Automatic (Pointer Sisters song)
"Automatic" | ||||
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Los Angeles, California) | ||||
Genre | ||||
Length | 4:48 | |||
Label | ||||
Songwriter(s) |
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Producer(s) | Richard Perry | |||
The Pointer Sisters singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"Automatic" at TopPop on YouTube |
"Automatic" is a song recorded by American
"Automatic" reached number five on the US
"Automatic" was the group's first Top 40 hit to feature Ruth Pointer's distinctive contralto on lead.
Background
According to Ruth Pointer, "Automatic" was the final song chosen for Breakout: "We were taking a break from recording in the office of Jim Tract, who was Richard Perry's right-hand man, and Jim mentioned that he had a stash of tapes we might want to listen to [while on] a breather...We all sat up straight when we first heard ['Automatic'] and told Richard we wanted to include it on the album. 'Okay,' he said 'But who would sing the low part?' 'Are you kidding me?' I said, 'I'll do the low part!'"[3]
Although Break Out largely comprised dance tracks, its lead single was the ballad "I Need You", chosen by producer Richard Perry in hopes of reinforcing the Pointer Sisters presence at
In the United Kingdom, "Automatic" would afford the Pointer Sisters their all-time biggest hit, spending two weeks at #2 on the UK chart in May 1984 while stuck behind The Reflex by Duran Duran when it also reached #1 in Ireland. "Automatic" also afforded the Pointer Sisters Top-Ten success in Belgium (#5 on the Flemish chart), the Netherlands (#9), and New Zealand (#8). In Australia, "Automatic" reached a chart peak of #15. The B-side of "Automatic" was "Nightline" featuring June Pointer on lead. "Nightline" was also originally featured on Break Out but was dropped from later pressings of the album to allow for the inclusion of the remix of "I'm So Excited".
Personnel
The Pointer Sisters
- Ruth Pointer – lead vocals
- Anita Pointer – backing vocals
- June Pointer – backing vocals
Musicians
- Stephen Mitchell – synthesizers
- Howie Rice – synthesizers
- John Van Tongeren – synthesizers, Minimoog
- Brock Walsh – synthesizers, drum machine programming
- Paul Fox – E-mu Emulator
- Dennis Herring – guitar
- Mark Goldenberg – guitar (bridge)
- Eddie Watkins Jr. – bass
Charts
Weekly charts
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Year-end charts
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Ultra Naté cover
"Automatic" | ||||
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Tommy Boy Entertainment | ||||
Songwriter(s) | Brock Walsh, Mark Goldenberg | |||
Ultra Naté singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"Automatic" on YouTube |
Music video
The music video for "Automatic" was directed by Karl Giant.[27] Eric Henderson from Slant Magazine commented of the music video's beginning: "For the first two or three minutes, it's nothing if not a stalwart representation of your standard gay-bar video-jukebox fixture." Ultra Naté is later shown wearing a rhinestone-studded liquid Lycra while two men, apparently nude, watch her on their computers.[28] Then Naté appears in a blow-up doll costume,[27] which Henderson believed "sends the entire video into legitimately weird territory, as though David Meyers were asked to direct a video for Nine Inch Nails."[28]
Track listing
- Belgian CD maxi-single[29]
- "Automatic" (Original Radio Mix) – 3:13
- "Automatic" (Morgan Page vs. Peace Bisquit Radio Mix) – 3:03
- "Automatic" (Original Extended) – 6:12
- "Automatic" (Daz & Diddy Mix) – 7:17
- US CD maxi-single[30]
- "Automatic" (Original Extended) – 6:16
- "Automatic" (Digital Dog Mix) – 6:31
- "Automatic" (Paul Jackson Version Excursion Mix) – 6:19
- "Automatic" (Spen & Thommy Sugar Vocal Mix) – 8:42
- "Automatic" (Daz & Diddy Mix) – 7:18
- "Automatic" (Funky Junction & NK Club Mix) – 6:29
- "Automatic" (Funky Junction & Splashfunk Mix) – 6:53
- "Automatic" (Monkey Brothers Ultra Bad Remix) – 8:40
- "Automatic" (Dave Pezza Electro Dub Mix) – 9:30
- "Automatic" (Shawn Q's Soltribe Vocal Mix) – 8:47
- "Automatic" (Morgan Page vs. Peace Bisquit Radio Mix) – 3:04
Charts
Chart (2007) | Peak Position |
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Belgium ( Ultratip Flanders)[31]
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5 |
Netherlands ( Single Top 100)[31]
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86 |
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[31] | 5 |
US Hot Dance Airplay (Billboard )
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18 |
US | 1 |
Other version
In 2006, Belgian singer Afi covered "Automatic".
In 2022 the song got covered by American group Lake Street Dive.
References
- ^ a b Molanphy, Chris (16 June 2023). "Yes We Can Edition". Hit Parade | Music History and Music Trivia (Podcast). Slate. Retrieved 1 July 2023.
- ^ "100 Greatest Girl Group Songs of All Time: Critics' Picks". Billboard. Retrieved 11 July 2017.
- ISBN 978-1-62937-145-0.
- ^ Billboard vol 96 No. 46 (17 November 1984) p. 78
- ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ^ "Pointer Sisters – Automatic" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 8 October 2016.
- Top 30(in Dutch). Retrieved 8 October 2016.
- ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 6742." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 8 October 2016.
- ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Automatic". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 8 October 2016.
- ^ "Pointer Sisters – Automatic" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 8 October 2016.
- ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 25, 1984" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 8 October 2016.
- ^ "Pointer Sisters – Automatic". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 8 October 2016.
- ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 8 October 2016.
- ^ "The Pointer Sisters Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 8 October 2016.
- ^ "Billboard April 14, 1984" (PDF). Billboard. New York, NY, USA. 14 April 1984. p. 26. Retrieved 8 October 2016.
- ^ "Billboard Jan. 21, 1984" (PDF). Billboard. New York, NY, USA. 21 January 1984. p. 45. Retrieved 8 October 2016.
- ^ "The Pointer Sisters Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 8 October 2016.
- ^ "CASH BOX Top 100 Singles – Week ending MARCH 31, 1984". Archived from the original on 1 October 2012. Retrieved 8 October 2016. Cash Box magazine.
- ^ "Kent Music Report No 548 – 31 December 1984 > National Top 100 Singles for 1984". Kent Music Report. Retrieved 12 January 2022 – via Imgur.com.
- Ultratop 50(in Dutch). Retrieved 8 October 2016.
- Single Top 100(in Dutch). Retrieved 8 October 2016.
- ^ "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1984". Dutch Top 40 (in Dutch). Retrieved 8 October 2016.
- ^ "Official New Zealand Music Chart – End of Year Charts 1984". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 8 October 2016.
- ^ 1984 in British music#Best-selling singles
- ^ a b c "Volume 96 No. 51, DECEMBER 22. 1984" (PDF). Billboard. New York, NY, USA. 22 December 1984. p. TA-19,TA-21,TA-25. Retrieved 8 October 2016.
- ^ "The CASH BOX Year-End Charts: 1984". Archived from the original on 30 September 2012. Retrieved 25 April 2014. Cash Box magazine.
- ^ About.com. The New York Times Company. Archived from the originalon 16 October 2011. Retrieved 23 April 2011.
- ^ a b Henderson, Eric (7 May 2007). "Ultra Naté: Grime Silk Thunder". Slant Magazine. Retrieved 25 April 2011.
- ^ "Ultra Naté – Automatic (CD) at Discogs". Discogs. Zinc Media, Inc. Retrieved 25 April 2011.
- ^ "Ultra Naté – Automatic (CD) at Discogs". Discogs. Zinc Media, Inc. Retrieved 25 April 2011.
- ^ a b c "Spanishcharts.com – Ultra Naté – Automatic". Canciones Top 50. Hung Medien. Retrieved 25 April 2011.
- Rovi Corporation. Archivedfrom the original on 1 April 2011. Retrieved 25 April 2011.
- ^ "Afi (4) – Automatic (CD) at Discogs". Discogs. Zinc Media, Inc. Retrieved 26 April 2011.
- Ultratip (in Dutch). ULTRATOP & Hung Medien / hitparade.ch. Archivedfrom the original on 2 November 2012. Retrieved 26 April 2011.