"Something in My House" by Dead or Alive

Song#:  3100
Date:  04/25/1987
Debut:  96
Peak:  85
Weeks:  6
Genre:  Synthpop, Dance-Pop, Hi-NRG



Pop Bits:  The band's third album Mad, Bad and Dangerous to Know started off fairly well with the #1 Dance/#15 Pop single "Brand New Lover." It wasn't quite enough to really spur sales of the album, which had peaked at #52. It was hoped this second single would keep sales going. While it was a hit in clubs reaching #3 on the Dance chart, it failed to attract a Pop audience and the tune stopped way early on the chart. Further singles were unable to chart and that ended the run of the album. In the band's UK homeland, this song would be the best charting from the album reaching #12.

ReduxReview:  This is a case where brevity is better. The album version of this song is over seven minutes. It just drags on and plays more like an instrumental with occasional vocals. Frankly, it gets boring real quick. The single version, which I posted above, is far better. It cuts out all the fat and gets to the meat of the tune. It featured a classic Stock Aitken Waterman dance production that wasn't unlike "Brand New Lover." It's a good track, but it's not quite as hooky or alluring as their previous hit singles.

ReduxRating:  6/10

Trivia:  The video for this song was based on the influential 1946 French film La Belle et la Bête (Beauty and the Beast). Written and directed by Jean Cocteau, it was the first film adaptation of the 1757 story by Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont. Cocteau was a poet and playwright and La Belle et la Bête was his second film. It was widely praised at the time for its inventive visuals and magical story. It has also been included on many greatest films of all-time lists including one by critic Roger Ebert. The film has provided inspiration for other artists including Stevie Nicks who wrote the song "Beauty and the Beast" for her 1983 album The Wild Heart after a viewing. In her concerts from that era, Nicks would often present images of the film behind her while performing the song.
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