You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)

Single by Dead or Alive

"**You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)**" is a song by British band Dead or Alive on their 1985 album *Youthquake*. The song was the first UK number-one hit by the Stock Aitken Waterman production trio. Released in November 1984, the record reached number one in March 1985, taking 17 weeks to get there. On the US *Billboard* Hot 100, it peaked at no. 11 on 17 August of that year. In 2015 the song was voted by the British public as the nation's 17th favourite 1980s number one in a poll for ITV. Musician and actor Gary Kemp described the song as "one of the best white dance records of all time".

The video, which features a disco ball, waving gold flags and an evocation of the six-armed Vishnu, was directed by Vaughan Arnelland Anthea Benton.

## Background and composition:

Dead or Alive's vocalist Pete Burns states in his autobiography that he composed "You Spin Me Round" by using two existing songs as inspiration for creating something new:

"How did I write "Spin Me"? I listened to Luther Vandross's 'I Wanted Your Love'. It's not the same chord structure, but then that's the way I make music – I hear something and I sing another tune over it. I didn't sit and study the Luther Vandross album – I heard the song and it locked. [...] I'm trying to structure the music and I know what I want. [...] It's like do this, do this, do this - and suddenly it hits. I don't want to do Luther Vandross's song, but I can still sing the same pattern over it. And there was another record, by Little Nell, called "See You 'Round Like A Record". [...] So I had those two, Van Dross [*sic*] and Little Nell and – bingo! – done deal."

– Pete Burns, *Freak Unique* (2007)

According to Burns, the record company was unenthusiastic about "You Spin Me Round", to such an extent that Burns had to take out a £2,500 loan to record it, then once it had been recorded "the record company said it was awful. It was unanimous – it was awful, it was rubbish." Burns states that the band had to fund production of the song's video themselves.

The strings were based on Richard Wagner's classical piece "Ride of the Valkyries".

Interviewed for BBC Radio 4's *The Reunion: The Hit Factory*, in April 2015, Burns said that the confrontational attitude of the producers was met with an equally confrontational attitude from the band and that this led to "quite a bad vibe" for the entirety of the studio time, describing the experience as "a time of intense friction".

## Re-releases

A remix version of "You Spin Me Round" was released in 2003 at the same time Dead or Alive's greatest hits album *Evolution* was released. The song reached no. 23 in the UK Singles Chart. The original 1984 recording was re-released on 30 January 2006 because of lead singer Pete Burns's controversial time as a contestant on television series *Celebrity Big Brother* and reached no. 5.

Earlier remixes were in 1996 and 1997 (some are included on the US, European and Australian releases of *Nukleopatra*). In 1999 these mixes were issued in the US as a 2-CD set. The first disc held seven mixes of "You Spin Me Round" while disc two has five mixes of "Sex Drive". In 2000, new mixes appeared on *Fragile* and in 2001, on *Unbreakable: The Fragile Remixes*. No videos were made for these.

## Chart performance

The song has been re-released three times since its original release in 1984. Each time of its release, it achieved success, but failed to match the success of the original. However, after lead-singer Pete Burns's appearance on *Celebrity Big Brother*, the single was re-released and managed a Top 5 peak on the UK Singles Chart in 2006.

## Dope version

Nu metal band Dope covered the song on their 1999 album *Felons and Revolutionaries*. The band's version became their first chart entry on any *Billboard* chart, reaching no. 37 on the Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.

## Jessica Simpson version

Jessica Simpson's version of the song was released as a promo single from her fifth studio album *A Public Affair* in 2006. Her version of the song failed to break into the *Billboard* Hot 100 (though it did reach number 20 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles). Simpson's version has new lyrics and only preserves the chorus of the song.

 U.S. Billboard Pop 100

## Other cover versions

* Danzel and Gigi D'Agostino have also done remixes. Danzel's version peaked at no. 32 in Belgium.

* Flo Rida featuring Kesha's 2009 single "Right Round" interpolates elements of the song.

## Track listing:

**1985, Epic – 49-05208; 1989, Epic – 49H69181:**

1. You Spin Me Round (Like a Record) (Murder Mix)
2. Misty Circles

**1997, Epic – 49-78588:**

1. You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)
2. Brand New Lover

## You Spin Me Round (Like a Record) ['96 Remix]

### Label

Dance Pool; Sony Music Enternainment (Australia)

### Producer

Steve Coy

"You Spin Me Round (Like a Record) ['96 Remix] " is a CD Single Remixes of the song You Spin Me Round (Like a Record) released by Dead or Alive in 1996 as a promo CD mixes of the Australian edition of Nukleopatra. Released by Dance Pool.

### Track listing:

1. You Spin Me Round (Like A Record) ('96 Remix-Sugar Pumpers Radio Mix)
2. You Spin Me Round (Like A Record) ('96 Remix-Sugar Pumpers Extended Mix)
3. You Spin Me Round (Like A Record) ('96 Remix-Sugar Pumpers Pumpin' Mix
4. You Spin Me Round (Like A Record) ('96 Remix-The Yummi 4am Mix)
5. You Spin Me Round (Like A Record) ('96 Remix-The Vicious Mix)

Note: “The Yummi Extended Mix” appears only on the Australian 2x 12”

## You Spin Me Round (Like A Record) (‘96 Remix) / International Thing

### Producer

Steve Coy

"You Spin Me Round (Like A Record) (‘96 Remix) / International Thing" is a CD Single Remixes of the song You Spin Me Round (Like a Record) released by Dead or Alive in 1996 as a promo CD mixes of the Singapore edition of Nukleopatra. Released by VMP.

For the Singapore edition of Nukleopatra, they chose the theme "International Thing" as a promotional theme for the album, which was successful.

“International Thing” is presented as a bonus track.

### Track listing:

1. You Spin Me Round (Like A Record) ('96 Remix) (Sugar Pumpers Radio Mix)
2. You Spin Me Round (Like A Record) ('96 Remix) (Sugar Pumpers Extended Mix)
3. You Spin Me Round (Like A Record) ('96 Remix) (Sugar Pumper's Pumpin' Mix)
4. You Spin Me Round (Like A Record) ('96 Remix) (The Yummi 4 AM Mix)
5. You Spin Me Round (Like A Record) ('96 Remix) (The Vicious Mix)
6. International Thing (International 7" Edit)
7. International Thing (Nu-NRG 7" Remix)
8. International Thing (Album Version)
9. International Thing (Nu-NRG 12" Remix)

Note: "International Thing" did not have a promotional music video.

## You Spin Me Round (Like a Record...) [Remix '97]

### Producer

Steve Coy

"You Spin Me Round (Like a Record...) [Remix '97] " is a CD Single Remixes of the song You Spin Me Round (Like a Record) released by Dead or Alive in 1997 as a promo CD mixes of the French edition of Nukleopatra. That same year the album was released again but at the end with the words "More Mixes ..." presenting new remixes, but this time it was released as limited time and in vinyl format. Released by PolyGram Music.

### Track listing (CD Single):

1. You Spin Me Round (Like A Record...) (400 Hz - Kleopatra Edit Remix)
2. You Spin Me Round (Like A Record...) (Jail House - Club Edit Remix)

### Track listing (You Spin Me Round (Like a Record...) [Remix '97] [More Mixes...]:

1. You Spin Me Round (Time vs. Hoops Club Mix)
2. You Spin Me Round (Edouard's Mix)
3. You Spin Me Round (Kalk's Underground Mix)
4. You Spin Me Round (Blue Sky Mix)

Note: Limited to 500 copies. All mixes unique to this 12" except Time vs. Hoops Club Mix.

## You Spin Me Round / Sex Drive Remixes

### Producer

Steve Coy

"You Spin Me Round/Sex Drive Remixes" is a CD Single Remixes of the songs You Spin Me Round (Like a Record) and Sex Drive released by Dead or Alive in 1999 as a promo CD mixes of the US edition of Nukleopatra. Released by Cleopatra Records.

As a promotion of this version, two music videos were made, with exclusive images and videos of photo sessions for Nukleopatra and behind the scenes scenes of the 1994 Rebel Rebel music video.

### Track listing:

**CD 1 (You Spin Me Round 1997 Mixes):**

1. "You Spin Me Round (Like A Record)" (Sugar Pumpers Radio Edit) - 3:38
2. "You Spin Me Round (Like A Record)" (Cleopatra Radio Edit) - 4:13
3. "You Spin Me Round (Like A Record)" (Marc Antonine Radio Edit) - 3:21
4. "You Spin Me Round (Like A Record)" (Sugar Pumpers Extended Mix) - 5:11
5. "You Spin Me Round (Like A Record)" (Sugar Pumpers Pumpin Mix) - 7:05
6. "You Spin Me Round (Like A Record)" (Vicious Mix) - 8:10
7. "You Spin Me Round (Like A Record)" (Marc Antonine Club Mix) - 7:00

**CD 2 (Sex Drive Remixes):**

1. "Sex Drive" (Radio Edit) - 2:52
2. "Sex Drive" (Scream Driven Edit) - 3:54
3. "Sex Drive" (Dead Or Alive Original Mix) - 6:39
4. "Sex Drive" (Scream Driven Mix) - 6:59
5. "Sex Drive" (Pee Wee Remix) - 5:56

## You Spin Me Round 2003

### Producer

Pete Burns, Steve Coy

"You Spin Me Round 2003" is a CD Remix single of the song You Spin Me Round (Like a Record) released by Dead or Alive in 2003. It was a promo single for the compilation album Evolution: The Hits. Released by Epic Records.

As a promotion of the new version of the song, a new music video was made in 2003 with modern effects.

### Track listing:

1. "You Spin Me Round (Like A Record)" (Metro 7" Edit) - 3:46
2. "You Spin Me Round (Like A Record)" (Metro 12" Extended Mix) - 6:55
3. "You Spin Me Round (Like A Record)" (Punx Soundcheck Vs Princess Julia) - 5:47
4. "You Spin Me Round (Like A Record)" (Original 7" Mix) - 3:16

**Special Edition (CDx2) CD 2:**

1. "You Spin Me Round (Like A Record)" (Metro 7" Edit) - 3:46
2. "You Spin Me Round (Like A Record)" (Mark Moore & Mr. Motion Remix) - 6:17
3. "Isn't It A Pity" - 4:43

## You Spin Me Round 2006

### Producer

Stock, Aitken and Warterman

"You Spin Me Round 2006" is a CD Remix single of the song You Spin Me Round (Like a Record) released by Dead or Alive in 2006. It was a remastered CD single of the classic song of Dead or Alive and re-released of the 2003 CD Remixes of the song called "You Spin Me Round 2003".

The original 1984 recording was re-released on 30 January 2006 because of lead singer Pete Burns's controversial time as a contestant on television series *Celebrity Big Brother* and reached no. 5.

Released by Epic Records in UK

### Track listing:

1. "You Spin Me Round (Like A Record)" (Original 7" Mix) - 3:16
2. "You Spin Me Round (Like A Record)" (Murder Mix) - 7:27 \*
3. "You Spin Me Round (Like A Record)" (Metro 7" Edit) - 3:46
4. "You Spin Me Round (Like A Record)" (Video 2003 Version) - 3:44

## You Spin Me Round EP

### Producer

Pete Burns, Steve Coy

"You Spin Me Round EP" is a extended-play (E.P.) of the single "You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)" released by Dead or Alive. It was released first in 2010 but in Digital Download. In 2015 and 2016 was re-released again but in CD and Vinyl LP.

Includes the U2 cover song "Ever Better Than the Real Thing" from the album "Fragile" of 2000

Includes some unreleased songs of Dead or Alive recorded in 1998. It was planned to includes in Nukleopatra, but they never was in the album.

The *1996 Sugar Pumpers Remix* was re-titled as "*2009 Version*" in some digital editions. The 2009 Version is the remix of the song of The Dirty Disco.

Released by Cleopatra Records.

### Track listing (2010/2015/2016) (CD, LP and Digital Download):

1. You Spin Me Round (Like a Record) [Re-recorded/Remastered]
2. Ever Better Than the Real Thing
3. Pop Life
4. Why It's So Hard
5. You Spin Me Round (Like a Record) [2009 Version]

## Music Videos:

* 1984: The video, which features a disco ball, waving gold flags and an evocation of the six-armed Vishnu, was directed by Vaughan Arnelland Anthea Benton.
* 1996: The video is about photos and some videos of photo sessions from "Nukleopatra" and includes some unreleased and exclusive videos of the behind the scenes of the music video of "Rebel Rebel" in 1994. There is a censored version, which was presented a few times, where the only thing that changes is that the scene where Pete shows a knife is deleted. (*You Spin Me Round (Like a Record) [Sugar Pumpers Remix]*)
* 1997: The same video of the 1996 but with the 1997 Jail House Mix (*You Spin Me Round (Like a Record) [Jail House Mix])*
* 2003: In the video, appear Pete Burns, Steve Coy and Jason Alburey spinning on a white background with golden stripes that spiral around them. You can also watch Pete Burns scenes with half the face painted red on a background of a red flower and another scene where Pete is lying on the floor with special effects while the camera is spinning on top of him and singing the song. This version is known to date, as the last official music video of the band.
* In 2019, the official Youtube channel of the band released the original video of 1984, but this time in clear HD 4K resolution.
* A respective music video was never made for the remixes made between 2000 and 2001, the rerecorded version and the remix made by The Dirty Disco.

Dead Or Alive - You Spin Me Round (Like A Record) -Official 4K Video-1984 Version (Remastered in 4K)Dead or Alive - You Spin Me Round (Sugar Pumpers Remix)1996 Version (Sugar Pumpers Remix)Dead Or Alive - You Spin Me Round (Like a Record) ('96 Remix)1996 'Censored' VersionDead Or Alive Pete Burns - You Spin Me Round 1997 (Jail House Mix)-21997 Version (Jail House Club Edit Mix)Dead Or Alive You Spin Me Round (Like A Record) (2003) -1080p Remaster-2003 Version (Metro 7" Edit) [Fan-Made Remaster]