Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me
"Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me" | ||||
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Single by U2 | ||||
from the album Batman Forever: Original Music from the Motion Picture | ||||
B-side |
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Released | 5 June 1995 | |||
Studio |
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Genre | ||||
Length | 4:47 | |||
Label | ||||
Composer(s) | U2 | |||
Lyricist(s) | Bono | |||
Producer(s) |
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U2 singles chronology | ||||
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Alternative Cover | ||||
"Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me" is a song by Irish rock band U2. It was released as a single from the soundtrack album for the film Batman Forever on 5 June 1995 by Atlantic and Island. A number-one single in their home country of Ireland, as well as in seven other countries, it reached number two on the UK Singles Chart, number sixteen on the US Billboard Hot 100, and number one on the Billboard Album Rock Tracks and Modern Rock Tracks charts. The song received Grammy Award nominations for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal and Best Rock Song. The song is included on the compilation album The Best of 1990–2000 and the live album From the Ground Up: Edge's Picks from U2360°. Its music video was directed by Kevin Godley and Maurice Linnane.
History
"Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me" has its origins in the sessions for the band's 1993 album, Zooropa.[1] Bono described it as being about "being in a rock band" and "being a star".[1] The song's title comes from a play on the classic song "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me" and it is actually visible (along with the titles of other unfinished tracks) on the album cover of Zooropa, written in purple text.
U2's involvement with the soundtrack began when director Joel Schumacher attempted to create a cameo role for Bono as MacPhisto in Batman Forever, in which the character was intended to appear at a party scene. Although both tried to make the scene happen, they came to agree it was not suitable for the film.[2] Instead, the band offered "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me" as a contribution to the soundtrack.
The song was played live on every show of the PopMart Tour as part of the encore and appeared at all 93 of the tour's concerts. It was not played again until the 2010 leg of the U2 360° Tour, opening the second encore. From there, it remained a permanent part of the encore until the end of the tour in 2011. "Weird Al" Yankovic recorded a parody for his album Bad Hair Day titled "Cavity Search".[3]
During U2's 2018 Experience + Innocence Tour, a new "Gotham Experience Remix" of the song was played during a brief intermission in the concerts. Remixed by St Francis Hotel, the track contains vocals by Gavin Friday and Arcade Fire's Régine Chassagne.[4][5] In November 2018, the remix was released on a limited edition 12-inch vinyl single for Black Friday Record Store Day, with a remaster of the original song on the reverse side.[5]
Critical reception
Steve Baltin from Cash Box named "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me" a Pick of the Week, adding, "As a song, it s more electronical than anything they’ve done previously, but if one looks closely enough at their recent efforts, namely Zooropa, the transition follows a smooth path."[6] Pan-European magazine Music & Media wrote, "In the week Superman suffered dearly from his broken wings, his rival Batman enjoys his best tribute since Prince's attempt. Atypical U2 with strings and handclaps, The The and T-Rex blend."[7] British magazine Music Week gave it a score of four out of five in their review, adding, "U2 fans are in for a treat with the first release from the Batman Forever soundtrack, a swirling rock affair with orchestral overtones."[8]
Keith Cameron from NME commented, "In which U2 donate a slice of half-hearted orchestral Bolan-boogie for the new Batman movie, thereby providing a perhaps inadvertent and certainly long-overdue explanation for all that MacPhisto nonsense: Bono was secretly auditioning for the part of Penguin."[9] David Sinclair from The Times described the song as "a suitably gothic production." He explained, "Introduced by a deceptively languid riff, Bono's vocal slithers out of the speakers swathed in that sinister phrasing effect which he first deployed on Zoo Station. You don't know what you're doing, babe it must be art, he sneers while synthesizers, an orchestra and a big buzzy guitar sound create a dark, restless backdrop hovering somewhere between 'I am the Walrus' and 'Children of the Revolution'."[10]
Accolades
It was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song, losing to "Colors of the Wind" for Pocahontas. It also received Grammy Award nominations for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal and Best Rock Song.[11] It also received a Golden Raspberry Award nomination for Worst Original Song, where it lost to "Walk Into the Wind" from Showgirls.
Music video
The animated music video to the song (interspersed with clips from the film) was directed by Kevin Godley and Maurice Linnane.[12] It features the band performing in Gotham City, with Bono battling between two of his alter-egos from the Zoo TV Tour: "The Fly" and "MacPhisto." The band also chases the Batwing, using a yellow supercar and their guitars as flamethrowers. The animated sequence also features characters dressed as The Riddler, Dr. Chase Meridian, and Dick Grayson, in scenes similar to those in the movie.
At one brief point of the video, a neon sign can be seen that reads "Mister Pussey's". In another scene, U2 are seen walking down the street when Bono is run over by a car (driven by Elvis) while reading a copy of C.S. Lewis' The Screwtape Letters. The next scene shows Bono in the hospital flatlining and about to die, when a bolt of red lightning strikes his heart monitor turning his skin white, his shirt red, and causing his fingernails to grow, thus transforming him into MacPhisto. He makes his appearance, terrifying the doctors and the other band members. The video ends with an orchestra of Batmen playing the outro on strings, then a shot from above of MacPhisto repeatedly transforming into Batman and MacPhisto alternately.
Author Višnja Cogan said the video "crystallises and concludes the Zoo TV period and the changes that occurred" for the band during that time.[13]
Formats and track listings
The song featured singles with three different track listings. Note that the B-sides on the first two singles are non-U2 songs.
No. | Title | Length |
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1. | "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me" | 4:47 |
2. | "Themes from Batman Forever" (by Elliot Goldenthal) | 3:39 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me" | 4:47 |
2. | "Themes from Batman Forever" (by Elliot Goldenthal) | 3:39 |
3. | "Tell Me Now" (by Mazzy Star) | 4:17 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me" | 4:47 |
There was also a single-track CD distributed in the U.S as part of a Batman Forever gift bag, along with a collectible comic book, trading card, and pogs.
Personnel
- Bono – vocals
- The Edge – guitar, string arrangement
- Adam Clayton – bass guitar
- Larry Mullen Jr. – drums
- Marius de Vries – keyboards, programming
- Craig Armstrong – string arrangement
Charts
Weekly charts
|
Year-end charts
|
Certifications
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
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Australia (ARIA)[42] | Gold | 35,000^ |
France (SNEP)[59] | Gold | 250,000* |
New Zealand (RMNZ)[60] | Gold | 5,000* |
United Kingdom (BPI)[61] | Gold | 400,000^ |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
Release history
Region | Date | Format(s) | Label(s) | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
United States | 30 May 1995 | Contemporary hit radio | [62] | |
United Kingdom | 5 June 1995 |
|
[63] | |
Japan | 25 August 1995 | CD | [64] |
See also
- List of cover versions of U2 songs – Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me
- List of number-one singles in Australia during the 1990s
- List of RPM number-one alternative rock singles of 1995
- List of number-one singles of 1995 (Ireland)
- List of number-one singles in 1995 (New Zealand)
- List of number-one hits in Norway
- List of number-one mainstream rock hits (United States)
- Number one modern rock hits of 1995
References
- ^ a b * Fallon, BP (1994). U2, Faraway So Close. London: Virgin Publishing Ltd. ISBN 0-86369-885-9.
- ^ "Bono's Movie Debut Stays Out Of Reach". South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Tribune Media Services. 16 December 1994. section Showtime, p. 14. Archived from the original on 28 October 2014. Retrieved 27 March 2012.
- ^ Yankovic, Alfred M. (December 2007). "Recording Dates". The Official "Weird Al" Yankovic Web Site. Retrieved 26 June 2010.
- ^ Wood, Mikael (17 May 2018). "Shout-out to the '90s". Los Angeles Times. pp. E1–E2. Retrieved 10 October 2018.
- ^ a b "UMe Celebrates Record Store Day Black Friday 2018 With Exclusive Limited Edition Vinyl Releases Spanning Giants Of Rock, Pop, Reggae, Jazz And Beyond" (Press release). Universal Music Enterprises. PR Newswire. 20 November 2018. Retrieved 20 November 2018.
- ^ Baltin, Steve (3 June 1995). "Pop Singles" (PDF). Cash Box. p. 7. Retrieved 20 October 2022.
- ^ "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. 24 June 1995. p. 10. Retrieved 18 May 2021 – via World Radio History.
- ^ "Reviews: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 27 May 1995. p. 38. Retrieved 9 May 2021 – via World Radio History.
- ^ Cameron, Keith (3 June 1995). "Singles". NME. p. 45. Retrieved 20 January 2024.
- ^ Sinclair, David (3 June 1995). "Pop Single; Recordings". The Times.
- ^ "Grammy Nominations". Los Angeles Daily News. Associated Press. 5 January 1996.
- ^ "U2 - "Hold me, thrill me, kiss me, kill me"". mvdbase.com. 1995-06-01. Archived from the original on 2014-12-30. Retrieved 2011-01-02.
- ^ Cogan, Višnja (2006). U2: An Irish Phenomenon. Collins Press. pp. 192–193.
- ^ "U2 – Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 11 May 2018.
- ^ "U2 – Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 11 May 2018.
- ^ "U2 – Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 11 May 2018.
- ^ "U2 – Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me" (in French). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 11 May 2018.
- ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 8522." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 11 May 2018.
- ^ "Top RPM Rock/Alternative Tracks: Issue 9007." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 11 May 2018.
- ^ "Top 10 Sales in Europe" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 12, no. 29. 22 July 1995. p. 14. Retrieved 2 February 2020.
- ^ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 12, no. 27. 8 July 1995. p. 12. Retrieved 2 February 2020.
- ^ Nyman, Jake (2005). Suomi soi 4: Suuri suomalainen listakirja (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Tammi. ISBN 951-31-2503-3.
- ^ "Top National Sellers" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 12, no. 27. 8 July 1995. p. 14. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
- ^ "U2 – Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 11 May 2018.
- ^ "U2 – Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 11 May 2018.
- ^ "Top National Sellers" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 12, no. 36. 9 September 1995. p. 19. Retrieved 16 February 2020.
- ^ "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (25.6. '95 – 1.7. '95)". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). 24 June 1995. p. 26. Retrieved 1 October 2019.
- ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 11 May 2018.
- ^ "Top National Sellers" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 12, no. 26. 1 July 1995. p. 18. Retrieved 26 November 2019.
- ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 27, 1995" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 11 May 2018.
- ^ "U2 – Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 11 May 2018.
- ^ "U2 – Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 11 May 2018.
- ^ "U2 – Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me". VG-lista. Retrieved 11 May 2018.
- ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 11 May 2018.
- ^ "U2 – Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 11 May 2018.
- ^ "U2 – Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 11 May 2018.
- ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 11 May 2018.
- ^ "U2 Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 11 May 2018.
- ^ "U2 Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved 11 May 2018.
- ^ "U2 Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved 11 May 2018.
- ^ "U2 Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 11 May 2018.
- ^ a b "1995 ARIA Singles Chart". ARIA. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
- ^ "Jahreshitparade Singles 1995" (in German). Retrieved 30 May 2020.
- ^ "Jaaroverzichten 1995" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Retrieved 18 April 2010.
- ^ "Rapports annuels 1995" (in French). Ultratop. Retrieved 18 April 2010.
- ^ "RPM Top 100 Hit Tracks of 1995". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 11 May 2018.
- ^ "RPM Top 50 Alternative Tracks of 1995". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 11 May 2018.
- ^ "1995 in Review – Year End Sales Charts" (PDF). Music & Media. 23 December 1995. p. 14. Retrieved 2 February 2020.
- ^ "Tops de L'année | Top Singles 1995" (in French). SNEP. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
- ^ "Top 100 Singles–Jahrescharts 1995" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 2 February 2020.
- ^ "Árslistinn 1995". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). 2 January 1996. p. 16. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
- ^ "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1995". Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
- ^ "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1995" (in Dutch). Retrieved 11 May 2018.
- ^ "End of Year Charts 1995". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 3 December 2017.
- ^ "Årslista Singlar, 1995" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
- ^ "Swiss Year-End Charts 1995" (in German). Retrieved 30 May 2020.
- ^ "Top 100 Singles 1995". Music Week. 13 January 1996. p. 9.
- ^ "Billboard Top 100 – 1995". Archived from the original on 15 August 2009. Retrieved 27 August 2010.
- ^ "French single certifications – U 2 – Hold Me Thrill Me Kiss Me Kill Me" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved August 25, 2022.
- ^ "New Zealand single certifications – U2 – Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 2024-11-20.
- ^ "British single certifications – U2 – Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
- ^ "Selected New Releases". Radio & Records. No. 1096. 26 May 1995. p. 39.
- ^ "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 3 June 1995. p. 35. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
- ^ "ホールド・ミー,スリル・ミー,キス・ミー,キル・ミー | U2" [Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me | U2] (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved 30 August 2023.
- Songs about kissing
- 1995 singles
- U2 songs
- Batman music
- Glam rock songs
- Music videos directed by Kevin Godley
- Number-one singles in Australia
- Number-one singles in Finland
- Number-one singles in Hungary
- Number-one singles in Iceland
- Irish Singles Chart number-one singles
- Number-one singles in New Zealand
- Number-one singles in Norway
- Number-one singles in Scotland
- Island Records singles
- Atlantic Records singles
- Songs written by Bono
- Songs written by the Edge
- Songs written by Adam Clayton
- Songs written by Larry Mullen Jr.
- 1995 songs
- Songs written for films
- Song recordings produced by Nellee Hooper
- Animated music videos
- Batman (1989 film series) music