"Wicked Game" is a song by American rock musician Chris Isaak, released from his third album, Heart Shaped World (1989). Despite being released as a single in July 1989, it did not become a hit until it was featured in the 1990 David Lynch film Wild at Heart, starring Nicolas Cage and Laura Dern. Lee Chesnut, an Atlanta radio station music director who loved David Lynch films, began playing the song, and it quickly became an American top-10 hit in January 1991, reaching number six on the BillboardHot 100, making it the first hit song of Isaak's career. The single also became a number-one hit in Belgium and reached the top 10 in several other nations.
"Wicked Game" has been covered by many other artists and been featured in numerous movies and television series and advertisements, so much so that Dazed magazine questioned whether it might be the most influential love song in modern music.[2] It has subsequently received retrospective critical acclaim, being listed in the 2010 book 1001 Songs You Must Hear Before You Die, and noted by Dave Marsh in an updated edition of his 1989 book The Heart of Rock & Soul: The 1001 Greatest Singles Ever Made.
The song is in the key of B Dorian mode[3] performed in what AllMusic describes as a "brooding, sorrowfully conflicted" tone.[4]
Although it is often interpreted as a ballad about unrequited love,[5][6] Isaak has said that the song was inspired by a telephone call from a woman seeking to arrange a casual sexual liaison and is about "what happens when you have a strong attraction to people that aren't necessarily good for you".[7] It was written shortly after the call.[8]
During the sessions for Isaak's third album, many different versions and arrangements of the song were made before the final version was completed. James Calvin Wilsey came up with the distinctive guitar lead;[9] both the bassline and drums (except the cymbals) were sampled from previous recordings of the song and then looped.[10]
Critical reception
Scottish newspaper Aberdeen Evening Express remarked "[the] haunting strains" of "Wicked Game".[11] Grant Walters from Albumism praised the song as "[a] pristine union of Isaak's aching vocal and the desolate wail of James Calvin Wilsey's '65 Stratocaster." He added, "Underneath, the brushed drum loop, simple bass line, and muted background vocals create a simmering atmospheric buzz."[12] Steve Huey from AllMusic described it as a "shimmering", "spare" and "moody masterpiece".[13]Larry Flick from Billboard called it "[a] delicious treat".[14] Alaister Moughan from Dazed wrote, "Some songs are masterpieces, some represent moments in time, and others are simply good jams. Chris Isaak's "Wicked Game" is all three."[15] Joe Rhodes from Entertainment Weekly stated that this is "perhaps the album's darkest mood piece", noting its "otherworldly" opening guitar line.[16] Pan-European magazine Music & Media described it as "[a] laid-back C&W tinged song featuring Isaak's Orbison-esque vocals."[17] Duncan Holland from Music Week felt that its "dexterity and panache is something rarely heard. The touches of Roy Orbison only make it stronger and given the right airplay, Isaak should score a significant, if unpredictable hit."[18] A reviewer from Sunday Life complimented it as "[a] brooding ballad, image-laden, and worthy of Roy Orbison in his heyday."[19]
Music videos
There are two different music videos for this song. The more well-known video was directed by Herb Ritts, shot in Hawaii at what was formerly known as Kamoamoa beach in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island. The newly formed black-sand beach was created from lava from Kilauea volcano flowing into the ocean about a mile away. The beach was covered by lava not long after the video was shot. The video features supermodelHelena Christensen rolling and frolicking on the beach with Isaak. It was mostly filmed in black and white. Christensen is topless through most of the video, although her nudity is concealed by camera angles. In the middle of the video, Christensen is seen only in her black lace bra and panty; other times, she wears only a men's white brief. The video won the MTV Video Music Awards for Best Male Video and Best Cinematography. It was ranked number 13 on VH1's 100 Greatest Videos, number 4 on VH1's 50 Sexiest Video Moments, number 73 on Rolling Stone magazine's The 100 Top Music Videos, number 1 on Rolling Stone magazine's The 30 Sexiest Music Videos of All Time, and number 1 on Fuse's 40 Sexiest Videos in 2010.
Another video was commissioned for the Wild at Heart VHS release and was directed by David Lynch.[20][21]
It features scenes of Lula (Laura Dern) and Sailor (Nicolas Cage) from the film, interspersed with black-and-white footage of Isaak and his band performing the song. This video won the MTV Video Music Award for Best Video from a Film.
In 2013, German house producer Parra for Cuva released a cover version that featured Anna Naklab. The single was re-titled as "Wicked Games" in plural. It was first released on Beatport worldwide as a digital download in August 2013, then a mainstream release as a digital download in France in October 2013 and in Germany on February 14, 2014. The song has charted in Australia, France, Belgium, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands.
From 1988 through 2011, R.E.M. rewarded members of their official fan club with special, exclusive Christmas singles. They released their cover of the songs on 1995 Fan Club Single Served Fresh And Hot[78][79]
Singer and songwriter Gemma Hayes recorded a version of the song. On February 16, 2012, Hayes revealed in an interview with Evening Echo's 'Downtown', she recorded a cover version of "Wicked Game" for US teen drama Pretty Little Liars, the song featured throughout her 2012 tour playlist.[82] On March 1, 2012, gemmahayes.com confirmed her cover of "Wicked Game" would appear on Pretty Little Liars on March 12 and will be available to download as a single. The track was released after her fourth studio album Let It Break and before her fifth studio album release Bones+Longing.
Chart positions
Hayes' cover was released on iTunes on March 12, 2012.[83] The song performed well in the charts peaking at number 5 in Canada, number 4 in Ireland, number 3 in France and number 1 in Sweden.[84]
^Wicked Game (US cassette single cassette notes). Chris Isaak. Reprise Records. 1990. 4-19704.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^Wicked Game (European 7-inch single vinyl disc). Chris Isaak. Reprise Records. 1989. 922 847-7.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^Wicked Game (UK 7-inch single sleeve). Chris Isaak. London Records. 1990. LON 279, 869 228-7.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^Wicked Game (UK cassette single sleeve). Chris Isaak. London Records. 1990. LONCS 279, 869228 4.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^Wicked Game (UK 12-inch single sleeve). Chris Isaak. London Records. 1990. LONX 279, 869 229 1.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^Wicked Game (UK CD single liner notes). Chris Isaak. London Records. 1990. LONCD 279, 869 229 2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^Wicked Game (French cassette single sleeve). Chris Isaak. Reprise Records. 1991. 7599-22847-4.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Tammi. ISBN978-951-1-21053-5.