of that year.
Track listings
CD maxi single- "Self Control 2004" [Mindworkers Radio Mix] 3:21
- "Self Control 2004" [Flip & Fill Remix] 6:45
- "Self Control 2004" [Mindworkers Remix] 7:07
- "Self Control 2004" [Force Four Remix] 7:45
- "Self Control 2004" [Kenny Hayes Club Mix] 6:07
- "Self Control 2004" [Mindworkers Instrumental] 7:05
Charts
| Chart (2004) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot Dance 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... Chart |
10 |
Raf's original version
Born as Raffaele RiefoliRaffaele Riefoli
Raffaele Riefoli is an Italian popular singer who is better known as simply Raf.-Biography:...
and later known as Raf, he co-wrote the song "Self Control" with Giancarlo Bigazzi and Steve Piccolo. Raf's version of "Self Control" which peaked at No.1 in Italy, was more popular at his home country of Italy than the version released later by Laura Branigan. Raf's version also notably edged into No.1 in Switzerland between runs at the top spot by Branigan, and Raf peaked at No.2 in Germany, No.7 in Austria and at No.40 in France. Like Branigan, Raf released an extended dance mix of the song, but Raf's version featured a rap
Rapping
Rapping refers to "spoken or chanted rhyming lyrics". The art form can be broken down into different components, as in the book How to Rap where it is separated into “content”, “flow” , and “delivery”...
(performed by two other rap-vocalists), relatively rare for a white artist at the time.
He would release several more tracks in English and re-release his debut 1984 album Raf in 1987 under the title Self Control featuring two of these tracks. Although, his English-language album and especially the singles proved to be quite successful in Italy and outside, he began releasing his later albums in his native-language with almost all of which having been received better in Italy than the former, lot of them entered Italy's Top-10 album-chart.
Charts
| Chart (1984) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Austrian Singles Chart | 7 |
| French SNEP Singles Chart | 40 |
| German Singles Chart | 2 |
| Italian Singles Chart | 1 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 1 |
Ricky Martin version
In 1993, Ricky MartinRicky Martin
Enrique "Ricky" Martín Morales , better known as Ricky Martin, is a Puerto Rican and Spanish pop singer and actor who achieved prominence, first as a member of the Latin boy band Menudo, then as a solo artist since 1991.During his career he has sold more than 60 million album copies worldwide...
recorded a Spanish-language cover of "Self Control", titled "Que Dia Es Hoy" (English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
: "What Day Is Today"). With lyrics by producer Juan Carlos Calderón and Mikel Herzog, the song was released as single off Martin's second solo album, Me Amarás, on September 28, 1993. The single featured a remixed version of the track.
A music video was also released.
In 2008, the remixed version was included on CD and DVD, called 17.
Charts
| Chart (1993) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot Latin Songs Hot Latin Songs Hot Latin Songs is a record chart published by Billboard magazine. It is often recognized as the most important music chart for Spanish language Latin music in the American music market. It was established by the magazine on September 6, 1986 with La Guirnalda by Rocío Dúrcal being the first song... |
26 |
Royal Gigolos version
In 2005, the German dance band the Royal Gigolos recorded a cover of the song. It appeared on a maxi CD along with their cover of the 1984 RockwellRockwell (musician)
Rockwell is an R&B performer who was signed to the Motown label.-Biography:...
hit "Somebody's Watching Me
Somebody's Watching Me
"Somebody's Watching Me" is the debut single by R&B artist Rockwell, released on the Motown label in 1984. The song's lyrics relate the narrator's paranoid fear of being followed and watched. It featured former Motown artists Michael Jackson on the chorus and Jermaine Jackson on additional backing...
". The song's most notable success were Top 20 chartings in Denmark and Finland.
Track listings
CD maxi- "Self Control" (D.O.N.S. single mix) — 3:42
- "Self Control" (single version) — 3:46
- "Self Control" (extended version) — 5:05
- "Self Control" (D.O.N.S. remix) — 6:18
- "Self Control" (Swen G° remix) — 6:32
- "Somebody's Watching Me" (single version) — 3:17
- "Somebody's Watching Me" (extended version) — 4:27
- "Somebody's Watching Me" (DJ Tyson club mix) — 6:36
- "Self Control" (video)
Charts
| Chart (2005–2006) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Austrian Singles Chart | 42 |
| Danish Singles Chart | 17 |
| Dutch Mega Top 100 | 49 |
| Finnish Singles Chart | 14 |
| German Singles Chart | 67 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 90 |
Infernal version
In 2006, the DanishDenmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
dance
Dance music
Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement...
band Infernal
Infernal (band)
Infernal is dance/pop group from Denmark, consisting of members Lina Rafn and Paw Lagermann. They made their Danish debut in 1997 with the release of the track "Sorti de L'enfer", and have gone on to international chart success in recent years. Their most successful single to date has been "From...
, best known for the club hit "From Paris to Berlin
From Paris to Berlin
"From Paris to Berlin" is a song by Infernal. It is known as their signature song as this was the first that charted in many countries throughout Europe and Australia in 2005 and 2006. It has so far been their biggest hit internationally, as well as in the band's home country of Denmark...
", released a cover of the song on November 6 in the UK. The song debuted in the chart at #61 based on downloads only. The track was also released in Australia, as a Double A-side with "I Won't Be Crying", though it did not chart there. Their recording was notably Top 10 in Finland and their native Denmark.
Formats and track listings
2-track CD single- "Self Control" [Radio Edit] - 3:40
- "From Paris to BerlinFrom Paris to Berlin"From Paris to Berlin" is a song by Infernal. It is known as their signature song as this was the first that charted in many countries throughout Europe and Australia in 2005 and 2006. It has so far been their biggest hit internationally, as well as in the band's home country of Denmark...
" [DJ Aligator Remix] - 6:37
7-track enhanced promo single
- "Self Control" [Radio Edit] - 3:40
- "Self Control" [Extended Version] - 6:00
- "Self Control" [Soul Seekerz Remix] - 7:40
- "Self Control" [Robbie Rivera Juicy Mix] - 6:14
- "Self Control" [Europeanz Remix] - 7:09
- "Self Control" [Weekend Wonderz Club Mix] - 6:13
- "Self Control" [Video] - 3:48
12" single
- "Self Control" [Soul Seekerz Remix] - 7:41
- "Self Control" [Extended Version] - 6:00
- "Self Control" [Robbie Rivera Juicy Mix] - 6:14
Charts
| Chart (2006) | Peak |
|---|---|
| Danish Singles Chart | 3 |
| Finnish Singles Chart | 6 |
| Irish Singles Chart | 14 |
| UK Singles Chart | 18 |
Other versions
Other recordings of "Self Control" include:1984 as "Viet Itsekontrollin" (Finnish): versions by Merja Lehtinen; Meiju Suvas; Leena Vanamo
1985 Helena Vondráčková
Helena Vondrácková
Helena Vondráčková is a Czech singer whose career has spanned five decades.- Early life/career :Vondráčková spent her childhood years in the town of Slatinany. She took piano lessons from an early age...
on her album I'm Your Song
- as "Ty máš tu moc fajn moc" (Czech) by Helena VondráčkováHelena VondráckováHelena Vondráčková is a Czech singer whose career has spanned five decades.- Early life/career :Vondráčková spent her childhood years in the town of Slatinany. She took piano lessons from an early age...
on her album Sprint
1987 Dr. Felix & M.M. Band: rap version
1988 as "Come" (Turkish) by Gökben for Forbidden Love soundtrack (Yasak Aşk Film Müziği)
1994 Carol Bailey: "Feel It" samples Branigan's version
- Cardenia: Eurodance version on album Memory
1995 Carmen Grace: version released in Germany
1996 Umberto Tozzi
Umberto Tozzi
Umberto Antonio Tozzi is an Italian pop/rock singer and composer, born in Turin. His most internationally famous song is "Gloria" -Biography:...
: on concert album Royal Albert Hall
- The Hoodys on album D-Day; an EP was released with several rap mixes and a video was shot
- Foolish Mind featuring Ellice (12" single),
1999 Sheila
Sheila (singer)
Sheila is a French pop singer, who became successful as a solo artist in the 1960s and 1970s and later fronted a disco act called Sheila and B. Devotion. Sheila has sold over 24,000,000 copies of records in France and was the top selling artist in France in the 1960s and 1970s...
on album Dense (French and English versions)
2001 covered by Uruguayan band Loop Lascano
2002 Paralysed Age
Paralysed Age
Paralysed Age are a gothic rock and darkwave-band from Germany composed of Marco Neumann, Stefan Kirsch, and Michael Knust.-Discography:* 1992: Christened Child* 1993: Exile* 1994: Nocturne* 1994: Bloodsucker * 1999: Empir of the Vampire...
: gothic cover on album Into the Ice
- Fun Factory: rap version on album ABC of Music
- Vengeance featuring E-La (remixes)
2003 Amber White (2 Step
2 Step
"2 Step" is the second single from Unk's album Beat'n Down Yo Block! It was released in 2007. It has an accompanying dance, called the "2 Step". The video co-directed by Dale "Rage" Resteghini and Will Horton was released on February 23, 2007 on Yahoo! Music...
version)
2004 Crooklyn Clan featuring Laura Branigan: rap version samples Branigan's vocals in chorus
- SK presents Laura Branigan (Vincent ThomasVincent ThomasVincent Tomasevich-Thomas was a Democratic Party politician from California who represented San Pedro's 68th and 52nd Districts in the California Assembly from 1941 to 1979. -Childhood and education:...
: samples Branigan's vocals - Imperial Machine: trance remix with samples of the Branigan version
- Replicant featuring Marc AlmondMarc AlmondMarc Almond is an English singer-songwriter and musician, who originally found fame as half of the seminal synthpop/New Wave duo Soft Cell...
: EP titled Face Control
2005 DJK: male vocal version
2005 (cont.) Digimind: three trance mixes on an EP released
- Syn-Tonic: techno-dance version released with female vocals
2006 Soraya Arnelas
Soraya Arnelas
Soraya Arnelas Rubiales , better known by her stage name Soraya, is a popular Spanish singer...
: first single from the album Ochenta's
Ochenta's
Ochenta's is the name of Soraya Arnelas's second studio album, released in Spain on November 21 under the Vale Music label.-Track listing:# "Self Control"# "Call Me"# "Don't Go"# "High Energy"# "Because the Night"# "Gonna Get Along Without You Now"...
, #2 in Spain, Gold disc
- Marian Dacal: acoustic guitar version, album Art Ensemble of the World Presents
2007 Caramelle featuring Nitro: R&B/hip Hop remixes with female vocals, released in Germany
- Rageneo: rap version, album Palm Beach Syndicate Enterprise
- Shizuko Overdrive: (goth rock version, album Shizuko
- Tommy Gold on album Sunny Guitar Dreams
- German duo 2Shine on album Twins
- Jamx & deleon: entitled "Can U Dig It (Self Control)"
- Brothers Incognito featuring Eve Justine (released 09/07)
- The Garland Cult: electro cover with male vocals, album Protect Yourself from Hollywood
2008 Dave Sinclair subtitled "The Annual Remake 2008", on album 80s Club Hits Reloaded, Vol. 2
- Thomas Gold & Dim Chris (cover of Raf's version)
- Slot Machine (cover of Raf's version),
- Hi-NRG on album Best of Italo Dance
- The Magic Time Travelers on album 1984 Greatest Hits
- The Garland Cult: new mix on album Glitterazzi
- Graham BLVD on album Divas of the 80s Vol. 2
- The BloodsugarsThe BloodsugarsThe Bloodsugars are a Brooklyn-based indie rock band, composed of Jason Rabinowitz, Brendan O'Grady, Matt Katz, and Kenneth Salters. Rabinowitz is the primary singer and songwriter in the band...
: (indie rockIndie rockIndie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
version, compilation Guilt by Association Vol. 2Guilt by Association Vol. 2Guilt by Association Vol. 2 is a compilation album released November 18, 2008 by Engine Room Recordings. Like its predecessor, Guilt by Association Vol. 1, it features indie rock artists covering well-known pop and R&B songs.-Overview:...
2009 Paffendorf
Paffendorf
Paffendorf, also known as Bellini, is a dance project from Cologne, Germany. The project consists of Ramon Zenker, also producer of Fragma, Gottfried Engels, Nicolas Valli and Sven Thiel, who also represents Paffendorf as a DJ act...
(five hard trance mixes on an EP)
2010 Sunday Girl
Sunday Girl (singer)
Jade Williams is a British solo pop singer who performs under the stage name Sunday Girl. The name originates from when she was younger and used to work in a pet shop every Sunday; where over time she became known as Sunday Girl...
(dreamy synthpop version)