"Americanos" is a song by English singer

Holly Johnson William Holly Johnson (born 9 February 1960) is an English artist, musician, and writer, best known as the lead vocalist of Frankie Goes to Hollywood, who achieved huge commercial success in the mid-1980s. Prior to that, in the late 1970s he was ...

, released in 1989 as the second single from his debut solo album, ''

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'' (1989). It was written by Johnson, and produced by

Andy Richards Andrew John Richards (born 26 October 1952) is a British-Australian pianist, composer, music producer and keyboardist. The artists he has played with include Frankie Goes to Hollywood, George Michael, Propaganda, Grace Jones, Rush, Annie Lenno ...

and Steve Lovell, with additional production from

Dan Hartman Daniel Earl Hartman (December 8, 1950 – March 22, 1994) was an American rock musician, multi-instrumentalist, singer, and songwriter. Among songs he wrote and recorded were " Free Ride" as a member of the Edgar Winter Group, and the solo hits ...

. The song reached 4 in the United Kingdom and was a commercial success across Europe, topping the

Austrian Singles Chart Austrian may refer to: * Austrians, someone from Austria or of Austrian descent ** Someone who is considered an Austrian citizen, see Austrian nationality law * Austrian German dialect * Something associated with the country Austria, for example: ...

and peaking at No. 3 on the

Eurochart Hot 100 The European Hot 100 Singles was compiled by '' Billboard'' and ''Music & Media'' magazine from March 1984 until December 2010. The chart was based on national singles sales charts in 17 European countries: Austria, Belgium (two charts separately ...

. A

music video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a m ...

was filmed to promote the single. This featured an affluent American family and their somewhat poorer but good hearted neighbours each watching a televised lottery show.

Critical reception

Upon release,

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of ''

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'' described the song as an 80s update of

David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...

Young Americans ''Young Americans'' is the ninth studio album by English musician David Bowie, released on 7March 1975 through RCA Records. The album marked a departure from the glam rock style of Bowie's previous albums, showcasing his interest in soul and ...

in both its content and its spirit, where he acknowledges the superficiality of the American dream but isn't narrow-minded enough to simply condemn it." ''

New Musical Express ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...

'' noted the song's "acid irony". Steve Sutherland of ''

Melody Maker ''Melody Maker'' was a British weekly music magazine, one of the world's earliest music weeklies; according to its publisher, IPC Media, the earliest. It was founded in 1926, largely as a magazine for dance band musicians, by Leicester-born ...

'' described the song as having "skirt-twirling Latinate sarcasm". ''

Music & Media ''Music & Media'' was a pan-European magazine for radio, music and entertainment. It was published for the first time in 1984 as ''Eurotipsheet'', but in 1986 it changed name to ''Music & Media''. It was originally based in Amsterdam, but later ...

'' described the song as a "thoroughly modern slice of blue-eyed soul" and "very commercial".

Track listings

* 7-inch single # "Americanos" – 3:34 # "Americanos" (Mambo Dub Mix) – 4:11 * 12-inch single # "Americanos" (Liberty Mix) – 5:32 # "Americanos" (radio 7-inch mix) – 3:34 # "Americanos" (Mambo Dub Mix) – 4:11 * 12-inch remix single ("Magimix" release) # "Americanos" (Magimix) – 6:38 # "Americanos" (Magimix Dub) – 4:09 * 12-inch remix single (American/Canadian extended version release) # "Americanos" (extended version) – 6:44 # "Americanos" (P.W.L. extended version) – 5:10 * 12-inch remix single ("Like an Americanos" release) # "Americanos" (House Piano Remix) – 6:44 # "Americanos" (bonus piano and effects) – 5:10 * CD single # "Americanos (radio 7-inch mix) – 3:37 # "Americanos (Liberty Mix) – 5:32 # "Americanos (Mambo Dub Mix) – 4:14

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

References

{{Authority control 1989 singles 1989 songs Holly Johnson songs MCA Records singles Songs about the United States Songs written by Holly Johnson