Imitation of Life (song)
"Imitation of Life" | ||||
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Single by R.E.M. | ||||
from the album Reveal | ||||
B-side |
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Released | March 23, 2001 | |||
Genre | Pop | |||
Length | 3:57 | |||
Label | Warner Bros. | |||
Songwriter(s) | ||||
Producer(s) |
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R.E.M. singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"Imitation of Life" on YouTube |
"Imitation of Life" is a song recorded by American alternative rock band R.E.M., released as the lead single from the band's 12th studio album, Reveal (2001). The song was serviced to European radio in March 2001 and to American radio in April 2001; physical formats were issued in Australia and Europe that same month. The song peaked at number 83 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 22 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart. It was the lowest Hot 100 peak of a lead single from an R.E.M. album since "Fall on Me" from Lifes Rich Pageant in 1986.
Internationally, "Imitation of Life" reached number six on the UK Singles Chart, giving R.E.M. their eighth top-ten single in Britain. It was also successful in Italy and Spain, reaching the top three in these counties, as well as in Norway, where it peaked at number four and became the band's third top-five single, after "Losing My Religion" and "Drive". The song was nominated for a 2002 Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals but lost to U2's "Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out Of".
Background[]
In the booklet for R.E.M.'s 2003 "best of" album, In Time: The Best of R.E.M. 1988–2003, the band states that the song's title comes from Douglas Sirk's 1959 film Imitation of Life. The notes also say that after the release of the song, the band realized that the song follows roughly the same chord progression as "Driver 8" from their third studio album, Fables of the Reconstruction (1985).[1] The song was almost excluded from Reveal since it was too much like the rest of the album, but during the mixing process, the band decided to set it apart by turning it into an up-tempo track.[2] R.E.M. chose to release "Imitation of Life" as the first single from Reveal because it was the "poppiest" track on the album and possessed their "classic" sound.[3]
Composition[]
"Imitation of Life" has been described as R.E.M.'s most pop-sounding song at the time by the band and music critics.[1][2] Critics have compared the song to "Shiny Happy People" from the band's seventh studio album, Out of Time (1991), noting Peter Buck's "jangly" guitar-playing.[2][4][5] On the song, Bucks, Mike Mills, McCaughey, and Ken Stringfellow play acoustic guitars while a drum machine is used for the drums. Producer Pat McCarthy overdubbed the strings into the song, and Stipe sings lead vocals with Mills backing him up. Stringfellow also added in the song's synthesizer solo. The main chorus lyrics—"That's sugarcane that tasted good / That's cinnamon, that's Hollywood / Come on, come on, no one can see you try"—are changed several times throughout that song, with Stipe repeating one variation until the song ends.[2] Set in common time, "Imitation of Life" is composed in the key of G major with a tempo of 126 beats per minute.[6]
Critical reception[]
Music critics praised "Imitation of Life".[2] Miriam Hubner of Music & Media magazine wrote that the song was an undeniable R.E.M. track, calling Stipe's vocals "strong" and naming it an ideal driving song for the summer. She noted that radio station response was mixed; Sacha Horowitz of Swiss radio station Radio Lac said that although the Swiss people were fond of R.E.M., the band's sound had lost a vital component, obscuring their identity. Conversely, Michael Jørgensen, head of music at Danish station Radio Silkeborg, predicted that the song would be a spring hit, saying that R.E.M.'s sound had remained static and that the station's listeners were responding positively the track. Reviewing the song for Billboard magazine, Troy Carpenter wrote that the absence of ex-R.E.M. drummer Bill Berry was noticeable, citing the "bombastic" instrumentation, and postulated that his departure changed R.E.M. completely, hence the adult pop sound of "Imitation of Life". He called Stipe's vocal performance on the song "uncharacteristically hollow" and noted that the transition to adult pop music which would hurt the chances of the song garnering airplay on alternative radio.[5] In a later Billboard review of the album, Larry Flick wrote that the song has "formidable bounce".[7] AllMusic reviewer Stephen Thomas Erlewine called the song as one of the better tracks on Reveal, referring to it as a "windswept and sun-bleached beaut[y]".[8] British trade paper Music Week likened the song to R.E.M.'s Automatic for the People era, calling its production "lush" and noting Stipe's "yearning" vocals.[9]
Music video[]
The single's music video, depicting a scene of an elaborate pool party, was shot in Agoura Hills, California. It was directed by Garth Jennings and produced by Nick Goldsmith.[10][11] Stipe, in an interview with MTV UK in 2001, explained how the video was made. "The entire video took 20 seconds to shoot. What you're watching is a loop that goes forwards for 20 seconds, backwards for 20 seconds, forwards for 20 seconds, backwards for 20 seconds, with one camera, static, and then using a technique called pan and scan, which is a technical thing that is used when they go from a widescreen format and reformat to fit your television or DVD, moving in on certain parts of the entire picture. And you'll see that we do that picking up various people within the frame." During that 20 seconds, various people, including Stipe himself, mimed singing different parts of the song; the video zooms in on each of them for their part of the song. The video also zooms in on various bits of action, including a man accidentally catching fire from a barbecue and throwing himself in the pool, a woman throwing a drink in another woman's face, Stipe dancing, and Peter Buck playing a ukulele with a monkey in his lap.[10][12]
In 2011, Rolling Stone included the video in their list of R.E.M.'s 15 greatest music videos.[13]
Track listings[]
All songs are written by Peter Buck, Mike Mills, and Michael Stipe.
US promo CD[14]
Canadian and Australian CD single[15][16]
European CD and UK cassette single[17][18]
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UK CD single[19]
UK DVD single[11]
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Credits and personnel[]
Credits are adapted from the Australian CD single liner notes.[16]
R.E.M.
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Other personnel
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Charts[]
Weekly charts[]
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Year-end charts[]
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Release history[]
Region | Date | Format(s) | Label(s) | Ref. |
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Europe | March 23, 2001 | Radio | Warner Bros. | [3] |
United States | April 9, 2001 | Hot adult contemporary radio | [47] | |
April 10, 2001 | Mainstream rock radio | [48] | ||
Active rock radio | [49] | |||
Alternative radio | [50] | |||
Australia | April 16, 2001 | CD | [51] | |
Europe | April 23, 2001 |
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[4] | |
United Kingdom | April 30, 2001 |
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[52] |
References[]
- ^ Jump up to: a b In Time: The Best of R.E.M. 1988–2003 (US CD album booklet notes). R.E.M. Warner Bros. Records. 2001. 2-48550.CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d e Connelly, Jim (February 21, 2020). "Certain Songs #1756: R.E.M. – "Imitation of Life"". Medialoper. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Stavenes Dove, Siri (June 2, 2001). "REM Recapturing Glory Days?" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 18 no. 23. p. 21. Retrieved May 10, 2021.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Hubner, Miriam (April 28, 2001). "Airborne" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 18 no. 18. p. 12. Retrieved September 28, 2020.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Carpenter, Troy (April 21, 2001). Taylor, Chuck (ed.). "Reviews & Previews: Singles" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 113 no. 16. p. 17. Retrieved May 10, 2021.
- ^ "Imitation of Life by R.E.M. – Digital Sheet Music". Musicnotes. MN0047392. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
- ^ Flick, Larry (May 26, 2001). Paoletta, Michael (ed.). "Reviews & Previews: Albums" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 113 no. 21. p. 24. Retrieved May 10, 2021.
- ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "AllMusic Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine". AllMusic. Retrieved May 10, 2021.
- ^ "Reviews: Single Reviews" (PDF). Music Week. April 21, 2001. p. 21. Retrieved August 14, 2021.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Cosores, Philip (September 8, 2015). "R.E.M.'s "Imitation of Life" video deconstructed". The A.V. Club. Retrieved May 10, 2021.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Imitation of Life (UK DVD single liner notes). R.E.M. Warner Bros. Records. 2001. W559DVD.CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
- ^ Part Lies, Part Heart, Part Truth, Part Garbage 1982–2011 liner notes, 2011
- ^ "R.E.M.'s 15 Greatest Music Videos". Rolling Stone. September 22, 2011.
- ^ Imitation of Life (US promo CD liner notes). R.E.M. Warner Bros. Records. 2001. PRO-CD-100567.CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
- ^ Imitation of Life (Canadian CD single liner notes). R.E.M. Warner Bros. Records. 2001. CD 42363.CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
- ^ Jump up to: a b Imitation of Life (Australian CD single liner notes). R.E.M. Warner Bros. Records. 2001. 9362449942.CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
- ^ Imitation of Life (European CD single liner notes). R.E.M. Warner Bros. Records. 2001. 5439 16754 2.CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
- ^ Imitation of Life (UK cassette single sleeve). R.E.M. Warner Bros. Records. 2001. W559C, 5439 16754 4.CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
- ^ Imitation of Life (UK CD single liner notes). R.E.M. Warner Bros. Records. 2001. W559CD, 9362 44999 2.CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
- ^ "Australian-charts.com – R.E.M. – Imitation of Life". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved January 9, 2018.
- ^ "Austriancharts.at – R.E.M. – Imitation of Life" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved January 9, 2018.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – R.E.M. – Imitation of Life" (in Dutch). Ultratip. Retrieved January 9, 2018.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – R.E.M. – Imitation of Life" (in French). Ultratip. Retrieved January 9, 2018.
- ^ "R.E.M. Chart History (Canadian Digital Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved March 6, 2020.
- ^ "R.E.M. – Awards (Billboard Singles)". AllMusic. Archived from the original on March 6, 2016. Retrieved December 26, 2012.
- ^ "Danishcharts.com – R.E.M. – Imitation of Life". Tracklisten. Retrieved January 9, 2018.
- ^ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 18 no. 21. May 19, 2001. p. 13. Retrieved March 6, 2020.
- ^ "R.E.M.: Imitation of Life" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved January 9, 2018.
- ^ "Lescharts.com – R.E.M. – Imitation of Life" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved January 9, 2018.
- ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – R.E.M. – Imitation of Life" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved May 2, 2018.
- ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Imitation of Life". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved January 9, 2018.
- ^ "Italiancharts.com – R.E.M. – Imitation of Life". Top Digital Download. Retrieved January 9, 2018.
- ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 20, 2001" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40 Retrieved December 1, 2018.
- ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – R.E.M. – Imitation of Life" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved January 9, 2018.
- ^ "Charts.nz – R.E.M. – Imitation of Life". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved January 9, 2018.
- ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – R.E.M. – Imitation of Life". VG-lista. Retrieved January 9, 2018.
- ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 2, 2018.
- ^ "Spanishcharts.com – R.E.M. – Imitation of Life" Canciones Top 50.
- ^ "Swedishcharts.com – R.E.M. – Imitation of Life". Singles Top 100. Retrieved January 9, 2018.
- ^ "Swisscharts.com – R.E.M. – Imitation of Life". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved January 9, 2018.
- ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 9, 2018.
- ^ "R.E.M. Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved January 9, 2018.
- ^ "R.E.M. Chart History (Adult Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved January 9, 2018.
- ^ "R.E.M. Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved January 9, 2018.
- ^ "R.E.M. Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved January 9, 2018.
- ^ "The Official UK Singles Chart 2001" (PDF). UKChartsPlus. Retrieved September 13, 2018.
- ^ "Hot AC: Going for Adds" (PDF). Radio & Records. No. 1396. April 6, 2001. p. 79. Retrieved April 20, 2021.
- ^ "Rock: Going for Adds" (PDF). Radio & Records. No. 1396. April 6, 2001. p. 89. Retrieved April 20, 2021.
- ^ "Active Rock: Going for Adds" (PDF). Radio & Records. No. 1396. April 6, 2001. p. 93. Retrieved April 20, 2021.
- ^ "Alternative: Going for Adds" (PDF). Radio & Records. No. 1396. April 6, 2001. p. 101. Retrieved April 20, 2021.
- ^ "The ARIA Report: ARIA New Releases Singles – Week Commencing 16th April 2001" (PDF). ARIA. April 16, 2001. p. 23. Retrieved April 20, 2021.
- ^ "New Releases – For Week Starting April 30, 2001: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. April 28, 2001. p. 23. Retrieved August 14, 2021.
External links[]
- 2000 songs
- 2001 singles
- R.E.M. songs
- Song recordings produced by Michael Stipe
- Song recordings produced by Mike Mills
- Song recordings produced by Pat McCarthy (record producer)
- Song recordings produced by Peter Buck
- Songs about films
- Songs composed in G major
- Songs written by Michael Stipe
- Songs written by Mike Mills
- Songs written by Peter Buck
- Warner Records singles