Healing Hands (Elton John song)

"Healing Hands" is a song by Elton John, written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin, from John's 1989 album Sleeping with the Past. The single was released during the late-summer of 1989, and was a top-20 hit in the US. A reissued version (paired as a double A-side single with "Sacrifice") became the singer's first solo number 1 single in the UK.[3] The song was inspired by the Four Tops song "Reach Out, I'll Be There".[4] Produced by Chris Thomas, it was the first of three singles released from the album, with the follow-ups being "Sacrifice" and "Club at the End of the Street".

"Healing Hands"
Single by Elton John
from the album Sleeping with the Past
A-side
  • "Sacrifice"
  • (second release)
B-side
  • "Dancing in the End Zone"
  • (first release)
ReleasedJuly 5, 1989 (first release)
June 23, 1990 (second release)
GenrePop rock[1]
Length4:21
LabelRocket (UK)
MCA (US)
Songwriter(s)Elton John
Bernie Taupin
Producer(s)Chris Thomas[2]
Elton John singles chronology
"Through the Storm"
(1989)		 "Healing Hands"
(1989)		 "Sacrifice"
(1989)

Chart performance

"Healing Hands" did moderately well as a single in the United States, climbing to #13 on the Billboard Hot 100 and reaching #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart on the week of 21 October 1989 (dislodging Madonna's "Cherish" from the #1 position).

The song failed to make the UK Top 40 on its initial release, as did the follow-up, "Sacrifice". However, after Steve Wright of BBC Radio One added "Sacrifice" to his station's playlist, "Sacrifice" was re-released in the UK as a double A-side with "Healing Hands". The double A-side record topped the UK chart for five weeks starting 23 June 1990, becoming the first solo #1 UK hit of Elton John's career.

Technical details

Musically, the song is complex, with the intro and verses in the key of B flat, and the chorus in the key of D. An instrumental solo, in the related minor key of g (minor), serves as a bridge. Rob Stevens also sang the song on his debut album, Little Heart for Love.

Charts

Year-end charts
Chart (1989) Position
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[5] 46

Personnel
  • Elton John: keyboards, lead and harmony vocals
  • Guy Babylon: keyboards
  • Davey Johnstone: guitar, backing vocals
  • Fred Mandel: keyboards
  • Romeo Williams: bass guitar
  • Jonathan Moffett: drums
  • Marlena Jeter: backing vocals
  • Natalie Jackson: backing vocals
  • Mortonette Jenkins: backing vocals
  • Peter Iversen: Fairlight and Audiofile programming

References
  1. "Elton John – Sacrifice / Healing Hands". Discogs. Retrieved 3 August 2014.
  2. "Healing Hands". All Music. Retrieved 3 August 2014.
  3. McAleer, Dave (2001). The Book of Hit Singles: Top 20 Charts from 1954 to the Present Day. Hal Leonard Corporation. p. 302. ISBN 9780879306663.
  4. Cassata, Mary Anne (2002). The Elton John Scrapbook. Citadel Press. p. 38. ISBN 9780806523224.
  5. "Top Singles - Volume 51, No. 8, December 23, 1989". RPM. December 23, 1999. Archived from the original on September 7, 2017. Retrieved November 22, 2017.
  • "Healing Hands", The Billboard Book of Number One Adult Contemporary Hits by Wesley Hyatt, p. 352, Billboard Books (1999).
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.