"Cradle of Love" is a classic rock song written by Billy Idol and David Werner for Idol's 1990 fourth studio album Charmed Life. The song is the album's sixth track, and was released as its first single. It reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the U.S., but stalled at #34 in Idol's native UK. The song was also featured on the soundtrack of The Adventures of Ford Fairlane. It was nominated for Rock Vocal Performance, Male at the 32nd Grammy Awards. It was well received by critics, and was frequently cited as a highlight of the album.
Music and lyrics
"Cradle of Love" is a rock song composed in common time and in the key of Bb major.[1]
Music video
The video, directed by David Fincher, features footage of Idol singing in large frames throughout an apartment. The director made the decision to film Idol from the waist up as he was unable to walk from a motorcycle accident that had happened in February 1990. [2]. It also features model Betsy Lynn George as a teenager who tries to seduce a modest and mild mannered businessman. The film makes use of clips from Ford Fairlane, but as Andrew Dice Clay (who played Fairlane) had been banned from MTV, he is not shown in any of the clips. The video was a huge hit and was placed in heavy rotation on MTV. Idol and George recreated the opening of the video for the 1991 American Music Awards.
At the 1990 MTV Video Music Award, the video was nominated for Best Male Video and Best Special Effects and won the award for Best Video from a Film. [3]
This video was voted #33 on VH1's 50 Sexiest Video Moments.
Formats and track listings
- "Cradle of Love"
- "311 man"
- "Cradle of Dub" (extended remix)
- "Cradle of Love" (LP version)
- "Rob the Cradle of Dub"
- "311 man"
Charts
| Chart [4] |
Peak
position |
| Australian ARIA Singles Chart |
10 |
| Austrian Singles Chart |
8 |
| German Singles Chart |
38 |
| Swiss Singles Chart |
11 |
| UK Singles Chart |
34 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 |
2 |
| U.S. Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks |
1 |
| U.S. Billboard Modern Rock Tracks |
7 |
References
External links
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Billy Idol |
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Billy Idol - Vh1 Storytellers
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