music.wikisort.org - Composition

“Heart and Soul” is the debut single by British pop rock ensemble T'Pau, released in 1987 from their debut album Bridge of Spies. Following its inclusion in a Pepe Jeans advert, the single reached No. 4 in both the US and UK charts.

"Heart and Soul"
Single by T'Pau
from the album Bridge of Spies
B-side	"On the Wing"
Released	9 February 1987 (UK)[1] 20 April 1987
Recorded	1986
Genre	Pop, new wave[2]
Length	3:42 (7" version) 4:15 (LP version)
Label	Siren, Virgin
Songwriter(s)	Carol Ann Decker, Ronald Phillip "Ron" Rogers
Producer(s)	Roy Thomas Baker
T'Pau singles chronology
"Heart and Soul" (1987) "Intimate Strangers" (1987)

Background

Singer Carol Decker said of the authorship and composition of the selection:

Ron had just bought a new keyboard with a built in sequencer, so he was just trying to get used to the gizmos in it and while messing around with the sequencer he started the “bum bum buh buh bum bum bum” of the bass riff. I started to sing a melody over it, the wafty vocal and came up with “more than an ocean keeps us apart.” The lyrics were about when I went on holiday with my parents and Ronnie couldn’t come. I missed him so much, but then I morphed the story into a fictitious one of not being loved back (which I was). The rap was the idea of Andy Piercy, our then producer. He said the gaps needed filling, so I started these syncopated sort of nonsense noises. I then turned those noises into words which took about a week to get right.[3]

Song information

The song is notable for its usage of various vocal overdubs, causing Decker, essentially, to be duetting with herself on the original studio recording. This makes the song, in its initial studio form, impossible to perform live without additional backup singers. Instead, Decker often performs what she calls a "basic" version,[4] explaining to Songfacts: "I rap the first two verses then cut to the melody for the verse before the chorus. No one really notices or minds as I cover the essential dynamics of the song. It works well."[4]

Upon its initial release in the UK in February 1987, the song was not well received, entering the bottom of the chart and falling out immediately after.[5] But in the United States, the song received heavy airplay, and the Pepe Jeans advertisement enabled it to reach No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 in August 1987.[6] Due to the exposure, the song was re-released in the UK that same month; this time it became a hit, equaling the US peak of No. 4 in September.[7]

Packaging and title

The single artwork was designed by graphic designer Adrian Fry.[8]

Cultural references

• The song was featured on the soundtrack for the video game Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City and was featured in the opening credits of the 2017 film Don't Talk to Irene.
• The song featured in the episode "San Junipero" of the Netflix series Black Mirror, written and created by Charlie Brooker.
• The song featured in the 2019 comedy horror film We Summon the Darkness.
• Insane Clown Posse released a cover of the song on their 2021 album "Yum Yum Bedlam"

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1987–88)	Peak position	Total weeks
Australia (Kent Music Report)[9]	18	22
Belgian Singles Chart	16	5
Canada (RPM)[10]	1	25
Dutch Singles Chart[11]	37	10
France (SNEP)[12]	-
Germany (Media Control Charts)[13]	10	15
Ireland (IRMA)[14]	4	4
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[15]	9	13
Polish Singles Chart	36	2
South African Singles Chart[16]	18	4
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[17]	20	1
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[18]	9	14
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[19]	4	14
US Billboard Hot 100[20]	4	27
US Radio & Records CHR/Pop Airplay Chart[21]	4	15
US Hot Dance Club Play (Billboard)[20]	13
US Hot Dance Music Sales (Billboard)[22]	15

Year-end charts

Chart (1987)	Position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[23]	86
US Top Pop Singles (Billboard)[24]	33

Heart and Soul '97

Chart (1997)	Peak position
UK Singles Chart[25]	186

References

External links

• "Heart And Soul" at Discogs (list of releases)

---