"Hug My Soul" is a song by British band Saint Etienne. It was the third single from their third album, ''

Tiger Bay Tiger Bay ( cy, Bae Teigr) was the local name for an area of Cardiff which covered Butetown and Cardiff Docks. Following the building of the Cardiff Barrage, which dams the tidal rivers, Ely and Taff, to create a body of water, it is re ...

'' (1994), and was released in by

Heavenly Records Heavenly Recordings is a London-based independent record label founded by Jeff Barrett in 1990. Heavenly released the first albums from Saint Etienne, Beth Orton and Doves, and early singles by Manic Street Preachers. Current Heavenly artists ...

. It was written by vocalist

Sarah Cracknell Sarah Cracknell (born 12 April 1967) is an English singer-songwriter and lead singer of the electronic music band Saint Etienne. Career Cracknell's career started with the Windsor-based indie band The Worried Parachutes in 1982. Following the d ...

along with songwriting partners Guy Batson and Johnny Male (Male and Batson would help co-write a number of tracks on Cracknell's solo debut ''

Lipslide ''Lipslide'' is the debut solo album from Saint Etienne lead singer Sarah Cracknell. The album was co-produced by Cracknell and a variety of producers and released in the UK by Gut Records in 1997. Upon its release ''Lipslide'' earned favor ...

''). The single was released with three B-sides: two written by Saint Etienne's songwriting partnership of Bob Stanley and

Pete Wiggs Peter Stewart Wiggs (born 15 May 1966) is an English musician and DJ from Reigate, Surrey. Saint Etienne Pete Wiggs is a member of the pop/dance group Saint Etienne (alongside Bob Stanley and Sarah Cracknell) for which he co-writes songs, pro ...

, "I Buy American Records" and "Hate Your Drug", and a cover version of La Poupée Qui Fait Non (No, No, No)", a live recording produced by the band's friend (and future Heavenly label mate) Edwyn Collins. A second CD featured remixes by Motiv8,

Secret Knowledge Secrecy is the practice of hiding information from certain individuals or groups who do not have the "need to know", perhaps while sharing it with other individuals. That which is kept hidden is known as the secret. Secrecy is often controvers ...

, Juan "Kinky" Hernandez and Sure is Pure. It reached #32 in the UK charts and was their first single not to be released on 7" vinyl. This would be Saint Etienne's final release for Warner Bros. Follow up single "

He's on the Phone "He's on the Phone" is a song by British pop group Saint Etienne in collaboration with French singer-songwriter Étienne Daho, released in October 1995. A fast-paced dance track, it is one of Saint Etienne's biggest hits, reaching number 11 on t ...

" would be released on MCA Records, lifted from a dance compilation album called ''Life is a Dance''. The US releases included a number of exclusive remixes - including an alternate album version (which was released as a bonus track on the US version of ''Tiger Bay''), a Motiv-8 dub, and the On Tour In '94 dub. The song bears a resemblance to the 70s disco hit More, More, More by Andrea True Connection. In particular, the phrasing of the "More More More" lyric "Ooh, how do you like your love?" is identical to the "Hug My Soul" lyric "Ooh, what are you dreaming of?", and both lyrics are the opening to each of their representative songs.

Marketing

The UK release featured cover art involving a photograph of abandoned musical instruments. The US release features a photograph of the band.

Critical reception

Tim Sendra from AllMusic described the song as "lush and sophisticated

dance-pop Dance-pop is a popular music subgenre that originated in the late 1970s to early 1980s. It is generally uptempo music intended for nightclubs with the intention of being danceable but also suitable for contemporary hit radio. Developing from a ...

Larry Flick Larry Flick is an American journalist, former dance music columnist, single reviewer, and Senior Talent Editor for ''Billboard'' magazine, where he worked for 14 years. Now he produces and hosts Sirius XM radio shows. Flick started in the music ...

from ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'' commented, "Songs like "Hug My Soul" combine a familiar blend of airy modern pop with prominent dance beats and fairly aggressive execution." In his weekly UK chart commentary,

James Masterton James Masterton (born 2 September 1973) is a music writer and columnist, his work focusing on the UK Singles Chart having been an online fixture on various sites since the 1990s. Masterton is also a producer for talkSPORT, and has worked on air ...

said that

and the lads "return with what is probably not the most straightforward single they have ever released, moving away from the pretty pop tunes they have produced of late and going back to their ambient dub roots and the sort of sound that dominates their albums. No major surprises then and no large hits - for now." Pan-European magazine ''

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 ...

'' wrote, "Despite the six mixes to draw the attention of the dance-minded, it will always be a pop song. If you don't think you're ready, check out the lovely track "I Buy American Records"."

James Hamilton James Hamilton may refer to: Dukes *James Hamilton, 1st Duke of Hamilton (1606–1649), heir to the throne of Scotland * James Hamilton, 4th Duke of Hamilton (1658–1712), Scottish nobleman * James Hamilton, 5th Duke of Hamilton (1703–1743), S ...

from '' Music Weeks ''RM'' Dance Update viewed it as a "strings sawed breathy sweet shuffler". Neil Spencer from '' The Observer'' called it a "chart contender" and "

disco Disco is a genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the 1970s from the United States' urban nightlife scene. Its sound is typified by four-on-the-floor beats, syncopated basslines, string sections, brass and horns, electric pia ...

slick". Tony Cross from ''

Smash Hits ''Smash Hits'' was a British music magazine aimed at young adults, originally published by EMAP. It ran from 1978 to 2006, and, after initially appearing monthly, was issued fortnightly during most of that time. The name survived as a brand fo ...

'' declared it as a "piece of pop perfection".

Music video

The single was marketed with a surreal music video inspired by the 1975 French film '' La Bête''. It was directed by British journalist, author, comedian and punk poet Steven Wells. The video involved what was, according to Wells, a “frighteningly realistic bear suit”. Werner Herzog later ripped this idea off for ''

Grizzly Man ''Grizzly Man'' (2005) is an American documentary film by German director Werner Herzog. It chronicles the life and death of bear enthusiast Timothy Treadwell and the death of his girlfriend Amie Huguenard at Katmai National Park, Alaska. The fil ...

''. In the video,

plays a young girl asleep with her stuffed toys; she dreams of being chased by a bear, but ultimately ends up having jelly and ice cream with him in his den, attired in a sultry black dress that had featured in the 1971 James Bond film '' Diamonds are Forever'', on which her father Derek Cracknell had served as a second unit director. "We had a meeting to discuss locations and so on, and it was decided that I'd wear a dress of my mum's that had been worn by Jill St. John in ''Diamonds Are Forever''," Cracknell recounted, "but that's another story." "Hug My Soul" was published on YouTube in May 2012.

Track listing

All tracks written and composed by Batson, Cracknell, Male; except where indicated. ; MC, Heavenly / HVN42 CS ; 12", Heavenly / HVN42 12 ; 12", Heavenly / HVN42 12P ; 12", Warner Bros. / 9 41591-0 ; 12", Warner Bros. / PRO-A-7069 (US Promo) * Tracks 1,2 remixed by Sure is Pure * Tracks 3,4 remixed by Kris Needs ; CD, Heavenly / HVN42CD ; CD, Heavenly / HVN42CDR ; CD, Warner Bros. / 9 41591-2

Charts

References

{{authority control Saint Etienne (band) songs 1994 singles 1994 songs Songs written by Sarah Cracknell Heavenly Recordings singles Ambient songs Dub songs