"You Blow Me Away" is a song by
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
vocalist
Robert Palmer, which was released in 1994 as the third and final single from his twelfth studio album ''
Honey
Honey is a sweet and viscous substance made by several bees, the best-known of which are honey bees. Honey is made and stored to nourish bee colonies. Bees produce honey by gathering and then refining the sugary secretions of plants (primar ...
''. The song was written solely by Palmer, and produced by
Stephen Hague
Stephen Hague (born 1960) is an American record producer most active with various British acts since the 1980s.
Early life
Hague was born in Portland, Maine in 1960.
Early career
Hague started his musical career in the mid-1970s as a session k ...
and Palmer.
Background
Released as the third and final single from the ''Honey'' album, "You Blow Me Away" was a moderate commercial success in the UK, but not as successful as the previous single "
Know by Now
"Know by Now" is a song by English singer-songwriter Robert Palmer, released in August 1994 by EMI as the second single from the singer's twelfth studio album, ''Honey'' (1994). The song was written by Palmer and co-produced by Palmer alongside ...
". It peaked at No. 38 and remained in the charts for four weeks. It would be Palmer's last Top 40 entry in the charts.
Release
The single was released on 7" vinyl, cassette and CD in the UK only. The B-side was Palmer's 1988 hit "
Simply Irresistible".
Two CD versions were released in the UK as part of a 2-part set.
The first CD of the set featured the non-album track "No Control", a "Karaoke Mix" of "You Blow Me Away" and a remixed version of "Know by Now". The second CD featured a "Remix Edit" and "Alge Mix" of "You Blow Me Away", along with the track "Change His Ways" from Palmer's 1988 album ''
Heavy Nova''. The remixes were handled by either Pino "Pinaxa" Pischetola or Chris Lord Alge. A promotional CD single was also released in the UK, featuring "You Blow Me Away" as the only track.
Promotion
Two music videos were recorded to promote the single, as Palmer wasn't happy with the first one. Palmer also performed the song at the 1994 German RSH-Gold ceremony, which was broadcast on RTL 2.
Critical reception
In a 1994 review of ''Honey'' by ''
CD Review
''CD Review'' (formerly known as ''Digital Audio'' and ''Digital Audio and Compact Disc Review'') is a discontinued American monthly magazine that specialized in reviewing albums and audio electronics, especially compact discs. The magazine was fo ...
'', the writer commented: "...the epic ballad "You Blow Me Away" epitomizes excess and works beautifully, with Palmer abandoning his reserve for a delightfully corny ode to romance." ''
Cash Box
''Cashbox'', also known as ''Cash Box'', was an American music industry trade magazine, originally published weekly from July 1942 to November 1996. Ten years after its dissolution, it was revived and continues as ''Cashbox Magazine'', an online ...
'' described the song as "scaled-down soul". In a retrospective review of ''Honey'', ''Super Deluxe Edition'' said: "Singles "Know By Now" and especially "You Blow Me Away" are both strong but feel slightly let down by the production, which for the time comes across as a little cheesy and bombastic in places."
Track listing
;7" Single
#"You Blow Me Away" - 4:35
#"Simply Irresistible" - 5:58
;CD Single (UK #1)
#"You Blow Me Away" - 4:35
#"No Control" - 4:09
#"You Blow Me Away (Karaoke Mix)" - 4:36
#"Know by Now" - 4:01
;CD Single (UK #2)
#"You Blow Me Away" - 4:35
#"You Blow Me Away (Remix Edit)" - 4:16
#"You Blow Me Away (Alge Mix)" - 4:36
#"Change His Ways" - 2:56
;CD Single (Promotional release)
#"You Blow Me Away" - 4:35
Chart performance
Personnel
*Robert Palmer - vocals, producer, arranger
*Stephen Hague - producer on "You Blow Me Away", remixing of "Know By Now"
*Teo Macero - additional producer on "Know By Now"
*Mike "Spike" Drake - remixing of "Know By Now"
*David Harper - executive producer
*Eric "E.T." Thorngren - remixing on "Change His Ways"
*Pino "Pinaxa" Pischetola - mixing on "No Control", remixer of "You Blow Me Away (Remix Edit)", constructor, recorder, mixer of "Know by Now"
*Chris Lord Alge - remixer of "You Blow Me Away (Alge Mix)
References
{{Robert Palmer
1994 songs
1994 singles
Robert Palmer (singer) songs
Songs written by Robert Palmer (singer)
EMI Records singles
Song recordings produced by Stephen Hague