Sky High (song)

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This article is about the song. For other uses, see Sky High.
"Sky High"
Sky High (Jigsaw song - cover art).jpg
Single by Jigsaw
from the album Sky High
B-side"Brand New Love Affair"
ReleasedAugust 1975 (US)
26 September 1975 (UK)
GenreDisco, pop rock
Length2:53
LabelSplash (UK), Chelsea (US)
Songwriter(s)Clive Scott, Des Dyer
Producer(s)Chas Peate

"Sky High" is a song by British band Jigsaw. It was released as a single in 1975 and was the main title theme to the film The Man from Hong Kong. The song was a worldwide hit in the latter part of 1975, reaching No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 4 on the Adult Contemporary chart in the United States. It was composed by Clive Scott and Des Dyer of Jigsaw. The orchestral arrangement was by Richard Hewson.[1] It was also a top 10 single on the UK Singles Chart. The 1975 Australian single was released under the name "British Jigsaw" due to an established and popular local band there at the time also called "Jigsaw".

Two years later, the song gained more striking commercial success in Japan, peaking at No. 2 on the Oricon singles chart and selling approximately 570,000 copies.[2] ZYX Records released an extended 12" version in 1987. A remixed version of the original Jigsaw cut by PWL remixer Pete Hammond was a minor dance hit in the US in the spring of 1989. In a nod to the original 7" single release, "Brand New Love Affair" was also remixed and put on the B-side, but managed to reach No. 66 on the Billboard Hot 100 the following year.

Covers, remixes and other versions[]

  • A cover version in French was recorded in 1975 by Éric Estève who also contributed the lyrics,[3] under the title "Plus haut que le soleil".
  • British singer Newton recorded "Sky High" in the mid-1990s. His cover version, produced by Mike Stock and Matt Aitken became a hit, reaching the top-ten on the Australian charts. Although attributed to Newton, the lead vocal was actually performed for the recording by original Jigsaw vocalist Des Dyer who also clandestinely appears in the video.
  • Italian record label the SAIFAM Group produced a cover version in 2000 under the artist name of DJ Miko. This was available from SAIFAM on vinyl and compilation CD, and also on a compilation CD from UK record label Klone Records. This version of the song is also featured in the Dance Dance Revolution series, starting with the Solo 2000 installment. DJ Miko further remixed this version for the 2002 Dancemania compilation Speed 8. A remix of this DJ Miko version was later produced by DJ Kaya, which appeared on Dancemania's Covers 01 and TRE*SURE 10th Anniversary Special Edition in 2006.
  • Japanese rock band Beat Crusaders also covered the song on their 2005 album Musicrusaders.
  • UK record label Almighty Records produced a remix of the original Jigsaw track in 2006. This featured on their Almighty Definitive 4 compilation album in 2006.[citation needed]
  • US rap group Bone Thugs-n-Harmony sampled "Sky High" on their song "Flow Motion" from their Strength & Loyalty CD in 2007.
  • A cinamatic version is featured as the main theme in The Man from Hong Kong, which features a more orchestral arrangement (instead of the original disco-pop arrangement) as well as being extended with an instrumental bridge instead of the second pre-chorus found in the pop version, and without a Fade-out in the end.

In media[]

  • The regional German TV channel NDR uses this as a theme song for its news magazine Schleswig-Holstein Magazin.
  • Professional wrestlers Mil Máscaras and Jonathan Gresham used "Sky High" (the film version) as their entrance theme.
  • The song was used in a montage in the 2018 South Korean crime drama film, The Drug King.

Chart history[]

Newton version[]

Weekly charts (1995) Peak
position
Australian (ARIA)[19] 8
Belgium Ultratop Singles Chart[20] 40
UK[21] 56

See also[]

  • List of 1970s one-hit wonders in the United States

References[]

  1. ^ "Jigsaw - Sky High / Sky High - Splash - UK - CPI 1". 45cat.com. Retrieved 2016-10-10.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b "List of best-selling singles on the Japanese Oricon International Chart (1968-2000)" (in Japanese). Original Confidence. Retrieved 2008-09-24.
  3. ^ "Encyclopédisque - Disque : Plus haut que le soleil". Encyclopedisque.fr. Retrieved 2016-10-10.
  4. ^ Jump up to: a b Steffen Hung. "Forum - 1970 (ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts)". Australian-charts.com. Archived from the original on 2016-06-02. Retrieved 2016-10-10.
  5. ^ "Image : RPM Weekly - Library and Archives Canada". Bac-lac.gc.ca. Retrieved 2016-10-10.
  6. ^ "Image : RPM Weekly - Library and Archives Canada". Bac-lac.gc.ca. 1976-01-03. Retrieved 2018-02-15.
  7. ^ Jump up to: a b "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Sky High". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved January 7, 2021.
  8. ^ "List of number-one singles on the Japanese Oricon International Chart (1968-2000)" (in Japanese). Original Confidence. Archived from the original on 2015-04-21. Retrieved 2008-07-24.
  9. ^ "NZ Top 40 Singles Chart | The Official New Zealand Music Chart". Nztop40.co.nz. 1976-02-02. Retrieved 2016-10-10.
  10. ^ "SA Charts 1965–March 1989". Retrieved 5 September 2018.
  11. ^ Steffen Hung. "Jigsaw - Sky High". Swedishcharts.com. Retrieved 2016-10-10.
  12. ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 283. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  13. ^ "AllMusic ((( Jigsaw > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles )))". AllMusic.com. Billboard magazine. Retrieved 2008-09-20.
  14. ^ Whitburn, Joel (1993). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961–1993. Record Research. p. 121.
  15. ^ "Image : RPM Weekly - Library and Archives Canada". Bac-lac.gc.ca. Archived from the original on 2016-10-06. Retrieved 2016-10-10.
  16. ^ Whitburn, Joel (1999). Pop Annual. Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. ISBN 0-89820-142-X.
  17. ^ "Top Singles – Volume 26, No. 14 & 15, January 08 1977". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Archived from the original on March 19, 2016. Retrieved June 13, 2016.
  18. ^ "Top Selling Singles of 1976 | The Official New Zealand Music Chart". Nztop40.co.nz. 1963-12-08. Retrieved 2016-10-10.
  19. ^ "Australian-charts.com Jigsaw - Sky High". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 2008-09-24.
  20. ^ "Ultratop.be Jigsaw - Sky High". Retrieved 2008-09-24.
  21. ^ "Full Chart Stats NEWTON". Official Charts. Retrieved 19 October 2017.
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