Sometimes (Erasure song)
Encyclopedia
"Sometimes" is a song by British synthpop
duo Erasure
, released in October 1986 as their fourth single overall.
After three commercial flops from their debut album Wonderland, "Sometimes" became Erasure's first bonafide hit, peaking at number one in South Africa
, number two in their native United Kingdom
and in Germany
, and becoming a huge international hit. The song became Erasure's second Top 5 hit on the U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart, where it charted alongside "It Doesn't Have to Be
" and peaked at number four.
Written by band members Vince Clarke
and Andy Bell
, "Sometimes" typifies the Erasure "sound" — an uptempo, dance-oriented pop tune accentuated by Clarke's analogue synthesizer
s and Bell's lyrics about being in love. The music video
showcases Erasure on a building rooftop — Clarke playing an acoustic guitar and Bell singing — as they weave through white sheets hanging from a laundry line; near the end of the video rain starts to fall on the duo.
"Sometimes" spent seventeen weeks in the UK singles chart — the duo's longest chart run for a single in that country — and was included on Erasure's second album The Circus, released six months later in March 1987.
Synthpop
Synthpop is a genre of popular music that first became prominent in the 1980s, in which the synthesizer is the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s by the use of synthesizers in progressive rock, electronic art rock, disco and particularly the "Kraut rock" of...
duo Erasure
Erasure
Erasure are an English synthpop duo, consisting of songwriter and keyboardist Vince Clarke and singer Andy Bell. Erasure entered the music scene in 1985 with their debut single "Who Needs Love Like That"...
, released in October 1986 as their fourth single overall.
After three commercial flops from their debut album Wonderland, "Sometimes" became Erasure's first bonafide hit, peaking at number one in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, number two in their native United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, and becoming a huge international hit. The song became Erasure's second Top 5 hit on the U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart, where it charted alongside "It Doesn't Have to Be
It Doesn't Have To Be
"It Doesn't Have to Be" is a song by British synthpop duo Erasure, released in February 1987. It was issued as a single six weeks before the release of the duo's second album, The Circus....
" and peaked at number four.
Written by band members Vince Clarke
Vince Clarke
Vince Clarke is an English synthpop musician and songwriter. Clarke has been involved with a number of successful groups, including Depeche Mode, Yazoo, The Assembly and Erasure....
and Andy Bell
Andy Bell (singer)
Andrew Ivan "Andy" Bell is the lead singer of the English synthpop duo Erasure. He also has a solo career, with the albums Non-Stop and Electric Blue.-Early life:Andy Bell originates from the Dogsthorpe area in Peterborough...
, "Sometimes" typifies the Erasure "sound" — an uptempo, dance-oriented pop tune accentuated by Clarke's analogue synthesizer
Synthesizer
A synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
s and Bell's lyrics about being in love. The 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...
showcases Erasure on a building rooftop — Clarke playing an acoustic guitar and Bell singing — as they weave through white sheets hanging from a laundry line; near the end of the video rain starts to fall on the duo.
"Sometimes" spent seventeen weeks in the UK singles chart — the duo's longest chart run for a single in that country — and was included on Erasure's second album The Circus, released six months later in March 1987.
Limited 12" single (L12MUTE 51)
- "Sometimes" (Shiver Mix)
- "Sexuality" (Private Mix)
- "Senseless" (Remix)
Cassette single (CMUTE51)
- "Sometimes"
- "Sexuality" (Single Mix)
- "Who Needs Love Like That"
- "Heavenly Action"
- "Oh L'amour"
CD single (CDMUTE51)
- "Sometimes"
- "Sexuality" (Single Mix)
- "Sometimes" (12" Mix)
- "Sexuality" (12" Mix)
- "Say What" (Remix)
Chart performance
| Chart (1986) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Singles Chart ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
50 |
| Austrian Singles Chart | 10 |
| Dutch Singles Chart | 2 |
| French Singles Chart | 38 |
| German Singles Chart 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... |
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... |
3 |
| Italian Singles Chart | 22 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart | 15 |
| South African Singles Chart | 1 |
| Spanish Singles Chart | 7 |
| Swedish Singles Chart | 20 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 3 |
| 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 ... |
2 |
| U.S. Hot Dance Club Songs | 4 |