"Money Changes Everything" is a song by American rock band the Brains from their eponymous debut studio album (1980). Originally released in 1978, the song was reissued as the lead single from the album in 1980, by

Mercury Records Mercury Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group. It had significant success as an independent operation in the 1940s and 1950s. Smash Records and Fontana Records were sub labels of Mercury. In the United States, it is ...

. Frontman Tom Gray is credited as the sole writer of the song, while production was collectively helmed by the Brains and Bruce Baxter. The song was popularized in 1984 by

Cyndi Lauper Cynthia Ann Stephanie Lauper Thornton (born June 22, 1953) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and activist. Her career has spanned over 40 years. Her album '' She's So Unusual'' (1983) was the first debut album by a female artist to ach ...

, who released a cover version of the song as a single from her debut studio album, ''

She's So Unusual ''She's So Unusual'' is the debut studio album by American singer and songwriter Cyndi Lauper, released on October 14, 1983, by Portrait Records. The album was re-released in 2014 to commemorate its 30th anniversary, and was called ''She's So Un ...

'' (1983).

Background

The original single was released in 1978 by the Brains as a 45 rpm single on Gray Matter Records. The B side of the single was a song called "Quick with Your Lip". The initial underground success of the song led to the Brains being signed by

. They rerecorded the song under the guidance of producer

Steve Lillywhite Stephen Alan Lillywhite, (born 15 March 1955) is a British record producer. Since he began his career in 1977, Lillywhite has been credited on over 500 records, and has collaborated with a variety of musicians including new wave acts XTC, Bi ...

for their 1980 debut album, ''The Brains''. Critic

Greil Marcus Greil Marcus (born June 19, 1945) is an American author, music journalist and cultural critic. He is notable for producing scholarly and literary essays that place rock music in a broader framework of culture and politics. Biography Marcus wa ...

, listing it at number 10 of his Real-Life Rock Top Ten 1979, said, "Singer Tom Gray told his story in a strangled voice, as if he were trying to explain, but instead he laid a curse. This damned single ranks higher than I've placed it, but if it were anywhere else I couldn't end with it, and there's no other way the decade could end." Marcus would later write of the song, "It was hard, it hurt, and Cyndi Lauper's version makes the original sound compromised. She makes you wonder if Brains composer and singer Tom Gray even knew what he was talking about." Gray, with his band

Delta Moon Delta Moon is an American swamp blues, blues rock, and blues band. They originated in Inman Park, Atlanta, Georgia, United States. The group's name came to founder member, Mark Johnson, whilst on a pilgrimage to Muddy Waters' cabin near Clarksda ...

, also recorded a version of the song for their 2007 album ''Clear Blue Flame''.

Critical reception

Ralph Heibutzki of

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the dat ...

highlighted the "sassy cynicism" of the song, further commenting that "Money Changes Everything" represented a concession to "mainstream sensibilities" for The Brains.

Track listings and formats

* 7" vinyl # "Money Changes Everything" – 3:35 # "Quick With Your Lip" – 3:23 * 7" vinyl reissue # "Money Changes Everything" – 3:25 # "Girl in a Magazine" – 3:07

Credits and personnel

Credits and personnel are adapted from the "Money Changes Everything" single liner notes. * Bryan Smithwick – bass, producer * Tom Gray – writer, vocals, keyboards, producer * Charles Wolff – drums, producer * Rick Price – guitar, producer * Bruce Baxter – producer

Cyndi Lauper version

's recording of "Money Changes Everything" was released as the fifth single from her album ''

''. It has been released in over 27 variations across the world, the most common being a two track 7" vinyl single (with varying covers). There was also a less common 12" vinyl single version. Lauper's cover features an appearance by

Rob Hyman Robert Andrew Hyman (born April 24, 1950) is an American singer, songwriter, keyboard and accordion player, producer, arranger and recording studio owner, best known for being a founding member of the rock band The Hooters. Early life Hyman ...

of the band

the Hooters The Hooters are an American rock band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The band combines elements of rock, reggae, ska, and folk music to create its sound. The Hooters first gained major commercial success in the United States in the mid-19 ...

, playing his "hooter" (a

Hohner Hohner Musikinstrumente GmbH & Co. KG is a German manufacturer of musical instruments, founded in 1857 by Matthias Hohner (1833–1902). The roots of the Hohner firm are in Trossingen, Baden-Württemberg. Since its foundation, and though known ...

Melodica The melodica is a handheld free-reed instrument similar to a pump organ or harmonica. It features a musical keyboard on top, and is played by blowing air through a mouthpiece that fits into a hole in the side of the instrument. The keyboard usu ...

) on the song's solo. Lauper recorded an acoustic version, with guest artist

Adam Lazzara Adam Burbank Lazzara (born September 22, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and musician. He is the lead vocalist of the rock band Taking Back Sunday. Along with singing lead vocals, Lazzara plays guitar and occasionally the harmonica. ...

(from the band

Taking Back Sunday Taking Back Sunday is an American rock band from Long Island, New York. The band was formed by guitarist Eddie Reyes and bassist Jesse Lacey in 1999. The band's members currently are Adam Lazzara (lead vocals), John Nolan (lead guitar, key ...

), for her 2005 album '' The Body Acoustic''. "Money Changes Everything" became ''She's So Unusual''s first release to fail to achieve top 10 status on the

Billboard Hot 100 The ''Billboard'' Hot 100 is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for songs, published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine. Chart rankings are based on sales (physical and digital), radio play, and online streaming ...

, peaking at number 27.

Critical reception

Stewart Mason of

praised Lauper's cover version, stating that the song's arrangement "is brighter, sharper and much more commercial than the Brains' rather weedy, comparatively lo-fi and dullish take on their own song." He further praised Lauper's singing abilities, particularly the long note she holds at the climax of the song. ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

'' described the song as "hard rock meets hard realities" and designated it as one of the new releases with the greatest chart potential. '' Cash Box'' called the song "a hard rocking effort which forgoes any novel vocal twist" that provides "a sad look at the realities of cash and its effects."

Music video

A live video was directed by Phil Tuckett and produced by Alan Saperstein of NFL Films Entertainment at The Summit in Houston on Oct. 10, 1984.

Track listings and formats

US 7" Single # "Money Changes Everything" (Live) - 4:13 # "Money Changes Everything" (Edit) - 3:59 UK 7" Single (First Release) # "Money Changes Everything" (Edit) - 3:58 # "He's So Unusual" - 0:45 # "Yeah Yeah" - 3:17 UK 7" Single (Second Release) # "Money Changes Everything" (Edit) - 3:58 # "Money Changes Everything" (Live) - 4:13 European 12" Single # "Money Changes Everything" (That Live Version) - 6:04 # "Money Changes Everything" (This Live Version) - 5:29 Japanese 12" Single # "Money Changes Everything" (Special Live Extended Version) - 6:26 # "Money Changes Everything" (Special Live Version) - 5:51 UK 12" Single (First Release) # "Money Changes Everything" (LP version) – 5:02 # "He's So Unusual" – 0:45 # "Yeah Yeah" – 3:17 # "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" (Xtra Fun) – 5:05 UK 12" Single (Second Release) # "Money Changes Everything" (LP version) - 5:02 # "Money Changes Everything" (Live) - 6:23 # "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" (Xtra Fun) - 5:05

Personnel

* Cyndi Lauper – lead vocals, backing vocals, arrangements *

– keyboards, backing vocals, arrangements *

Eric Bazilian Eric M. Bazilian (born July 21, 1953) is an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, arranger and producer. Bazilian is a founding member of the rock band The Hooters. He wrote "One of Us", a song first recorded by Joan Osborne in 1 ...

– arrangements,

melodica The melodica is a handheld free-reed instrument similar to a pump organ or harmonica. It features a musical keyboard on top, and is played by blowing air through a mouthpiece that fits into a hole in the side of the instrument. The keyboard usu ...

, guitars, backing vocals * Neil Jason – bass guitar *

Anton Fig Anton Fig (born 8 August 1952 in Cape Town, South Africa), known as "The Thunder from Down Under", is a South African session drummer, perhaps best known as the drummer and second-in-command for Paul Shaffer and the World's Most Dangerous Ban ...

– drums, percussion

Charts

References

{{authority control 1978 songs 1978 singles 1984 singles Cyndi Lauper songs Song recordings produced by Steve Lillywhite Epic Records singles Mercury Records singles Song recordings produced by Rick Chertoff