"In My Arms"
UK CD single #1 cover
Single by Erasure
from the album Cowboy
B-side
  • "In the Name of the Heart"
  • "Rapture"
Released6 January 1997
Recorded1996
GenreSynth-pop
Length3:36
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Erasure singles chronology
"Rock Me Gently"
(1996)		 "In My Arms"
(1997)		 "Don't Say Your Love Is Killing Me"
(1997)
Music video
"In My Arms" on YouTube

"In My Arms" is a synth-pop ballad by English duo Erasure. Written by Vince Clarke and Andy Bell, the song was released in 1997, as the lead single from their album Cowboy. The album version was released as the single version in both the UK and the US, and the lead synthesizer melody performed during the song's middle eight section was mixed lower for the American version. It was issued by Mute Records in the UK and by Maverick Records in the US. The cover for the US single release was used as an example in the book The 7 Essentials of Graphic Design by Allison Goodman.

Critical reception

Ned Raggett from AllMusic stated that the song "has an attractive air to it, with a nicely sweeping chorus, but feels a little too relaxed, not as flat out energetic as it could be."[1] Larry Flick from Billboard described it as a "sweet midtempo ballad", and noted that Love to Infinity has remixed the tune into "a festive disco anthem that will easily nudge it into the winner's circle of clubland and maybe even pop/crossover radio." He wrote that Andy Bell "is the picture of suave and soulful romance, displaying a mature way with words, while partner Vince Clarke is as shrewd a melody writer as ever."[2]

Ben Marshall from The Guardian complimented it as "pop at its purest", a "techno-ballad" and "great stuff".[3] Chris Gerard from Metro Weekly wrote "With lush keyboards and sublime vocal harmonies, "In My Arms" is one of Erasure's most beautiful singles."[4] A reviewer from Music Week rated it two out of five, writing, "Rapidly losing their footing in the pop market, Andy and Vince cling to the old formula but, unless this is applied to more immediate pop material, the slide may continue."[5]

Chart performance

The single peaked at number 13 on the UK Singles Chart and number 76 in Germany — Erasure's lowest-charting single in that country up to that point. In Hungary, it reached number 1, and it was a top 10 hit in Finland. In the United States, it became Erasure's first Billboard Hot 100 entry since 1994's "Always", peaking at number 55. Its remix was a big hit in dance clubs, peaking at number 2 on the US Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart. The song peaked at number 31, their final entry on both the Hot 100 and the Mainstream Top 40 charts.

Music video

A music video was produced to promote the single, directed by English music video and film director Dick Carruthers, and filmed on-stage and backstage at the New Theatre Oxford (known as the Apollo Theatre at the time).[6] It premiered in the UK in January 1997 and was published on Erasure's official YouTube channel in September 2014.

Track listings

  • Cassette single (CMUTE190)
  1. "In My Arms"
  2. "Rapture" (Chris Stein, Deborah Harry)
  • 12" single (12MUTE190)
  1. "In My Arms" (Love to Infinity Gyrator Club Mix)
  2. "In My Arms" (Love to Infinity Stratomaster Mix)
  3. "Rapture"
  • CD single #1 (CDMUTE190)
  1. "In My Arms" (Single Mix)
  2. "In the Name of the Heart"
  3. "In My Arms" (Love to Infinity Stratomaster Mix)
  4. "In My Arms" (Crumbling Down Mix)
  • CD single #2 (LCDMUTE190)
  1. "In My Arms" (Love to Infinity Gyrator Club Mix)
  2. "Rapture" (Matt Darey Mix)
  3. "Rapture"
  • US maxi-single (9 43857-2)
  1. "In My Arms" (Love to Infinity Stratomaster Mix)
  2. "In My Arms" (Love to Infinity Gyrator Dub Mix)
  3. "In My Arms" (Love to Infinity Gyrator Club Mix)
  4. "In My Arms" (Crumbling Down Mix)
  5. "In My Arms" (U.S. version)

Charts

Chart (1997) Peak
position
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[7] 40
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[8] 68
Canada Dance/Urban (RPM)[8] 22
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[9] 53
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[10] 10
Germany (Official German Charts)[11] 76
Hungary (Mahasz)[12] 1
Italy (Airplay)[13] 14
Poland (Airplay)[14] 15
Scotland (OCC)[15] 15
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[16] 12
UK Singles (OCC)[17] 13
US Billboard Hot 100[18] 55
US Hot Dance Club Play (Billboard)[18] 2

References

  1. ↑ Raggett, Ned. "Erasure – Cowboy". AllMusic. Retrieved 8 November 2020.
  2. ↑ Flick, Larry (15 March 1997). "Single Reviews" (PDF). Billboard. p. 64. Retrieved 6 February 2020.
  3. ↑ Marshall, Ben (11 January 1997). "Reviews: Singles". The Guardian.
  4. ↑ Gerard, Chris (17 September 2014). "Erasure's 40 Greatest Tracks". Metro Weekly. Retrieved 21 November 2020.
  5. ↑ "Reviews: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 28 December 1996. p. 17. Retrieved 6 October 2021.
  6. ↑ "Erasure: In My Arms". IMDb. Retrieved 6 October 2021.
  7. ↑ Steffen Hung. "Das Österreichische Hitparaden- und Musik-Portal". austriancharts.at. Archived from the original on 1 December 2008. Retrieved 28 July 2016.
  8. 1 2 "Results - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". collectionscanada.gc.ca. Retrieved 28 July 2016.
  9. ↑ "Top National Sellers" (PDF). Music & Media. 1 February 1997. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  10. ↑ Steffen Hung. "finnishcharts.com - Erasure - In My Arms". finnishcharts.com. Retrieved 28 July 2016.
  11. ↑ "Die ganze Musik im Internet: Charts, Neuerscheinungen, Tickets, Genres, Genresuche, Genrelexikon, Künstler-Suche, Musik-Suche, Track-Suche, Ticket-Suche - musicline.de". musicline.de. Retrieved 28 July 2016.
  12. ↑ "Top National Sellers" (PDF). Music & Media. 1 February 1997. Retrieved 6 May 2018.
  13. ↑ "Top National Sellers" (PDF). Music & Media. 18 January 1997. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  14. ↑ "Top National Sellers" (PDF). Music & Media. 8 February 1997. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  15. ↑ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100 12 January 1997 - 18 January 1997". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 13 October 2021.
  16. ↑ Steffen Hung. "swedishcharts.com - Swedish Charts Portal". swedishcharts.com. Archived from the original on 16 May 2016. Retrieved 28 July 2016.
  17. ↑ "OCC". Retrieved 14 January 2010.
  18. 1 2 "Billboard - Music Charts, News, Photos & Video | Billboard". Billboard. Retrieved 28 July 2016.
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