Nothing Compares 2 U

"Nothing Compares 2 U"
Song

"Nothing Compares 2 U" is a song written around 1984 or 1985 by Prince for The Family. A cover version by Sinéad O'Connor became a number-one hit in many countries in 1990, including on the US and UK charts, as well as in Australia, New Zealand, Canada and Germany.

The Family version

In 1985 The Family, a funk band created as an outlet to release more of Prince's music, released a self-titled album. "Nothing Compares 2 U" was not released as a single and received little recognition.

Sinéad O'Connor version

History

Outspoken and controversial Irish singer Sinéad O'Connor re-recorded the track in 1990 and included it on her second album I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got, bringing the song to worldwide prominence. Her vocal performance was passionate and heartfelt, and the song's music video was a hit on MTV. The single topped the charts worldwide, including the UK, United States and Australia.

A popular misconception about the song is that it was about her break up with longtime manager and lover Fachtna O'Ceallaigh.

Music video

File:Sinead O Connor Nothing Compares To You Capture.jpg

"Nothing Compares 2 U" video capture

Mainly shot in Paris, the video for "Nothing Compares 2 U" was directed by John Maybury. Widely considered to be one of the best videos of the 1990s, the clip consists almost solely of a closeup on O'Connor's face as she passionately sings the song's lyrics. The video's iconic moment comes toward the end, when a genuine tear rolls down each side of her face. It is widely believed that it was the lyric "All the flowers that you planted, Mama" which caused this, because Sinead had a very complex relationship with her late mother whom she claims abused her. The clip won Best Video at the 1990 MTV Video Music Awards - the first video by a female artist to win in this category.

Prince version

Due to the song's newfound popularity by Sinéad O'Connor, Prince himself began to perform it in concert and included a live rendition on his 1993 compilations The Hits/The B-Sides and The Hits 1. Prince's version is a duet between himself and Rosie Gaines, who at the time was in his group the New Power Generation.

Other covers

• German produced dance act Chypnotic delivered a very popular dance version on Coconut Records in 1990 in a euro/sleaze style
• Dune covered the song on their 1995 album Forever which was recorded together with the London Session Orchestra.
• The song was covered by Me First and the Gimme Gimmes on their 2003 album Take a Break.
• A YouTube subscriber named "LiquidGenerationTube" made a parody of the song starring Britney Spears called "I shaved my head, Fuck You!"
• It was also covered by Shiny Toy Guns for the Electro Goth Tribute to Prince compilation in 2005.
• The Welsh band Stereophonics performed a cover version of the song for the charity War Child Music
• The opera girlband All Angels have covered the song and have recorded a music video for the track as the lead single for their new album "Into Paradise" (2007).
• Australian Idol contestent Natalie Gauci performed the song in the 2007 season to rapturous applause.

Accolades

• In 2004, Rolling Stone magazine placed the Sinéad O'Connor single at number 162 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, which contains only two songs of the 1990s ranked higher than that.
• In a 2006 poll for a Channel 5 program "Britain's Favourite Break-up Songs", Sinéad O'Connor's version of "Nothing Compares 2 U" was voted fifth.
• VH1 Classic listed Sinead O'Connor's Version as the second greatest Classic Love Song behind Al Green's "Let's Stay Together".

External links

• "Nothing Compares 2 U" music video with lyrics