I Think We're Alone Now

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"I Think We're Alone Now" is a song written by Ritchie Cordell. It was initially a 1967 hit for American recording artists Tommy James & the Shondells, reaching #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 during a 17-week stay. The recording was produced by Cordell and Bo Gentry.

Rock critic Lester Bangs called the single "the bubblegum apotheosis". Cordell wrote or co-wrote many songs for James, including "Run, Run, Baby, Run" (the B-side to "I Think We're Alone Now"), the follow-up single "Mirage," and 1968's "Mony Mony."

"I Think We're Alone Now" has since been covered on numerous occasions. Several cover versions actually charted, by the following artists: The Rubinoos (#45 US, 1977); Tiffany (#1 US, UK, Canada, NZ, 1987); and Girls Aloud (#4 UK, 2006).

[edit] Tiffany version

“I Think We're Alone Now”
Single by Tiffany from the album Tiffany
B-side	"No Rules"
Released	November 10, 1987
Format	7" single, 12" single, CD single
Recorded	1987
Genre	Synth-pop
Length	3:47
Label	MCA Records
Writer(s)	Ritchie Cordell
Producer	George Tobin
Tiffany singles chronology
"Danny" (1987) "I Think We're Alone Now" (1987) "Could've Been" (1988)

Twenty years later, the song was re-popularized when American singer Tiffany covered the song for her first album Tiffany (1987). The song spent two weeks at number-one on the Billboard Hot 100 (and was unusually followed on the top spot by another Tommy James & the Shondells cover, "Mony Mony" by Billy Idol) and three weeks at number-one on the UK Singles Chart. The Tiffany version went quadruple platinum in the US in a thirteen week chart run. The video was shot in a shopping mall which echoed the way her early career had been promoted.

When George Tobin, Tiffany's manager, gave Tiffany the cassette of the original version by Tommy James & the Shondells, Tiffany hated the idea of recording a version of her own for her album mostly because she thought the song wasn't modern or hip enough. It turned out to be her biggest hit once she recorded it.

"I Think We're Alone Now" was not the first single off of Tiffany's debut album. The first single was "Danny", but radio started picking up "I Think We're Alone Now", another track on the album. It became a runaway number-one hit. It became the eighteenth highest selling single for 1987^[1]and the thirty-second highest selling single in Australia for 1988^[2].

[edit] Track listings and formats

7"/CD single

1. "I Think We're Alone Now" — 3:47
2. "No Rules" — 4:05

12" vinyl single

1. "I Think We're Alone Now" (extended version) — 6:35
2. "I Think We're Alone Now" (single version) — 4:25
3. "I Think We're Alone Now" (dub version) — 6:35

[edit] Charts

[edit] Girls Aloud version

“I Think We're Alone Now”
Single by Girls Aloud from the album The Sound of Girls Aloud
B-side	"Why Do It?" "Jingle Bell Rock"
Released	December 18, 2006
Format	CD single, download
Recorded	2006
Genre	Pop, Dance
Length	3:42 (original radio edit) 3:18 (album version)
Label	Fascination
Writer(s)	Ritchie Cordell
Producer	Xenomania
Girls Aloud singles chronology
"Something Kinda Ooooh" (2006) "I Think We're Alone Now" (2006) "Walk This Way" (2007)
The Sound of Girls Aloud track listing
"Money" (14) "I Think We're Alone Now" (15)
Alternate cover
UK CD 2 cover
Audio sample
Info "I Think We're Alone Now" (help·info)

The Girls Aloud version of "I Think We're Alone Now" is the second single from their Greatest Hits album, The Sound of Girls Aloud and was recorded as an appreciative response to Tiffany performing their single "Love Machine" to win her heat of the UK television competition, Hit Me Baby One More Time. The song is also the official theme of the movie It's a Boy Girl Thing, which was released in UK cinemas on December 29, 2006.

It is the Girls' 14th single (their 4th cover version) and was released on December 18, 2006. The version released was a new mix featuring an alternative vocal arrangement and new backing. The song was also given a big band reworking for the Sound of Girls Aloud Tour.

[edit] Music video

Girls Aloud in their music video for "I Think We're Alone Now".

The video, directed by Alex Hemming and Nick Collett, features the girls trying to rob an LA casino. The video is based on films like Ocean's 11 and Casino.^[4]

Three different endings to the video were shot. The first shows the girls getting caught after opening a box full of money in the casino's safe, the second features Kimberley Walsh removing her clothes in front of casino owners, causing them to faint, and the third features the girls playing with the money.

3 Mobile customers were allowed to vote on their favourite ending from November 8 to November 15, 2006.^[4] The latter ending won the vote, despite a version of the video with Kimberley stripping being uploaded to the internet.^[5] Since March 2007, all versions of the video have been made available to download on iTunes.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Track listings and formats

These are the formats and track listings of major single releases of "I Think We're Alone Now".

[edit] Versions and appearances

These are the official versions and remixes and the release they appear on, of:

"I Think We're Alone Now"

"Jingle Bell Rock"

This song was featured in the Full House eppisode "Joey Gets Tough" when Stephanie(Jodie Sweeten) and D.J (Canadance Bergen) bribe Joey (DaveCoulier ) to watch a Tiffany concert special that aired after their bedtime.

[edit] Charts

It was released in mid-December 2006 in order to compete for the coveted Christmas number one single spot, but eventually peaked at number four Christmas week, being beaten by Leona Lewis' "A Moment Like This".

[edit] Other cover versions

The song has been covered by a number of artists including 70's power pop band The Rubinoos, eurodance artist Playhouse, The Spinto Band, The Turtles, Lene Lovich, Pascal featuring Karen Parry, The Click Five, The Birthday Massacre, Comadre, The Pipettes, Snuff, Screeching Weasel, The Monkees, and The Crimea. The song has also been covered by Bel's Boys on their debut album People Let's Go.

The song was spoofed by "Weird Al" Yankovic on his 1988 album, Even Worse, as "I Think I'm a Clone Now". Dave Garr, who wrote a good deal of song parodies about computers, covered this as "I Think We're a Clone Now". The parody dealt with the licensing of the Macintosh from Apple Computer to other companies during the short period in which Macintosh clones were made. The video was recorded in 1995 at Apple's headquarters and features the building and its landmarks of the day, references to former Apple CEOs Mike Spindler and John Sculley, and some vintage Macintosh computers including a Macintosh Classic and an Apple Lisa.

[edit] References

1. ^ "The Top 100 Pop Singles of 1987". 80sxchange.com. Retrieved June 4, 2007.
2. ^ "ARIA Charts - End Of Year Charts - Top 50 Singles 1988". ARIACharts. Retrieved June 4, 2007.
3. ^ Tiffany chart positions:
   • Austria
   • France
   • Netherlands (Holland)
   • Germany
   • Italy
   • Switzerland
   • UK
   • U.S.
4. ^ ^{a b} Girls Aloud are in pole position, The Sun
5. ^ Kim's Aloud to keep kit on in video, Sunday Mail
6. ^ e!Hot50 Chart