Outside (George Michael song)
"Outside" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | ||||
Single by George Michael | ||||
from the album Ladies & Gentlemen: The Best of George Michael | ||||
B-side | "Fantasy '98" | |||
Released | 19 October 1998[1] | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 4:45 | |||
Label | Epic | |||
Songwriter(s) | George Michael | |||
Producer(s) |
| |||
George Michael singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Music video | ||||
"Outside" on YouTube |
"Outside" is a song by George Michael, released on 19 October 1998 as the lead single from his greatest hits album, Ladies & Gentlemen: The Best of George Michael. The song was released on Epic Records and peaked at number-one in Greece, Hungary and Spain. In addition, it peaked at number 2 in the UK, number 3 in Italy and Scotland, number 4 in Denmark, number 5 in Iceland, number 7 in Ireland, and number 8 in Finland. On the Eurochart Hot 100, "Outside" reached number 3 in November 1998. Outside Europe, the song reached number 3 on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play in the US, number 11 in New Zealand and number 13 in Australia.
History[]
The song was Michael's first single since his arrest for engaging in a lewd act six months earlier by an undercover police officer in the public lavatory of the Will Rogers Memorial Park in Beverly Hills, California – an incident that prompted him to declare his homosexuality, which had been rumoured for some years but never publicly confirmed.[2]
Michael disparaged the incident in the lyrics, claiming he wanted an alfresco sex life because he was bored with lovemaking behind closed doors. Reference to the Beverly Hills affair came with the line "I'd service the community, but I already have, you see" (he was sentenced to 80 hours of community service for the offense) and direct samples of radio reports of his arrest.
In a 2004 interview with Adam Mattera for UK magazine Attitude, Michael reflected: "I felt that lightening the stigma around cruising was the most immediately beneficial thing I could do. I know for a fact that when I was 16, 17, when I started cruising, that watching the Outside video would have taken some of the weight off my shoulders."[3]
The song was recorded at Sarm West in London with a string section and arrangement by Andrew Skeet.
Critical reception[]
Roberto Friedman from Bay Area Reporter described the song as "a paean to public sex".[4] Chuck Taylor from Billboard wrote that "set against a jubilant disco beat awash with strings, cascading electronic beeps, and a vocal filled with simple joy, this celebratory track could be the one to return George Michael to the hearts of the masses." He added, "The track begins with a whip of strings, a chorus of voices chanting, "Let's go outside," and a funky little guitar lick, followed by Michael's instantly recognizable vocal, sounding liberated and loose. So much of his recent material has been heavy in lyric and short on hook; as a result, he's had a tough time getting on radio in the U.S. This should begin the next era for this keeper of an artist, who at last seems comfortable just having a little fun."[5] Sarah Davis from Dotmusic said that "Outside" "is every bit Fast Love's [sic] twin with the singer at his most accessibly funky." She added, "Turning his arrest into musical inspiration, George Michael cheekily uses the sound of a police siren to welcome in his first new single in more than two years."[6] Beth Johnson from Entertainment Weekly described the song as a "retro-disco hoot".[7] Music & Media noted that "it's a superb slice of neo-'70s disco/funk, boasting tonguein-cheek lyrics and a strong hook."[8] Victoria Segal from NME called it a "disco inferno".[9] Dave Fawbert from ShortList described it as an "amazing slinky disco track", adding that it is "timeless and would still be a massive hit if was released today."[10]
Music video[]
The especially satirical video, directed by Vaughan Arnell and filmed on 4 June 1998, features a police helicopter hovering over Los Angeles and shadowing various people, both gay and straight, kissing, having sex or engaging in foreplay, all in public. The scenes of public coupling are styled like real surveillance footage and interspersed with scenes of Michael and his dancers performing in a men's toilet. Michael is dressed as an LAPD police officer and clutching a nightstick, while the toilet is decorated like a disco nightclub, complete with flashing lights and disco balls. Two female dancers dressed in police uniforms are also seen dancing with Michael.
Before the song starts properly, the video begins with a parody of a 1970s European pornography film. As a sultry jazz saxophone score plays, the credits show "eine fulm bi Hüu Jarss", "mit Klaus Hoöd", "undë Heidi Kóchenblauer", "ars 'Cindy'", "direktum bi Marchelo Üffenvanken" – possibly a collection of made-up names and words meant to resemble Swedish, but with deliberate English puns. "Cindy" is played by Sports Illustrated swimsuit model Melissa Keller. A short passage of narration in Swedish - "Vem var hon? Var kom hon ifrån? Hade hon ätit? Då plötsligt kom jag ihåg, det var ingen dröm: jag var ... i Hollywood!" - translates as: "Who was she? Where did she come from? Had she eaten? Then suddenly I recalled, it was no dream: I was... in Hollywood!"
In the video, apart from Keller, porn stars Rebecca Lord[11] and Brittany Andrews make their appearances, including actress Jeanne Carmen (as the Blonde Dominatrix).
At the end of the video, two male officers arrest numerous couples previously shown engaging in lewd conduct. The video concludes with the two police officers, thinking that they are not being watched, sharing a passionate embrace and starting to kiss, the surveillance video focusing in on their public indecency. The video ends with a shot of a rooftop neon sign reading "JESUS SAVES", followed by the on-screen captions "... all of us. all."
In 1998, Marcelo Rodriguez, the undercover officer who arrested Michael, brought a $10 million court case in California against the singer who had amassed an estimated personal fortune of £105 million ($140 million) in his lifetime. The court dismissed the case, but an appeals court reinstated the case on 3 December 2002.[12] The court then ruled Rodriguez, as a public official, could not legally recover damages for emotional distress.[13]
Track listing[]
- "Outside"
- "Fantasy '98"
- "Outside" (Jon Douglas Remix)
CD 2
Outside The Mixes
1.Garage Mix 7.40 2.House Mix 6.59 3.K-Gee's Cut 5.18
Commercial performance[]
"Outside" reached number two on the UK Singles Chart; one of many songs to be held off by a seven-week run at the top by Cher with "Believe". It was not featured on a studio album, but was included on his solo hits collection Ladies & Gentlemen: The Best of George Michael – the title of which was also a pun of his activity in the lavatory at the centre of the controversy, Ladies & Gentlemen being a British colloquial term for a gender specific public toilet.
Charts and sales[]
Weekly charts[]
|
Year-end charts[]
Certifications and sales[]
|
References[]
- ^ "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 17 October 1998. p. 29. Retrieved 6 July 2021. Misprinted as 19 September.
- ^ Entertainment: George Michael faces $10m lawsuit, BBC News, 14 September 1999
- ^ "George Michael's candid 2004 interview with Attitude". Attitude. Retrieved 26 June 2012.
- ^ Friedman, Roberto (19 November 1998). "OUT THERE". Bay Area Reporter. p. 38. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
- ^ Taylor, Chuck (7 November 1998). "Billboard: Single Reviews" (PDF). Billboard. p. 25. Retrieved 26 January 2018.
- ^ Davis, Sarah (5 October 1998). "GEORGE MICHAEL - OUTSIDE (EPIC)". Dotmusic. Archived from the original on 1 September 2000. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
- ^ "Ladies and Gentlemen: The Best of George Michael". Entertainment Weekly. 11 December 1998. Retrieved 26 February 2020.
- ^ "Airborne" (PDF). Music & Media. p. 21. Retrieved 23 December 2019.
- ^ Segal, Victoria. "GEORGE MICHAEL – Ladies And Gentlemen - The Best of George Michael". NME. Archived from the original on 17 August 2000. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
- ^ Fawbert, Dave (23 October 2018). "30 classic songs that are somehow 20 years old this year". ShortList. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
- ^ "Rebecca Lord - Adult Film Star" Archived 12 October 2007 at the Wayback Machine interview by JesseCapps, RockConfidential.com, 19 May 2007.
- ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 December 2005. Retrieved 15 February 2008.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- ^ "George Michael video case dismissed". BBC News | AMERICAS. BBC. 17 February 2000.
- ^ "Australian-charts.com – George Michael – Outside". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 25 October 2016.
- ^ "Austriancharts.at – George Michael – Outside" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 25 October 2016.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – George Michael – Outside" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 25 October 2016.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – George Michael – Outside" (in French). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 25 October 2016.
- ^ "Top National Sellers" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 15 no. 46. 14 November 1998. p. 12. Retrieved 4 May 2018.
- ^ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 15 no. 46. 14 November 1998. p. 10. Retrieved 4 May 2018.
- ^ "George Michael: Outside" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 25 October 2016.
- ^ "Lescharts.com – George Michael – Outside" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 25 October 2016.
- ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – George Michael – Outside" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 25 October 2016.
- ^ "Top National Sellers" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 15 no. 47. 21 November 1998. p. 22. Retrieved 4 May 2018.
- ^ "Top National Sellers" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 15 no. 45. 7 November 1998. p. 16. Retrieved 4 May 2018.
- ^ "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (13.11.1998 – 20.11.1998)". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). 13 November 1998. p. 12. Retrieved 7 February 2018.
- ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Outside". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 25 October 2016.
- ^ "Top National Sellers" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 15 no. 49. 5 December 1998. p. 12. Retrieved 27 November 2019.
- ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – George Michael" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 4 May 2018.
- ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – George Michael – Outside" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 25 October 2016.
- ^ "Charts.nz – George Michael – Outside". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 25 October 2016.
- ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – George Michael – Outside". VG-lista. Retrieved 25 October 2016.
- ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 7 November 2019.
- ^ Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
- ^ "Swedishcharts.com – George Michael – Outside". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 25 October 2016.
- ^ "Swisscharts.com – George Michael – Outside". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 25 October 2016.
- ^ "George Michael: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 7 April 2021.
- ^ "George Michael Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 6 March 2016.
- ^ "ARIA Top 100 Singles for 1998". ARIA. Retrieved 7 April 2021.
- ^ "Rapports annuels 1998" (in French). Ultratop. Retrieved 7 November 2019.
- ^ "Year in Focus – Eurochart Hot 100 Singles 1998" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 15 no. 51. 19 December 1998. p. 8. Retrieved 6 February 2020.
- ^ "Íslenski Listinn Topp 100 – Vinsælustu Lögin '98". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). 2 January 1999. p. 34. Retrieved 8 February 2020.
- ^ "Best Sellers of 1998 – Singles Top 100". Music Week. 16 January 1999. p. 7.
- ^ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia’s Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 187.
- ^ "Ultratop − Goud en Platina – singles 1998". Ultratop. Hung Medien. Retrieved 22 May 2019.
- ^ "British single certifications – George Michael – Outside". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 31 January 2020.
External links[]
- 1998 singles
- George Michael songs
- Songs written by George Michael
- Number-one singles in Greece
- Number-one singles in Hungary
- Number-one singles in Spain
- LGBT-related songs
- Songs based on actual events
- House music songs
- Nu-disco songs
- Epic Records singles
- Music videos directed by Vaughan Arnell