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{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2020}}
{{Infobox single <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Songs -->
{{Infobox song
|Name = Prince Charming
|Cover = Prince Charming Single.jpg
| name = Prince Charming
|Artist = [[Adam and the Ants]]
| cover = Prince Charming Single.jpg
⚫
| alt =
|Album = [[Prince Charming (album)|Prince Charming]]
|B-side = Christian D'or
| type = single
|Released = 4 September 1981
| artist = [[Adam and the Ants]]
|Format = [[vinyl record]] (7")
| album = [[Prince Charming (album)|Prince Charming]]
| B-side = Christian D'or
⚫
|Genre = [[New wave music|New wave]], [[new romantic]]
| released = 4 September 1981
⚫
|Length = 3:17
| recorded =
⚫
|Label = [[Columbia Records|CBS]]
| studio =
|Writer = [[Adam Ant]] and [[Marco Pirroni]]
| venue =
⚫
|Producer = [[Chris Hughes (record producer)|Chris Hughes]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/jan13/articles/classic-tracks-0113.htm|last=Buskin|first=Richard|date=January 2013|title=Adam & The Ants ‘Stand & Deliver’|magazine=[[Sound on Sound]]}}</ref>
⚫
| genre = [[New wave music|New wave]]
|Certification =
| length = 3:17
⚫
|Last single = "[[Stand and Deliver (Adam and the Ants song)|Stand and Deliver]]" <br/>(1981)
⚫
| label = [[Columbia Records|CBS]]
|This single = "'''Prince Charming'''"<br />(1981)
|Next single = "[[Ant Rap]]" <br/>(1981)}}
| writer = [[Adam Ant]] and [[Marco Pirroni]]
⚫
| producer = [[Chris Hughes (record producer)|Chris Hughes]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/jan13/articles/classic-tracks-0113.htm|last=Buskin|first=Richard|date=January 2013|title=Adam & The Ants 'Stand & Deliver'|magazine=[[Sound on Sound]]}}</ref>
⚫
| prev_title = [[Stand and Deliver (Adam and the Ants song)|Stand and Deliver]]
| prev_year = 1981
| next_title = [[Ant Rap]]
| next_year = 1981
| misc = {{External music video|{{YouTube|9p__WmyAE3g|"Prince Charming"}}}}
⚫
}}


"'''Prince Charming'''" was a number-one single in the [[UK Singles Chart]] for four weeks in September 1981 for [[Adam and the Ants]].<ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums">{{cite book| first= David| last= Roberts| year= 2006| title= [[British Hit Singles & Albums]]| edition= 19th| publisher= Guinness World Records Limited | location= London| isbn= 1-904994-10-5| pages= 398–9}}</ref> Written by [[Adam Ant]] and [[Marco Pirroni]], featuring on the [[Prince Charming (album)|album of the same name]], it was Adam and the Ants' second number-one single in a row<ref name="500 Number One Hits">{{cite book| first= Jo| last= Rice| year= 1982| title= The Guinness Book of 500 Number One Hits| edition= 1st| publisher= [[Guinness]] Superlatives Ltd | location= Enfield, Middlesex| pages= 216–217| isbn= 0-85112-250-7}}</ref> and was the fifth biggest hit of the year 1981.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.uk-charts.top-source.info/top-100-1981.shtml|date=1981|title=Top 100 1981|publisher=UK-charts.top-source.info}}</ref>
"'''Prince Charming'''" was a number-one single in the [[UK Singles Chart]] for four weeks in September 1981 for [[Adam and the Ants]].<ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums">{{cite book |first= David |last= Roberts |year= 2006 |title= [[British Hit Singles & Albums]] |edition= 19th |publisher= Guinness World Records Limited |location= London |isbn= 1-904994-10-5 |pages= 398–9}}</ref> Written by [[Adam Ant]] and [[Marco Pirroni]], and featuring on the [[Prince Charming (album)|album of the same name]], it was Adam and the Ants' second number-one single in a row<ref name="500 Number One Hits">{{cite book| first= Jo| last= Rice| year= 1982| title= The Guinness Book of 500 Number One Hits| edition= 1st| publisher= [[Guinness]] Superlatives Ltd | location= Enfield, Middlesex| pages= 216–217| isbn= 0-85112-250-7}}</ref> and was the fifth biggest hit of 1981.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.uk-charts.top-source.info/top-100-1981.shtml|date=1981|title=Top 100 1981|publisher=UK-charts.top-source.info}}</ref>


==Music video==
==Music video==
Band member and producer Merrick ([[Chris Hughes (record producer)|Chris Hughes]]), normally on drums, played a stirring riff on an open-tuned acoustic guitar throughout the song. Lead guitarist Pirroni mimed to this part on both an orchestral [[harp]] and a miniature harp in the promotional video. The [[music video]] was notable for its extravagant production compared to the videos being produced at the time.
Band member and producer Merrick ([[Chris Hughes (record producer)|Chris Hughes]]), normally on drums, played a stirring riff on an open-tuned acoustic guitar throughout the song. Lead guitarist Pirroni mimed to this part on both an orchestral [[harp]] and a miniature harp in the promotional video. The [[music video]] was notable for its extravagant production compared to the videos being produced at the time.


It featured Adam Ant in a male ''[[Cinderella]]'' role, complete with moustached [[drag queen]] evil step-sisters. The sisters accept an invitation to "Come to the ball, and dance the Prince Charming," leaving a dirty Adam home to do chores.
It featured Adam Ant in a male ''[[Cinderella]]'' role, complete with moustached [[drag queen]] evil step-sisters. The sisters accept an invitation to "Come to the ball, and dance the Prince Charming", leaving Adam home doing the chores.


Sitting at a table in an old style kitchen, Adam is surrounded by his band members, who are encouraging him, "Don't you ever/Don't you ever/Stop being [[dandy]], showing me you're handsome." His [[Fairy Godmother]], portrayed by [[Diana Dors]],<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BwwLBaH9488C&pg=PT635&lpg=PT635&dq#v=onepage&q&f=false|last=Kutner|first=Jon|date=26 May 2010|title=1000 UK Number One Hits|publisher=[[Omnibus Press]]}}</ref> suddenly appears with five shirtless men dancing the "Prince Charming." With a wave of her magic wand, she transforms Adam's attire into flamboyant [[Regency era|Regency]] clothes.
Sitting at a table in an old-style kitchen, Adam is surrounded by his band members, who are encouraging him: "Don't you ever/Don't you ever/Stop being [[dandy]], showing me you're handsome." His [[Fairy Godmother]], portrayed by [[Diana Dors]],<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BwwLBaH9488C&pg=PT635|last=Kutner|first=Jon|date=26 May 2010|title=1000 UK Number One Hits|publisher=[[Omnibus Press]]|isbn=9780857123602}}</ref> suddenly appears with five shirtless men dancing the "Prince Charming". With a wave of her magic wand, she transforms Adam's attire into flamboyant [[Regency era|Regency]] clothes.


Adam makes a grand entrance onto the balcony at the ball, and swings down on a chandelier. He, the Ants, his Fairy Godmother, her male accompaniment and the invited guests of the ball dance the "Prince Charming," which became a much imitated arm-crossing dance as the song rose up the charts. Choreographer Stephanie Coleman explained that each hand movement in the Prince Charming dance had a meaning (in order: Pride, Courage, Humour, Flair) each representing an element of Adam Ant’s personality. The video ends with Adam smashing a mirror, then singing the "Prince Charming, Prince Charming/Ridicule is nothing to be scared of" refrain as different characters: [[Clint Eastwood]] from ''[[The Good, the Bad and the Ugly]]'', [[Alice Cooper]], [[Rudolph Valentino]] from the silent film ''[[The Sheik (film)|The Sheik]]'',<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.oocities.org/sunsetstrip/palms/3678/cast.html |title=Stand and Deliver! - Unofficial Adam Ant Site |website=Oocities.org |date=1989-12-21 |accessdate=2016-10-23}}</ref> [[Vito Corleone]] ([[Marlon Brando]]) from ''[[The Godfather]]'', and his own "Dandy [[highwayman]]" from the "[[Stand and Deliver (Adam and the Ants song)|Stand and Deliver]]" video. The music video was one of Diana Dors' last on-screen performances.
Adam makes a grand entrance onto the balcony at the ball, and swings down on a chandelier. He, the Ants, his Fairy Godmother, her male attendant and the invited guests of the ball dance the "Prince Charming", which became a much imitated arm-crossing dance as the song rose up the charts. Choreographer Stephanie Coleman explained that each hand movement in the Prince Charming dance had a meaning (in order: Pride, Courage, Humour, Flair) each representing an element of Adam Ant's personality. The video ends with Adam smashing a mirror, then singing the "Prince Charming, Prince Charming/Ridicule is nothing to be scared of" refrain as different characters: the [[Man with No Name]] ([[Clint Eastwood]] from the [[Dollars Trilogy]]), [[Alice Cooper]], Sheik Ahmed Ben Hassan ([[Rudolph Valentino]] from the silent film ''[[The Sheik (film)|The Sheik]]''),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.oocities.org/sunsetstrip/palms/3678/cast.html |title=Stand and Deliver! - Unofficial Adam Ant Site |website=Oocities.org |date=1989-12-21 |access-date=2016-10-23}}</ref> and [[Marlon Brando]] as [[Vito Corleone]] from ''[[The Godfather]]'' (replaced in an alternative edit of the video by Ant's own "Dandy [[highwayman]]" from the "[[Stand and Deliver (Adam and the Ants song)|Stand and Deliver]]" video).The video also included an appearance of Brian ‘we need the beard’ Smith. The music video was one of Diana Dors' last on-screen performances.


==Lyrics==
==Lyrics==
According to Adam, Prince Charming is based on [[Beau Brummell]]. Pirroni described the song as "A cleverer song than any of you realise."
According to Adam, Prince Charming is based on [[Beau Brummell]]. Pirroni described the song as "A cleverer song than any of you realise." He also said that the dance routine was initially developed when he realised that the beat of the song made it difficult to dance to in a conventional way, meaning it was unlikely to be played in discos and clubs.


==War Canoe==
==Charts==
===Weekly Charts===
⚫
On 27 March 2010, [[Rolf Harris]] claimed on [[BBC Radio 5 Live]]'s [[Danny Baker]] Show that an out-of-court settlement had been reached, and a large sum of royalties received, after a musicologist found "Prince Charming" to be musically identical to Harris's 1965 song "War Canoe".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=27760|title=Prince Charming|publisher=Songfacts}}</ref>
{|class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
!scope="col"|Chart (1981)
!scope="col"|Peak<br />position
|-
!scope="row"|Australia ([[Kent Music Report]])<ref name="aus81"/>
|4
|-
{{single chart|Flanders|8|artist=Adam And The Ants|song=Prince Charming|rowheader=true|access-date=26 June 2022}}
|-
!scope="row"|Finland ([[Official Finnish Charts|Suomen virallinen lista]])<ref>{{cite book|url=https://musiikkiarkisto.fi/oa/_tiedostot/julkaisut/sisaltaa-hitin.pdf#page=9|first=Timo|last=Pennanen|year=2021|title=Sisältää hitin - 2. laitos Levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla 1.1.1960–30.6.2021|section=Adam and the Ants|page=9|publisher=Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava|location=Helsinki|access-date=26 June 2022|language=Finnish}}</ref>
|20
|-
{{single chart|Ireland2|1|artist=Adam And The Ants|song=Prince Charming|rowheader=true|access-date=26 June 2022}}
|-
{{single chart|Dutch40|17|artist=Adam And The Ants|song=Prince Charming|rowheader=true|access-date=26 June 2022}}
|-
{{single chart|Dutch100|8|artist=Adam And The Ants|song=Prince Charming|rowheader=true|access-date=26 June 2022}}
|-
!scope="row"|[[UK Singles Chart|UK Singles]] ([[Official Charts Company|OCC]])<ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums">{{cite book |first= David |last= Roberts |year= 2006 |title= [[British Hit Singles & Albums]] |edition= 19th |publisher= Guinness World Records Limited |location= London |isbn= 1-904994-10-5 |pages= 398–9}}</ref>
|1
|-
!scope="row"|West Germany ([[Official German Charts]])
|10
|-
|}

===Year-end charts===
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+Year-end chart performance for
! Chart (1981)
! Position
|-
! scope="row"| Australia ([[Kent Music Report]])<ref name="aus81">{{cite web|title= National Top 100 Singles for 1981 |publisher= [[Kent Music Report]] |issue= 393 |page= 7 |via= [[Imgur]] |date= 4 January 1982 |access-date= 11 January 2022 |url= https://i.imgur.com/RgsDOOc.jpg}}</ref>
| 53
|}

=="War Canoe"==
⚫
On 27 March 2010, [[Rolf Harris]] claimed on [[BBC Radio 5 Live]]'s [[Danny Baker]] Show that an out-of-court settlement had been reached, with a large sum of royalties received, after a musicologist found "Prince Charming" to be musically identical to Harris's 1965 song "War Canoe". Adam Ant responded to claims of plagiarism by citing that the tune was of [[Aboriginal Australian]] origin, saying, "'War Canoe' is a traditional song but I'd never heard Rolf's version. I've got a large collection of ethnic music. We spoke to Rolf about it and we came to an amicable arrangement and I think we were both satisfied with the fact that we derived the idea from an original source."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=27760|title=Prince Charming|publisher=Songfacts}}</ref>


==References==
==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{Reflist}}


{{S-start}}
{{Succession box
| before = "[[Tainted Love]]" by [[Soft Cell]]
| title = [[List of number-one singles (UK)|UK number one single]]
| years = 19 September 1981 - 10 October 1981
| after = "[[It's My Party (Lesley Gore song)|It's My Party]]" by [[Dave Stewart (keyboardist)|Dave Stewart]] and [[Barbara Gaskin]]
⚫
}}
{{S-end}}

⚫
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2011}}
{{Adam Ant}}
{{Adam Ant}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Prince Charming (Adam and The Ants Song)}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Prince Charming (Adam and The Ants Song)}}
[[Category:UK Singles Chart number-one singles]]
[[Category:UK singles chart number-one singles]]
[[Category:Adam and the Ants songs]]
[[Category:Adam and the Ants songs]]
[[Category:1981 singles]]
[[Category:1981 singles]]
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[[Category:CBS Records singles]]
[[Category:CBS Records singles]]
[[Category:Song recordings produced by Chris Hughes (record producer)]]
[[Category:Song recordings produced by Chris Hughes (record producer)]]
[[Category:Cultural depictions of Beau Brummell]]
[[Category:Cultural depictions of Clint Eastwood]]
[[Category:Cultural depictions of Marlon Brando]]
[[Category:Cultural depictions of Rudolph Valentino]]

Latest revision as of 00:32, 26 September 2024

"Prince Charming"
Single by Adam and the Ants
from the album Prince Charming
B-side"Christian D'or"
Released4 September 1981
GenreNew wave
Length3:17
LabelCBS
Songwriter(s)Adam Ant and Marco Pirroni
Producer(s)Chris Hughes[1]
Adam and the Ants singles chronology
"Stand and Deliver"
(1981) 		"Prince Charming"
(1981) 		"Ant Rap"
(1981)
Music video
"Prince Charming" on YouTube

"Prince Charming" was a number-one single in the UK Singles Chart for four weeks in September 1981 for Adam and the Ants.[2] Written by Adam Ant and Marco Pirroni, and featuring on the album of the same name, it was Adam and the Ants' second number-one single in a row[3] and was the fifth biggest hit of 1981.[4]

Music video

[edit]

Band member and producer Merrick (Chris Hughes), normally on drums, played a stirring riff on an open-tuned acoustic guitar throughout the song. Lead guitarist Pirroni mimed to this part on both an orchestral harp and a miniature harp in the promotional video. The music video was notable for its extravagant production compared to the videos being produced at the time.

It featured Adam Ant in a male Cinderella role, complete with moustached drag queen evil step-sisters. The sisters accept an invitation to "Come to the ball, and dance the Prince Charming", leaving Adam home doing the chores.

Sitting at a table in an old-style kitchen, Adam is surrounded by his band members, who are encouraging him: "Don't you ever/Don't you ever/Stop being dandy, showing me you're handsome." His Fairy Godmother, portrayed by Diana Dors,[5] suddenly appears with five shirtless men dancing the "Prince Charming". With a wave of her magic wand, she transforms Adam's attire into flamboyant Regency clothes.

Adam makes a grand entrance onto the balcony at the ball, and swings down on a chandelier. He, the Ants, his Fairy Godmother, her male attendant and the invited guests of the ball dance the "Prince Charming", which became a much imitated arm-crossing dance as the song rose up the charts. Choreographer Stephanie Coleman explained that each hand movement in the Prince Charming dance had a meaning (in order: Pride, Courage, Humour, Flair) each representing an element of Adam Ant's personality. The video ends with Adam smashing a mirror, then singing the "Prince Charming, Prince Charming/Ridicule is nothing to be scared of" refrain as different characters: the Man with No Name (Clint Eastwood from the Dollars Trilogy), Alice Cooper, Sheik Ahmed Ben Hassan (Rudolph Valentino from the silent film The Sheik),[6] and Marlon Brando as Vito Corleone from The Godfather (replaced in an alternative edit of the video by Ant's own "Dandy highwayman" from the "Stand and Deliver" video).The video also included an appearance of Brian ‘we need the beard’ Smith. The music video was one of Diana Dors' last on-screen performances.

Lyrics

[edit]

According to Adam, Prince Charming is based on Beau Brummell. Pirroni described the song as "A cleverer song than any of you realise." He also said that the dance routine was initially developed when he realised that the beat of the song made it difficult to dance to in a conventional way, meaning it was unlikely to be played in discos and clubs.

Charts

[edit]

Weekly Charts

[edit]
Chart (1981) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[7] 4
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[8] 8
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[9] 20
Ireland (IRMA)[10] 1
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[11] 17
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[12] 8
UK Singles (OCC)[2] 1
West Germany (Official German Charts) 10

Year-end charts

[edit]
Year-end chart performance for
Chart (1981) Position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[7] 53

"War Canoe"

[edit]

On 27 March 2010, Rolf Harris claimed on BBC Radio 5 Live's Danny Baker Show that an out-of-court settlement had been reached, with a large sum of royalties received, after a musicologist found "Prince Charming" to be musically identical to Harris's 1965 song "War Canoe". Adam Ant responded to claims of plagiarism by citing that the tune was of Aboriginal Australian origin, saying, "'War Canoe' is a traditional song but I'd never heard Rolf's version. I've got a large collection of ethnic music. We spoke to Rolf about it and we came to an amicable arrangement and I think we were both satisfied with the fact that we derived the idea from an original source."[13]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Buskin, Richard (January 2013). "Adam & The Ants 'Stand & Deliver'". Sound on Sound.
  2. ^ a b Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. pp. 398–9. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  3. ^ Rice, Jo (1982). The Guinness Book of 500 Number One Hits (1st ed.). Enfield, Middlesex: Guinness Superlatives Ltd. pp. 216–217. ISBN 0-85112-250-7.
  4. ^ "Top 100 1981". UK-charts.top-source.info. 1981.
  5. ^ Kutner, Jon (26 May 2010). 1000 UK Number One Hits. Omnibus Press. ISBN 9780857123602.
  6. ^ "Stand and Deliver! - Unofficial Adam Ant Site". Oocities.org. 21 December 1989. Retrieved 23 October 2016.
  7. ^ a b "National Top 100 Singles for 1981". Kent Music Report. 4 January 1982. p. 7. Retrieved 11 January 2022 – via Imgur.
  8. ^ "Adam And The Ants – Prince Charming" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 26 June 2022.
  9. ^ Pennanen, Timo (2021). "Adam and the Ants". Sisältää hitin - 2. laitos Levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla 1.1.1960–30.6.2021 (PDF) (in Finnish). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. p. 9. Retrieved 26 June 2022.
  10. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Prince Charming". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 26 June 2022.
  11. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Adam And The Ants" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 26 June 2022.
  12. ^ "Adam And The Ants – Prince Charming" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 26 June 2022.
  13. ^ "Prince Charming". Songfacts.
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