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She's So High

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"She's So High"
Single by Tal Bachman
from the album Tal Bachman
B-side
  • "Angeline"
  • "Superstar"
  • "Guilty"
ReleasedFebruary 13, 1999 (1999-02-13)
StudioPlantation Mixing and Recording (Maui, Hawaii)
GenrePower pop[1]
Length3:44
LabelColumbia
Songwriter(s)Tal Bachman
Producer(s)
Tal Bachman singles chronology
"She's So High"
(1999)
"Strong Enough"
(1999)
Music video
"She's So High" on YouTube

"She's So High" is a power pop song written and performed by Canadian singer-songwriter Tal Bachman. It was released as a single to North American radio on February 13, 1999, from his self-titled debut album (1999). The song peaked at number three in Canada, topped the US Billboard Adult Top 40 chart, and reached number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100. It also became a top-10 hit in Australia and New Zealand and peaked at number 30 in the United Kingdom. American media group AllMusic named it an "album pick".[2] The song won a BMI award[3] and a Juno Award for Best Producer.[4]

Background and writing

[edit]

Tal Bachman wrote the song about an experience that he had in high school when he was trying to get a girl to date his stepbrother.[5] "I attempted to bribe the hottest girl in our high school to go out on a date with [my stepbrother]," Bachman told MTV News. "So as the conversation between me and what I thought was this godly, exalted woman progressed, I began to feel more and more uncomfortable and awkward, and so I just remember that feeling... I don't want to say fear, but just kind of being in awe of her."[5] The song was produced by Bob Rock and was recorded in Maui. Bachman stated he played both his father's '62 Stratocaster and a 12-string electric on the song. He also said that he drew some inspiration in writing it from Sheryl Crow's song "If It Makes You Happy".

Chart performance

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The song debuted on Canada's RPM Top Singles chart on April 19, 1999, at number 18, the highest new entry of the week.[6] For the next few weeks, the song descended the chart, but it began to gain popularity and eventually reached its peak of number three on June 28.[7] It stayed there for another week before beginning its slow descent off the chart, last appearing at number 100 on July 24, 2000, over a year after its first appearance.[8] It was the eighth best-selling single of 1999 in Canada.[9] On the specific RPM genre charts, "She's So High" reached number three on the Rock Report chart and number 30 on the Adult Contemporary chart.[10][11] In the United States, the song reached number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 in August 1999, spending 28 weeks in the top 100, and peaked atop the Adult Top 40 chart in September for three weeks.[12][13] It finished 1999 as the United States' 51st highest-selling song.[14]

The song also found significant success in Australasia. It first appeared at number 44 on Australia's ARIA Singles Chart on the week of August 15, 1999. For the next four weeks, the song rose and fell in the top 30, then shot up to number 13 on September 19.[15] It reached its peak of number eight the following week, then spent nine more nonconsecutive weeks in the top 50, ending the year as Australia's 54th best-selling single.[16] In neighbouring New Zealand, "She's So High" debuted at number 46 on the RIANZ Singles Chart on October 3, then rose 37 positions to number nine—its peak position—the next week.[17] It dropped to number 14 for two weeks, then to number 20 for another two weeks, then spent an additional four weeks in the top 50, logging 10 weeks on the chart altogether. Despite its relatively short charting period, it came in at number 50 on New Zealand's year-end chart.[18]

In the United Kingdom, the song entered the UK Singles Chart at number 30 on October 24, fell to number 51 the following week, then left the top 100 the week after.[19] Elsewhere in Europe, the song peaked at number 29 in Iceland,[20] number 71 in Germany,[21] and number 93 in the Netherlands.[22]

Music video

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The official music video features Yvonne Sciò[23] dressed in angel's wings and World War II-era headgear, specifically a leather pilot cap with aviator's goggles. After stealing balloons from a clown on the street, she gives them to a little girl in exchange for a glass of water, and the girl is then lifted off the ground. Afterwards, Sciò places the glass on the street and attempts a highwire act above it between two buildings, to the curiosity of a crowd of onlookers. She concludes the act by diving into the glass, which is greeted with applause from the soaked crowd. The storyline is interspersed with shots of Bachman playing the song with his band.[24]

Track listings and formats

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Credits and personnel

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Credits are taken from the Tal Bachman album booklet.[31]

Studios

  • Recorded and mixed at Plantation Mixing and Recording (Maui, Hawaii)
  • Additional recording at the Shed (Vancouver, British Columbia)
  • Mastered at Sterling Sound (New York City)

Musicians

Technical

  • Bob Rock – production, mixing
  • Patrick Glover – additional recording engineer
  • Brian Joseph Dobbs – engineering
  • Mike Gillies – additional engineering
  • George Marino – mastering

Charts

[edit]

Certifications

[edit]
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[39] Gold 35,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Release history

[edit]
Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
Canada February 13, 1999 Radio Columbia [1]
United States Alternative radio [1]
April 20, 1999 Contemporary hit radio [40]
Japan May 19, 1999 CD SME [41]
United Kingdom October 18, 1999
  • CD
  • cassette
Columbia [42]

Use in media

[edit]

The song played on the Cold Case season 1 episode "Resolutions".

Twenty years after its original North American release, the song was featured in a television advertisement for the Peloton stationary bicycle, broadly televised in late November 2019.[43]

An instrumental version of the song is used in a Progressive commercial where the client's staircase is being shown as a young man awaits his prom date. The opening chords play as the camera pans up the stairs, Flo and Alan remark that the staircase is covered under Progressive and the young man asks when the woman is coming down to which the father replies she will meet you at the prom.

Kurt Nilsen version

[edit]
"She's So High"
Single by Kurt Nilsen
from the album I
B-side"Wedding's Off"
Released2003 (2003)
StudioHitsville (Halden, Norway)
Length4:06
Label
Songwriter(s)Tal Bachman
Producer(s)Ole Evenrude
Kurt Nilsen singles chronology
"She's So High"
(2003)
"Here She Comes"
(2003)

Four years after Bachman's hit, Norwegian singer Kurt Nilsen's cover version of the song reached number one in Norway and was Norway's best-selling single ever,[44] selling over 80,000 copies to earn an octuple (8×) platinum certification. It became an international hit a year later, achieving its best success in Flanders and the Netherlands, reaching the top 10 in these regions.

Track listings

[edit]
  • Norway: RCA, BMG / 82876528502 (2003)
  • Europe: RCA / 82876 61088 2 (2004)

All tracks are written by Tal Bachman, except where noted

CD single
No.TitleLength
1."She's So High"4:08
2."Wedding's Off" (written by Kurt Nilsen)3:00
  • Europe: BMG / 82876 597 612 (2004)
No.TitleLength
1."She's So High"4:08
2."She's So High" (instrumental)4:08
  • Europe: RCA / 82876 59828 2 (2004)
Enhanced CD single
No.TitleLength
1."She's So High"4:08
2."She's So High" (instrumental)4:08
3."She's So High" (video on CD-ROM track) 

Charts

[edit]

Certifications

[edit]
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Norway (IFPI Norway)[62] 8× Platinum 100,000[61]

Release history

[edit]
Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
Norway 2003 CD
Europe February 9, 2004 [49]
Australia March 8, 2004 [63]
United Kingdom May 17, 2004 [64]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c O'Connor, Brian (March 27, 1999). "Tal Bachman Joins the Family Business With Columbia Debut" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 111, no. 13. p. 21. Retrieved September 27, 2020.
  2. ^ "Tal Bachman – Tal Bachman – Songs, Reviews, Credits – AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved March 12, 2017.
  3. ^ "Rob Thomas, Eagle-Eye Cherry Receive BMI Awards". MTV. Archived from the original on January 29, 2013. Retrieved August 10, 2013.
  4. ^ "Saskatchewan Recording Industry Association – Juno Award winners". Retrieved July 16, 2009.
  5. ^ a b "Tal Bachman Reveals His Inspiration For "She's So High"". MTV. Archived from the original on February 9, 2012. Retrieved July 23, 2012.
  6. ^ "RPM Top 100 Hit Tracks April 19, 1999". RPM. July 17, 2013. Retrieved November 19, 2018 – via Library and Archives Canada.
  7. ^ a b "Top RPM Singles: Issue 8404." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved November 19, 2018.
  8. ^ "RPM Top 100 Hit Tracks July 24, 2000". RPM. July 17, 2013. Retrieved November 19, 2018 – via Library and Archives Canada.
  9. ^ a b "RPM 1999 Top 100 Hit Tracks". RPM. Retrieved November 19, 2018 – via Library and Archives Canada.
  10. ^ a b "Top RPM Rock/Alternative Tracks: Issue 8126." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved November 19, 2018.
  11. ^ a b "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 8173." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved November 19, 2018.
  12. ^ a b "Tal Bachman Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved November 19, 2018.
  13. ^ a b "Tal Bachman Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved November 19, 2018.
  14. ^ a b "Billboard Top 100 – 1999". Archived from the original on November 10, 2006. Retrieved August 28, 2010.
  15. ^ a b "Tal Bachman – She's So High". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved November 19, 2018.
  16. ^ a b "ARIA Top 100 Singles for 1999". ARIA. Retrieved September 27, 2020.
  17. ^ a b "Tal Bachman – She's So High". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved November 19, 2018.
  18. ^ a b "End of Year Charts 1999". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved September 5, 2019.
  19. ^ a b "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 19, 2018.
  20. ^ a b "Íslenski Listinn Sætin 21 til 40 (18.11 – 25.11 1999)". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). November 19, 1999. p. 10. Retrieved October 6, 2019.
  21. ^ a b "Tal Bachman – She's So High" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved November 19, 2018.
  22. ^ a b "Tal Bachman – She's So High" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved November 19, 2018.
  23. ^ "Credits". Yvonne Scio Official Website. Retrieved April 27, 2023.
  24. ^ Tal Bachman (October 25, 2009). Tal Bachman - She's So High (Official Video) (YouTube video). YouTube. TalBachmanOfficial. Retrieved October 12, 2014.
  25. ^ She's So High (Australian maxi-CD single liner notes). Columbia Records. 1999. 666778 2. {{cite AV media notes}}: Unknown parameter |people= ignored (help)
  26. ^ She's So High (European maxi-CD liner notes). Columbia Records. 1999. COL 666441 2. {{cite AV media notes}}: Unknown parameter |people= ignored (help)
  27. ^ She's So High (Japanese maxi-CD liner notes). SME Records. 1999. SRCS 8918. {{cite AV media notes}}: Unknown parameter |people= ignored (help)
  28. ^ She's So High (European CD single liner notes). Columbia Records. 1999. COL 666441 1. {{cite AV media notes}}: Unknown parameter |people= ignored (help)
  29. ^ She's So High (UK cassette single liner notes). Columbia Records. 1999. 667993 4. {{cite AV media notes}}: Unknown parameter |people= ignored (help)
  30. ^ She's So High (UK CD single liner notes). Columbia Records. 1999. 667993 2. {{cite AV media notes}}: Unknown parameter |people= ignored (help)
  31. ^ Tal Bachman (US CD album booklet). Columbia Records. 1999. CK 67956. {{cite AV media notes}}: Unknown parameter |people= ignored (help)
  32. ^ "Canadian Top 20 in 1999" (PDF). Cross Canada Countdown. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 7, 2005. Retrieved November 13, 2023.
  33. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 19, 2018.
  34. ^ "Tal Bachman Chart History (Adult Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved September 5, 2019.
  35. ^ "Tal Bachman Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved November 19, 2018.
  36. ^ "RPM 1999 Top 50 Rock Tracks". RPM. Retrieved November 19, 2018 – via Library and Archives Canada.
  37. ^ "1999 The Year in Music: Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 111, no. 52. December 25, 1999. p. YE-100. Retrieved April 2, 2020.
  38. ^ "Most Played Mainstream Top 40 Songs of 1999". Airplay Monitor. Vol. 7, no. 52. December 24, 1999. p. 54.
  39. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 1999 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved September 5, 2019.
  40. ^ "Going for Adds" (PDF). Radio & Records. No. 1259. April 16, 1999. p. 50. Retrieved July 24, 2021.
  41. ^ "シーズ・ソー・ハイ | タル・バックマン" [She's So High | Tal Bachman] (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved October 8, 2023.
  42. ^ "New Releases – For Week Starting 18 October, 1999" (PDF). Music Week. October 16, 1999. p. 23. Retrieved July 24, 2021.
  43. ^ Reiss, Jaclyn (December 3, 2019). "Here's why people are reacting so viscerally to the 'Grace in Boston' Peloton commercial". The Boston Globe. Retrieved December 3, 2019.
  44. ^ "Kurt Nilsen Biography". AllMusic.
  45. ^ "Issue 733" ARIA Top 100 Singles. National Library of Australia. Retrieved October 6, 2021.
  46. ^ "Kurt Nilsen – She's So High" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  47. ^ "Kurt Nilsen – She's So High" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  48. ^ "Kurt Nilsen – She's So High" (in French). Ultratip.
  49. ^ a b "Kurt Nilsen – She's So High" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved November 12, 2019.
  50. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Kurt Nilsen" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40.
  51. ^ "Kurt Nilsen – She's So High" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved November 12, 2019.
  52. ^ "Kurt Nilsen – She's So High". Top 40 Singles.
  53. ^ "Kurt Nilsen – She's So High". VG-lista.
  54. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 12, 2019.
  55. ^ "Kurt Nilsen – She's So High". Swiss Singles Chart.
  56. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 12, 2019.
  57. ^ "OLiS – oficjalna lista airplay" (Select week 27.05.2023–02.06.2023.) (in Polish). OLiS. Retrieved June 5, 2023.
  58. ^ "Jaaroverzichten 2004" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Retrieved November 12, 2019.
  59. ^ "Top 100–Jaaroverzicht van 2004". Dutch Top 40. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
  60. ^ "Jaaroverzichten – Single 2004" (in Dutch). MegaCharts. Retrieved November 12, 2019.
  61. ^ "Villedende salgstall". NRK. December 15, 2003. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
  62. ^ "IFPI Norsk platebransje Trofeer 1993–2011" (in Norwegian). IFPI Norway.
  63. ^ "The ARIA Report: New Releases Singles – Week Commencing 8th March 2004" (PDF). ARIA. March 8, 2004. p. 26. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 6, 2004. Retrieved October 6, 2021.
  64. ^ "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. May 15, 2004. p. 31.