Love Shack

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“Love Shack”
“Love Shack” cover
Single by The B-52's
from the album Cosmic Thing
Released 1989
Genre Pop
Length 5:20
Label Warner Brothers
Writer(s) Kate Pierson, Fred Schneider, Keith Strickland, Cindy Wilson
Producer Don Was
Certification Gold (RIAA)
The B-52's singles chronology
"Channel Z"
(1989)		 "Love Shack"
(1989)		 "Roam"
(1990)
"Debbie"
(1998)
"Love Shack '99"
(1999)
"Funplex"
(2008)

"Love Shack" is a hit single by rock band The B-52's. Originally released in 1989 from their album Cosmic Thing, the single was the band's biggest hit song and first million-copy seller.[1] It was also the band's first song to reach the Billboard Top 40 charts, peaking at number three,[2] also reaching number two on the UK Singles Chart, and was number one for eight weeks in Australia and also number one on the Modern Rock Tracks.

Produced by Don Was,[3] the song's inspiration was a cabin around Athens, Georgia, complete with tin roof, where the band conceived "Rock Lobster," a single from their first album. B-52's singer Kate Pierson lived in the cabin in the 1970s, and the cabin existed until 2004, when it burned down in a fire.[2] The song acted as a comeback of sorts following the band's decline in popularity in the 1980s coupled with the death of their guitarist, Ricky Wilson, in 1985.[4]

The song received a number of accolades following its release. Named one of the 365 Songs of the Century in a report by the United States Senate Subcommittee on the Department of the Interior,[5] the video for the song received an award from MTV as the Best Group Video, and was named the Best Single of 1989 by Rolling Stone.[1] Additionally, it was ranked #243 in Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

The song received additional notoriety in 2005 when United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit Judge William H. Pryor, Jr. quoted the song in his majority opinion in a case regarding an ordinance blocking an Atlanta-area adult entertainment business named "Love Shack" from acquiring business permits. Judge Pryor referenced the lyrics of the song, "Huggin' and a kissin', dancin' and a lovin', wearin' next to nothing," in his description of the adult business involved with the case.[6]

Contents

[edit] Track listing

The single release contained various tracks depending on the country it was released in. The United States had a b-side of "Roam," a song that would later reach number three as well, and other countries had singles with either "Channel Z" or a live version of "Rock Lobster" as the b-side.[7] In 1998 and 1999, the single was released again with a number of remixes, including one by DJ Tonka, but the re-release did not chart in the United States, although it did enter the United Kingdom charts.[8]

[edit] UK Single

  1. "Love Shack" (Edit) – 4:03
  2. "Love Shack" (LP Version) – 5:21

[edit] US 12" Single

 
  1. "Love Shack" (12" Remix) – 8:00
  2. "Love Shack" (Remix/Edit) – 4:07
  3. "Channel Z" (12" Rock Mix) – 6:24
  4. "Love Shack" (12" Mix) – 6:10
  5. "Love Shack" (A Capella) – 3:56
  6. "Love Shack" (Big Radio Mix) – 5:31

[edit] Parodies

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b David Mansour, From Abba to Zoom: A Pop Culture Encyclopedia of the Late 20th Century. Andrews McNeel Publishing, 2005.
  2. ^ a b MSNBC: "B-52's 'Love Shack' burns down." December 16, 2004. URL accessed January 24, 2007.
  3. ^ Fred Bronson. Billboard's Hottest Hot 100 Hits. Watson-Guptill, 2003.
  4. ^ Richie Unterberger, Samb Hicks, Jennifer Dempsey. Music USA: The Rough Guide. Rough Guides, 1989.
  5. ^ Department of the Interior and Related Agencies Appropriations for 2002
  6. ^ The Decatur Daily: "Pryor quotes B-52s in decision." June 15, 2005. URL accessed August 8, 2006 by the Internet Archive; the court case itself is Zibtluda LLC v. Gwinnett County, Georgia, 411 F.3d 1278 (11th Cir. 2005). URL accessed January 31, 2007.
  7. ^ The B-52s Unofficial Discography: "Love Shack." URL accessed January 24, 2007.
  8. ^ The B-52s Unofficial Discography: "Love Shack 99." URL accessed January 24, 2007.

[edit] External links

Preceded by
"I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)" by The Proclaimers		 RIANZ New Zealand number one single
January 12 1990 - February 2 1990		 Succeeded by
"Welcome to Our World" by John Grenell
Preceded by
"Come Anytime" by Hoodoo Gurus		 Billboard Modern Rock Tracks number-one single
September 16, 1989 - September 30, 1989		 Succeeded by
"Sowing the Seeds of Love" by Tears for Fears
Preceded by
"If I Could Turn Back Time" by Cher		 Australian ARIA Singles Chart number-one single
December 23, 1989 - February 17, 1990		 Succeeded by
"Janie's Got a Gun" by Aerosmith


v • d • e
The B-52's
Kate Pierson · Fred Schneider · Keith Strickland · Cindy Wilson
Ricky Wilson
Studio albums
Compilation albums
Singles
DVDs
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