| "Something About the Way You Look Tonight" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Single byElton John | ||||
| from the albumThe Big Picture | ||||
| B-side |
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| Released | 8 September 1997 (1997-09-08) | |||
| Recorded | 13 January 1997[1] | |||
| Studio | Townhouse Studios (London, England)[2] | |||
| Length |
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| Label | ||||
| Songwriters |
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| Producer | Chris Thomas | |||
| Elton John singles chronology | ||||
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| "Something About the Way You Look Tonight"/"Candle in the Wind 1997" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single byElton John | ||||
| from the albumThe Big Picture | ||||
| A-side | "Candle in the Wind 1997" | |||
| B-side | "You Can Make History (Young Again)" | |||
| Released | 13 September 1997 (1997-09-13) | |||
| Studio | Townhouse Studios (London, England)[2] | |||
| Length |
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| Label | ||||
| Songwriters |
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| Producer | Chris Thomas | |||
| Elton John singles chronology | ||||
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"Something About the Way You Look Tonight" is a song by British musicianElton John and lyricistBernie Taupin, performed by John. It was included on John's twenty-fifth studio albumThe Big Picture. It was produced byChris Thomas and released as the album's first single on 8 September 1997 byMercury Records andthe Rocket Record Company.
Five days after the song's solo release, it was issued as adouble A-side single with "Candle in the Wind 1997". That single and its video were dedicated to the memory ofDiana, Princess of Wales,who died that year, with proceeds from the sale of the single going towards Diana's charities.[3] According to theRecording Industry Association of America, with certified sales, this double A-side is "the best-selling single of all time".[4][5] TheGuinness World Records 2009 states that the song is "the biggest-selling single since UK and US singles charts began in the 1950s, having accumulated worldwide sales of 33 million copies".[6]
The video for the song was directed byTim Royes and features John singing and playing piano to an empty theatre, as well as actorsRamon Tikaram andLuisa Bradshaw-White who played Ferdy and Kira in the hitBBC television programmeThis Life, and supermodelsKate Moss andSophie Dahl. Many consider it to be one of John's best videos. He has publicly revealed (through his "warts and all" documentaryTantrums and Tiaras) that he finds videos "fucking loathsome" and after the videos from his albumThe Big Picture refrained from appearing in his own videos unless they were cameo appearances.
In the UK alone, thedouble A-side single with "Candle in the Wind 1997" sold over 4,930,000 copies (8×platinum), making the song the best-selling single ever in UK history.[7] It remained for five weeks at the number-one position. In the US, the double A-side single spent 14 weeks at number one on theBillboard Hot 100. The best-selling single inBillboard history and the only single evercertified diamond in the US, the single sold over 11 million copies in the US.[8][9]
On theUS Adult Contemporary chart however, "Something About the Way You Look Tonight" and "Candle in the Wind 1997" charted separately; while the tribute to Princess Diana peaked at number 2 on this chart,[10] "Something About the Way You Look Tonight" spent 10 weeks at number one in late 1997 into early 1998. This double-sided single holds the record for the fewest weeks in a chart year from a year-end number-one single, with as few as eight. (In 1998, it had 34 more total weeks, and was number eight in the year-end list of 1998.)
After this song, John was unable to reach the top spot of the US Adult Contemporary chart for 24 years until his collaboration withEd Sheeran, titled "Merry Christmas" reached number one for five weeks.[11]
Billboard magazine said the song is a "grandly executedballad that washes John's larger-than-life performance in cinematic strings and whooping, choir-styled backing vocals. An instant fave for die-hards, this single will bring kids at top 40 to the table after a few spins."[12]Music & Media wrote that "this single proves that Elton John's composing and performing skills are as good as ever. A ballad, boasting a classy string arrangement byAnne Dudley ofArt of Noise fame, it's vaguely reminiscent of another John/Taupin composition, 1973's Candle in the Wind, but it's too original to be called a ripoff."[13]
The following chart entries are for "Something About the Way You Look Tonight" as a solo single.
Weekly charts[edit]
| Year-end charts[edit]
|
| Region | Version | Date | Format(s) | Label(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | Solo release | 26 August 1997 | Contemporary hit radio | Rocket | [35] |
| United Kingdom | 8 September 1997 |
|
| [36] | |
| Japan | 10 September 1997 | CD | [37] | ||
| United Kingdom | Double A-side | 13 September 1997 |
| [38] | |
| United States | 23 September 1997 |
| Rocket | [39] |
'Candle In The Wind 1997' soon surpassed Bing Crosby's 'White Christmas' to become the best-selling single of all time.(certified sales)
...topping the chart [...] a day after the single was released.
On Sept. 23, 'Candle In The Wind 1997' will be made available to retail as the B-side to 'Something About The Way You Look Tonight.'
