Sounds Like a Melody

"Sounds Like a Melody"
Single by Alphaville
from the album Forever Young
B-side	"The Nelson Highrise (Sector One : The Elevator)"
Released	14 May 1984
Format	7" single 12" maxi
Genre	Synthpop
Length	4:45 (album version) 4:29 (7" single) 7:42 (12" maxi)
Label	WEA
Writer(s)	Bernhard Lloyd Marian Gold Frank Mertens
Producer(s)	Orlando
Certification	Gold (BVMI)[1]
Alphaville singles chronology
"Big in Japan" (1984) "Sounds Like a Melody" (1984) "Forever Young" (1984)

"Sounds Like a Melody" is a song by the German group Alphaville, from the group's debut album Forever Young. The single was released on 14 May 1984.

The song was a big success in continental Europe and South Africa, reaching the Top 10; it topped the charts in Italy and Sweden.

Song background

Originally, Alphaville had planned to release "Forever Young" as their second single, to follow the success of "Big in Japan". However, record studio executives requested that Alphaville release an additional song between the two singles, and as a result "Sounds Like a Melody" was written and arranged in just two days. Of the experience, singer Marian Gold said "the whole affair felt like an insult to our naive hippie instincts. Writing music exclusively for the sake of commercial success seemed like the sell-out of our virtual beliefs. On the other hand, did this not open up possibilities for wonderful games to play in the brave new world of pop music?"^[2] This corporate pressure caused the band to dislike the song and they refused to play it live for over 10 years.^[2]

Track listings

7" Single WEA

1. "Sounds Like a Melody" – 4:29
2. "The Nelson Highrise Sector One: the Elevator" – 3:14

12" Maxi WEA

1. "Sounds Like a Melody (Special Long Version)" – 7:42
2. "The Nelson Highrise Sector One: the Elevator" – 4:12

• The 7" and 12" versions differ greatly from the version released later on the album.
• The B-side is commonly referred to simply as "The Elevator," and a remix appears on 1999's Dreamscapes.

Other releases

• In 1999's Dreamscapes, Alphaville included an early demo of this song as well as a reggae-inspired live version recorded in 1997
• 2001's Forever Pop includes a new remix (the "Staggman Mix")
• 2003's CrazyShow includes another new remix ("MaXx Mystery's 80's Remix")
• 2014's so80s presents Alphaville includes both the original "Special Long Version" and the b-side ("The Elevator")

The Nelson Highrise

This single contains the first of 4 songs that Alphaville have designated as part of "The Nelson Highrise". The other three are:

• The Nelson Highrise Sector 2 is "The Other Side of U," the B-side to 1986's single "Dance with Me"
• The Nelson Highrise Sector 3 is "The Garage," the B-side to two 1986 singles, "Jerusalem" and "Sensations"
• The Nelson Highrise Sector 4 is "The Scum of the Earth," from 2003's CrazyShow

Chart performance

Weekly charts Chart (1984–85) Peak position Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[3] 3 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[4] 10 Belgium (VRT Top 30 Flanders)[5] 10 France (SNEP)[6] 10 Germany (Official German Charts)[7] 3 Italy (FIMI)[8] 1 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[9] 6 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[10] 8 Norway (VG-lista)[11] 5 South Africa (Springbok Radio)[12] 2 Spain (AFYVE)[13] 5 Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[14] 1 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[15] 4

Year-end charts Chart (1984) Position Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[16] 19 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[17] 80 Italy (FIMI)[18] 9 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[19] 80 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[20] 55 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[21] 15 Chart (1985) Position France (SNEP)[22] 53

Cover versions and samples

Parts of this song sometimes appear in dance music. In 1993 an Italian Eurodance duo group Cappella made a club hit "U Got 2 Let the Music" by sampling this song.^[23]

It was also covered by the dance group Lichtenfels.^[24]

In 1998, the Serbian Eurodance group Tap 011 released a cover version of this song on Serbian language, with lyrics "Sto dana u mesecu" ("One hundred days in the month"), from their fourth studio album "Igra" ("The Game").

References

1. "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Alphaville; 'Sounds Like a Melody')". Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved 1 June 2014.
2. so80s presents Alphaville (CD liner notes). Alphaville. Blank & Jones (So 80s). 2014. SC0344.
3. "Austriancharts.at – Alphaville – Sounds Like A Melody" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
4. "Ultratop.be – Alphaville – Sounds Like A Melody" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
5. "Radio 2 Top 30 : 29 september 1984" (in Dutch). Top 30. Retrieved 25 July 2013.
6. "Lescharts.com – Alphaville – Sounds Like A Melody" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
7. "Offiziellecharts.de – Alphaville – Sounds Like A Melody". GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
8. "SINGOLI – I NUMERI UNO (1959-2006) (parte 3: 1980-1990)" (in Italian). It-charts.150m.com. Retrieved 3 July 2013.
9. "Nederlandse Top 40 – Alphaville - Sounds Like A Melody search results" (in Dutch) Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
10. "Dutchcharts.nl – Alphaville – Sounds Like A Melody" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
11. "Norwegiancharts.com – Alphaville – Sounds Like A Melody". VG-lista. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
12. "South African Rock Lists Website SA Charts 1969 – 1989 Acts (A)". Rock.co.za. Retrieved 3 July 2013.
13. Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (in Spanish) (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
14. "Swedishcharts.com – Alphaville – Sounds Like A Melody". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
15. "Swisscharts.com – Alphaville – Sounds Like A Melody". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
16. "Jahreshitparade 1984" (in German). Austriancharts.at. Hung Medien. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
17. "Jaaroverzichten 1984" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Hung Medien. Retrieved 1 February 2014.
18. "I singoli più venduti del 1984" (in Italian). Hit Parade Italia. Creative Commons. Retrieved 1 February 2014.
19. "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1984" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 1 February 2014.
20. "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1984" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Hung Medien. Retrieved 1 February 2014.
21. "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 1984" (in German). Hitparade.ch. Hung Medien. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
22. "TOP – 1985" (in French). Top-france.fr. Retrieved 1 February 2014.
23. "Cappella's U Got 2 Let the Music sample of Alphaville's Sounds Like a Melody". WhoSampled. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
24. "Lichtenfels's Sounds Like a Melody sample of Alphaville's Sounds Like a Melody". WhoSampled. Retrieved 20 July 2013.

External links

• Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics