Breakaway (Big Pig song)
{{Short description|1973 song by Chuck Jackson}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2020}}
{{Infobox song
| name = I Can't Break Away
| cover =
| alt =
| type =
| artist = Chuck Jackson
| album = Through All Times
| B-side = Just a Little Tear
| released = 1973
| recorded =
| studio =
| venue =
| genre =
| length = 3:36
| writer = {{hlist|Mitchell Bottler|Gary Zekley}}
| producer = Steve Barri
| prev_title = I Only Get This Feeling
| prev_year = 1973
| next_title = Maybe This Will Be the Morning
| next_year = 1974
}}
{{Infobox song
| name = Breakaway
| cover = BigPigBreakaway.jpg
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = Big Pig
| album = Bonk
| B-side = {{unbulleted list|"Hellbent Heaven"|"The Bald Dwarf"}}
| released = {{start date|1987|11|2}}
| recorded =
| studio =
| venue =
| genre =
| length = 3:38
| label = {{hlist|White Label, Mushroom (Australia)|A&M ({{abbr|int'l|international}})}}
| writer = {{hlist|Mitchell Bottler|Gary Zekley}}
| producer = Nick Launay{{cite web|url=http://www.billandted.org/musiceabreakaway.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110625010038/http://billandted.org/musiceabreakaway.htm|url-status=usurped|archive-date=June 25, 2011|title=I Can't Break Away|access-date=March 17, 2018}}
| prev_title = Boy Wonder
| prev_year = 1987
| next_title = Big Hotel
| next_year = 1988
| misc = {{External music video|header=Audio|{{YouTube|D_MIwYccYCY|"Breakaway"}}}}
}}
"Breakaway", by Australian band Big Pig, is a cover of American R&B singer Chuck Jackson's song "I Can't Break Away". Originally released on November 2, 1987, in the United Kingdom, it was released on February 15, 1988, in Australia as the third single from their debut album Bonk. The song, written by Mitchell Bottler and Gary Zekley, is about freedom and fighting against destiny.{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/dec/02/breakaway-by-big-pig-fighting-fate-and-longing-for-freedom|title=Breakaway by Big Pig – fighting fate and longing for freedom|work=The Guardian|date=December 2014 |access-date=March 17, 2018 |last1=Kerr |first1=Jack }} Like many other Big Pig songs, "Breakaway" features plentiful drums and percussion but no guitars.
The song became the band's most successful single, reaching number one in New Zealand in May 1988. It also reached number eight in their native Australia and managed to chart in North America, reaching number 60 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 10 on Canada's RPM Top Singles chart. Its earlier UK release saw the song peak at number 89 on the UK Singles Chart.
In 1989, the song appeared on the soundtrack to the science-fiction comedy film Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure,{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/bill-teds-excellent-adventure-mw0000199013|title=Original Soundtrack – Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure|website=AllMusic|access-date=May 15, 2018}} also appearing in the film's opening credits.
Reception
In 2004, Clem Bastow of Stylus Magazine wrote that while Big Pig's "Breakaway" is likely "the least 'rock' of all the songs from Excellent Adventure," it incites a sense of excitement. He added that the song is "a dodgy, quasi-deep (see: made up language) throwaway hit" from an otherwise obscure band clad in matching dresses, "yet doesn't that line, 'All my life I’ve wanted to fly/Like the birds that you see way up in the sky', set to that pulsating proto-industrial clang, tap into that universal wish for freedom, for super-human powers, for that which we cannot have? The answer is, of course, yes."{{cite web |last1=Bastow |first1=Clem |title=Top Ten Musical Moments From the Bill & Ted Movies |url=https://stylusmagazines.com/articles/staff_top_10/top-ten-musical-moments-from-the-bill-ted-movies.html |website=Stylus Magazine |access-date=25 August 2024 |date=11 February 2004}}
Track listings
Charts
=Chuck Jackson version=
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
!Chart (1973) !Peak |
| {{single chart|Billboardrandbhiphop|62|artist=Chuck Jackson|rowheader=true|access-date=March 17, 2018}} |
=Big Pig version=
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
==Weekly charts==
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
!Chart (1987–1988) !Peak |
| scope="row"|Australia (Australian Music Report){{cite web|url=https://i.imgur.com/bYhJBAF.jpg|title=Australian ARIA Top 50 Singles Chart – Week Ending 29th May, 1988|publisher=ARIA|via=Imgur|access-date=April 13, 2018}} N.B. The top 50 portion of the Kent Music Report chart was licensed by ARIA between mid-1983 and June 12, 1988. "Breakaway" peaked on the chart before the commencement of the ARIA-produced chart in June 1988.
|8 |
|---|
| {{single chart|Canadatopsingles|10|chartid=8714|rowheader=true|access-date=March 24, 2019}} |
| {{single chart|New Zealand|1|artist=Big Pig|song=Breakaway|rowheader=true|access-date=March 17, 2018|refname="nz"}} |
| {{single chart|UK|89|date=19871205|rowheader=true|access-date=March 17, 2018}} |
| {{single chart|Billboardhot100|60|artist=Big Pig|rowheader=true|access-date=March 17, 2018}} |
| {{single chart|Billboarddanceclubplay|7|artist=Big Pig|rowheader=true|access-date=March 17, 2018}} |
{{col-2}}
==Year-end charts==
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
!Chart (1988) !Position |
| scope="row"|Australia (ARIA){{cite web|url=https://www.aria.com.au/charts/1988/singles-chart|title=ARIA Top 50 Singles for 1988|publisher=ARIA|access-date=August 14, 2021}}
|37 |
|---|
| scope="row"|New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ){{cite web|url=https://aotearoamusiccharts.co.nz/archive/annual-singles/1988-12-31|title=End of Year Charts 1988|publisher=Recorded Music NZ|access-date=March 17, 2018}}
|12 |
{{col-end}}
Release history
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
!scope="col"|Region !scope="col"|Date !scope="col"|Format(s) !scope="col"|Label(s) !scope="col"|{{abbr|Ref.|Reference}} |
| scope="row"|United Kingdom
|{{start date|1987|11|2}} |{{hlist|7-inch vinyl|12-inch vinyl}} |A&M |{{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1987/Music-Week-1987-10-31.pdf|title=New Singles|magazine=Music Week|page=35|date=October 31, 1987|access-date=August 14, 2021}} |
|---|
| scope="row"|Australia
|{{start date|1988|2|15}} |{{hlist|7-inch vinyl|cassette}} |{{hlist|White Label|Mushroom}} |{{cite web|url=https://i.imgur.com/pXQqwdL.png|title=Australian Music Report No 707 – 15 February 1988 > Singles: New Releases|publisher=Australian Music Report|via=Imgur|access-date=April 13, 2018}} |
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Discogs master|121923|Breakaway|type=single}}
{{authority control}}
Category:Mushroom Records singles
Category:Number-one singles in New Zealand