"Young Hearts Run Free" is a disco song written by David Crawford and originally recorded by American soul singer Candi Staton in 1976. In 1996, it was covered by American house music singer Kym Mazelle for the triple-platinum selling soundtrack of Romeo + Juliet. Rolling Stone ranked "Young Hearts Run Free" number 150 their list of 200 Greatest Dance Songs of All Time in 2022.[1]
"Young Hearts Run Free" | ||||
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Single by Candi Staton | ||||
from the album Young Hearts Run Free | ||||
B-side | "I Know" | |||
Released | 1976 | |||
Genre | Disco, R&B, soul | |||
Length |
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Label | Warner Bros. | |||
Songwriter(s) | David Crawford | |||
Producer(s) | David Crawford | |||
Candi Staton singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"Young Hearts Run Free" (1976) on YouTube | ||||
Music video | ||||
"Young Hearts Run Free" (1999) on YouTube | ||||
"Young Hearts Run Free" is a disco pop-funk track written and produced by David Crawford. According to Staton, the song's genesis was a conversation she had with Crawford over lunch in Los Angeles: Staton – "Dave Crawford was always asking me: 'What's happening in your life'...and I was [then] with someone I shouldn't have been with and it was hard getting out of that...very abusive relationship"[2] "I [noticed] that [Crawford] was taking notes, and he said, 'You know, I'm gonna write you a song. I'm gonna write you a song that's gonna last forever'".[3]
Released in 1976 from the album of the same title, it spent a week at number one on the Hot Soul Singles chart. It also peaked at number twenty on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart.[4] Along with the tracks "Run to Me" and "Destiny", "Young Hearts Run Free" went to number eight on the dance/disco charts.[5] "Young Hearts Run Free" was one of only two songs by Staton to reach the top 10 on the UK Singles Chart, it peaked at number two behind The Real Thing's "You to Me Are Everything".[6] The 1976 single releases had "I Know" on the B-side.
The song is referenced in Staton's 1978 single "Victim" in the lyrics, "I became a victim of the very song I sing, I told you 'young hearts run free'. When I didn't listen to myself . . ."[7]
In 1999, Candi Staton recorded a new dance version of "Young Hearts Run Free". It peaked at #29 in the UK.
It was used in the 2009 video game Grand Theft Auto: The Ballad of Gay Tony on the in-game radio station K109 The Studio.[8]
In the 2018 documentary Studio 54, "Young Hearts Run Free" plays during the closing credits.
Chart (1976) | Peak position | |
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Australia (Kent Music Report)[9] | 4 | |
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[10] | 19 | |
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[11] | 38 | |
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[12] | 21 | |
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[13] | 15 | |
US Billboard Hot 100 | 20 | |
US Hot Soul Singles (Billboard) | 1 | |
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[14] | 50 | |
UK Singles (OCC) | 2 |
Chart (1986) | Peak position |
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Ireland (IRMA) | 26 |
UK Singles (OCC) | 47 |
Chart (1999) | Peak position |
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Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[15] | 91 |
Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40)[16] | 33 |
Scotland (OCC) | 29 |
UK Singles (OCC) | 29 |
UK Indie (OCC)[17] | 6 |
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
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United Kingdom (BPI)[18] | Platinum | 600,000![]() |
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"Young Hearts Run Free" | ||||
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Single by Kym Mazelle | ||||
from the album Romeo + Juliet | ||||
Released | 1996 | |||
Recorded | 1996 | |||
Genre | House | |||
Length | 3:59 | |||
Label | Capitol | |||
Songwriter(s) | David Crawford | |||
Producer(s) | Nellee Hooper | |||
Kym Mazelle singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"Young Hearts Run Free" on YouTube | ||||
"Young Hearts Run Free" was covered by American house music singer Kym Mazelle and released in 1996 as the second single for the triple-platinum selling soundtrack of Romeo + Juliet by Capitol Records.[19][20] On August 15, 1997, Mazelle performed the song on the UK's Top of the Pops.[21] The single has since become one of Mazelle's signature hits. In 1998, the song was included on the director's remix album Something for Everybody. In December 2005, Mazelle performed a short version of the song during her guest appearance as a contestant on The Weakest Link during the "Rock and Pop Special".
A reviewer from Music Week rated the song three out of five, noting that here, "Nellee Hooper is at the controls for Mazelle's pumped up version of the soul classic, lifted from the Romeo & Juliet soundtrack."[22] Alan Jackson from The Times commented, "And yet another, with Candi Staton's glorious original subjected to house frenzy."[23] In 2012, Australian music channel Max placed Mazelle's version of "Young Hearts Run Free" at number 552 in their list of 1000 Greatest Songs of All Time in 2012.[24]
The music video features Mazelle in a sleeveless dress wearing gold jewelry as well as a burgundy dress in other scenes. The video was filmed in late 1996. Several scenes and footage from the Romeo + Juliet film appear in the video. The video also features a drag queen (Harold Perrineau as Mercutio), in a white outfit wearing a platinum blonde afro wig, miming to Mazelle's voice.
Chart (1996–1997) | Peak position |
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Australia (ARIA)[25] | 11 |
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[26] | 44 |
France (SNEP)[27] | 29 |
Germany (Official German Charts)[28] | 88 |
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[29] | 16 |
Scotland (OCC) | 17 |
UK Singles (OCC)[30] | 20 |
UK Dance (OCC)[31] | 29 |
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
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Australia (ARIA)[32] | Gold | 35,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
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