It's Oh So Quiet

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"It's Oh So Quiet"
Song
A-side "Murder, He Says"
"It's Oh So Quiet"
UK CD1
Single by Björk
from the album Post
B-side
  • "Sweet Sweet Intuition"
  • "My Spine"
  • "You've Been Flirting Again"
  • "Hyperballad"
Released November 13, 1995
Format
Genre
Length 3:41
Label One Little Indian
Writer(s)
Producer(s)
Björk singles chronology
"Isobel"
(1995)		 "It's Oh So Quiet"
(1995)		 "Hyperballad"
(1996)
Music video
"It's Oh So Quiet" on YouTube

"It's Oh So Quiet" is a song by American singer Betty Hutton, released in 1951 as the B-side to the single "Murder, He Says".[2] It is a cover of the German song "Und jetzt ist es still",[3][4] performed by Horst Winter in 1948, with music written by Austrian composer Hans Lang and German lyrics by Erich Meder.[5] The English lyrics were written by Bert Reisfeld.[3][4] A French title, Tout est tranquille, was performed in 1949 by Ginette Garcin and the Jacques Hélian Orchestra.

The song was covered by Icelandic musician Björk in 1995. It was released as the third single from her second album Post and remains her biggest hit, reaching number 4 in the UK and spending 15 weeks on the UK Singles Chart. Fuelled by the Spike Jonze-directed music video clip, the single also shot Björk into the spotlight in Australia, where it reached number 6. In the United Kingdom the single has been certified as Gold, having sold upwards of 400,000 copies.[6] Despite being her biggest hit between general public, the song did not manage to get to Björk's 2002 compilation Greatest Hits, the singles for which were voted by fans via online survey.[7]

A version of "It's Oh So Quiet" was used in a Maybelline advertisement.

Music video

Björk and the rest of the town as they join her for one large dance number in the music video.

Background

The music video, directed by Spike Jonze, which was shot in San Fernando Valley, California, features everything in slow motion and set as a Broadway musical style as Björk sings the verses; during the riotous chorus, everything returns to regular speed and everyone near her dances along. Normal life resumes during the next verse with the return of slow motion. This theme continues throughout the video. This video is based on Jacques Demy's 1964 film Les Parapluies de Cherbourg.[8][9]

Synopsis

The video begins as Björk emerges from an extremely dirty washroom in an auto shop. She dances along with the auto workers for the first chorus, then emerges from the shop. During the second chorus, she dances tap with a few people outside of the auto shop. Björk continues to walk along the street, dancing with several elderly women and their umbrellas before settling to rest her arms on top of a mailbox for the final verse. The mailbox comes alive and dances along with Björk during this chorus. Björk then runs down the street and into the road, where the rest of the town has decided to join her for one large dance number. The video ends with Björk floating up above the townsfolk and hushing the viewer.

Reception

"It's Oh So Quiet" video received six nominations for the MTV Video Music Awards for 1996 including Best Female Video, Best Art Direction, Breakthrough Video, Best Direction in a Video, International Viewer's Choice Award — MTV Europe and Best Choreography in a Video, winning Best Choreography.[10] The video was also nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Music Video - Short Form losing to "Scream" by Michael Jackson and his sister Janet[11][12] In October 2007, MuchMoreMusic placed "It's Oh So Quiet" as number 8 of the Top 40 Most Memorable Music Videos on Listed.

Track listing

UK CD1
(182TP7CD; Released: 1995)

  1. "It's Oh So Quiet" – 3:40
  2. "You've Been Flirting Again" (Flirt Is a Promise Mix) – 3:23
  3. "Hyperballad" (Over the Edge Mix) – 4:33
  4. "Sweet Sweet Intuition" – 6:07

UK CD2
(182TP7CDL; Released: November, 1995)

  1. "It's Oh So Quiet" – 3:40
  2. "Hyperballad" (Brodsky Quartet Version) – 4:21
  3. "Hyperballad" (Girls Blouse Mix) – 5:07
  4. "My Spine" – 2:33

EUR CD1
(577 509-2; Released: 1995)

  1. "It's Oh So Quiet" – 3:38
  2. "You've Been Flirting Again" (Flirt Is a Promise Mix) – 3:20
  3. "Hyperballad" (Over the Edge Mix) – 4:31
  4. "Sweet Sweet Intuition" – 6:06

EUR CD2
(577 511-2; Released: November, 1995)

  1. "It's Oh So Quiet" – 3:41
  2. "Hyperballad" (Brodsky Quartet Version) – 4:21
  3. "Hyperballad" (Girls Blouse Mix) – 5:06
  4. "My Spine" – 2:33

EUR CD promo
(MUMCD70DJ; Released: 1995)

  1. "It's Oh So Quiet"

EUR VHS + CD promo
(Released: 1995)

VHS

  1. "It's Oh So Quiet" (video)

CD promo (MUMCD79DJ)

  1. "It's Oh So Quiet"

AUS CD
(577 511-2; Released: 1995)

  1. "It's Oh So Quiet" – 3:42
  2. "Hyperballad" (Brodsky Quartet Version) – 4:21
  3. "Hyperballad" (Girls Blouse Mix) – 5:06
  4. "My Spine" – 2:33

US CD promo
(PRCD 9322-2; Released: 1995)

  1. "It's Oh So Quiet" – 3:37

US CD promo
(64353-2; Released: 1995)

  1. "It's Oh So Quiet"
  2. "You've Been Flirting Again" (Icelandic Mix)

JPN CD
(POCP-7106; Released: 1995)

  1. "It's Oh So Quiet" – 3:40
  2. "Hyperballad" (Brodsky Quartet Version) – 4:21
  3. "Hyperballad" (Girls Blouse Mix) – 5:06
  4. "My Spine" – 2:33

Charts

References

  1. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. "neither does it have anything as irritating as "It's Oh So Quiet", that album's cutesy foray into big-band brassiness"
  2. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. Select Work ID and search for 390157329. Performers include B Hutton and alternative titles includes "JETZT IST ES STILL"
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ http://www.bpi.co.uk/platinum/platinumright.asp?rq=search_plat&r_id=20874
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ ms:It's Oh So Quiet
  9. ↑ http://www.angelfire.com/ca/computersarenotpunk/musicvideos.html
  10. ↑ http://www.mtv.com/ontv/vma/1996/
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ Rock On The Net: Grammy Awards: Best Music Videos
  13. ↑ "Australian-charts.com – Björk – It's Oh So Quiet". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  14. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Björk – It's Oh So Quiet" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  15. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Björk – It's Oh So Quiet" (in French). Ultratop 50.
  16. ↑ "Björk: It's Oh So Quiet" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland.
  17. ↑ "Charts.org.nz – Björk – It's Oh So Quiet". Top 40 Singles.
  18. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Björk – It's Oh So Quiet" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  19. ↑ "Archive Chart: 1995-12-24". Scottish Singles Top 40. Retrieved October 12, 2014.
  20. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Björk – It's Oh So Quiet". Singles Top 60.
  21. ↑ "Björk: Artist Chart History" Official Charts Company.
  22. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  23. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

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