"I Quit" is a song by British female pop band Hepburn.[2] The song was written by Phil Thornalley, who produced the track alongside Notodog, and Colin Campsie. Included on Hepburn's debut and only studio album, Hepburn (1999), the song also appears on the soundtrack to the American supernatural drama television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer.[3]

"I Quit"
Single by Hepburn
from the album Hepburn
B-side
  • "Sleeping Beauty"
  • "Butterfly"
  • "Cold World"
Released17 May 1999 (1999-05-17)
GenrePop[1]
Length3:53
LabelColumbia
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Phil Thornalley
  • Notodog
Hepburn singles chronology
"I Quit"
(1999)
"Bugs"
(1999)

"I Quit" was originally offered to Australian singer Natalie Imbruglia, who turned down the track.[4] Hepburn recorded the song instead and released it as their debut single on 17 May 1999 through Columbia Records. Commercially, the song reached number eight on the UK Singles Chart and also charted in France, peaking at number 80. The song was released in the United States in October 1999 but failed to generate success.

Release and reception

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Columbia Records released "I Quit" in the United Kingdom on 17 May 1999.[5] Critically, British trade paper Music Week compared the song's "angry" chorus to Alanis Morissette's music, noting the song's maturity and calling it "instantly catchy and hummable".[6] UK chart columnist James Masterton wrote that the rhyming couplet "But you turned into another liar / And you came on like a new Messiah" was the "coolest" lyric of the 23 May 1999 chart week, when "I Quit" debuted at its peak of number eight on the UK Singles Chart.[7] The song remained on the UK chart for nine weeks and is Hepburn's only top-20 single.[8]

In June 1999, Hepburn promoted the song by performing it live on music programme Top of the Pops.[9] In the United States, TVT Records serviced "I Quit" to rock radio stations on 5 October 1999, but it did not experience success.[10] In mid-2000, the song charted on the French Singles Chart for two nonconsecutive weeks, peaking at number 80 that May.[11]

Track listings

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Personnel

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Personnel are lifted from the Australian CD single liner notes.[16]

Charts

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Chart (1999–2000) Peak
position
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[17] 38
France (SNEP)[11] 80
Scotland (OCC)[18] 8
UK Singles (OCC)[8] 8

Release history

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Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
United Kingdom 17 May 1999
  • CD
  • cassette
Columbia [5]
United States 5 October 1999 TVT [10]

References

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  1. ^ "TWAS 263: Hepburn, Fastbacks". www.furia.com. Retrieved 10 November 2021.
  2. ^ Applefeld Olson, Catherine (23 October 1999). "Soundtracks and Filmscore News". Billboard. Vol. 111, no. 43. p. 20.
  3. ^ "Original TV Soundtrack: Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Album". AllMusic. Retrieved 9 November 2021.
  4. ^ Masterton, James (22 August 1999). "Week Ending August 28th 1999". Chart Watch UK. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
  5. ^ a b "New Releases – For Week Starting 17 May, 1999: Singles". Music Week. 15 May 1999. p. 23.
  6. ^ "Reviews: Hepburn: I Quit". Music Week. 8 May 1999. p. 24.
  7. ^ Masterton, James (23 May 1999). "Week Ending May 29th 1999". Chart Watch UK. Retrieved 9 November 2021.
  8. ^ a b "Hepburn: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 9 November 2021.
  9. ^ Whiting, Gordon (19 June 1999). "On the Road". Music Week. p. 30.
  10. ^ a b "Going for Adds". Radio & Records. No. 1319. 1 October 1999. pp. 107, 112, 121.
  11. ^ a b "Hepburn – I Quit" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 9 November 2021.
  12. ^ I Quit (UK CD1 liner notes). Hepburn. Columbia Records. 1999. 667401 2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  13. ^ I Quit (UK CD2 liner notes). Hepburn. Columbia Records. 1999. 667401 5.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  14. ^ I Quit (UK cassette single sleeve). Hepburn. Columbia Records. 1999. 667401 4.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  15. ^ I Quit (European CD single liner notes). Hepburn. Columbia Records. 1999. 667262 1.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  16. ^ a b I Quit (Australian CD single liner notes). Hepburn. Columbia Records. 1999. 667659 2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  17. ^ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles". Music & Media. Vol. 16, no. 23. 5 June 1999. p. 8.
  18. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 9 November 2021.