Don't Give Up (Chicane song) explained

Don't Give Up
Cover:Chicane featuring Bryan Adams Don%27t Give Up single cover.jpg
Type:single
Artist:Chicane featuring Bryan Adams
Album:Behind the Sun
B-Side:Low Sun
Studio:Modena One, Mothership (UK)
Genre:
Label:Xtravaganza
Chronology:Chicane
Prev Title:Saltwater
Prev Year:1999
Next Title:No Ordinary Morning
Next Title2:Halcyon
Next Year:2000

"Don't Give Up" is a song by British electronic music artist Chicane featuring vocals from Canadian singer Bryan Adams. The track was released on 6 March 2000 as the second single from Chicane's second studio album, Behind the Sun (2000). "Don't Give Up" peaked at number one on the UK Singles Chart and became a popular dance track in clubs across Europe and North America.

Background

The collaboration between the two musicians began in 1999, when Adams contacted Bracegirdle at his studio to arrange for a remix of Adams's forthcoming single "Cloud Number 9" from his 1998 album On a Day Like Today.[3] The resulting remix was selected by Adams as the radio edit of the single, which went on to reach number six on the UK chart.[4]

Later, having written the music for a track that needed to be turned into a song, Bracegirdle played the idea to Adams during his search for a voice. Adams agreed to the role, and also wrote the melody and lyrics to the song "Don't Give Up".

Adams's rock-styled vocals were buried in audio processing. This was done through Prosoniq's OrangeVocoder plugin on Steinberg's Cubase VST digital audio workstation. Even though his voice was altered electronically, it is still recognisable.[5] One critic felt the processed vocals were unsuccessful: "Adams digitally treated his vocal on this track to an extreme degree to make it sound less rock. I don't think he quite manages it – his singing is husky anyhow."

Release

Adams's vocal credit was initially not publicised, particularly when the single, in a white label release, was first played by noted BBC Radio 1 DJ Pete Tong on his 31 December 1999 Essential Selection show.[6] It was chosen as Tong's "Essential New Tune" selection, which, on this episode, was specially designated "Essential New Tune for the millennium".[7] On a later January show, Judge Jules, standing in for Tong, played it as the Essential New Tune again.[8] [9] It was also included on Tong's Essential Selection Spring 2000 compilation album.

On the week of 12 March 2000, "Don't Give Up" overtook "American Pie", Madonna's number one single of the previous week, on the UK Singles Chart, outselling it by 1224 copies and becoming Bryan Adams' second number one in the UK after "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" in 1991 and Chicane's first.[10] The song featured on the acclaimed[11] 2000 mix album CreamLive. The song sold 270,000 copies in the UK as stated by the Official UK Charts Company.

In 2004, following Bracegirdle's departure from Xtravaganza, the label issued "Don't Give Up 2004", a single including only new remixes by label founder Alex Gold and Xtravaganza artists Agnelli & Nelson.

A music video was released for the song, featuring a young girl working in a dystopian scenario, who occasionally snatches views of herself (using a Nokia Communicator) living in a more pleasant existence, interspersed with scenes of Adams singing the song.

Critical reception

Dom Passantino of Stylus Magazine was mixed, saying "this is our Bryan's only entry to number one [in the UK Singles Chart in the 2000s], a far too obvious attempt at appealing to both Dave Pearce and Ken Bruce at the same time. Bizarrely enough, time has revealed it to actually be the colour negative of 'Emerge' by Fischerspooner. Except this actually sold some copies."[12] Tom Ewing of Freaky Trigger, although saying the song predicted the EDM boom of the 2010s, was also mixed, saying: "Inadvertently, the track hits on an idea – throaty, effortful bloke singing over formula builds and drops – that we will see an awful lot of in the early 2010s. But this inadvertent futurism isn't the result of any particular vision, just an offspring of the listless humping of two clichés."[13]

Track listings

  1. "Don't Give Up" (original radio edit) – 3:41
  2. "Don't Give Up" (original mix) – 8:36
  3. "Don't Give Up" (Disco Citizens vs. Tomski remix) – 7:30

A. "Don't Give Up" (original mix) – 9:49 (8:36 in US)

B. "Don't Give Up" (Disco Citizens vs. Tomski remix) – 8:45 (7:30 in US)

  1. "Don't Give Up" (original radio edit) – 3:41
  2. "Don't Give Up" (Disco Citizens vs. Tomski remix) – 7:30
  1. "Don't Give Up" (original radio edit) – 3:41
  2. "Don't Give Up" (original mix) – 8:36
  3. "Don't Give Up" (Disco Citizens vs. Tomski remix) – 7:30
  4. "Low Sun" – 6:56
  1. "Don't Give Up" (Alex Gold & The Sound Xpress radio edit)
  2. "Don't Give Up" (Alex Gold & The Sound Xpress mix)
  3. "Don't Give Up" (Agnelli & Nelson mix)

A. "Don't Give Up" (Alex Gold & The Sound Xpress mix)

AA. "Don't Give Up" (Agnelli & Nelson mix)

Charts

Weekly charts

Weekly chart performance for "Don't Give Up"!Chart (2000)!Peak
position
scope="row"
scope="row"
scope="row"
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Denmark (IFPI)[24] 12
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[25] 9
scope="row"
scope="row"
scope="row"
Greece (IFPI)[26] 9
Hungary (Mahasz)[27] 9
Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40)[28] 33
scope="row"
Ireland Dance (IRMA)[29] 2
scope="row"
scope="row"
scope="row"
scope="row"
scope="row"
Romania (Romanian Top 100)[30] 8
scope="row"
scope="row"
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Year-end charts

Year-end chart performance for "Don't Give Up"!Chart (2000)!Position
Australia (ARIA)[31] 75
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[32] 98
Romania (Romanian Top 100)63
UK Singles (OCC)[33] 41
US Dance Club Play (Billboard)[34] 33

Release history

Region!scope="col"
VersionDateFormat(s)Label(s)
United KingdomOriginal6 March 2000CDXtravaganza[35]
United States5 June 2000[36]
6 June 2000[37]
United Kingdom20042 February 2004Xtravaganza[38]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Chicane's Classic Trance anthem 'Don't Give Up' with Bryan Adams gets a massive 2018 rework. Ramirez. Miguel. Trance Project. 11 August 2018. 27 July 2019.
  2. Web site: "Gotta Get Thru This": Dom Passantino's Survey of the New Millenium's UK #1 Singles. Stylus Magazine. https://web.archive.org/web/20060624030747/http://www.stylusmagazine.com/articles/weekly_article/gotta-get-thru-this-dom-passantinos-survey-of-the-new-milleniums-uk-1-singles.htm. 24 June 2006. 19 May 2024. Someone got a chill-out track to #1! No, “Orinoco Flow” doesn't count. Hilariously...this is our Bryan's only entry to #1....
  3. Web site: Shepherd, Stephanie . September 2000 . Samplings – Chicane – Carries Ibiza Sound Across the Pond . DJ Times . 30 April 2006 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20060429160451/http://www.djtimes.com/original/djmag/sep00/samplings_2.htm . 29 April 2006.
  4. Web site: February 2000 . Interview with BBC Radio 1 . Chicane.cc . 30 April 2006 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20070216120414/http://www.chicane.cc/bbc.html . 16 February 2007.
  5. Web site: May 2000 . Tracks: Nick Bracegirdle: Recording Chicane's "Don't Give Up" . . 30 April 2006 .
  6. Web site: Pete Tong – Essential Selection – 31.12.99 . The Aimless Essential Selection Index . 5 December 2006 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20060128144216/http://www.aimless.demon.co.uk/es/es991231.htm . 28 January 2006.
  7. Gill, Alexandra. Bryan Adams, king of rave? . Globe Interactive. 22 August 2000. Accessed 29 March 2006.
  8. Web site: Finan, Chris . 2000 . Chicane – 'Don't Give Up' (Xtravaganza) . Dotmusic (retrieved from the Internet Archive) . 5 December 2006 . https://web.archive.org/web/20000229215418/http://www.dotmusic.com/dance/reviews/Singles/January2000/reviews12786.asp . 29 February 2000.
  9. Web site: Pete Tong – Essential Selection – 14.01.00 . The Aimless Essential Selection Index . 5 December 2006 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20060128132704/http://www.aimless.demon.co.uk/es/es000114.htm . 28 January 2006.
  10. Web site: 12 March 2000 . Interview with BBC Radio 1 . Chicane.cc . 30 April 2006 .
  11. Rated 4.5/5 stars by Allmusic http://www.allmusic.com/album/release/cream-live-mr0002978718
  12. Web site: "Gotta Get Thru This": Dom Passantino's Survey of the New Millenium's UK #1 Singles – Article – Stylus Magazine. stylusmagazine.com. 12 April 2017. 3 July 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170703005701/http://www.stylusmagazine.com/articles/weekly_article/gotta-get-thru-this-dom-passantinos-survey-of-the-new-milleniums-uk-1-singles.htm. dead.
  13. Web site: Ewing. Tom. CHICANE ft BRYAN ADAMS – 'Don't Give Up'. Freaky Trigger. 12 April 2017. 16 February 2015.
  14. Don't Give Up. Chicane. 2000. UK CD single liner notes. Xtravaganza Recordings. XTRAV9CDS.
  15. Don't Give Up. Chicane. 2000. Australian CD single liner notes. Xtravaganza Recordings, Epidrome. 668912 5.
  16. Don't Give Up. Chicane. 2000. UK 12-inch single vinyl disc. Xtravaganza Recordings. XTRAV9CDS.
  17. Don't Give Up. Chicane. 2000. US 12-inch single sleeve. Xtravaganza Recordings, C2 Records. 44 79424.
  18. Don't Give Up. Chicane. 2000. UK cassette single sleeve. Xtravaganza Recordings. XTRAV9CS.
  19. Don't Give Up. Chicane. 2000. European CD single liner notes. Xtravaganza Recordings. XTR 668912 1.
  20. Don't Give Up. Chicane. 2000. US CD single liner notes. Xtravaganza Recordings, C2 Records. 44K 79424.
  21. Don't Give Up. Chicane. 2000. US maxi-CD single liner notes. Xtravaganza Recordings, C2 Records. 44K 79449.
  22. Don't Give Up 2004. Chicane. 2004. UK CD single liner notes. Xtravaganza Recordings. XTRAV44CDS.
  23. Don't Give Up 2004. Chicane. 2004. UK 12-inch single sleeve. Xtravaganza Recordings. XTRAV4412.
  24. Danish Singles Chart. 17 March 2000.
  25. Hits of the World: Eurochart. Billboard. 112. 14. 81. 1 April 2000. 18 March 2023.
  26. Top National Sellers. Music & Media. 17. 19. 13. 6 May 2000. 24 May 2020.
  27. Top National Sellers. Music & Media. 17. 20. 13. 13 May 2000. 24 May 2020.
  28. News: Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (Vikuna 13.3. – 20.4. 2000). Dagblaðið Vísir. 14. 14 April 2000. 5 July 2018. is.
  29. Web site: Top 10 Dance Singles, Week Ending 16 March 2000. GfK Chart-Track. 19 May 2019. https://archive.today/20190716123207/https://www.chart-track.co.uk/index.jsp?c=p/musicvideo/music/archive/index_test.jsp&ct=240004&arch=t&lyr=2000&year=2000&week=11. 16 July 2019. dead.
  30. Web site: Topul anului 2000. Romanian Top 100. ro. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20050122081829/http://www.rt100.ro/topul-anului-2000.html. 22 January 2005. 24 April 2020.
  31. Web site: ARIA Top 100 Singles for 2000. ARIA. 1 March 2021.
  32. Year in Focus – Eurochart Hot 100 Singles 2000. Music & Media. 17. 52. 9. 23 December 2000. 8 February 2020.
  33. Best Sellers of 2000: Singles Top 100. Music Week. London, England. 25. 20 January 2001.
  34. The Year in Music 2000: Hot Dance Club-Play Singles. Billboard. 112. 53. YE-59. 30 December 2000.
  35. New Releases – For Week Starting March 6, 2000: Singles. Music Week. 25. 4 March 2000. 2 August 2021.
  36. Impact Dates. Gavin Report. 2306. 8, 19. 26 May 2000.
  37. Going for Adds. Radio & Records. 1353. 47, 56. 2 June 2000. 27 May 2021.
  38. New Releases: Singles. Music Week. 37. 31 January 2004.

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