"Pretty Boys and Pretty Girls" is the fifth

single Single may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Single (music), a song release Songs * "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004 * "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008 * "Single" (William Wei song), 2016 * "Single", by ...

released by the American

synth-pop Synth-pop (short for synthesizer pop; also called techno-pop; ) is a subgenre of new wave music that first became prominent in the late 1970s and features the synthesizer as the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s ...

band Book of Love. The song was the first single released prior to the band's second album ''

Lullaby A lullaby (), or cradle song, is a soothing song or piece of music that is usually played for (or sung to) children (for adults see music and sleep). The purposes of lullabies vary. In some societies they are used to pass down cultural knowled ...

'' in 1988. "Pretty Boys and Pretty Girls" became the band's highest-charting single at no. 90 in the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, and their only track that crossed over into mainstream pop. In the dance clubs, the song was a smash, and made it to no. 5 on the

Hot Dance Club Play Dance Club Songs is a chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine in the United States. It is a national look over of club disc jockeys to determine the most popular songs being played in nightclubs across the country. It was launched as t ...

chart, spending 11 weeks on the chart. "Pretty Boys and Pretty Girls" became one of the first songs ever to address the issue of the AIDS epidemic, featuring the lyrics of "strangers in the night exchanging glances, but sex is dangerous, I don't take my chances...safe sex, safe sex." The B-side to the single is a cover of

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's "Tubular Bells", originally became famous as the theme song in popular horror movie ''

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''. For the track, the band sampled band member Lauren Roselli crying "Mother, make it stop!", channeling Linda Blair's role as Regan from the movie. For the 12" release of the single, "Tubular Bells" and "Pretty Boys and Pretty Girls" were mixed together as a fourteen-minute medley by

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and

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. The album ''

'' also begins with a shorter version of "Tubular Bells", which flows seamlessly into "Pretty Boys and Pretty Girls", the second track on the album. A promotional video was shot and released for "Pretty Boys and Pretty Girls"; an alternate version of the video was also released using the medley edit of "Tubular Bells/Pretty Boys and Pretty Girls”.

Track listings

1988 7" Single (Sire Records 7-27858)

Side A: "Pretty Boys and Pretty Girls" (7" Edit) - 4:30 Side B: "Tubular Bells" (7" Mix) - 4:23

1988 7" Promo Single (Sire Records 7-27858-A)

Side A: "Pretty Boys and Pretty Girls" (7" Edit) - 4:30 Side B: "Pretty Boys and Pretty Girls" (7" Edit) - 4:30

1988 7" Promo Single (PRO-S-3281)

Side A: "Tubular Bells/Pretty Boys and Pretty Girls" (Medley Edit) - 4:25 Side B: "Tubular Bells/Pretty Boys and Pretty Girls" (Medley Edit) - 4:25

1988 12" Maxi-Single (Sire Records 0-20963)

Side A: #"Pretty Boys and Pretty Girls" (Extended Mix) - 7:19 #"Tubular Bells" (7" Mix) - 4:23 #"Pretty Boys and Pretty Girls" (7" Mix) - 4:45 Side B: #"Tubular Bells/Pretty Boys and Pretty Girls" (Regan's House Medley) - 14:24

1988 Promo CD Single (Sire Records PRO-CD-3197)

#"Pretty Boys and Pretty Girls" (7" Mix) - 4:48 #"Pretty Boys and Pretty Girls" (Extended Mix) - 7:20 #"Tubular Bells/Pretty Boys and Pretty Girls" (Regan's House Medley) - 14:24 #Interview - 3:43

Personnel

"Pretty Boys and Pretty Girls" written by Theodore Ottaviano. "Tubular Bells" written by

. All instruments arranged, programmed, and performed by Book of Love. * Susan Ottaviano – lead vocals * Ted Ottaviano – keyboards, tubular bells, backing vocals * Lauren Roselli – keyboards, backing vocals * Jade Lee – keyboards, Percussion, backing vocals 12" Sleeve Credits * Produced by

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and Ted Ottaviano * Mastered by José Rodriguez at

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* "Pretty Boys and Pretty Girls" (Extended Mix)
Remix, additional production an keyboards by Scott Blackwell and Bob Brockmann for Broadbeard Productions.
Remix engineer: Bob Brockmann * "Tubular Bells" (7" Mix)
Mixed by Alan Meyerson * "Pretty Boys and Pretty Girls" (7" Mix)
Mixed by Alan Meyerson * "Tubular Bells/Pretty Boys and Pretty Girls" (Regan's House Medley)
Remix, additional production an keyboards by Scott Blackwell and Bob Brockmann for Broadbeard Productions.
Remix engineers: Bob Brockmann and Hugo Dwyer * Design by Jade Lee * Photo by

David LaChappelle David LaChapelle (born March 11, 1963) is an American photographer, music video director and film director. He is best known for his work in fashion, photography, which often references art history and sometimes conveys social messages. His pho ...

Charts

Official versions

Official versions of B-side "Tubular Bells" " * " denotes that version is available as digital download

References

External links

* * {{Authority control 1988 songs 1988 singles Book of Love (band) songs Electronic songs House music songs Bisexuality-related songs LGBT-related songs Songs about HIV/AIDS Sire Records singles