Sleeping Satellite

"Sleeping Satellite" is the debut single by British singer-songwriter Tasmin Archer, released as the first single from the album, Great Expectations in September 1992.[1] The song was a number-one hit in the United Kingdom and Ireland. It also became an international hit, reaching the top 20 in 13 other countries and number 32 on the US Billboard Hot 100.

"Sleeping Satellite"
Single by Tasmin Archer
from the album Great Expectations
Released1 September 1992[1]
GenrePop
Length4:42
LabelEMI (UK)
SBK/Capitol-EMI (US)
Songwriter(s)Tasmin Archer, John Beck, John Hughes
Producer(s)Julian Mendelsohn, Paul Wickens
Tasmin Archer singles chronology
"Sleeping Satellite"
(1992)		 "In Your Care"
(1993)

Lyrics and music

Although "Sleeping Satellite" was first released in 1992, Archer and her co-writers, John Beck and John Hughes, actually wrote and composed the song in the late 1980s. It was only when Archer got a record deal that the song saw the light of day.

On the song, John Hughes and Robbie McIntosh played guitar, with John Beck and Paul Wickens playing keyboards. The drummer was Graham Broadhead, whilst Gary Maughan played the Fairlight. Archer sings backing vocals on the track along with Tessa Niles and Carol Kenyon. The lyrics of the song reference the Apollo Missions of the 1960s, characterised as "man's greatest adventure"; the sleeping satellite of the title being the Moon.

Critical reception

AllMusic editor Roch Parisien noted the song as a "hypnotic, fashionably retro-psych-soul beauty".[2] Tom Ewing from Freaky Trigger wrote, "This, it seems to me, is part of what "Sleeping Satellite"'s articulating: a sense of disappointment bordering on betrayal that having dreamed of the Moon – or indeed, because it got there – humanity now seems confined to a slowly boiling Earth. This is potent, raw stuff and very difficult indeed to cover effectively in a pop song. And in truth Archer doesn't cover it effectively – the song's ambiguous and flowery, its emotional kick comes from Archer's self-belief more than anything you can read into it. But I have to say I like the idea that she tried."[3] Kent Zimmerman from Gavin Report described it as "a treasure of a song from England", adding, "As the seconds tick away, the song keeps right on building, with guitars, keyboards and a fantastic chorus."[4] Music & Media said it's a "brilliant soulful pop song with a slightly spacey production".[5] Music Week called it "stylish", adding it as "both commercial and credible and should prompt a higher than average take-up for her aptly-named debut album".[6] In 2012, Porcys listed the song at number 59 in their ranking of "100 Singles 1990-1999", noting it as an "ideal pop-soul ballad". They added that "technically, "Sleeping Satellite" is an elegant blend of acoustics with synthetics, starting from the chic cascade, unloading the pomposity of a piece on a bridge built of psychedelic keyboard variations."[7] In his review of the album Great Expectations, Nick Duerden from Select described the song as "sultry" and "soulful".[8]

Chart performance

"Sleeping Satellite" was released in the United Kingdom on 1 September 1992 and swiftly rose up the charts, replacing The Shamen's "Ebeneezer Goode" at number one in October. It stayed at the top for two weeks before being dethroned by Boyz II Men's "End of the Road". It also topped the charts in neighbouring Ireland, spending four weeks at number one. It remains Archer's only top-ten hit in both the UK and Ireland to date.

Outside the British Isles, "Sleeping Satellite" topped the chart in Greece and was a top-ten hit in numerous other European countries, including France, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden and Switzerland. To date, it is Archer's only charting single in the United States, peaking at number 32 on the Billboard Hot 100 in May 1993 and number 24 on the Adult Contemporary chart. In neighbouring Canada, "Sleeping Satellite" reached number six.

Music video

Two different music videos were made for the song; a European version and a US version. The European music video was directed by Zanna.[9]

Track listings

Charts

Cover versions
  • 1992: A dance remake was released by Italy-based Ketty DB[39] featuring the same lyrics and melody but with a danceable, haunting arrangement.[40]
  • 2003: Another dance remix was released by Aurora. A selection of the original lyrics were used with an electronic synth sound as a backing track.[41]
  • 2005: The song was covered by Australian progressive rock band Karnivool and was released as the B-side to their single "Themata".
  • 2007: Danish singer Bryan Rice covered the song for his second album Good News.
  • 2007: Russian vocal drum and bass duo Stim Axel mixed a cover.
  • 2008: A house remix of the song was released by French DJ Junior Caldera and peaked at number 37 on the French singles chart.[42]
  • 2009: Lady Gaga was inspired by the song for her track "So Happy I Could Die" on The Fame Monster.
  • 2009: Jan Johnston released a cover with multiple mixes on the Perfecto label.
  • 2010: Enduser used the sample from the song in his song "2/3" (from "1/3" EP).
  • 2011: Kim Wilde recorded the song for her covers album, Snapshots, and it was released as the lead single along with "It's Alright".
  • 2012: Stereolove (also known as James Fraser) released an electronic down-tempo cover in August.[43] The track reached number one on the Juno Records UK Pop/Trance charts in November 2012,[44] as well as reaching the top on Kiss FM[45] and Joy 94.9 in Melbourne, Australia. The track reached number 23 on the US DJ Pool Starfleet Top 50 Dance chart.

References
  1. "Screen shot of search results for 'Tasmin Archer' from (from bpi.co.uk)". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 6 December 2018.
  2. "Tasmin Archer - Great Expectations". AllMusic. Retrieved 3 March 2020.
  3. "TASMIN ARCHER – "Sleeping Satellite"". Freaky Trigger. Retrieved 4 March 2020.
  4. Zimmerman, Kent (12 February 1993). "New Releases: Album" (PDF). Gavin Report. p. 76. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
  5. "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. 31 October 1992. p. 14. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  6. "Mainstream: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 17 October 1992. p. 20. Retrieved 2 October 2020.
  7. "100 Singli 1990-1999". Porcys (in Polish). 20 August 2012. Retrieved 2 April 2020.
  8. "Reviews: New Albums". Select. 1 December 1992. p. 73. Retrieved 3 March 2020.
  9. "tasmin archer - sleeping satellite ( viva tv )". YouTube. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
  10. "Australian-charts.com – Tasmin Archer – Sleeping Satellite". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 27 March 2018.
  11. "Austriancharts.at – Tasmin Archer – Sleeping Satellite" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 27 March 2018.
  12. "Ultratop.be – Tasmin Archer – Sleeping Satellite" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 27 March 2018.
  13. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 0979." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 27 March 2018.
  14. "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 1763." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 27 March 2018.
  15. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 9 no. 43. 24 October 1992. p. 31. Retrieved 24 November 2019.
  16. "Lescharts.com – Tasmin Archer – Sleeping Satellite" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 27 March 2018.
  17. "Offiziellecharts.de – Tasmin Archer – Sleeping Satellite". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 27 March 2018.
  18. "Top 10 Sales in Europe" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 10 no. 2. 9 January 1993. p. 12. Retrieved 20 March 2018.
  19. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Sleeping Satellite". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 27 March 2018.
  20. Israel Top-30: 2 weeks at No. 1 (3.11.92 & 10.11.92)
  21. "Top 10 Sales in Europe" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 10 no. 3. 16 January 1993. p. 16. Retrieved 24 November 2019.
  22. "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 48, 1992" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40 Retrieved 27 March 2018.
  23. "Dutchcharts.nl – Tasmin Archer – Sleeping Satellite" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 27 March 2018.
  24. "Charts.nz – Tasmin Archer – Sleeping Satellite". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 27 March 2018.
  25. "Swedishcharts.com – Tasmin Archer – Sleeping Satellite". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 27 March 2018.
  26. "Swisscharts.com – Tasmin Archer – Sleeping Satellite". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 27 March 2018.
  27. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 27 March 2018.
  28. "Tasmin Archer Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 27 March 2018.
  29. "Tasmin Archer Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved 27 March 2018.
  30. "Tasmin Archer Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved 27 March 2018.
  31. "Tasmin Archer Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 27 March 2018.
  32. "The RPM Top 100 Hit Tracks of 1993". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 27 March 2018.
  33. "Single top 100 over 1992" (PDF) (in Dutch). Top40. Retrieved 15 April 2010.
  34. "Year End Charts: Top Singles". Music Week. 16 January 1993. p. 8.
  35. "The ARIA Australian Top 100 Singles 1993 (51–100) (from The ARIA Report No. 203)". ARIA. Retrieved 6 December 2018 – via Imgur.com.
  36. "1993 Year-End Sales Charts: Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 10 no. 51/52. 18 December 1992. p. 15. Retrieved 27 November 2019.
  37. "Top 100 Singles–Jahrescharts 1993" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 24 November 2019.
  38. "British single certifications – Tasmin Archer – Sleeping Satellite". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 24 November 2019. Select singles in the Format field. Select Silver in the Certification field. Type Sleeping Satellite in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
  39. "Ketty DB Discography at Discogs". Discogs. Retrieved 31 March 2014.
  40. "Ketty DB - Sleeping Satellite (Vinyl) at Discogs". Discogs. Retrieved 31 March 2014.
  41. "Aurora Feat Naimee Coleman - Sleeping Satellite (CDr) at Discogs". Discogs. Retrieved 31 March 2014.
  42. "Sleeping Satellite", by Junior Caldera, French Singles Chart Lescharts.com (Retrieved 28 September 2008)
  43. "DJ James Fraser produces dance music tracks under the banner of Stereolove with guest artists under the banner of Stereolove feat". Stereolove.com.au. 10 May 2012. Retrieved 26 April 2013.
  44. "STEREOLOVE SLEEPING SATELLITE HITS NUMBER 1 ON THE JUNO POP / TRANCE CHARTS | Stereolove / DJ James Fraser - Dance Music". Stereolove.com.au. 20 November 2012. Retrieved 26 April 2013.
  45. "1. Stereo Love". Facebook. 24 July 2012. Retrieved 26 April 2013.
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