Simply Irresistible (song)
Encyclopedia
"Simply Irresistible" is the first single released from the 1988 studio album Heavy Nova
by Robert Palmer and is presented in one of the most distinctive and memorable music video
s of the 1980s.
In 1988
, the song reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100
singles chart and was #1 on the Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart for three weeks. It also earned Palmer his second Grammy Award
the following year. "Simply Irresistible" later appeared in the 1999 Tony Award
-winning musical Contact
.
Along with "Addicted to Love
" and "I Didn't Mean to Turn You On", "Simply Irresistible" is among Palmer's most recognized songs, in part because of the iconic music video by renowned British fashion photographer Terence Donovan
.
The videos feature Palmer surrounded by enigmatic women, styled in the manner of artist Patrick Nagel
. The video featured the leading "supermodels" and leading dancers of the day; Donovan's lighting and direction set the style for that era of music videos.
Heavy Nova (album)
Heavy Nova is the tenth solo album by Robert Palmer, released in 1988. His first album for EMI Records after a 15-year association with Island Records , it followed Palmer's very popular album Riptide....
by Robert Palmer and is presented in one of the most distinctive and memorable music video
Music 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...
s of the 1980s.
In 1988
1988 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1988.-January-March:* January 1 – André Rieu's Johann Strauss Orchestra plays its first concert....
, the song reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
singles chart and was #1 on the Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart for three weeks. It also earned Palmer his second Grammy Award
Grammy Award for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance was an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to male recording artists for works containing quality vocal performances in the rock music genre...
the following year. "Simply Irresistible" later appeared in the 1999 Tony Award
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...
-winning musical Contact
Contact (musical)
Contact: The Musical is a musical "dance play" that was developed by Susan Stroman and John Weidman, with its "book" by Weidman and both choreography and direction by Stroman. It ran both off-Broadway and on Broadway in 1999 - 2000. It consists of three separate one-act dance...
.
Along with "Addicted to Love
Addicted to Love (song)
Tina Turner has made "Addicted to Love" a regular feature of her live shows since 1986, although her version did not make it onto the market until two years later....
" and "I Didn't Mean to Turn You On", "Simply Irresistible" is among Palmer's most recognized songs, in part because of the iconic music video by renowned British fashion photographer Terence Donovan
Terence Donovan (photographer)
Terence Daniel Donovan was a British photographer and film director, best remembered for his fashion photography of the 1960s. He oversaw the music video to Robert Palmer's "Addicted to Love" and "Simply Irresistible".Donovan was born in Stepney in the East End of London to Lilian Constance V...
.
The videos feature Palmer surrounded by enigmatic women, styled in the manner of artist Patrick Nagel
Patrick Nagel
Patrick Nagel was an American artist. He created popular illustrations on board, paper, and canvas, most of which emphasize the simple grace of and beauty of the female form, in a distinctive style descended from Art Deco...
. The video featured the leading "supermodels" and leading dancers of the day; Donovan's lighting and direction set the style for that era of music videos.
In popular culture
- The song was used in a 1989 PepsiPepsiPepsi is a carbonated soft drink that is produced and manufactured by PepsiCo...
commercial featuring Palmer, and was parodied in a 2002 Pepsi commercial featuring Britney SpearsBritney SpearsBritney Jean Spears is an American recording artist and entertainer. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, Spears began performing as a child, landing acting roles in stage productions and television shows. She signed with Jive Records in 1997 and released her debut album...
. - "Simply Irresistible" was featured in the soundtrack to American PsychoAmerican PsychoAmerican Psycho is a psychological thriller and satirical novel by Bret Easton Ellis, published in 1991. The story is told in the first person by the protagonist, serial killer and Manhattan businessman Patrick Bateman. The book's graphic violence and sexual content generated a great deal of...
when Patrick BatemanPatrick BatemanPatrick Bateman is a fictional character, the antihero and narrator of the novel American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis, and its film adaptation. He has also briefly appeared in other Ellis novels.-Biography and profile:...
comments during a cab ride: "I'm trying to listen to the new Robert Palmer tape, but Evelyn, my supposed fiance, keeps buzzing in my ear." The song is playing in the background for the duration of this scene. - The song is featured in the 2003 film Bringing Down the HouseBringing Down the House (film)Bringing Down the House is a 2003 American romantic comedy film, written by Jason Filardi and directed by Adam Shankman. The film stars Steve Martin and Queen Latifah.-Plot:...
. - The song is featured in a Season Two episode of Northern ExposureNorthern ExposureNorthern Exposure is an American television series that ran on CBS from 1990 to 1995, with a total of 110 episodes.-Overview:The series was given a pair of consecutive Peabody Awards: in 1991–92 for the show's "depict[ion] in a comedic and often poetic way, [of] the cultural clash between a...
in which Joel Fleischman has an erotic dream about Maggie O'Connell. - Was parodied as "My Girlfriend Is Inflatable"; while often misattributed to "Weird Al" Yankovic"Weird Al" YankovicAlfred 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...
, the actual artist is John Mammoser. - The song was also used in a skit on Late Night with Conan O' Brien.
- Professional wrestler Jeff JarrettJeff JarrettJeffrey Leonard Jarrett is an American professional wrestler and wrestling promoter. He is currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , an organization he co-founded along with his father and in which he holds some stock but not total control...
also used this song as his entrance theme for a period in the USWAUnited States Wrestling AssociationThe United States Wrestling Association or USWA was a professional wrestling promotion based in Memphis, Tennessee. It was founded by former CWA owner Jerry Jarrett.-Foundation:...
, World Class Championship WrestlingWorld Class Championship WrestlingWorld Class Championship Wrestling ' was a regional professional wrestling promotion headquartered in Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas. Originally owned by promoter Ed McLemore, by 1966 it was run by Southwest Sports, Inc., whose president, Jack Adkisson, was better known as wrestler Fritz Von Erich...
, and the AWAAmerican Wrestling AssociationThe American Wrestling Association was an American professional wrestling promotion based in Minneapolis, Minnesota that ran from 1960 to 1991. It was owned and founded by Verne Gagne and Wally Karbo...
. "Simply Irresistible" was also Jarrett's nickname during this period. - Was used in an Episode of the ABC sitcom "Step By Step" when Al, the tom-boyish daughter of Frank Lambert, is picked as a model over her stepsister Karen. In the photoshoot section at the end of the show, the song is played as she poses for pictures.
External links
- Simply Irresistible 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...
- How to make a Robert Palmer Girl costume and make up