Say You, Say Me

"Say You, Say Me"
Standard picture sleeve
Single by Lionel Richie
from the album Dancing on the Ceiling
B-side"Can't Slow Down"
ReleasedOctober 29, 1985
Recorded1985
GenrePop
Length4:03
LabelMotown
Songwriter(s)Lionel Richie
Producer(s)
Lionel Richie singles chronology
"Penny Lover"
(1984)
"Say You, Say Me"
(1985)
"Dancing on the Ceiling"
(1986)
Audio
"Say You, Say Me" on YouTube

"Say You, Say Me" is a song written and recorded by American singer and songwriter Lionel Richie for the film White Nights. The single hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and on the Hot Black Singles chart in December 1985. It also became Richie's ninth number-one on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart. The track is not available on the film's soundtrack album, as Motown did not want Richie's first single following the massive success of his 1983 album Can't Slow Down to appear on another label. It was included by Motown on Richie's 1986 release Dancing on the Ceiling.

Development and production

For the 1985 film White Nights, a ballet drama starring Mikhail Baryshnikov and Gregory Hines, director Taylor Hackford asked Richie to write a title theme. Unable to compose a song with "White Nights" in the title, Richie submitted a demo of the ballad "Say You, Say Me". Eventually, Hackford approved the song and included the completed version in White Nights. Produced by Richie and James Anthony Carmichael, the song was primarily recorded in Richie's living room. In White Nights, "Say You, Say Me" was introduced over the closing credits.

Music video

A music video, also directed by Hackford, was made for the song. It featured inserted clips from White Nights.

Critical reception

For The New York Times in 1986, Stephen Holden called the song "a powerful mid-80's echo of the Beatles' late-60's chant-like ballads." However, in a mixed review of Dancing on the Ceiling, Mike Joyce of The Washington Post called the song "silly and horrendously overexposed."

In a 2007 retrospective of the January 11, 1986 Billboard Hot 100 chart, Whitney Pastorek of Entertainment Weekly graded "Say You, Say Me" with an A-minus, calling it "an enduring love song" and commenting "the cranked-up electric bridge alone should be enough to make it a classic."

In 2008, the song was ranked at number 74 of the top songs of all time on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, commemorating the first 50 years of the chart.

Commercial performance

In the US, the "Say You, Say Me" single sold a million copies and was no. 1 on for two weeks on the Billboard "Hot Black" chart and for four weeks on the Hot 100.

The single was hugely successful in South Africa, attaining the No. 1 spot on the weekly charts for a total of 30 weeks. It was the No. 1 single of 1986 on the year-end Springbok chart.

Accolades

Award Date of ceremony Category Result Ref.
Academy Awards March 24, 1986 Best Original Song Won
Golden Globe Awards January 24, 1986 Best Original Song Won

Track listing

  1. "Say You Say Me" – 3:59
  2. "Can't Slow Down" – 4:40

Personnel

Charts

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Belgium (BEA) Gold 100,000
Canada (Music Canada) Platinum 100,000^
Netherlands (NVPI) Gold 75,000^
Spain (PROMUSICAE) Gold 30,000
United Kingdom (BPI) Silver 200,000
United States (RIAA) Gold 1,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Lionel Richie and Rasmus Seebach version

"Say You, Say Me"
Single by Lionel Richie and Rasmus Seebach
from the album Tuskegee
ReleasedFebruary 24, 2012
Recorded2012
Genre
Length5:09
LabelMercury
Songwriter(s)Lionel Richie
Producer(s)
Lionel Richie singles chronology
"Endless Love"
(2012)
"Say You, Say Me"
(2012)
Rasmus Seebach singles chronology
"Millionær"
(2011)
"Say You, Say Me"
(2012)
Music video
"Say You, Say Me" on YouTube

In 2012, Lionel Richie re-recorded the song with Danish pop singer-songwriter Rasmus Seebach. The duet is featured on Richie's album Tuskegee, for which Richie has picked a host of best-selling singers from around the world in collaborations. The album version features American country singer Jason Aldean.

Track listing

  1. "Say You, Say Me" – 5:09

Charts

Chart (2012) Peak
position
Denmark (Tracklisten) 3

See also


This page was last updated at 2024-03-19 13:22 UTC. Update now. View original page.

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