"Fever" is a song written by Eddie Cooley and

Otis Blackwell Otis Blackwell (February 16, 1931 – May 6, 2002) was an American songwriter whose work influenced rock and roll. His compositions include " Fever" (recorded by Little Willie John), " Great Balls of Fire" and " Breathless" (recorded by Jerr ...

, who used the

pseudonym A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person or group assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true name ( orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individu ...

John Davenport. It was originally recorded by American R&B singer

Little Willie John William Edward "Little Willie" John (November 15, 1937 – May 26, 1968) was an American R&B singer who performed in the 1950s and early 1960s. He is best known for his successes on the record charts, with songs such as " All Around the World" (1 ...

for his debut album, ''Fever'' (1956), and released as a single in April of the same year. The song topped the ''

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 adverti ...

'' R&B Best Sellers in the US and peaked at number 24 on the ''Billboard'' pop chart. It was received positively by

music critics Music journalism (or music criticism) is media criticism and reporting about music topics, including popular music, classical music, and traditional music. Journalists began writing about music in the eighteenth century, providing commentary on w ...

and included on several lists of the best songs during the time it was released. It has been covered by numerous artists from various musical genres, most notably by

Peggy Lee Norma Deloris Egstrom (May 26, 1920 – January 21, 2002), known professionally as Peggy Lee, was an American jazz and popular music singer, songwriter, composer, and actress, over a career spanning seven decades. From her beginning as a vocalis ...

, whose 1958 rendition became the most widely known version of "Fever" and the singer's

signature song A signature (; from la, signare, "to sign") is a handwritten (and often stylized) depiction of someone's name, nickname, or even a simple "X" or other mark that a person writes on documents as a proof of identity and intent. The writer of a ...

. Lee's version contained rewritten lyrics different from the original and an altered music arrangement. It became a top-five hit on the music charts in the UK and Australia in addition to entering the top ten in the US and the Netherlands. "Fever" was nominated in three categories at the

1st Annual Grammy Awards The 1st Annual Grammy Awards were held on May 4, 1959. They recognized musical accomplishments by performers for the year 1959. Two separate ceremonies were held simultaneously on the same day; the first hotel in Beverly Hills, California, and the ...

in 1959, including

Record of the Year The Grammy Award for Record of the Year is presented by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to "honor artistic achievement, technical proficiency and overall excellence in the recording industry, without reg ...

and Song of the Year. Other notable cover versions of "Fever" include those by

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the " King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. His ener ...

, Boney M.,

Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone (; ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Widely dubbed the " Queen of Pop", Madonna has been noted for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, a ...

Christina Aguilera Christina María Aguilera (; ; born December 18, 1980) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and television personality. Known for her four-octave vocal range and ability to sustain high notes, she has been referred to as the " Voice of ...

Michael Bublé Michael Steven Bublé ( ; born September 9, 1975) is a Canadian singer. A four-time Grammy Award winner, he is often credited for helping to renew public interest and appreciation for traditional pop standards and the Great American Songboo ...

The McCoys The McCoys were a rock group formed in Union City, Indiana, United States, in 1962. They are best known for their 1965 hit single " Hang On Sloopy". Their name was changed from Rick and the Raiders to The McCoys, taken from the B-side of The ...

, La Lupe and

Beyoncé Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Beyoncé's boundary-pushing artistry and vocals have made her the most influential female musician of the 21st century, according to ...

. Madonna released it as a single from her fifth studio album, ''

Erotica Erotica is literature or art that deals substantively with subject matter that is erotic, sexually stimulating or sexually arousing. Some critics regard pornography as a type of erotica, but many consider it to be different. Erotic art may use ...

'' (1992), in March 1993 through Warner Bros. It topped the charts in Finland and the

Hot Dance Club Songs 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 ...

in the US in addition to charting in the top 50 in many other countries. Madonna promoted "Fever" by filming and releasing 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 promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing devic ...

directed by

Stéphane Sednaoui Stéphane Sednaoui () is a French director, photographer, film producer and actor. Over the years, Sednaoui has redefined his artistic approach to focus on his fine-art and cinematographic projects. New and existing work have been exhibited ...

and performing the song on several television shows as well as her 1993 The Girlie Show World Tour. Various versions of "Fever" have been used in many films, plays and television shows.

Background and reception

The idea for "Fever" was presented to

by an old friend, Eddie Cooley, who in 1956 had a hit song called " Priscilla". Blackwell said: "Eddie Cooley was a friend of mine from New York and he called me up and said 'Man, I got an idea for a song called 'Fever', but I can't finish it.' I had to write it under another name because, at that time, I was still under contract to

Joe Davis Joseph Davis (15 April 190110 July 1978) was an English professional snooker and English billiards player. He was the dominant figure in snooker from the 1920s to the 1950s, and has been credited with inventing aspects of the way the game is ...

." John Davenport, the name he used, was the name of Blackwell's stepfather. Little Willie John reportedly disliked the song, but was persuaded to record it, on March 1, 1956, by King Records owner Syd Nathan and arranger and producer Henry Glover. It became the title track for his debut album, ''Fever'', released in 1956. "Fever" is a

soul In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being". Etymology The Modern English noun '' soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest att ...

and

rhythm and blues Rhythm and blues, frequently abbreviated as R&B or R'n'B, is a genre of popular music that originated in African-American communities in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly ...

minor key In Western music, the adjectives major and minor may describe a chord, scale, or key. As such, composition, movement, section, or phrase may be referred to by its key, including whether that key is major or minor. Intervals Some intervals ...

opus ''Opus'' (pl. ''opera'') is a Latin word meaning "work". Italian equivalents are ''opera'' (singular) and ''opere'' (pl.). Opus or OPUS may refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Opus number, (abbr. Op.) specifying order of (usually) publicatio ...

with an arrangement consisting of low

saxophone The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax) is a type of Single-reed instrument, single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of brass. As with all single-reed instruments, sound is produced when a reed (mouthpi ...

s played by Ray Felder and Rufus "Nose" Gore and

guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected string ...

by Bill Jennings. The vocal style of Willie John is similar to moaning and he is backed by finger snaps. Bill Dahl from the website

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Music ...

noted a contrast between the song's "ominous" arrangement and the vocals along with the finger snapping which "marginally lightened the mood". "Fever" was released as a single in April 1956 and became a double-sided hit along with the top-ten R&B song "Letter from My Darling". "Fever" reached number one for three weeks on the ''Billboard'' R&B Best Sellers chart in the United States, peaking at the top on July 21, 1956. It also made the pop charts, peaking at number 24 on the ''Billboard'' Best Sellers in Stores. The single sold one million copies in the US. The song won the

BMI Award The BMI Film & TV Awards are accolades presented annually by Broadcast Music, Inc., honoring songwriters, composers, and music publishers in various genres. Based in the United States, the awards include the BMI Christian Awards, BMI Country Awards ...

for Best R&B song. The song was included in

Robert Christgau Robert Thomas Christgau ( ; born April 18, 1942) is an American music journalist and essayist. Among the most well-known and influential music critics, he began his career in the late 1960s as one of the earliest professional rock critics and ...

's "Basic Record Library" of 1950s and 1960s recordings, published in '' Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies'' (1981). He later described it as a very "fervid" song. Bill Dahl from the website AllMusic credited "Fever" for winning the "boisterous teen an across-the-board audience" for Willie John. The writer further opined that the singer's "sweaty case of love-rooted 'Fever' was seemingly grave, judging from his riveting intensity, yet he doesn't sound like he minds at all". '' NME'' magazine listed "Fever" as the 96th best song of the 1950s. In his ''The 1001 Greatest Singles Ever Made'' list published in 1989, critic

Dave Marsh Dave Marsh (born March 1, 1950) is an American music critic, and radio talk show host. He was an early editor of '' Creem'' magazine, has written for various publications such as '' Newsday'', ''The Village Voice'', and ''Rolling Stone'', and has ...

ranked "Fever" at the position of 109. The song was included on the

greatest hits album A greatest hits album or best-of album is a type of compilation album that collects popular and commercially successful songs by a particular artist or band. While greatest hits albums are typically supported by the artist, they can also be creat ...

s ''Fever: The Best of Little Willie John'' (1993) and ''The Very Best of Little Willie John'' (2001).

Charts

Peggy Lee version

Background and composition

In May 1958,

recorded a cover version of "Fever" in Hollywood, which featured significantly rewritten lyrics composed by Lee herself without credit. The song was not included on Lee's album, ''

Things Are Swingin' ''Things Are Swingin' '' is an album by jazz singer Peggy Lee with music arranged and conducted by Jack Marshall. Track listing # "It's a Wonderful World" (Harold Adamson, Jan Savitt, Johnny Watson) – 2:14 # "Things Are Swingin'" (Peggy Lee, ...

'', when it was first released in 1959; however it was listed as a bonus track on its 2004 reissue release. The uncopyrighted lyrics by Lee featured historical invocations (including the verses beginning "Romeo loved Juliet," and "Captain Smith and Pocahontas") and are now generally thought of as a standard part of the song; they have been included in most subsequent covers of "Fever". Lee's cover, arranged by the singer herself with arranger/conductor

Jack Marshall Sir John Ross Marshall New Zealand Army Orders 1952/405 (5 March 1912 – 30 August 1988) was a New Zealand politician of the National Party. He entered Parliament in 1946 and was first promoted to Cabinet in 1951. After spending twelve years ...

, was a slower-tempo version than the original; it was described as being in "torchy lounge" mode, accompanied only by

bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in the bass range: ** Bass (instrument), including: ** Acoustic bass gui ...

(played by

Joe Mondragon Joe Mondragon (February 2, 1920 – July 1987) was an American jazz bassist. Early life Mondragon was born in Antonito, Colorado, and raised in the Española Valley region of New Mexico. Mondragon was of Apache and Hispanic origin. Career M ...

) and a very limited

drum set A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair of matching drumsticks ...

(played in part with fingers by Shelly Manne), while the finger snaps were provided either by the singer herself, by

Howard Roberts Howard Mancel Roberts (October 2, 1929 – June 28, 1992) was an American jazz guitarist, educator, and session musician. Early years Roberts was born in Phoenix, Arizona to Damon and Vesta Roberts, and began playing guitar at the age of 8 - a ...

, the guitarist for the date, who set aside his guitar for this number, or possibly even by the producer, Dave Cavanaugh. Lee's rendition was further described as "smooth, sultry". It is written in the key of

A Minor A minor is a minor scale based on A, with the pitches A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. Its key signature has no flats and no sharps. Its relative major is C major and its parallel major is A major. The A natural minor scale is: : Changes ...

in a medium swing tempo with 135

beats per minute Beat, beats or beating may refer to: Common uses * Patrol, or beat, a group of personnel assigned to monitor a specific area ** Beat (police), the territory that a police officer patrols ** Gay beat, an area frequented by gay men * Battery ...

; Lee's vocals span from the musical note of G₃ to B₄.

Reception and accolades

A writer of the website

NPR National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other ...

deemed "Fever" as Lee's "most memorable tune" and considered it to be "slinky and inimitable". He went on to note that it displayed characteristics which were most remembered about the singer – "her playful delivery, charisma and sexuality". John Bush from the website AllMusic opined that the singer excelled in sounding "sizzling" in the song. John Fordham writing for ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers '' The Observer'' and '' The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the ...

'' felt that the "heated" atmosphere heard on Lee's version of "Fever", "has an underlying suggestion that the person raising the temperature for her right now doesn't have to be the one doing it next week". Lee's version peaked at number eight on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 in the US and spent a total of 12 weeks on that chart. It reached a peak of number five on the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

, where it first appeared on August 15, 1958. A reissue of the single charted again in 1992, appearing at number 75 and staying for only one week. Elsewhere in Europe, Lee's "Fever" peaked at number eight on January 3, 1959, on the

Dutch Singles Chart The Dutch Top 40 ( nl, Nederlandse Top 40) is a weekly music chart compiled by ''Stichting Nederlandse Top 40''. It started as a radio program titled "Veronica Top 40", on the offshore station Radio Veronica in 1965. It remained "The Veroni ...

in Netherlands for five consecutive weeks before falling off the chart. The song also peaked at number two on the Australian Singles Chart compiled by

Kent Music Report The Kent Music Report was a weekly record chart of Australian music singles and albums which was compiled by music enthusiast David Kent (historian), David Kent from May 1974 through to January 1999. The chart was re-branded the Australian Music ...

and emerged as the twentieth best-selling single of 1958 in that country. "Fever" was nominated in the categories for

, Song of the Year and Best Female Vocal Performance at the

held in 1959. The track became Lee's

and her best-known work in addition to becoming her most successful hit. It was ranked at number 100 in the book and the accompanying list ''1001 Songs You Must Hear Before You Die'' by Robert Dimery. Joey Cohn ranked it as the tenth-best jazz vocal in a list of 50 Great Jazz Vocals on NPR.

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Madonna version

Background and composition

In 1992, American singer and songwriter

recorded a cover version of "Fever" for her fifth

studio album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th century as individual 78 rpm records c ...

, ''

'' (1992). She served as a producer for the song along with

Shep Pettibone Robert "Shep" Pettibone (born 10 July 1959) is an American record producer, remixer, songwriter and club DJ, one of the most prolific of the 1980s. Career Shep Pettibone surfaced after his work with Arthur Baker on Afrika Bambaataa & the Jazz ...

. Madonna was in the studio putting down tracks for the album and had just recorded a song called "Goodbye to Innocence". She was going through the final stages of production on the song and suddenly started singing the lyrics to "Fever" over "Goodbye to Innocence". Madonna liked the way it sounded so much that she recorded it. In September 2008, Madonna's version was used in television promos for the fifth season of ''

Desperate Housewives ''Desperate Housewives'' is an American comedy-drama soap opera television series created by Marc Cherry and produced by ABC Studios and Cherry Productions. It aired for eight seasons on ABC from October 3, 2004, until May 13, 2012, for a t ...

''. According to author Rikky Rooksby, Madonna changed the composition of the original version by adding drum rhythms, accompanied by a beatbox sound like

snare drums The snare (or side drum) is a percussion instrument that produces a sharp staccato sound when the head is struck with a drum stick, due to the use of a series of stiff wires held under tension against the lower skin. Snare drums are often used ...

. Removing the chord progression of the original, Madonna introduces original lyrics into the song. Instrumentation of the track includes strings,

marimba The marimba () is a musical instrument in the percussion family that consists of wooden bars that are struck by mallets. Below each bar is a resonator pipe that amplifies particular harmonics of its sound. Compared to the xylophone, the timbre ...

and finger-pops at various intervals throughout. Rooksby noticed that Madonna sang with a distant and disembodied voice, and relegated it to the dance music accompanying the lyrics.

Chart performance

Although "Fever" was never officially released as a single in the United States, it became a dance hit, becoming Madonna's 15th song to hit number one 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 th ...

chart. It topped the chart for the issue dated May 15, 1993, in its seventh week of ascending. In the United Kingdom, the song debuted at its peak position of number six on the

on the issue dated April 3, 1993, and had sold 86,077 copies by August 2008. It peaked at number one on the

Finnish Singles Chart The Official Finnish Charts ( fi, Suomen virallinen lista; sv, Finlands officiella lista) are national record charts in Finland compiled and published by Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. The name ''Suomen virallinen lista/Finlands officiell ...

on April 15, 1993. In Ireland it entered the top ten of the

Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is the Republic of Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association (IRMA) and compiled on their behalf by the Official Charts Company. Chart rankings are bas ...

, peaking at the position of six and charting for four weeks. Elsewhere, it peaked at numbers 12 in Italy, 17 in New Zealand, 22 on the

Ultratop Ultratop is an organization which generates and publishes the official record charts in Belgium. Ultratop is a non-profit organization, created on the initiative of the Belgian Entertainment Association (BEA), the Belgian member organization of ...

chart of the Flanders region in Belgium, 31 in France and 51 in Australia.

Critical reception

The Baltimore Sun ''The Baltimore Sun'' is the largest general-circulation daily newspaper based in the U.S. state of Maryland and provides coverage of local and regional news, events, issues, people, and industries. Founded in 1837, it is currently owned by T ...

'' J. D. Considine praised the song as a "sassy,

house A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air cond ...

-style remake" of the original version. He noted that when Madonna and the team of producers that worked on the album "push beyond the expected... treally heats up, providing a sound that is body-conscious in the best sense of the term", exemplifying his statements with "Fever". A writer from ''

'' called the song a "house-inflected rendition" and noted it was single-worthy. In August 2018, the magazine named it as the singer's 66th greatest single; "while most versions of this classic smolder, Madonna gets distant and detached, delivering an icy club banger that sounds less like a torch song from yesteryear and more like a soundtrack for anonymous encounters that would make Ms. Lee blush". Hunter Hauk from the ''

Dallas Observer ''Dallas Observer'' is a free digital and print publication based in Dallas, Texas. The ''Observer'' publishes daily online coverage of local news, restaurants, music, and arts, as well as longform narrative journalism. A weekly print issue circ ...

'' deemed it "subtly soulful and custom made for Madonna's pre-vocal-lesson voice". David Browne of ''

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 ...

'' criticized Madonna's voice as "souless", "You and Shep sure do a bang-up job — pun intended — transforming 'Fever,' that old Peggy Lee hit, into a

techno Techno is a Music genre, genre of electronic dance music (EDM) which is generally music production, produced for use in a continuous DJ set, with tempo often varying between 120 and 150 beats per minute (bpm). The central Drum beat, rhythm is typ ...

drone, but listen to the parched sound emitted from your throat on such tracks. It's cold, deadened, remote."

Jude Rogers Jude Rogers (born 1978) is a Welsh journalist, lecturer, arts critic and broadcaster. She is a music critic for '' The Guardian'' and also regularly writes features and articles for '' The Observer'', '' New Statesman'' and women's magazines such ...

from ''

'' called it an "unnecessary

trance Trance is a state of semi-consciousness in which a person is not self-aware and is either altogether unresponsive to external stimuli (but nevertheless capable of pursuing and realizing an aim) or is selectively responsive in following the dir ...

-era update of pop’s most achingly simple song about sex"; nonetheless, she placed the song at number 72 on her ranking of Madonna's singles, in honor of her 60th birthday.

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 ...

stated in his weekly UK chart commentary, that "her crown is intact." 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, naming it Pick of the Week. He added that "this is fairly tame in original album edit, but packs more punch and dancefloor possibilities in selection of Pettihone/Falcon/Gaeten mixes, and should maintain her now record sequence of consecutive Top 10 hits." ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' editor

Stephen Holden Stephen Holden (born July 18, 1941) is an American writer, poet, and music and film critic. Biography Holden earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Yale University in 1963. He worked as a photo editor, staff writer, and eventually be ...

wrote that "the album's softer moments include a silky hip-hop arrangement of 'Fever'". Author Rikky Rooksby, described it as "unsexy", and called it a "sterile track" which is "certainly misplaced as the second track of 'Erotica''. ''

Slant Magazine ''Slant Magazine'' is an American online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New Yo ...

'' Sal Cinquemani opined that it's "Madonna’s vocal performance that’s the real star here ..she may lack Peggy Lee’s command, but she exudes a detached confidence and control that is the pitch-perfect embodiment of ''Erotica''s main thesis: love hurts". Alfred Soto of ''

Stylus Magazine ''Stylus Magazine'' was an American online music and film magazine, launched in 2002 and co-founded by Todd L. Burns. It featured long-form music journalism, four daily music reviews, movie reviews, podcasts, an MP3 blog, and a text blog. Addi ...

'' felt that this song has its unique, idiosyncratic energy which he compared with material by

Joni Mitchell Roberta Joan "Joni" Mitchell ( Anderson; born November 7, 1943) is a Canadian-American musician, producer, and painter. Among the most influential singer-songwriters to emerge from the 1960s folk music circuit, Mitchell became known for her st ...

from her album ''

Blue Blue is one of the three primary colours in the RYB colour model (traditional colour theory), as well as in the RGB (additive) colour model. It lies between violet and cyan on the spectrum of visible light. The eye perceives blue when ...

'' (1971). ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large n ...

''s Richard Harrington deemed it a "cool mechanical recitation in which more attention is paid to the pulse of the music than that of the heart."

Music video and live performances

The accompanying

for "Fever", directed by

, was shot on April 10–11, 1993 at Greenwich Studios in

Miami, Florida Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a coastal metropolis and the county seat of Miami-Dade County in South Florida, United States. With a population of 442,241 at ...

, and received its world premiere on May 11, 1993, on

MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...

. It has since been made commercially available on the DVD collection, '' The Video Collection 93:99''. The music video alternately features Madonna with a red wig and silver bodypaint in a variety of costumes dancing in front of funky, kaleidoscopic backgrounds. It showcases her posing like ancient goddesses. She is enveloped in a flame-like atmosphere and eventually burns up. According to Sednaoui, he wanted to portray the singer "like a provocative saint, somebody that speaks out and tells the truth, and is ready to burn for it"; he also recalled that the executives from Maverick wanted to do "something that's not the adonnawe know – more pop, more disco, more club ..that's why she went all the way, like, 'OK, let's paint'".

Charles Aaron Charles Aaron is an American music journalist and editor, formerly for ''Spin'' magazine, where he worked for 23 years. Personal Charles Aaron was born in Rockingham, North Carolina, and raised in Asheboro, North Carolina and Rome, Georgia. He ...

writing for ''Spin'' magazine classified the clip as "dub". The music video for "Fever" was later published on Madonna's official

YouTube YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second mo ...

channel in February 2018. It was digitally remastered on November 22, 2022. It had amassed almost 2,5 million views as of November 2022. To start the promotion for ''Erotica'', Madonna performed "Fever" and "Bad Girl" on ''

Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock. Michaels currently serves ...

'' in January 1993. During the 1000th ''

The Arsenio Hall Show ''The Arsenio Hall Show'' is an American syndicated late-night talk show created by and starring comedian Arsenio Hall. There have been two different incarnations of ''The Arsenio Hall Show''. The original series premiered on January 3, 1989, ...

'', Madonna performed the original version of "Fever" accompanied by a band, wearing a black classic dress and smoking a cigarette. Madonna also performed "Fever" on the 1993 Girlie Show World Tour as the second song from the setlist. After "

", the singer partially strips and proceeds to straddle and dances suggestively with two half-naked male dancers. At the end of the song, Madonna and the two backup dancers descend into a literal ring of fire. On October 8, 2015, Madonna performed an

a cappella ''A cappella'' (, also , ; ) music is a performance by a singer or a singing group without instrumental accompaniment, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. The term ''a cappella'' was originally intended to differentiate between Ren ...

version of "Fever" during the

Saint Paul Paul; grc, Παῦλος, translit=Paulos; cop, ⲡⲁⲩⲗⲟⲥ; hbo, פאולוס השליח (previously called Saul of Tarsus;; ar, بولس الطرسوسي; grc, Σαῦλος Ταρσεύς, Saũlos Tarseús; tr, Tarsuslu Pavlus; ...

stop of her

Rebel Heart Tour The Rebel Heart Tour was the tenth concert tour by American singer Madonna, staged in support of her thirteenth studio album, ''Rebel Heart'' (2015). Comprising 82 shows, the tour visited North America, Asia, Europe and Oceania. It began on S ...

. On November 25, 2019, Madonna performed an a cappella version of "Fever" on her Madame X Tour.

Formats and track listings

* Australian, European, and UK CD maxi-single # "Fever" (Album Edit) – 4:30 # "Fever" (Hot Sweat 12-inch Mix) – 7:58 # "Fever" (Extended 12-inch Mix) – 6:07 # "Fever" (Shep's Remedy Dub) – 4:31 # "Fever" (Murk Boys Miami Mix) – 7:10 # "Fever" (Murk Boys Deep South Mix) – 6:28 * Digital single – "Bad Girl / Fever" # "Bad Girl" (Edit) – 4:35 # "Bad Girl" (Extended Mix) – 6:29 # "Fever" (Album Edit) – 4:30 # "Fever" (Edit One) – 4:05 # "Fever" (Extended 12-inch Mix) – 6:07 # "Fever" (Hot Sweat 12-inch Mix) – 7:58 # "Fever" ( Murk Boys Deep South Mix) – 6:28 # "Fever" (Murk Boys Miami Mix) – 7:10 # "Fever" (Murk Boys Miami Dub) – 7:12 # "Fever" (Radio Edit/Remix) – 5:09 # "Fever" (Shep's Remedy Dub) – 4:31 # "Fever" ( Oscar G's Dope Mix) – 4:55

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Beyoncé version

Background and release

American singer

included her version of "Fever" on multiple releases. Her original recording of the song was included on the

soundtrack album A soundtrack album is any album that incorporates music directly recorded from the soundtrack of a particular feature film or television show. The first such album to be commercially released was Walt Disney's ''Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs' ...

for the 2003 American musical

dramedy film Comedy drama, also known by the portmanteau ''dramedy'', is a genre of dramatic works that combines elements of comedy and drama. The modern, scripted-television examples tend to have more humorous bits than simple comic relief seen in a typical ...

, ''

The Fighting Temptations ''The Fighting Temptations'' is a 2003 American musical comedy film directed by Jonathan Lynn, written by Elizabeth Hunter and Saladin K. Patterson, and distributed by Paramount Pictures and MTV Films. The main plot revolves around Darrin Hill ( C ...

'', in which she also had a leading role. The song was also featured in the film itself, during a scene in which the character Beyoncé portrayed, named Lilly, sang the song in a nightclub while her eventual love interest Darrin (played by Cuba Gooding, Jr.) watches her. Beyoncé's version was produced by Damon Elliott and was recorded by her while she was still working on the 2002 film ''

Austin Powers in Goldmember ''Austin Powers in Goldmember'' is a 2002 American spy comedy film directed by Jay Roach. It is the third in the ''Austin Powers'' film series and stars Mike Myers in four roles: Austin Powers, Dr. Evil, Goldmember, and Fat Bastard. Myers a ...

''. Elliott suggested to the singer to record "Fever" as it was one of his favorite songs. When she got a role in ''The Fighting Temptations'', the song seemed "perfect" for it as stated by Elliot. Ed Gonzalez of

provided a positive review for the cover, saying: "The seductive iciness of Peggy Lee's 'Fever' is successfully transplanted with a gumbo sound and sexy Southern comfort." Beyoncé appeared on ''

The Tonight Show with Jay Leno ''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by Jay Leno that first aired from May 25, 1992, to May 29, 2009. It resumed production on March 1, 2010 and ended on February 6, 2014. The fourth incarnation of the ...

'' on September 17, 2003, to promote ''The Fighting Temptations'' with a live performance of "Fever". In November 2003, the song was included in the set list of the singer's first headlining solo

Dangerously in Love Tour The Dangerously in Love Tour was the debut concert tour by American recording artist Beyoncé. Although the tour was intended to showcase songs from her debut solo album, ''Dangerously in Love'', (2003) the set list also contained a special segm ...

. Beyoncé was backed by four male dancers dressed in white, performing a choreography with her. In a review of the show, Dave Simpson from ''

'' felt that the performance of "Fever" was "a note perfect if pointless version" of the original. In 2004, the song was included on the live album '' Live at Wembley'' which was filmed during a London concert as part of the tour. Beyoncé's original recording was additionally included on the track-listing of her first

mixtape A mixtape (alternatively mix-tape, mix tape or mixed tape) is a compilation of music, typically from multiple sources, recorded onto a medium. With origins in the 1980s, the term normally describes a homemade compilation of music onto a cassette ...

''Speak My Mind'' released in 2005. After releasing her first fragrance

Heat In thermodynamics, heat is defined as the form of energy crossing the boundary of a thermodynamic system by virtue of a temperature difference across the boundary. A thermodynamic system does not ''contain'' heat. Nevertheless, the term is ...

, Beyoncé re-recorded her version of "Fever" as promotion for the fragrance, using the song in its advertisements. The re-recorded 2010 version of the song was produced by Chink Santana and Beyoncé herself. It was released for digital download on the

iTunes Store The iTunes Store is a digital media store operated by Apple Inc. It opened on April 28, 2003, as a result of Steve Jobs' push to open a digital marketplace for music. As of April 2020, iTunes offered 60 million songs, 2.2 million apps, 25,00 ...

in the US on February 8, 2010. The next day, it was released in the United Kingdom. In February the following year, "Fever" was included on the track-listing of the

extended play An extended play record, usually referred to as an EP, is a musical recording that contains more tracks than a single but fewer than an album or LP record.

(EP) ''

'', a limited CD released with the perfume.

Usage in media

As promotion for the fragrance, a TV commercial for Heat was directed by

Jake Nava Jake Nava is a British director, mostly known for his work in music videos for Beyoncé, Arctic Monkeys, Adele, Britney Spears and The Rolling Stones. He also directs TV commercials, notably for Guinness and Levi Strauss & Co. Early life and ed ...

, who had previously worked with Beyoncé on various of her music videos. The commercial features Beyoncé in a red satin dress sweating in a steamy room while the 2010 cover version of "Fever" plays in the background. Throughout the clip, she is seen lying naked in the middle of a room, touching her body, dancing and leaving a trail of fire as she touches a wall. The commercial concludes with Beyoncé walking away from the camera and melting the floor with her footprints. During the end, she turns and says "Catch the fever", the

tagline In entertainment, a tagline (alternatively spelled tag line) is a short text which serves to clarify a thought for, or is designed with a form of, dramatic effect. Many tagline slogans are reiterated phrases associated with an individual, s ...

of the fragrance. In an interview with ''

Women's Wear Daily ''Women's Wear Daily'' (also known as ''WWD'') is a fashion-industry trade journal often referred to as the "Bible of fashion". Horyn, Cathy"Breaking Fashion News With a Provocative Edge" ''The New York Times''. (August 20, 1999). It provides inf ...

'', the singer described the sexual tone of the video stating: "My sexiest moments are when I'm just getting out of the tub or the shower and I'm clean, so I wanted to incorporate that in the ads. The dress was this liquid-y satin. The song Fever I did years ago and always loved it. or the commercialI got to sing it a bit more whispery, more natural." The silky red dress she wears in the video has been noted for exposing partial cleavage. The commercial for the fragrance found controversy in the United Kingdom with the Advertising Standards Authority where it was banned from daytime TV rotation for its "sexy imagery".

Other versions

* Sandra Meade on her 1956 single ''Fever / Who Spins The Wheel'' on Calvert Records 103 *

Earl Grant Earl Grant (January 20, 1931 – June 10, 1970) was an American pianist, organist, and vocalist popular in the 1950s and 1960s. Career Grant was born in Idabel, Oklahoma. Though he would be known later for his keyboards and vocals, Grant also p ...

on his 1957 debut album ''The Versatile Earl Grant'' *

– '' Elvis Is Back!'' (1960) *

Little Caesar & the Romans Little Caesar & the Romans were an American musical group from Los Angeles, California, United States, active briefly in the 1960s. The Romans minus Little Caesar began recording in 1959 as The Cubans, but changed their name to The Upfronts aft ...

on their 1961 album ''Memories Of Those Oldies But Goodies'' *

The Kingsmen The Kingsmen are a 1960s rock band from Portland, Oregon, United States. They are best known for their 1963 recording of R&B singer Richard Berry's " Louie Louie", which held the No. 2 spot on the '' Billboard'' charts for six weeks an ...

– on their 1964 debut album '' The Kingsmen In Person'' *

Helen Shapiro Helen Kate Shapiro (born 28 September 1946) is a British pop and jazz singer and actress. While still a teenager in the early 1960s, she was one of Britain's most successful female singers. With a voice described by AllMusic as possessing "the ...

recorded a version of "Fever" in 1964; her cover reached number 38 on the UK Singles Chart on January 23 of the same year. *

Sarah Vaughan Sarah Lois Vaughan (March 27, 1924 – April 3, 1990) was an American jazz singer. Nicknamed "Sassy" and " The Divine One", she won two Grammy Awards, including the Lifetime Achievement Award, and was nominated for a total of nine Grammy Award ...

on her 1964 album ''VIVA!'' *

Claude Nougaro Claude Nougaro (, oc, Claudi Nogaròu; 9 September 1929 – 4 March 2004) was a French songwriter and singer. Life and career Claude Nougaro was born in Toulouse to a respected French opera singer, Pierre Nougaro, and a piano teacher, Liette ...

recorded a French version, "Docteur", to his own lyrics in 1964 *

in 1965 released a version similar to their previous hit " Hang On Sloopy". The McCoys version of "Fever" peaked at number seven on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and 34 on the

German Singles Chart The GfK Entertainment charts are the official music charts in Germany and are gathered and published by GfK Entertainment (formerly Media Control and Media Control GfK International), a subsidiary of GfK, on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindust ...

. *

Paul Revere & the Raiders Paul Revere & the Raiders (also known as Raiders) were an American rock band formed in Boise, Idaho, in 1958. They saw considerable U.S. mainstream success in the second half of the 1960s and early 1970s. The band was known for including Revol ...

– for their 1965 album ''Here They Come!'' *

Bruno Lauzi Bruno Lauzi (; 8 August 1937 – 24 October 2006) was an Italian singer-songwriter, poet and writer. Biography Bruno Lauzi was born in Asmara, then part of the Italian Eastern Africa, to a Catholic father, Francesco Lauzi and a Jewish mot ...

wrote and recorded in 1966 an Italian language parody, ''Garibaldi Blues'', in which the text is based on an important moment of the Italian

Risorgimento The unification of Italy ( it, Unità d'Italia ), also known as the ''Risorgimento'' (, ; ), was the 19th-century political and social movement that resulted in the consolidation of different states of the Italian Peninsula into a single ...

, the expedition of the Italian Patriot

Giuseppe Garibaldi Giuseppe Maria Garibaldi ( , ;In his native Ligurian language, he is known as ''Gioxeppe Gaibado''. In his particular Niçard dialect of Ligurian, he was known as ''Jousé'' or ''Josep''. 4 July 1807 – 2 June 1882) was an Italian general, pa ...

in Southern Italy (1860) with the Mille (or Expedition of the Thousand). *

James Brown James Joseph Brown (May 3, 1933 – December 25, 2006) was an American singer, dancer, musician, record producer and bandleader. The central progenitor of funk music and a major figure of 20th century music, he is often referred to by the hono ...

– ''

Cold Sweat "Cold Sweat" is a song performed by James Brown and written with his bandleader Alfred "Pee Wee" Ellis. Brown recorded it in May 1967. An edited version of "Cold Sweat" released as a two-part single on King Records was a No. 1 R&B hit, and rea ...

'' (1967). Music critic

opined that "Fever" placed on the album with several other cover versions "smelled a little fishy at the time". * La Lupe – ''Queen of Latin Soul'' (1968). Her version became famous worldwide. On the web site NBCNewYork.com Elizabeth Bougerol called it one of the best versions and essential at

Boogaloo Boogaloo or bugalú (also: shing-a-ling, Latin boogaloo, Latin R&B) is a genre of Latin music and dance which was popular in the United States in the 1960s. Boogaloo originated in New York City mainly among teenage African Americans and Latinos ...

parties. *

Buddy Guy George "Buddy" Guy (born July 30, 1936) is an American blues guitarist and singer. He is an exponent of Chicago blues who has influenced generations of guitarists including Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, Keith Richards, Stevie Ray Vaugh ...

from his 1968 album '' This Is Buddy Guy''. * 1969 Chicago Cubs – A version of the song with the same music but different lyrics, called "Pennant Fever", was recorded by seven members of the 1969 Chicago Cubs:

Billy Williams Billy Leo Williams (born June 15, 1938) is a former left fielder and coach in Major League Baseball (MLB) who played from 1959 to 1976, almost entirely for the Chicago Cubs. A six-time All-Star, Williams was named the 1961 National League (NL) ...

, Randy Hundley,

Ron Santo Ronald Edward Santo (February 25, 1940 – December 3, 2010) was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) third baseman who played for the Chicago Cubs from 1960 through 1973 and the Chicago White Sox in 1974. In 1990, Santo became a member of the ...

Don Kessinger Donald Eulon Kessinger (born July 17, 1942) is an American former professional baseball player and manager. He played in Major League Baseball as a shortstop from to , most prominently as a member of the Chicago Cubs where, he was a six-time ...

, Willie Smith,

Gene Oliver Eugene George Oliver (March 22, 1935 – March 3, 2007) was an American professional baseball player who appeared in 786 games in Major League Baseball, primarily as a catcher and first baseman, between and , for the St. Louis Cardinals (195 ...

, and Nate Oliver. * Junior Wells – in 1969 which appears on the album ''Live at the Golden Bear''. *

Rita Coolidge Rita Coolidge (born May 1, 1945) is an American recording artist. During the 1970s and 1980s, her songs were on ''Billboard'' magazine's pop, country, adult contemporary, and jazz charts, and she won two Grammy Awards with fellow musician and the ...

– for '' The Lady's Not for Sale'' (1972) and it became a minor hit in her early career. * Reggae artist Junior Byles recorded a notable version of "Fever" in 1972, produced by Lee Perry. Approximately four years later, another Perry-produced recording by Susan Cadogan was released, utilizing the same

backing track A backing track is an audio recording on audiotape, CD or a digital recording medium or a MIDI recording of synthesized instruments, sometimes of purely rhythmic accompaniment, often of a rhythm section or other accompaniment parts that live musi ...

as the Junior Byles version. *

Brian Eno Brian Peter George St John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno (; born Brian Peter George Eno, 15 May 1948) is a British musician, composer, record producer and visual artist best known for his contributions to ambient music and work in rock, pop a ...

and pub rock band The Winkies recorded "Fever" as part of their 1974

Peel Sessions John Robert Parker Ravenscroft (30 August 1939 – 25 October 2004), known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey (DJ) and radio presenter. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly fr ...

. *

Suzi Quatro Susan Kay Quatro (born June 3, 1950) is an American singer, bass guitarist, songwriter, and actress. In the 1970s, she scored a string of hit singles that found greater success in Europe and Australia than in her homeland, reaching No. 1 in th ...

included her own version of "Fever" on ''

Your Mamma Won't Like Me ''Your Mamma Won't Like Me'' is the third studio album by Suzi Quatro. Released in May 1975 by record label Rak in most countries, in the US the album was released through Arista Records, the label that had recently succeeded Bell Records which ...

'' in 1975. Dave Thompson from AllMusic called her cover "lukewarm". *

Madleen Kane Madleen Kane (born Madeleine Flerkell 4 March 1958 in Malmö, Sweden), is a Swedish model and singer. A former Elite fashion model (height 180 cm / 5'11" - weight 47 kg / 103 lbs), she worked since age 17 for the German fashion maga ...

released her version in 1978, and it peaked at No. 19 on the Canadian Dance Chart. * Indian singer

Usha Uthup Usha Uthup Iyer (born 7 November 1947) is an Indian pop, filmi, jazz, and playback singer who sang songs in the late 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. "Darling", which she recorded with Rekha Bhardwaj for the film ''7 Khoon Maaf'', won the Filmfare ...

performed the song on various of her concerts (including those in 2010) and included it on the album ''Usha in Nairobi'' released in 1978. *

Link Wray Fred Lincoln "Link" Wray Jr. (May 2, 1929 – November 5, 2005) was an American guitarist, songwriter, and vocalist who became popular in the late 1950s. ''Rolling Stone'' placed Wray at No. 45 of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time. In 2013 ...

released his cover of
Fever
' on the 1979 albu
Bullshot
* Lizzy Mercier Descloux recorded a parody of the song entitled "Tumor" on her 1979 album ''

Press Color ''Press Color'' is the debut album of French no wave singer, Lizzy Mercier Descloux. The album has received some critical acclaim, being called "the real thing" by '' Uncut'' magazine. Track listing All songs written by Lizzy Mercier Descloux u ...

''. *

The Cramps The Cramps were an American rock band formed in 1976 and active until 2006. Their lineup rotated frequently during their existence, with the husband-and-wife duo of singer Lux Interior and guitarist Poison Ivy the only ever-present members. ...

covered "Fever" on their debut album '' Songs the Lord Taught Us'' (1980) It was praised by Ned Raggett of AllMusic who felt that it challenged the original. * Du Du A released a version of the song, entitled "Strast" ("Passion"), on their 1982 debut album ''Primitivni ples'' (''Primitive Dance''). *

The Jam The Jam were an English mod revival/ punk rock band formed in 1972 at Sheerwater Secondary School in Woking, Surrey. They released 18 consecutive Top 40 singles in the United Kingdom, from their debut in 1977 to their break-up in December 1 ...

– During their 1982 world tour, the British group covered the song as part of a medley with their own "Pity Poor Alfie" and

Ray Charles Ray Charles Robinson Sr. (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004) was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. He is regarded as one of the most iconic and influential singers in history, and was often referred to by contemporaries as "The Ge ...

1961 song "

Hit the Road Jack "Hit the Road Jack" is a song written by the rhythm and blues singer Percy Mayfield and recorded by Ray Charles. The song was a US number 1 hit in 1961, and won a Grammy award for Best Rhythm and Blues Recording, becoming one of Charles' si ...

". A studio version of this (minus the latter song) was released in September 1982 on the B-side of their single " The Bitterest Pill (I Ever Had to Swallow)". The track dubbed as "Pity Poor Alfie/Fever" was also included on many of the group's compilation releases. *

Amanda Lear Amanda Lear (; born 1939) is a French singer, songwriter, painter, television presenter, actress, and former model. She began her professional career as a fashion model in the mid-1960s, and went on to model for Paco Rabanne, Ossie Clark, and ...

released a single-only cover of the song in 1982. The cover photo of most single releases was taken by Lear's then-husband, Alain-Philippe Malagnac d'Argens de Villèle. Although "Fever" was not a commercial success and did not chart, it appeared on her hits compilation '' Super 20'' in 1989. *

Annabella Lwin Annabella Lwin (born Myant Myant Aye, , 31 October 1966) is an Anglo-Burmese singer, songwriter and record producer best known as the lead singer of Bow Wow Wow. Early life, family and education Lwin was born in Rangoon, Burma to a Burmese fat ...

recorded the song in 1986 for her first solo album after the breakup of

Bow Wow Wow Bow Wow Wow are an English new wave band, created by manager Malcolm McLaren in 1980. McLaren recruited members of Adam and the Ants to form the band behind 13-year-old Annabella Lwin on vocals. They released their debut EP ''Your Cassette Pe ...

, and it provided the title for the album itself. A music video was released for the song. *

Sumo (band) Sumo was a 1980s Argentine alternative rock band, heavily influenced by post-punk, reggae and funk-metal. Led by Italian-born Scottish Luca Prodan, it remained underground for most of its short activity but was extremely influential in shaping ...

from his 1989 album ''Fiebre''(fever). *

Charly García Charly García (born Carlos Alberto García, October 23, 1951) is an Argentine singer-songwriter, musician and record producer. He formed and headlined two of the most popular bands in Argentina's rock history: Sui Generis in the 1970s and Se ...

– ''Estaba en llamas Cuando me Acosté'' (1995) which included a cover version "Fever". *

Shirley Horn Shirley Valerie Horn (May 1, 1934 – October 20, 2005) was an American jazz singer and pianist. She collaborated with many jazz musicians including Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, Toots Thielemans, Ron Carter, Carmen McRae, Wynton Marsalis and othe ...

recorded a jazz version of "Fever" on her album

The Main Ingredient The Main Ingredient was an American soul and R&B group best known for their 1972 hit song " Everybody Plays the Fool". Early history The group was formed in Harlem, New York City in 1964 as a trio called the Poets, composed of lead singer Do ...

, at

Verve Records Verve Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group (UMG). Founded in 1956 by Norman Granz, the label is home to the world's largest jazz catalogue, which includes recordings by artists such as Ella Fitzgerald, Nina Simon ...

in 1998. *

Bob Weir Robert Hall Weir ( ; né Parber, born October 16, 1947) is an American musician and songwriter best known as a founding member of the Grateful Dead. After the group disbanded in 1995, Weir performed with The Other Ones, later known as The Dead ...

of the

Grateful Dead The Grateful Dead was an American rock band formed in 1965 in Palo Alto, California. The band is known for its eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, folk, country, jazz, bluegrass, blues, rock and roll, gospel, reggae, world music, ...

– The song appears on two of Weir's live albums: ''

Live Live may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Live!'' (2007 film), 2007 American film * ''Live'' (2014 film), a 2014 Japanese film *'' ''Live'' (Apocalyptica DVD) Music * Live (band), American alternative rock band * List of album ...

'' (1998) and '' Fall 1989: The Long Island Sound'' (2013). Weir performed the song with the Grateful Dead only once – on September 13, 1987, at the Capital Centre in

Landover, Maryland Landover is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. As of the 2020 census it had a population of 25,998. Landover is contained between Sheriff Road and Central Avenue to the so ...

. *

released his cover of this song on his self named debut album in 2003. Aaron Latham at AllMusic considered it one of the highlights on the album, stating that Bublé "gives it a satiny sheen that the song hasn't seen in years". *

Bette Midler Bette Midler (;'' Inside the Actors Studio'', 2004 born December 1, 1945) is an American singer, actress, comedian and author. Throughout her career, which spans over five decades, Midler has received numerous accolades, including four Golden ...

from her 2005 album ''

Bette Midler Sings the Peggy Lee Songbook ''Bette Midler Sings the Peggy Lee Songbook'' is a studio album by American singer Bette Midler. Produced by Barry Manilow, it serves as a follow-up to their Grammy Award-nominated '' Bette Midler Sings the Rosemary Clooney Songbook'' (2003). Rele ...

''. In 2006 it reached No. 4 on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Dance Chart. * Lulu Roman – ''At Last'' (2013) *

Petula Clark Petula Sally Olwen Clark, CBE (born 15 November 1932) is an English singer, actress, and composer. She has one of the longest serving careers of a British singer, spanning more than seven decades. Clark's professional career began during the ...

on 2016's ''From Now On'' *Circé Deslandes from her 2017 album ''Femme Louve''. *

Josh Turner Guitar Joshua Lee Turner is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer, and internet personality based in Brooklyn, New York. Early life and education Turner began singing at nine years of age and began playing guitar five ...

released a YouTube cover of the song Fever with the talented Allison Young as vocalist and Joshua Lee Turner playing guitar in 2019. *

Danzig (band) Danzig is an American heavy metal band led by former Samhain and Misfits singer Glenn Danzig. Formed in 1987 in Lodi, New Jersey, the group early on became a unique voice in the rock scene, playing a bluesy, doom-laden metal with Glenn Danz ...

– ''

Danzig Sings Elvis ''Danzig Sings Elvis'' is the twelfth studio album by American heavy metal band Danzig. It was released on April 17, 2020, through Cleopatra Records. The album consists of cover versions of tracks originally recorded by Elvis Presley. " Always ...

'' (2020) *

Matthew Bellamy Matthew James Bellamy (born 9 June 1978) is an English singer, musician, producer, and songwriter. He is primarily known as the lead vocalist, guitarist, pianist, and primary songwriter for English rock band Muse. He is recognised for his ecce ...

(

Muse In ancient Greek religion and mythology, the Muses ( grc, Μοῦσαι, Moûsai, el, Μούσες, Múses) are the inspirational goddesses of literature, science, and the arts. They were considered the source of the knowledge embodied in ...

) arranged and sung the song Fever for

The Jaded Hearts Club The Jaded Hearts Club is an English rock Supergroup (music), supergroup and Cover band, covers band consisting of vocalists Miles Kane (of The Rascals (English band), the Rascals and The Last Shadow Puppets, Last Shadow Puppets) and Nic Cester ...

's debut album ''You've Always Been Here'' (2020). *

Arielle Dombasle Arielle Dombasle (born April 27, 1953)Dombasle's year of birth has been a subject of much debate, and various sources have given dates ranging from 1953 to 1958. is an American-born French singer, actress, director and model. Her breakthrough ro ...

– ''Iconics'' (2022)

In other media

* On June 3, 1976,

Rita Moreno Rita Moreno (born Rosa Dolores Alverío Marcano; December 11, 1931) is a Puerto Rican actress, dancer, and singer. Noted for her work across different areas of the entertainment industry, she has appeared in numerous film, television, and thea ...

sang "Fever" on episode 105 of ''

The Muppet Show ''The Muppet Show'' is a sketch comedy television series created by Jim Henson and featuring the Muppets. The series originated as two pilot episodes produced by Henson for ABC in 1974 and 1975. While neither episode was moved forward as ...

'', accompanied by the drummer

Animal Animals are multicellular, eukaryotic organisms in the biological kingdom Animalia. With few exceptions, animals consume organic material, breathe oxygen, are able to move, can reproduce sexually, and go through an ontogenetic stage ...

, who repeatedly and comically distracted her with aggressive drumming, which she halted by crushing Animal's head between two cymbals, causing him to declare, "That my kind of woman." In a review for '' The A.V. Club'', Erik Adams considered it to be one of the best segments of the series, further hailing it as a "classic of the genre" and suitable for various generations. * In the seventh-season episode, "The Fabulous Robinson Sisters," of '' Who's the Boss?'', which aired on October 2, 1990, the character Angela Bower (

Judith Light Judith Ellen Light (born February 9, 1949) is an American actress. She made her professional stage debut in 1970, before making her Broadway debut in the 1975 revival of ''A Doll's House''. Her breakthrough role was in the ABC daytime soap opera ...

) sings "Fever" in a night club where her mother Mona takes her. * American musician

Marc Cohn Marc Craig Cohn (; born July 5, 1959) is an American singer-songwriter and musician. He won the Grammy Award for Best New Artist in 1992. Cohn is best known for the song " Walking in Memphis" from his eponymous 1991 album, which was a Top 40 ...

, with accompanying bassist

Jeff Pevar Jeff Pevar is an American musician who has recorded and toured with numerous renowned artists as well as having a solo career. Pevar recorded a debut record on his label Pet Peev Music™, called ''From The Core'', which was released in Decembe ...

, closed his 1993 appearance on ''

Austin City Limits ''Austin City Limits'' is an American live music television program recorded and produced by Austin PBS. The show helped Austin become widely known in the United States as the "Live Music Capital of the World", and is the only television show to ...

'' with a performance of the song. * In the ''

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine ''Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'' (abbreviated as ''DS9'') is an American science fiction television series created by Rick Berman and Michael Piller. The fourth series in the ''Star Trek'' media franchise, it originally aired in syndication from ...

'' April 22, 1998, episode "

His Way "His Way" is the 144th episode of the television series '' Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'', the 20th episode of the sixth season. It originally aired on April 20, 1998, on syndicated television, and received Nielsen ratings of 4.3 points, correspon ...

", the holographic singer modeled on Major Kira (portrayed by Nana Visitor) sings "Fever" for an audience including Constable Odo. * During the episode " Marge Simpson in: 'Screaming Yellow Honkers' of ''

The Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, ...

'' tenth season which aired on February 21, 1999, the character

Edna Krabappel Edna Krabappel-Flanders ( Krabappel; ) is a fictional character from the American animated sitcom ''The Simpsons'', voiced by Marcia Wallace from 1990 until her death in October 2013. She was a 4th-grade teacher, who taught Bart Simpson's class a ...

is seen performing "Fever" while dancing very seductively, much to the chagrin of the audience. * In the 2001 live-action/animated film, ‘’ Osmosis Jones’’, the villainous virus, Thrax (voiced by

Laurence Fishburne Laurence John Fishburne III (born July 30, 1961) is an American actor. He is a three time Emmy Award and Tony Award winning actor known for his roles on stage and screen. He has been hailed for his forceful, militant, and authoritative charact ...

) frequently sings and hums Peggy Lee’s rendition while causing inflammation within Frank’s (played by

Bill Murray William James Murray (born September 21, 1950) is an American actor and comedian. He is known for his deadpan delivery. He rose to fame on ''The National Lampoon Radio Hour'' (1973–1974) before becoming a national presence on '' Saturday Nig ...

) body. * The 2007 film ''

Spider-Man 3 ''Spider-Man 3'' is a 2007 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character Spider-Man. It was directed by Sam Raimi from a screenplay by Raimi, his older brother Ivan and Alvin Sargent. It is the final installment in Raimi's ...

'' features a scene where Mary Jane, played by

Kirsten Dunst Kirsten Caroline Dunst (; born April 30, 1982) is an American actress. She made her acting debut in the short ''Oedipus Wrecks'' directed by Woody Allen in the anthology film '' New York Stories'' (1989). She then gained recognition for her ro ...

, performs the song while Peter (

Tobey Maguire Tobias Vincent Maguire (born June 27, 1975) is an American actor and film producer. He is best known for playing the title character from Sam Raimi's ''Spider-Man'' trilogy (2002–2007), a role he later reprised in '' Spider-Man: No Way Hom ...

) dances with

Gwen Gwen may refer to: * Gwen (given name), including a list of people with the name * ''Gwen, or the Book of Sand'', a 1985 animated film * Gwen (film), a 2018 horror film * Tropical Storm Gwen, several storms with the name Acronyms * AN/URC-117 Grou ...

(

Bryce Dallas Howard Bryce Dallas Howard (born March 2, 1981) is an American actress and director. Howard was born in Los Angeles and attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, initially leaving in 2002 to take roles on Broadway but officially gradua ...

). * In the ''

Gilmore Girls ''Gilmore Girls'' is an American comedy-drama television series created by Amy Sherman-Palladino and starring Lauren Graham (Lorelai Gilmore) and Alexis Bledel ( Rory Gilmore). The show debuted on October 5, 2000, on The WB and became a flag ...

'' episode " Lorelai? Lorelai?", Babette (

Sally Struthers Sally Anne Struthers (born July 28, 1947) is an American actress and activist. She played Gloria Stivic, the daughter of Archie and Edith Bunker (played by Carroll O'Connor and Jean Stapleton) on ''All in the Family'', for which she won two Emm ...

) and Miss Patty ( Liz Torres) sing "Fever" as their last karaoke number with Babette dedicating the number to her husband

Morey Morey () is a commune in the Saône-et-Loire department in the region of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté in eastern France. Geography Morey is located in the hills surrounding the Dheune river and the Canal Du Centre. In addition to the main villag ...

. * "Fever" was included in the Broadway musical ''

Million Dollar Quartet "Million Dollar Quartet" is a recording of an impromptu jam session involving Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, and Johnny Cash made on December 4, 1956, at the Sun Record Studios in Memphis, Tennessee. An article about the session ...

'', which opened in New York in April 2010; it was sung in the Broadway production by Elizabeth Stanley as "Dyanne". * Christina DeRosa sings "Fever" in

Jim Wynorski Jim Wynorski (born August 14, 1950) is an American screenwriter, director, and producer. Wynorski has been making B-movies and exploitation movies since the early 1980s, and has directed over 150 feature films. His earliest films were releas ...

's 2012 film ''Gila!'' * La Lupe's version of "Fever" was featured on the episode "Angels of Death" of the second season of the TV series '' Magic City'', which aired on June 21, 2013. * The 2013 documentary film ''

Red Obsession ''Red Obsession'' is a 2013 Australian documentary film which collects interviews with winemakers and wine lovers across the world. The film is narrated by Russell Crowe. ''Red Obsession'' was co-directed and co-written by David Roach and Warwic ...

'' featured Lee's version of "Fever". * Figure skating world champion Javier Fernández performed part of his Elvis Presley-themed free program to "Fever" during the 2016–17 season. * On January 30, 2018, reality TV star Dorit Kemsley performed a version of the song with pop star friend

Boy George George Alan O'Dowd (born 14 June 1961), known professionally as Boy George, is an English singer, songwriter, DJ, author and mixed media artist. Best known for his soulful voice and his androgynous appearance, Boy George has been the lead singe ...

on ''

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills ''The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills'' (abbreviated ''RHOBH'') is an American reality television series which has been broadcast on Bravo since October 14, 2010. Developed as the sixth installment in ''The Real Housewives'' franchise, it has ...

''. *In Season 5, Episode 20 of

Charmed ''Charmed'' is an American fantasy drama television series created by Constance M. Burge and produced by Aaron Spelling and his production company Spelling Television, with Brad Kern serving as showrunner. The series was originally broadcas ...

Rose McGowan Rósa Arianna "Rose" McGowan (born September 5, 1973) is an American actress. After her film debut in a brief role in the comedy '' Encino Man'' (1992), McGowan achieved wider recognition for her performance in the dark comedy ''The Doom Generat ...

's character, Paige, sings "Fever" in a nightclub at the end of the episode after having lost her voice at the start of the episode and freezing up on stage. *In Season 8, Episode 1 of ''

Archer Archery is the sport, practice, or skill of using a bow to shoot arrows.Paterson ''Encyclopaedia of Archery'' p. 17 The word comes from the Latin ''arcus'', meaning bow. Historically, archery has been used for hunting and combat. In m ...

'', Lana Kane sings "Fever." *The Peggy Lee version of "Fever" is briefly played in the 2020 Netflix miniseries ' The Queen's Gambit' in episode 5.

Footnotes

Sources

* *

External links

A comprehensive database of Fever cover versions
{{authority control 1956 songs 1958 singles 1965 singles 1966 singles 1982 singles 1993 singles Songs written by Otis Blackwell Songs written by Eddie Cooley Little Willie John songs Amanda Lear songs Bette Midler songs Beyoncé songs Elvis Presley songs Eva Cassidy songs Helen Shapiro songs Madonna songs The McCoys songs Peggy Lee songs Rita Coolidge songs Number-one singles in Finland Grammy Hall of Fame Award recipients Song recordings produced by Frank Farian Song recordings produced by Madonna Song recordings produced by Shep Pettibone Music videos directed by Stéphane Sednaoui King Records (United States) singles Capitol Records singles Bang Records singles Maverick Records singles Sire Records singles Warner Records singles Columbia Records singles

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Peggy Lee version

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Madonna version

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Music video and live performances

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Beyoncé version

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Sources

External links