Half-Breed (song)

From Justapedia, unleashing the power of collective wisdom
Jump to navigation Jump to search
"Half-Breed"
File:Cher-halfUSA cover.jpg
Single by Cher
from the album Half-Breed
B-side
ReleasedJuly 23, 1973
RecordedLarrabee Sound Studios, 1973
Genre
Length2:46
LabelMCA
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Snuff Garrett
Cher singles chronology
"Am I Blue?"
(1973) 		"Half-Breed"
(1973) 		"Carousel Man"
(1973)
Alternative covers
Spanish single
Spanish single
Alternative cover
Japanese single
Japanese single

"Half-Breed" is a popular song recorded by Cher in 1973.

Cher's version, recorded with instrumental backing by L.A. sessions musicians from the Wrecking Crew,[1] was recorded on May 21, 1973 at Larrabee Sound in Los Angeles. Lyrically, the song describes the life of a girl who faces societal rejection due to having a white father and Cherokee mother. It contains themes of racism and double standards. The song reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Cher's second solo number 1 hit in the US.[2] The single was certified Gold in the US for the sales of over 1 million copies.

Song information and story

The 1973 version was the first international release from Cher's album Half-Breed, recorded and intended for the American market. Written and performed by non-Natives, it is a classic "Tragic mulatto" narrative, from a white perspective, of a young woman with a white father and an alleged Cherokee mother. The song offers a scenario in which oppressive whites call her "Indian squaw", and claims that Native Americans did not accept her as one of their own because she was considered white according to "Native law".[3] The lyrics were in error in that the Cherokee (like most prominent Native American tribes) are a matrilineal society, meaning a child born to a Cherokee mother is accepted as Cherokee, no matter the nationality or ethnicity of the father; a child would have to have been born in the opposite situation—to a white (or otherwise non-native) mother by a Cherokee father—to not be recognized as a tribal member.[4]

The song is written in the key of A minor, with a moderato tempo of 116 beats per minute in common time. Cher's vocals span the notes of F3-A4.[5]

Reception

In 1973, "Half-Breed" topped the United States Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks, becoming Cher's second solo and third overall Number 1 hit, and second Gold certified solo single for the sales of over 1,000,000 copies. It was a Number 1 hit in Canada and New Zealand, and a Top 10 hit in Australia and Quebec, respectively.

Peter Fawthrop wrote that this song has a jingling rhythm and that it is one of the lighter-hearted songs on the album.[6] Rolling Stone recommended it and described Cher's vocals as frantic and the production as supremely commercial.[7]

Live performances

In 1999, after almost 25 years of not performing the song live, Cher performed the song in her Do You Believe? Tour. In 2002, she performed the song 326 times in her Living Proof: The Farewell Tour. In 2018, she performed the song during her Here We Go Again Tour. She performed it in Oceania but it was dropped after the first leg.

Cher performed the song on the following concert tours:

Music video

The video for "Half-Breed" is a recorded performance of the song on The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour in 1973, with stereotypical, "Hollywood Indian" imagery. Cher is on a horse, wearing a Bob Mackie imitation of men's regalia: Plains-style warbonnet, a halter top modeled after a hair pipe breastplate, and a glittery loincloth.[3] None of these things have ever been part of Cherokee clothing. Symbols the showrunners believed represented Native Americans—flames surrounding Pacific Northwestern totem poles, also not part of Cherokee culture—are also used as props.[8][9]

Remix version

In 2002, a special remix medley was created by Dan-O-Rama for a video montage that was used in Cher's Living Proof: The Farewell Tour. The medley contains the videos of "All I Really Want to Do", "Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves", "Half-Breed", and "Dark Lady".

Personnel

Charts and certifications

In popular culture

  • An African-American female impersonator performs the song onstage in the 1999 film Flawless.
  • The song appeared in the 2005 film Lords of Dogtown.
  • In 2012, the character Shania Clemmons of the TV series The New Normal sang this song during a talent show while impersonating Cher.

Covers

  • Swedish singers Björn Skifs & Blåblus (Blue Swede) made one of the first covers in 1973. It appeared on their album Pinewood Rally and a compilation entitled Björns Bästa (Bjorn's Best).
  • German singer Joy Fleming recorded a German-language version "Halbblut" as a single in 1973. It peaked in the West German charts at no. 38 in February 1974.
  • Orchestra leader Ray Conniff recorded it with his singers in November 1973. It remained unissued until 2009 when it appeared on Ray Conniff: The Singles Collection, Volume 3.
  • In 1990 it was covered by Shania Twain but it was not released until 2001 on her album The Complete Limelight Sessions.
  • It was covered by alternative rock band House of Large Sizes.
  • Electronica artist Peaches covered it for youth radio station Triple J's "Like a Version" segment.
  • RuPaul covered "Half-Breed" on The RuPaul Show.

References

  1. ^ Hartman, Kent (2012). The Wrecking Crew. St. Martin's Griffin. pp. 261–263. ISBN 978-1-250-03046-7.
  2. ^ "Item Display – RPM – Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Retrieved 2012-01-06.
  3. ^ a b Penny Cousineau-Levine (Spring 2017). "Cher's "Half-Breed" and the Hybrid Masquerades of Kent Monkman's Miss Chief Testickle". AMERICANA e-Journal of American Studies in Hungary. XIII (1). Retrieved March 30, 2022.
  4. ^ Perdue, Theda (1999). Cherokee women: gender and culture change, 1700–1835. University of Nebraska Press. pp. 44, 57–8.
  5. ^ "Half-Breed". Musicnotes. 18 August 2014.
  6. ^ Review by P. Fawthrop of Allmusic Retrieved 14 October 2013
  7. ^ Review by Paul Gambaccini of Rolling Stone Retrieved October 14, 2013
  8. ^ "Cher Refuses To Apologize For 'Half-Breed' After Twitter War Fuelled By Trump's Diversity Coalition Appointee". ETCanada.com. Entertainment Tonight Canada. December 31, 2017.
  9. ^ "Half Breed (Official Music Video)". CherTV.com. February 23, 2013. Retrieved March 30, 2022.
  10. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 61. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  11. ^ "Image : RPM Weekly". Library and Archives Canada. 17 July 2013.
  12. ^ "Palmarès de la chanson anglophone et allophone au Québec" (in French). BAnQ. Retrieved September 11, 2019.
  13. ^ Fernando Salaverri (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
  14. ^ "Cash Box Top Singles - 1973".
  15. ^ Australian-charts.com
  16. ^ RPM chart archives at Collections Canada for the Cher single Half-Breed.
  17. ^ "Billboard Top 100 - 1973". Retrieved 2009-09-15.
  18. ^ "Billboard Year-End Charts 1973" (PDF).
  19. ^ "Billboard Hot 100 60th Anniversary Interactive Chart". Billboard. Retrieved 10 December 2018.
  20. ^ "American single certifications – Cher – Half-Breed". Recording Industry Association of America.
Retrieved from "https://justapedia.org/index.php?title=Half-Breed_(song)&oldid=1118270420"