FINE YOUNG CANNIBALS - SHE DRIVES ME CRAZY 

Llançament: 26 de desembre de 1988

Posició a les llistes: EUA: #1 (1 setmana) | Regne Unit: #5

“She Drives Me Crazy” és un èxit de 1988 del grup britànic Fine Young Cannibals, escrit per Roland Gift i David Steele, i coproduït per David Z. Enregistrada als Paisley Park Studios de Prince, la cançó es va convertir en el single més reeixit de la banda, assolint el número 5 al Regne Unit i el número 1 als EUA l’abril de 1989. També va arribar al primer lloc a Austràlia, Canadà i Espanya, i va obtenir grans posicions arreu d’Europa.

Inicialment titulada “She’s My Baby”, la cançó va passar per una transformació quan Roland Gift va decidir canviar a un estil vocal en falset, fet que li va donar un segell distintiu i va contribuir al seu èxit massiu. L’ús del falset de Gift i el seu fraseig allargat en la tornada, com ara “I can’t he-elp my se-elf”, van fer la cançó instantàniament reconeixible i la van convertir en un clàssic inoblidable.

Després de col·laborar en la banda sonora de la pel·lícula “Something Wild”, Fine Young Cannibals van ser contactats pel director Barry Levinson per contribuir a la música del seu film “Tin Men”, ambientat al Baltimore dels anys 60. Levinson va destacar la capacitat del grup per barrejar ritmes moderns amb el soul tradicional, creant un so minimalista però ric, que evocava la música de principis dels 60. La banda va compondre diversos temes per a la pel·lícula, incloent-hi “She Drives Me Crazy”, “Social Security”, “Good Thing”, “Hard As It Is”, i “Tell Me What”. A més, van fer un cameo al film interpretant el paper d’una banda en directe.

El videoclip de la cançó va tenir dues versions diferents, dirigides per Philippe Decouflé i Pedro Romhanyi.

El 2008, Dolly Parton va versionar “She Drives Me Crazy” en el seu àlbum “Backwoods Barbie”, donant-li un toc bluegrass amb un final de “hoedown” (ball folk nord-americà). Parton va explicar que la cançó era una de les preferides del seu marit, i va decidir reinterpretar-la amb un estil country.

FINE YOUNG CANNIBALS - SHE DRIVES ME CRAZY 

Released: December 26, 1988

Charts:  US: #1 (1 week)  UK: #5 

“She Drives Me Crazy” is a 1988 hit by British group Fine Young Cannibals, written by Roland Gift and David Steele, and co-produced by David Z. Recorded at Prince’s Paisley Park studios, it became the band’s most successful single, peaking at No. 5 in the UK and topping the US Billboard Hot 100 in April 1989. The song also reached No. 1 in several countries, including Australia, Canada, and Spain, and charted highly across Europe. Two music videos were created for the track, directed by Philippe Decouflé and Pedro Romhanyi.

Originally titled “She’s My Baby,” the song underwent a transformation when lead singer Roland Gift switched to a falsetto vocal style and the lyrics were revamped. This distinctive vocal approach became the song’s signature, turning it into a massive hit and unforgettable earworm. Gift’s elongated phrasing in the chorus, such as “I can’t he-elp my se-elf,” added to its unique appeal and lasting impact.

After contributing music to the film “Something Wild”, Fine Young Cannibals were approached by Barry Levinson to create songs for his film “Tin Men”, which was set in 1960s Baltimore. Levinson admired the band’s ability to blend modern rhythms with traditional soul, describing their sound as sparse yet rich, evoking the uncluttered music of the early ’60s. Fine Young Cannibals contributed several songs to the soundtrack, including “She Drives Me Crazy,” “Social Security,” “Good Thing,” “Hard As It Is,” and “Tell Me What.” The band also made a cameo appearance in the movie as a house band.

Dolly Parton covered “She Drives Me Crazy” on her 2008 album “Backwoods Barbie”. She explained that it was a favorite of her husband’s and reimagined it as a bluegrass track with a hoedown twist at the end.