"I Believe" is a song by American singer-songwriter
Marcella Detroit
Marcella Levy (born June 21, 1952), known professionally as Marcy Levy and (later in her career) Marcella Detroit, is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. She co-wrote the 1977 Eric Clapton hit "Lay Down Sally" and released her debut al ...
, released on February 28, 1994, via
London Records
London Recordings (or London Records and London Music Stream) is a British record label that marketed records in the United States, Canada, and Latin America for Decca Records from 1947 to 1980 before becoming semi-independent. The London nam ...
as the
lead single
A lead single (also known as a debut single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date.
Release s ...
from her second studio album, ''
Jewel'' (1994). Written by Detroit and produced by
Chris Thomas, the song went on to become Detroit's most successful single, peaking at number 11 in the United Kingdom, and achieved similar success internationally. Its highest peak on a national chart was in Australia, where it reached number 10.
German singer
Joana Zimmer
Joana Zimmer (born ; Freiburg im Breisgau, West Germany) is a German pop music singer, often compared to Celine Dion or Barry Manilow
Barry Manilow (born Barry Alan Pincus; June 17, 1943) is an American singer and songwriter with a career th ...
covered this song and released it as a single in 2005. Her version was more successful than Detroit's in German-speaking countries, reaching the top 10 in Austria and Germany and number 13 in Switzerland.
Critical reception
Aaron Badgley from
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
felt that songs like "I Believe" are "powerful songs, with great melodic hooks that stick after just one listening."
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 ...
'' wrote, "
Shakespear's Sister
Shakespears Sister is an alternative pop and rock musical duo based in the United Kingdom that was formed in 1988 by singer-songwriter Siobhan Fahey, a former member of Bananarama. Shakespears Sister was initially a solo act, but became a duo ...
siren steps solo with an airy
pop ballad
A sentimental ballad is an emotional style of music that often deals with romantic and intimate relationships, and to a lesser extent, loneliness, death, war, drug abuse, politics and religion, usually in a poignant but solemn manner.J. M. Cur ...
that shows recently undisplayed vocal depth and power. Detroit can move mountains with a restrained whisper, and shatter glass with a rapturous bellow—both of which we get here. Fleshed-out, lush synths and plucky sitar riffs will remind some of
Annie Lennox
Ann Lennox (born 25 December 1954) is a Scottish singer-songwriter, political activist and philanthropist. After achieving moderate success in the late 1970s as part of the New wave music, new wave band the Tourists, she and fellow musician D ...
's ''
Diva
Diva (; ) is the Latin word for a goddess. It has often been used to refer to a celebrated woman of outstanding talent in the world of opera, theatre, cinema, fashion and popular music. If referring to an actress, the meaning of ''diva'' is clo ...
'' musings in the most positive way, while others will tap into the unique style that Detroit has developed. A multiformat smash is in the offing." In his review of ''
Jewel'', Johnny Huston from ''
Entertainment Weekly
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...
'' said, "Marcella Detroit has a gift for perverse lyrics and a voice like
Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey (; born March 27, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and record producer. Referred to as the " Songbird Supreme", she is noted for her five-octave vocal range, melismatic singing style and signature use of the whi ...
with a head cold, and she pouts and poses impressively in the role of tragic diva." Chuck Campbell from ''
Knoxville News Sentinel
The ''Knoxville News Sentinel, also known as Knox News,'' is a daily newspaper in Knoxville, Tennessee, United States, owned by the Gannett Company.
History
The newspaper was formed in 1926 from the merger of two competing newspapers: ''The ...
'' felt the singer "grandstands in rather typical fashion on the love song". 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 ...
complimented it as a "gorgeous ballad".
A reviewer from ''
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 ...
'' commented, "'
Hello, turn your radio on' because this solo debut of the American half out of Shakespears Sister is the perfect pop single. The intro is superb for talkative jocks, and so is the outro—if they can still find the words after the most stunning chorus in a long time." An editor, Robbert Tilli, wrote, "With "I Believe" Detroit delivered the "perfect pop single" with the right eyecatching artwork, showing her with a
Philip Tracey-designed glove-shaped hat, as if the muse herself is putting her supportive hand on her head." Alan Jones from ''
Music Week
''Music Week'' is a trade publication for the UK record industry distributed via a website and a monthly print magazine. It is published by Future.
History
Founded in 1959 as '' Record Retailer'', it relaunched on 18 March 1972 as ''Music W ...
'' gave it four out of five and named it Pick of the Week, stating that Detroit makes her solo debut with "a stylish, self-penned swayer. After a low-key start, it builds admirably, and has an insidious chorus. Radio is already on board, and retail success is just a matter of time. Fab." Tom Doyle 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 ...
'' gave the song three out of five, saying, "This is a properly played, properly sung, moody in the verses, rock belter in the choruses type of tune and it's all pleasant enough. Even if it does somehow remind you of that goldie oldie "
China In Your Hand" by rock titans of yesteryear,
T'Pau."
Music video
A black-and-white
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 made to accompany the song, directed by Big T.V. It features
Skin
Skin is the layer of usually soft, flexible outer tissue covering the body of a vertebrate animal, with three main functions: protection, regulation, and sensation.
Other cuticle, animal coverings, such as the arthropod exoskeleton, have diffe ...
from
Skunk Anansie
Skunk Anansie are a British rock band whose members include Skin (lead vocals, guitar), Cass (bass, guitar, backing vocals), Ace (guitar, backing vocals) and Mark Richardson (drums and percussion).
Skunk Anansie formed in 1994, disbanded in 2 ...
in a small role as a runner. The video depicts Detroit standing in a field, by some abandoned buildings where various people appears. She sings while she is looking up at a light that are shining down on her. As the video progress, people come running, surrounding the singer, and also they starts looking up in the sky. As more and more people joins the crowd, it gets larger and larger. It starts raining, and everybody leaves except for Detroit, who falls to her knees. As the video ends, the light is still shining down on her, through the rain.
Track listings
* US cassette single
# "I Believe" – 4:51
# "Shadow" – 3:43
* UK and Australian CD single
# "I Believe" – 4:50
# "Shadow" – 3:30
# "
I Want to Take You Higher
"I Want to Take You Higher" is a song by the soul/rock/funk band Sly and the Family Stone, the B-side to their Top 30 hit "Stand!". Unlike most of the other tracks on the ''Stand!'' album, "I Want to Take You Higher" is not a message song; instea ...
" – 3:29
* UK 7-inch and cassette single, European CD single
# "I Believe" – 4:50
# "I Want to Take You Higher" – 3:29
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Certifications and sales
Joana Zimmer version
In 2005, German singer
Joana Zimmer
Joana Zimmer (born ; Freiburg im Breisgau, West Germany) is a German pop music singer, often compared to Celine Dion or Barry Manilow
Barry Manilow (born Barry Alan Pincus; June 17, 1943) is an American singer and songwriter with a career th ...
covered the song and released it as "I Believe (Give a Little Bit)" on
Polydor Records
Polydor Records Ltd. is a German-British record label that operates as part of Universal Music Group. It has a close relationship with Universal's Interscope Geffen A&M Records label, which distributes Polydor's releases in the United States. ...
as her debut single. In several territories, her single was more successful than the original, but in Sweden, it reached number 33 compared to Detroit's peak of number 18.
Track listing
* German CD single
# "I Believe" (radio edit) – 4:11
# "I Believe" (radio mix) – 3:51
# "Any Other Day" – 3:29
# "I Believe" – 4:33
# "I Believe" (instrumental) – 4:34
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Certifications and sales
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:I Believe (Marcella Detroit Song)
1994 singles
1994 songs
2005 debut singles
Black-and-white music videos
Marcella Detroit songs
Music videos directed by Big T.V.
Song recordings produced by Chris Thomas (record producer)
Songs written by Marcella Detroit