1986 – Robert Palmer went to No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘Addicted
1986 – Robert Palmer went to No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘Addicted To Love’, it made No.5 in the UK. Palmer originally recorded the song as a duet with Chaka Khan but due to contractual problems her voice was removed.
Lyrics:
The lights are on, but you’re not home
your mind is not your own
your heart sweats, your body shakes
another kiss is what it takes
You can’t sleep, you can’t eat
there’s no doubt, you’re in deep
your throat is tight, you can’t breathe
another kiss is all you need
Whoa, you like to think that you’re immune to the stuff, oh Yeah
it’s closer to the truth to say you can’t get enough,
you know you’re gonna have to face it, you’re addicted to love
you see the signs, but you can’t read
you’re running at a different speed
your heart beats in double time
another kiss and you’ll be mine, a one-track mind
you can’t be saved
oblivion is all you crave
if there’s some left for you
you don’t mind if you do
whoa, you like to think that you’re immune to the stuff, oh Yeah
it’s closer to the truth to say you can’t get enough,
you know you’re gonna have to face it, you’re addicted to love
Might als well face it, you’re addicted to love 5 x
your lights are on, but you’re not home
your will is not your own
your heart sweats your teeth grind
another kiss and you’ll be mine
whoa, you like to think that you’re immune to the stuff, oh Yeah
it’s closer to the truth to say you can’t get enough,
you know you’re gonna have to face it, you’re addicted to love
might als well face it, you’re addicted to love 8 x
“Addicted to Love” is a song by Robert Palmer. It is the third song on the Riptide album. The most commonly heard version runs around four minutes, but the full album version runs a little over six minutes. The song topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart, as well as spending two weeks atop the Billboard Top Rock Tracks chart, and it peaked at #5 on the UK Singles Chart. The song has now become known as his signature song, thanks in part to a highly popular video.
It was originally intended to be a duet with Chaka Khan. However, her record company at the time wouldn’t grant her a release to work on Palmer’s label, Island Records. Chaka Khan is still credited for the vocal arrangements in the album liner notes. The guitar part on the song is played by Andy Taylor, then a member of Duran Duran. Palmer met Taylor when they were both members of supergroup The Power Station.
Video
The music video was directed by Terence Donovan, in which Palmer’s backing band is a group of models whose pale skin, heavy makeup, dark hair and seductive expression makes them resemble the women in Patrick Nagel paintings. The models in the video are (from left to right) Patty Kelly, Julie Pankhurst, Mak Gilchrist and Julia Bolino with Kathy Davies at the back on drums.
The video is notable for being the first (and last) one shown on long running UK music programme The Chart Show. Palmer recycled the video’s “iconic models” concept for the videos of three other songs of his; namely “I Didn’t Mean to Turn You On” (also from Riptide), “Simply Irresistible” and the animated “Change His Ways” (both from Heavy Nova).
VH1’s Pop-up Video trivia about the video include the fact that a musician was hired to teach the models basic guitar fingering techniques, but “gave up after about an hour and left”. The episode also pointed out several choreographical errors, including the models moving out of sync with one another, and moving during points with no backbeat, such as the second chorus.
The video was very popular and was referenced/parodied in several videos, including Beyoncé’s “Green Light”, which shares many of the same elements. It is also referenced in Mr Blobby’s music video for “Mr Blobby”, Shania Twain’s “Man! I Feel Like a Woman!”, in which Palmer’s women are substituted for men dancing in the same way. Further versions include Tone Lo-c’s “Wild Thing”, Bowling for Soup’s “1985” and “Weird Al” Yankovic’s “UHF”. In addition, Weird Al parodied the song itself in a song called “Addicted to Spuds”. As well, Bill Nighy’s character, Billy Mack, parodies the video in the 2003 romantic comedy Love Actually, and 13 years earlier Leslie Nielsen’s character, Father Jebedaiah Mayii, parodies the same in the 1990 comedy “horror” film Repossessed. It was also used in a dream sequence of Dr. Joel Fleischman in an episode of Northern Exposure.
The 2006 Super Bowl spot of the TV series Lost featured an edited version of the video with inserted images of the show’s first and second seasons and modified lyrics that changed the word “love” for “Lost” (hence the title, “Addicted to Lost”).
The music video ranked at number 3 on VH1’s top 20 videos of the 80’s.
