Friends (Stella Getz song)

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"Friends"
Friends (Stella Getz song).jpg
Single by Stella Getz
from the album Forbidden Dreams
B-side"Remix"
ReleasedNovember 1993
GenreEurodance
Length3:12
LabelMega Records
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Lars E. Ludvigsen
  • Mikkel S. Eriksen
Stella Getz singles chronology
"Friends"
(1993) 		"Dr. Love"
(1994)
Music video
"Friends" on YouTube

"Friends" is a 1993 song by Norwegian singer Stella Getz.[1] Produced by Lars E. Ludvigsen and Mikkel S. Eriksen, it was released as the first single from her debut album, Forbidden Dreams. It was a number-one hit in Hungary and Israel,[2] and a Top 10 hit in Scandinavia, peaking at number 5 in Norway and number 9 in Denmark.

Background and release[]

Getz was discovered after entering a DMC contest at the age of 16. After having cut just a few demos, she soon got herself a deal with Mega Records and went into studio with producers Lars E. Ludvigsen and Mikkel S. Eriksen to work on her first single, "Friends". It has been described as a fusion of loud but subtle rock guitars with a techno foundation, highlighted by a remarkable melody and Getz' fog horn-strength vocals. She made her first public appearance on Norwegian Television performing the song in the popular TV-show Casino.

"Friends" was successful on the charts in several countries, including peaking at number-one in both Hungary and Israel. It also reached the Top 5 in Norway,[3] and the Top 10 in Denmark. In Germany, it peaked at number 32, with a total of 16 weeks on the charts.[4] The single also peaked at number 81 on the Eurochart Hot 100 in February 1994.[5]

Critical reception[]

Music & Media wrote, "The instant appeal of the single is clear, and so is the 17-year old singer with African blood in her veins. A stunning synth riff like on Stevie Wonder's Superstitious are the wheels on which this song rides. Miss Getz raps and scats—what else with such a jazzy surname?—on top of that. The sing-along chorus is the finishing touch of the song, easily holding its own in the Euro dance field which is suffering already too much from conventions, making it almost impossible to say who's who. With the Winter Olympics in Lillehammer ahead, one gold medal should go to Norway at least. For originality."[6]

Music video[]

A music video directed by Swedish director Matt Broadley was produced by Mega Records to promote the single. It shows the singer in a big yellow-painted room. Through a telescope she sees a crowd of "friends" arriving and then starts singing. The "friends" are coming through the door, although Stella tries to keep them outside. Wearing white masks, they're taking over the place. They're breaking LP-records, dancing on them and eating all the food in the fridge. And they are tagging down the walls with graffiti spray. In the end, the "friends" are dancing around Getz, who has been tied with a rope to a tall lamp. The video was uploaded to YouTube in December 2011. As of May 2021, it has more than 400,000 views.[7]

Track listing[]

CD maxi
No.TitleLength
1."Friends" (7")3:12
2."Friends" (12")7:14
3."Friends" (Late Nite Mix)4:38
4."Friends" (U.S. Remix)2:55
CD maxi (Remix)
No.TitleLength
1."Friends" (MEGA-Dance Remix)5:34
2."Friends" (Cyber-Town Remix)5:06
3."Friends" (Tango Remix)2:52
4."Friends" (Hi-Rate Remix)6:18

Charts[]

Chart (1993-1994) Peak
position
Denmark (IFPI)[8] 9
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100) 81
Germany (Official German Charts)[9] 32
Hungary (Mahasz) 1
Israel (Israel Top-30) 1
Norway (Ti i skuddet)[10] 3
Norway (VG-lista)[11] 5

External links[]

References[]

  1. ^ "Stella Getz - Friends". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2015-08-28.
  2. ^ Nossum, Beate (1994-05-20). "Stjerna Stella". Arbeiderbladet (in Norwegian). p. 15. Retrieved 2020-05-14.
  3. ^ "VG-lista - Stella Getz / Friends". Vg.no. Retrieved 2015-08-28.
  4. ^ "Offizielle Deutsche Charts". Offiziellecharts.de. Retrieved 2015-08-28.
  5. ^ "Eurochart Hot 100" (PDF). Music & Media. 1994-02-05. Retrieved 2017-11-21.
  6. ^ "Getz Puts Norway Back On The Map" (PDF). Music & Media. 1994-02-12. p. 10. Retrieved 2018-02-26.
  7. ^ "Stella Getz - Friends". YouTube. Retrieved 2021-05-02.
  8. ^ "Top 10 Denmark" (PDF). Music & Media. 1994-04-09. Retrieved 2018-02-27.
  9. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Stella Getz – Friends" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 2019-02-18.
  10. ^ "Ti i skuddet - 16. desember 1993". musikalske.net. Retrieved 2021-05-02.
  11. ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Stella Getz – Friends". VG-lista. Retrieved 2018-03-12.
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