"Cry for Help" is a song by British

dance-pop Dance-pop is a popular music subgenre that originated in the late 1970s to early 1980s. It is generally uptempo music intended for nightclubs with the intention of being danceable but also suitable for contemporary hit radio. Developing from a ...

singer Rick Astley, released as the first single from his third studio album, ''

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'' (1991). It was written by Astley and Rob Fisher, formerly one half of the 1980s pop outfits Naked Eyes and Climie Fisher. The

Andraé Crouch Andraé Edward Crouch (July 1, 1942 – January 8, 2015) was an American gospel singer, songwriter, arranger, record producer and pastor. Referred to as "the father of modern gospel music" by contemporary Christian and gospel music profess ...

Choir provided backing vocals. The song is a

ballad A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads derive from the medieval French ''chanson balladée'' or '' ballade'', which were originally "dance songs". Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and ...

, unlike Astley's other more dance-oriented hit singles such as " Never Gonna Give You Up" (1987). Released as a single on 14 January 1991, "Cry for Help" reached number seven on both the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

and the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100, becoming Astley's last top-10 hit in either country. It also reached number four in Canada and was a number-one hit on both the US and Canadian Adult Contemporary charts. The song's number-seven UK chart placing meant that Astley became the first male solo artist to have his first eight singles reach the British top 10. Its accompanying

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received heavy rotation on

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. The song has been sung by Rick Astley in duet with Søren Sko and covered by Thomas Anders (ex- Modern Talking). In 2019, Astley recorded and released a "Reimagined" version of the song for his album '' The Best of Me''. On 27 April 2021, the original music video was upgraded to 1080p HD to celebrate 30 years of the song reaching number seven on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100.

Critical reception

Eleanor Levy from ''

Record Mirror ''Record Mirror'' was a British weekly music newspaper between 1954 and 1991 for pop fans and record collectors. Launched two years after the '' NME'', it never attained the circulation of its rival. The first UK album chart was published in '' ...

'' described the song as "a Michael McDonald style ballad that, rather than shocking the world, cuddles it instead."

Track listings

* 12-inch single # "Cry for Help" – 6:26 # "Behind The Smile" – 4:33 # "Cry for Help" (Album version) – 4:50 * CD single # "Cry for Help" (7" version) – 4:20 # "Behind The Smile" – 4:37 # "Cry for Help" (12" version) – 6:27 * 7-inch and cassette single # "Cry for Help" (Edit) – 4:03 # "Behind The Smile" – 4:33

Personnel

* Rick Astley – lead vocals * Dave West – acoustic piano, Fender Rhodes, organ, synthesizers * Hywel Maggs – guitars * Vinnie Colaiuta – drums *

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– string arrangements and conductor * The Andraé Crouch Choir – backing vocals

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

References

External links

* http://www.discogs.com/release/836168 {{Authority control 1991 songs 1991 singles 1990s ballads RCA Records singles Rick Astley songs Songs written by Rick Astley Songs written by Rob Fisher (British musician)