I Quit (Hepburn song) explained

I Quit
Cover:	I Quit Hepburn cover.jpg
Type:	single
Album:	Hepburn
B-Side:	"Sleeping Beauty" "Butterfly" "Cold World"
Artist:	Hepburn
Genre:	Pop^[1]
Length:	3:53
Label:	Columbia
Producer:	Phil Thornalley Notodog
Next Title:	Bugs
Next Year:	1999

"I Quit" is a song by British female pop band Hepburn.^[2] The song was written by Phil Thornalley, who produced the track alongside Notodog, and Colin Campsie. Included on Hepburn's debut and only studio album, Hepburn (1999), the song also appears on the soundtrack to the American supernatural drama television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer.^[3]

"I Quit" was originally offered to Australian singer Natalie Imbruglia, who turned down the track.^[4] Hepburn recorded the song instead and released it as their debut single on 17 May 1999 through Columbia Records. Commercially, the song reached number eight on the UK Singles Chart and also charted in France, peaking at number 80. The song was released in the United States in October 1999 but failed to generate success.

Release and reception

Columbia Records released "I Quit" in the United Kingdom on 17 May 1999.^[5] Critically, British trade paper Music Week compared the song's "angry" chorus to Alanis Morissette's music, noting the song's maturity and calling it "instantly catchy and hummable".^[6] UK chart columnist James Masterton wrote that the rhyming couplet "But you turned into another liar / And you came on like a new Messiah" was the "coolest" lyric of the 23 May 1999 chart week, when "I Quit" debuted at its peak of number eight on the UK Singles Chart.^[7] The song remained on the UK chart for nine weeks and is Hepburn's only top-20 single.

In June 1999, Hepburn promoted the song by performing it live on music programme Top of the Pops.^[8] In the United States, TVT Records serviced "I Quit" to rock radio stations on 5 October 1999, but it did not experience success.^[9] In mid-2000, the song charted on the French Singles Chart for two nonconsecutive weeks, peaking at number 80 that May.

Track listings

UK CD1^[10]

1. "I Quit" – 3:53
2. "Sleeping Beauty" – 3:20
3. "Butterfly" – 3:34

UK CD2^[11]

1. "I Quit" – 3:53
2. "Cold World" – 5:35
3. "I Quit" (Dave Sears 'On Time Mix') – 7:38

UK cassette single^[12]

1. "I Quit" – 3:53
2. "Sleeping Beauty" – 3:20

European CD single^[13]

1. "I Quit" – 3:53
2. "Butterfly" – 3:34

Australian CD single^[14]

1. "I Quit" – 3:53
2. "Sleeping Beauty" – 3:20
3. "Cold World" – 5:35
4. "I Quit" (Dave Sears 'On Time Mix') – 7:38

Personnel

Personnel are lifted from the Australian CD single liner notes.^[14]

• Phil Thornalley – writing, production
• Colin Campsie – writing
• Notodog – production
• Dave Bascombe – mixing
• Simon Fowler – photography

Release history

Region	Date	Format(s)	Label(s)
United Kingdom	17 May 1999		Columbia
United States	5 October 1999		TVT

Notes and References

1. Web site: TWAS 263: Hepburn, Fastbacks. www.furia.com. 10 November 2021.
2. Soundtracks and Filmscore News. Applefeld Olson. Catherine. Billboard. 111. 43. 20. 23 October 1999.
3. Web site: Original TV Soundtrack: Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Album. AllMusic. 9 November 2021.
4. Web site: Week Ending August 28th 1999. Masterton. James. James Masterton. Chart Watch UK. 22 August 1999. 2 August 2022.
5. New Releases – For Week Starting 17 May, 1999: Singles. Music Week. 23. 15 May 1999.
6. Reviews: Hepburn: I Quit. Music Week. 24. 8 May 1999.
7. Web site: Week Ending May 29th 1999. Masterton. James. Chart Watch UK. 23 May 1999. 9 November 2021.
8. On the Road. Whiting. Gordon. Music Week. 30. 19 June 1999.
9. Going for Adds. Radio & Records. 1319. 107, 112, 121. 1 October 1999.
10. I Quit. Hepburn. 1999. UK CD1 liner notes. Columbia Records. 667401 2.
11. I Quit. Hepburn. 1999. UK CD2 liner notes. Columbia Records. 667401 5.
12. I Quit. Hepburn. 1999. UK cassette single sleeve. Columbia Records. 667401 4.
13. I Quit. Hepburn. 1999. European CD single liner notes. Columbia Records. 667262 1.
14. I Quit. Hepburn. 1999. Australian CD single liner notes. Columbia Records. 667659 2.
15. Eurochart Hot 100 Singles. Music & Media. 16. 23. 8. 5 June 1999.