Crucified (Army of Lovers song)

"Crucified"
Single by Army of Lovers
from the album Massive Luxury Overdose
B-side"Love Revolution"
ReleasedMay 1991, April 1992 and July 2013
StudioSonet Studios, Stockholm
Genre
Length3:32
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Alexander Bard
  • Anders Wollbeck
Army of Lovers singles chronology
"Supernatural"
(1990) 		"Crucified"
(1991) 		"Obsession"
(1991)
Signed on my Tattoo
(2013)
Crucified 2013
(2013)
People are Lonely
(2014)
Music video
"Crucified" on YouTube
Alternative Cover
1992 U.K cover
Alternative cover
1992 U.S cover
Alternative cover
2013 cover

"Crucified" is a song by Swedish band Army of Lovers, released as the first single from their second album, Massive Luxury Overdose (1991), and the seventh single to be released by the band. It was released in May 1991 (in Sweden), February–April 1992 (in the UK and US), and July 2013 ("Crucified 2013"). The song was written by bandmembers Alexander Bard and Jean-Pierre Barda with Anders Wollbeck, and features Barda (vocals, drums), Bard (vocals, computer) and La Camilla (vocals, bass). It was successful in several European countries, including Belgium, where it reached the number-one spot,[1] and Germany, Sweden, Austria and Switzerland, where it reached the top 10. In the United States, "Crucified" became a huge club hit and radio favorite, debuting at number six on the Billboard Dance singles chart and spending a total of 14 weeks in the top 20. The initial remixes available on the CD maxi and vinyl 12" maxi are by Nuzak. The track samples the drum break from James Brown's Funky Drummer.

In 2013, Army of Lovers made a new version of the song, simply called "Crucified 2013". It contained new vocals from Camilla Henemark, and then a second version with new vocals from Dominika Peczynski was issued.[2]

Kurt Cobain of the hugely successful alternative rock group Nirvana praised the band in his posthumously published journals, specifically the song "Crucified."[3]

Chart performance

"Crucified" became very successful on the charts in Europe and the US, peaking at number-one in Belgium, and number two in Greece and the Netherlands. The song remains to date one of the bands biggest hits, entering the top 10 also in Austria (3), Germany (5), Spain (8), Sweden (8) and Switzerland (6) in 1991. In the United Kingdom, the single peaked at number 31 on the UK Singles Chart on February 23, 1992,[4] after having reached number 47 the year before. On the Eurochart Hot 100, "Crucified" peaked at number 14 in March 1992. Outside Europe, it enjoyed success in the US, peaking at number six on both the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart and the Billboard Dance/Electronic Singles Sales chart.

In 2014, the single again charted in the US, reaching number 18 and 45 on the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart and the Billboard Dance/Electronic Songs chart.

Critical reception

AllMusic editor Ned Raggett described the song as a "totally over-the-top disco anthem on all fronts that takes ABBA's winning combination of memorable hooks and harmonies as inspiration and slathers a load of glitter and make-up over the whole thing." He noted further that "having ultracampy lyrical asides like "I cry, I pray, mon dieu" doesn't hurt the sheer giddiness at work, and neither do the "I'm crucified like my saviour" chorus, church organ and twangy Duane Eddy guitar."[5] David A. Keeps from Austin American Statesman felt songs like "Crucified" "are steeped in romantic and biblical imagery that suggests, in a typically broad camp stroke, that obsessive love is the most religious experience of all."[6] Larry Flick from Billboard complimented it as a "super-hot slammin' houser".[7] Bevan Hannah from The Canberra Times wrote, "Judging by the video for their first single release "Crucified", their image was carefully plotted, combining cabaret style costumes and graphics with groovy European dance rhythms."[8] Ian Gittins from Melody Maker named it Single of the Week, declaring it as "a wicked, s-s-s-sizzling dance cut with an immaculate sense of deadpan camp and a pounding beat punctuated by choruses which build up like the sun rising. Then the whole caboodle is topped with the most nerve-rackingly exact Scandinavian harmonies since Abba."[9] A reviever from Music Week viewed the song as "a bizarre pop/dance confection, both commercial and camp."[10]

Newcastle Evening Chronicle called it a "clever almost choral rock approach on a lively danceable number",[11] noting its "ebullient bounce".[12] A reviewer from People Magazine said that "disco goes to church in this hip-hop hallelujah".[13] James Hamilton from the RM Dance Update commented that it's "camp and corny party fun from Sweden, this Abba-ishly chorused, phonetic guy rapped, strings swirled and — just to cap it all! — Duane Eddy-ish guitar twanged 0-122bpm jiggly jumper sounds like a pop hit with wide gimmick appeal".[14] Sophie Lawrence reviewed the song for Smash Hits, writing, "It's one of those records where you can imagine everyone at a disco dancing around with their hands in the air, isn't it? I like it. It's got a gospel feel and really good harmonies on it."[15] Edna Gundersen from USA Today said, "Watch for Army of Lovers to succeed Right Said Fred as the newest camp sensation to hop the pond. The Stockholm trio's loopy, trashy Eurodisco single, "Crucified", is the best but by no means the only infectious groove on their Massive Luxury Overdose album."[16] Joe Brown from The Washington Post found that "the Army reveals a lyrical obsession with a millenarian-apocalyptic- sacrilege thang, and La Camilla's kitschy cooing includes imitations of Grace Jones and Debbie Harry."[17]

Music video

A music video was produced to promote the single. It was directed by Swedish directors Fredrik Boklund and Martin Persson, and filmed at Börringe Priory,[18] a castle in Svedala, Sweden, that was built in 1763 on the ruins of a medieval Benedictine priory. In one scene, the band is seen parading past a portrait of Carl XVI Gustaf. The video was one of the most played on MTV Europe in the fall of 1991.[18] It was later published on YouTube by Vevo in May 2016, and had generated more than 14 million views as of February 2023.[19]

Usage in media and cover versions

The music video of "Crucified" was used in an episode of American animated television series Beavis and Butt-Head.[20]

The song was played in Gabriel Aghion's 1996 film, Pédale douce, and was thus included in the track listing of the soundtrack. It was also played in the film Marock (2005),[citation needed] and was in the video game Just Dance 4 on the Wii.[21]

Alexander Bard's music project, Gravitonas used a sample of the song on the track "Sacrifice" from their 2012 Black Ceremony EP.[citation needed]

The song was covered by the Swedish band Ghost in their extended play titled If You have Ghost.

In 2021, Azerbaijani singer Efendi sampled the first few seconds of Crucified for her track "Mata Hari", which would represent Azerbaijan in Eurovision 2021.

Formats and track listings

Credits and personnel

Charts

References

  1. ^ Number One hits in Belgium, 1991
  2. ^ Army of Lovers: ‘Crucified 2013′
  3. ^ Felix Burrichter. "Kitsch of the Day | Army of Lovers", tmagazine.blogs.nytimes.com, 18 May 2009. Retrieved 22 February 2014.
  4. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 75 23 February 1992 - 29 February 1992". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2020-09-15.
  5. ^ Raggett, Ned. "Army of Lovers - Massive Luxury Overdose". AllMusic. Retrieved 2020-02-17.
  6. ^ A. Keeps, David (1992-08-20). "After 13 years, B-52's still lead the flight to camp". Austin American Statesman. p. 6.
  7. ^ Flick, Larry (1991-08-24). "Dance TRAX" (PDF). Billboard. p. 24. Retrieved 2020-03-31.
  8. ^ Hannah, Bevan (1992-03-05). "Future dag music should be enjoyed". The Canberra Times. p. 15. Retrieved 2020-04-23.
  9. ^ Gittins, Ian (1991-08-24). "Singles". Melody Maker. p. 31. Retrieved 2023-05-01.
  10. ^ "Mainstream: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 1992-02-08. p. 6. Retrieved 2020-10-01.
  11. ^ "Albums/Singles". Newcastle Evening Chronicle. 1991-08-13. page 33.
  12. ^ "Albums/Singles". Newcastle Evening Chronicle. 1991-12-03. page 28.
  13. ^ "Picks and Pans Review: Prime Cuts". People. 1992-06-15. Retrieved 2020-03-10.
  14. ^ Hamilton, James (1991-08-03). "DJ Directory: Hot Vinyl" (PDF). Music Week, in RM (Dance Update Supplemental Insert). p. 7. Retrieved 2020-10-03.
  15. ^ Lawrence, Sophie (1991-08-21). "Review: Singles". Smash Hits. p. 41. Retrieved 2020-10-20.
  16. ^ Gundersen, Edna (1992-04-21). "'Hiphoprisy' breaks out of the rap race". USA Today.
  17. ^ Brown, Joe (1992-07-17). "Moving the Feet, Shaking the Mind". The Washington Post.
  18. ^ a b Henemark, Camilla; Nunstedt, Carina. (2012-10-17). "Adjö det ljuva livet". ISBN 9789137137414.
  19. ^ "Army Of Lovers - Crucified". 19 May 2016. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved 2023-02-15 – via YouTube.
  20. ^ "Beavis & Butt-Head - Army Of Lovers". YouTube. 8 November 2013. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved 2020-02-17.
  21. ^ "'Just Dance 4' full track list unveiled". Polygon. 15 August 2012. Retrieved 7 June 2020.
  22. ^ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010. Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing.
  23. ^ a b "JAHRESHITPARADE 1992" (in Austrian German). Top30. Retrieved 2020-01-26.
  24. ^ "Army of Lovers – Crucified" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 24 September 2018.
  25. ^ "Top 10 Sales in Europe" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 8, no. 46. 16 November 1991. p. 29. OCLC 29800226. Retrieved 20 September 2021 – via World Radio History.
  26. ^ "Eurochart Hot 100 Single" (PDF). Music & Media. 1992-03-07. p. 17. Retrieved 2018-03-19.
  27. ^ a b c d "Crucified", in various Singles Chart Lescharts.com (Retrieved 10 February 2008)
  28. ^ "Top 10 Sales in Europe" (PDF). Music & Media. 1992-01-18. Retrieved 2018-03-20.
  29. ^ a b "Single top 100 over 1991" (PDF) (in Dutch). Top40. Retrieved 13 April 2010.
  30. ^ "Army of Lovers – Crucified" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 24 September 2018.
  31. ^ "Top 10 Sales in Europe" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 9, no. 23. 6 June 1992. p. 21. OCLC 29800226. Retrieved 20 September 2021 – via World Radio History.
  32. ^ "Official Charts > Army of Lovers". The Official UK Charts Company. Retrieved 3 November 2016.
  33. ^ "crucified full Official Chart History". The Official UK Charts Company. Retrieved 3 November 2016.
  34. ^ "Top 60 Dance Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 15 February 1992. p. 22. Retrieved 29 September 2020.
  35. ^ "Army of Lovers Crucified Chart History | Billboard". Billboard. Archived from the original on July 15, 2019. Retrieved 15 July 2019.
  36. ^ "Army of Lovers Crucified Chart History | Billboard". Billboard. Archived from the original on October 10, 2019. Retrieved 9 October 2019.
  37. ^ "Army of Lovers Crucified 2013 Chart History | Billboard". Billboard. Archived from the original on October 10, 2019. Retrieved 15 July 2019.
  38. ^ "Army of Lovers Crucified (2013) Chart History | Billboard". Billboard. Archived from the original on October 10, 2019. Retrieved 9 October 2019.
  39. ^ "1992 Year-End Sales Charts" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 9, no. 51/52. 19 December 1992. p. 17. OCLC 29800226. Retrieved 17 September 2021 – via American Radio History.