Hold On Tight (Samantha Fox song) explained

Hold On Tight
Cover:	Samantha Fox - Hold On Tight Single Cover.jpeg
Type:	single
Artist:	Samantha Fox
Album:	Touch Me
B-Side:	It's Only Love
Released:	1986
Genre:	Rock and roll rockabilly
Length:	3:34
Label:	Jive
Producer:	John David Steve Power
Prev Title:	Do Ya Do Ya (Wanna Please Me)
Prev Year:	1986
Next Title:	I'm All You Need
Next Year:	1986

"Hold On Tight" is the third single from English pop singer Samantha Fox's debut studio album Touch Me (1986).

Song information

The music video for Hold On Tight reflects the song's rockabilly sensibilities with Fox in a 1950s-style diner sporting a ponytail, midriff-baring shirt, denim hot pants, and cowboy boots. Soon after putting her song on the diner's jukebox she goes outside, now wearing a fringe trimmed red leather dress. As she sings "Hold On Tight", Fox dances with greasers and youths in letterman jackets and poodle skirts, typical of 1950s fashion.^[1]

Critical reception

Lucy O'Brien in a review of 30 August 1986 for New Musical Express gave a negative view of the song and video by saying that Samantha Fox was "aping Suzi Quatro with derivative R&R crap". She concluded: "It's not even worth a laugh on Wogan".^[2] William Shaw of Smash Hits expressed similar opinion. He called a voice of the singer "unpleasantly squeaky", the song itself he described as "attempt to try a spot of rock'n'roll" that became "absolute disgrace" and finalized single review by deride of Fox look as a "Bonnie Tyler motorcycle vixen" on picture sleeve.^[3]

Track listings

Vinyl, 7" UK (FOXY 3)^[4]

1. "Hold On Tight" – 3:34
2. "It's Only Love" – 3:36

Vinyl, 12", Picture Disc UK (FOXY S 3)^[5]

1. "Hold On Tight (Extended Version)" – 5:06
2. "Hold On Tight (Instrumental Version)" – 3:36
3. "Touch Me (I Want Your Body) (Blue Mix)" – 5:49
4. "It's Only Love" – 3:34

Charts

Chart (1986)	Peak position
Australia (Kent Music Report)^[6]	81
Europe (European Hot 100 Singles)^[7]	44
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)^[8]	7

Notes and References

1. Web site: Samantha Fox Hold On Tight. https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211220/mDqLMaWuXug. 2021-12-20 . live. YouTube. 1986. 2012-05-20.
2. O'Brien. Lucy. Lucy O'Brien. Review: Samantha Fox – "Hold On Tight" (Jive). New Musical Express. 30 August 1986. 14. London. IPC Limited. 0028-6362. 2 November 2022. Flickr.
3. Shaw. William. William Shaw (writer). Singles: Samantha Fox – "Hold On Tight" (Jive). Smash Hits. Peterborough. EMAP National Publications, Ltd.. 8. 19. 53. 24 September – 7 October 1986. 0260-3004. 2 January 2023. Flickr.
4. Web site: Samantha Fox - Hold On Tight (Vinyl) at Discogs . Discogs.com . 2012-01-11.
5. Web site: Samantha Fox - Hold On Tight (Vinyl) at Discogs . Discogs.com . 2012-01-11.
6. Book: Kent, David. David Kent (historian). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. illustrated. St. Ives, NSW. Australian Chart Book. 1993. 117. 0-646-11917-6.
7. European Hot 100 Singles . . 3 . 40 . 11 October 1986 . 12 . 29800226 . 17 March 2020 . American Radio History.
8. Book: Pennanen, Timo . Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 . Finnish . 1st . Helsinki . . 2006 . 978-951-1-21053-5.