"Hot Hot Hot!!!" is a single by British rock band the Cure released on 8 February 1988. It is taken from their 1987 album Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me. The song reached number 45 in the UK, whereas it was more successful in Ireland where it reached number 18, and in Spain where it reached the Top 10.

"Hot Hot Hot!!!"
Single by the Cure
from the album Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me
B-side"Hey You!!!" (extended remix)
Released8 February 1988
Recorded1986
GenreFunk rock
Length3:34
LabelFiction
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
The Cure singles chronology
"Just Like Heaven"
(1987)
"Hot Hot Hot!!!"
(1988)
"Lullaby"
(1989)

History

edit

"Hot Hot Hot!!!" was the fourth single released from the album Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me—the band's seventh LP. In early 1988, it spent three weeks in the UK Singles Chart, peaking at number 45 on 20 February of that year.[1] In the United States, the song reached number 65 on the Billboard Hot 100, while a remix of the track by François Kevorkian charted at numbers 11 and 50 on the Dance Music/Club Play Singles and the Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales charts, respectively.[2][3] It reached its highest chart position in Spain, peaking at number 8; the song was also a hit in Ireland, spending two weeks there and making number 18 on 18 February 1988.[4] It spent three weeks on the Dutch charts, reaching number 79 there.[5] As with many other singles, the video was directed by Tim Pope,[6] and has been described as "intentionally ridiculous".[7] Filmed in black and white, it featured the band as "dwarves" dressed in 1950s clothes.[8]

Before the song proper begins, Robert Smith can be heard singing "she may be the face I can't forget", the first line of "She" by Charles Aznavour.

Reception

edit

In a review of the single for NME in 1988, Steve Lamacq said that the song's dance mix was "spuriously welcoming, but basically a tragedy of trenchfoot" and concluded, "Even I know [Smith has] better stuff hidden in that mop of his".[9] In an undated review, Stewart Mason of Allmusic described the song as the "weakest" of the singles from the album, adding that it has markedly dated and criticised both Smith's lyrics and his vocal performance.[10]

Re-recordings and cover versions

edit

The song appears on disc two of the live album Bestival Live 2011.[11]

Track listing

edit

7": Elektra / 7-69424 (United States)

edit
  1. "Hot Hot Hot!!!" (Remix) – 3:33
  2. "Hey You!!!" (Remix) – 2:23

MC: Elektra / 9 66783-4 (United States)

edit
  1. "Hot Hot Hot!!!" (Remix) – 3:33
  2. "Hey You!!!" (Extended Remix) – 4:06
  • released in longbox

12": Fiction / Ficsx 28 (United Kingdom)

edit
  1. "Hot Hot Hot!!!" (Extended Remix) – 7:03
  2. "Hot Hot Hot!!!" (Remix) – 3:33
  3. "Hey You!!!" (Extended Remix) – 4:06

Personnel

edit

Roger O'Donnell appears playing keyboards in the music video, but does not play on the actual recording.

Charts

edit
Chart performance for "Hot Hot Hot!!!"
Chart (1988) Peak
position
Ireland (IRMA)[12] 18
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[13] 79
UK Singles (OCC)[14] 45
US Billboard Hot 100[15] 65
US Dance Club Songs (Billboard)[16] 11

References

edit
  1. ^ Cure. OfficialCharts.com. Retrieved on 22 January 2013.
  2. ^ The Cure - Awards. Allmusic.com. Retrieved on 27 January 2013.
  3. ^ Apter, Jeff. Never Enough: The Story of The Cure. Omnibus Press, 2005. ISBN 1-84449-827-1, p. 232
  4. ^ Gogan, Larry. "search". The Irish Charts - All there is to Know. Archived from the original on 18 October 2013. Retrieved 26 January 2013.
  5. ^ "The Cure - Hot Hot Hot!!! (Nummer)". dutchcharts.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 27 January 2013.
  6. ^ "The Cure". Rage. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 30 September 2000. Retrieved 26 January 2013.
  7. ^ Raggett, Ned. "Picture Show (review)". Allmusic.com. Retrieved 27 January 2013.
  8. ^ "Hot Hot Hot!!!". Retrieved 26 January 2013.
  9. ^ Lamacq, Steve. "Hot Hot Hot!!!" single review. NME. 12 February 1988.
  10. ^ Mason, Stewart. "Hot Hot Hot!!!" Allmusic.com. Retrieved on 26 January 2013.
  11. ^ "The Cure to release Bestival headline set as a live album". IPC Media. 2011. Archived from the original on 13 December 2013. Retrieved 27 January 2013.
  12. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – The Cure". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 30 June 2023.
  13. ^ "The Cure – Hot Hot Hot!!!" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 30 June 2023.
  14. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 30 June 2023.
  15. ^ "The Cure Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 30 June 2023.
  16. ^ "The Cure Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 30 June 2023.