Life (Haddaway song)

"Life" (known as "Life (Everybody Needs Somebody to Love)" in the US) is a song recorded by the Trinidadian-German Eurodance artist Haddaway. It was released on September 5, 1993 as the second single from his debut album, The Album (1993). It was written and produced by Dee Dee Halligan (Dieter Lünstedt a.k.a. Tony Hendrik) and Junior Torello. The song peaked at number-one in Finland, Greece, Israel, Spain and Sweden. And within the top 5 in Austria, Denmark, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, the Netherlands and Switzerland. On the Eurochart Hot 100, "Life" reached the top spot. Another CD maxi were produced at the end of that year containing new remixes (one of them was made by Bass Bumpers). By March 1994, "Life" had sold 1.5 million copies worldwide.[1]

"Life"
Single by Haddaway
from the album The Album
B-side"Remix"
Released5 September 1993
Recorded1992 at Metalworks Studios in Mississauga, Ontario
GenreEurodance
Length4:18
LabelCoconut
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Dee Dee Halligan
  • Junior Torello
Haddaway singles chronology
"What Is Love"
(1993)		 "Life"
(1993)		 "I Miss You"
(1993)
Music video
"Life" on YouTube

Critical reception

AllMusic editor Jose F. Promis complimented Haddaway's "passionate, urgent delivery" on the song.[2] Larry Flick from Billboard wrote that "although there is no denying the stylistic similarity to Haddaway's huge "What Is Love", this single gains its own strength through a fun, sing-along chorus and warmly upbeat lyrics. Added pleasure comes from Haddaway's assured voice."[3] He also stated that it "does have a chorus that instantly sticks to the brain".[4] Dave Sholin from the Gavin Report commented that the singer "delivers an early Christmas present. "Life..." comes complete with a melody as compelling as his debut smash, "What Is Love."[5] A reviewer from Kingston Informer viewed it as "brilliant".[6] Music writer James Masterton said in his weekly UK chart commentary, "The new track aims to repeat this same formula and does so just about."[7]

Pan-European magazine Music & Media stated that "variations on a theme have always been bona fide recording tricks and subsequently Life will be What Is Love? Part II."[8] Alan Jones from Music Week rated it four out of five, describing it as "a bouncy, commercial Euro-house track which will have little appeal to club cognoscenti but will delight the mainstream audience." He added, "It won't be as big as What Is Love? (few records are) but should safely reach the Top 10."[9] James Hamilton from the magazine's RM Dance Update deemed it a "simple Teutonic pop bounder".[10] John Kilgo from The Network Forty wrote that it is "familiar in sound" to his debut single and noted further that "this tune will research phenomenally, following in the heels of its predecessor."[11] Reading Evening Post's reviewer said it "provides strong evidence to suggest that Haddaway won't be a one-hit wonder", adding that "he sounds like Seal".[12]

Chart performance

Like its predecessor, "Life" made an impact on the charts on several continents, becoming a major hit. It peaked at number-one in Finland, Greece, Spain and Sweden as well as on the Eurochart Hot 100. In addition, the single reached number two in Austria, Denmark, Germany, Italy and Switzerland. It was a top 5 hit also in Belgium, France, Iceland, Ireland, Lithuania, the Netherlands and Norway. In the United Kingdom, it peaked at number six on October 3, 1993,[13] after three weeks on the UK Singles Chart. It stayed at that position for two weeks. But on the UK Dance Singles Chart, it was even more successful, reaching number two. Outside Europe, "Life" reached number-one in Israel and on the Canadian RPM Dance/Urban chart, number five on the US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play, number 14 in Zimbabwe, number 15 on the Canadian RPM Top Singles chart and number 41 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was awarded with a gold record in Austria and Sweden, with a sale of 15,000 and 10,000 singles sold. In Germany, it received a platinum record for 500,000 units sold.

Music video

The music video of "Life" was partly inspired by the German 1927 movie Metropolis by Fritz Lang. Haddaway plays a scientist and inventor, like Rotwang in the movie. He designs a dancing robot, the Maschinenmensch, shaped like a woman. He tries to give life to it and manages to transform it into a real woman. They dance to the rhythm, with the woman following Haddaway's movements. In the end, he takes off her helmet. She then opens her eyes and he kisses her. The video was later published on Coconut Records's official YouTube channel in August 2012. It has amassed more than 14,7 million views as of September 2021.[14]

Track listings

Charts and sales

References
  1. Ellie Weinert (March 26, 1994). Casebook: Haddaway. Billboard. Retrieved 2011-08-13.
  2. F. Promis, Jose. "Haddaway - The Album". AllMusic. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
  3. Flick, Larry (December 11, 1993). "Single Reviews" (PDF). Billboard. Retrieved January 24, 2018.
  4. Flick, Larry (December 4, 1993). "Dance Trax: Forget Ingenue-ity: Nerissa Is Taking Control" (PDF). Billboard. p. 31. Retrieved October 8, 2020.
  5. Sholin, Dave (December 3, 1993). "Singles" (PDF). Gavin Report. Retrieved April 15, 2018.
  6. "I Miss You by Haddaway". Kingston Informer. December 17, 1993. page 5. Retrieved March 28, 2020.
  7. Masterton, James (19 September 1993). "Week Ending September 25th 1993". Chart Watch UK. Retrieved 16 September 2021.
  8. "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. August 14, 1993. p. 8. Retrieved February 26, 2018.
  9. Jones, Alan (August 21, 1993). "Market Preview: Mainstream - Singles" (PDF). Music Week. p. 14. Retrieved March 30, 2021.
  10. Hamilton, James (September 18, 1993). "Dj directory" (PDF). Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental insert). p. 6. Retrieved April 6, 2021.
  11. Kilgo, John (December 3, 1993). "Mainstream: Music Meeting" (PDF). The Network Forty. p. 22. Retrieved February 21, 2018.
  12. "HADDAWAY Life". Reading Evening Post. September 10, 1993. page 43. Retrieved March 28, 2020.
  13. "Official Singles Chart Top 75 03 October 1993 - 09 October 1993". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
  14. "Haddaway - Life [Official Video]". YouTube. August 9, 2012. Retrieved September 16, 2021.
  15. "Haddaway – Life". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  16. "Haddaway – Life" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  17. "Haddaway – Life" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  18. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 2393." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved September 25, 2018.
  19. "Top RPM Dance/Urban: Issue 2379." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved September 25, 2018.
  20. "Top 10 Sales in Europe" (PDF). Music & Media. October 2, 1993. Retrieved February 26, 2018.
  21. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. October 9, 1993. Retrieved April 23, 2019.
  22. "European Dance Radio Top 25" (PDF). Music & Media. October 23, 1993. Retrieved November 22, 2019.
  23. Nyman, Jake (2005). Suomi soi 4: Suuri suomalainen listakirja (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Tammi. ISBN 951-31-2503-3.
  24. "Haddaway – Life" (in French). Les classement single.
  25. "Haddaway – Life" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved November 24, 2019.
  26. "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (09.09.1993 – 15.09.1993)" (PDF). Dagblaðið Vísir – Tónlist. Retrieved February 4, 2018.
  27. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Haddaway". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved November 24, 2019.
  28. Israel Top-30: 2 weeks at No. 1 (July 28, 1993 & August 3, 1993)
  29. "Top 10 Sales in Europe" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 10, no. 42. October 16, 1993. p. 18. Retrieved November 24, 2019.
  30. "M-1 TOP 40". M-1.fm. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved November 19, 2021.
  31. "Nederlandse Top 40 – Haddaway" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40.
  32. "Haddaway – Life" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  33. "Haddaway – Life". VG-lista.
  34. Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
  35. "Haddaway – Life". Singles Top 100.
  36. "Haddaway – Life". Swiss Singles Chart.
  37. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 24, 2019.
  38. "Dance Singles" (PDF). Music Week. September 25, 1993. p. 26. Retrieved April 9, 2021.
  39. Billboard Allmusic.com (Retrieved August 22, 2008)
  40. "Cash Box Top 100 Pop Singles" (PDF). Cash Box. February 19, 1994. Retrieved February 19, 2018.
    • Zimbabwe. Kimberley, C. Zimbabwe: singles chart book. Harare: C. Kimberley, 2000
  42. "Haddaway – Life / Remix". Singles Top 100.
  43. "Haddaway – Life / Remix". Swiss Singles Chart.
  44. 1993 Austrian Singles Chart Austriancharts.at Archived September 24, 2010, at the Wayback Machine (Retrieved August 22, 2008)
  45. "Jaaroverzichten 1993" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Retrieved November 28, 2019.
  46. "1993 Year-End Sales Charts: Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. December 18, 1993. Retrieved November 27, 2019.
  47. "Top 100 Singles–Jahrescharts 1993" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved November 27, 2019.
  48. "Single top 100 over 1993" (PDF) (in Dutch). Top40. Retrieved April 15, 2010.
  49. "Jaaroverzichten - Single 1993". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved November 28, 2019.
  50. 1993 Swiss Singles Chart Hitparade.ch Archived November 5, 2013, at the Wayback Machine (Retrieved February 13, 2008)
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  52. "The RPM Top 50 Dance Tracks of 1993". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved September 25, 2018.
  53. Austrian certifications ifpi.at Archived February 1, 2010, at WebCite (Retrieved August 22, 2008)
  54. "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Haddaway; 'Life')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved August 22, 2008.
  55. Swedish certifications Ifpi.se Archived May 21, 2012, at the Wayback Machine (Retrieved September 11, 2008)
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