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Hands to Heaven

{{Infobox song

| name = Hands to Heaven

| cover = Breathe - Hands to Heaven.jpg

| alt =

| type = single

| artist = Breathe

| album = All That Jazz

| B-side = Life and Times

| released = 20 October 1987

| recorded =

| studio =

| venue =

| length = 4:18

| label = Siren, A&M

| writer = David Glasper, Marcus Lillington

| producer = Bob Sargeant

| prev_title = All That Jazz

| prev_year = 1987

| next_title = Any Trick

| next_year = 1988

}}

"Hands to Heaven" is a ballad by English new wave band Breathe, taken from their debut studio album, All That Jazz (1987). The song released as their fifth UK single on 20 October 1987 by A&M Records and as the band's second single in the US the following year. It was written by group members David Glasper and Marcus Lillington, and produced by Bob Sargeant. The B-side features an instrumental track "Life and Times".

"Hands to Heaven" was Breathe's breakthrough hit internationally. The single peaked at {{abbr|No.|Number}} 4 on the UK Singles Chart in August 1988.[https://www.officialcharts.com/search/singles/True%20Love UK chart info at Official Charts Company] That same month in the United States, it logged two weeks at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song also reached No. 2 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart.Hyatt, Wesley (1999). The Billboard Book of #1 Adult Contemporary Hits (Billboard Publications) "Hands to Heaven" also became a top-10 hit in Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, and Norway.

Music video

The music video, directed by Eamon McCabe, features the group in a surreal dream sequence, with the lead singer falling asleep in a black London taxicab and waking at the end, being driven away by the driver.

Track listings

All songs were written by David Glasper and Marcus Lillington and published by Virgin Music, Inc.

UK 7-inch single (SIREN SRN68)

:A. "Hands to Heaven" – 4:18

:B. "Life and Times" – 4:46

A special limited edition of the 7-inch single which included photos, lyrics and Fan Club address was released in the UK (SRNL 68).

US 7-inch single and cassette single (A&M AM-2991/TS-2991)

:A. "Hands to Heaven" – 4:17

:B. "Life and Times" – 4:44

UK 12-inch single (SIREN SRNT68)

:A1. "Hands to Heaven" (extended Heaven) – 6:23

:B1. "Hands to Heaven" (radio mix) – 4:18

:B2. "Life and Times" – 4:46

A special limited edition of the 12-inch single featured a poster sleeve.

UK CD single (SIREN SRCD 68)1

  1. "Hands to Heaven" – 4:18
  2. "All That Jazz" (12-inch version) – 6:15
  3. "Stay" (7-inch version) – 3:50
  4. "Life and Times" – 4:44

Personnel

Band

  • David Glasper – vocals
  • Marcus Lillington – guitars, keyboards
  • Ian "Spike" Spice – drums
  • Mike Delahunty – bass

Guest musician

  • Paul "Shilts" Weimar – saxophone

Production

  • Arranged by Breathe
  • Engineer: John Madden ("Hands to Heaven", "Stay")
  • Mixing: John Madden ("Life and Times"), Chris Porter ("All That Jazz")
  • Remixing: Chris Porter ("Hands to Heaven")

Charts

{{col-start}}

{{col-2}}

=Weekly charts=

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
scope="col"| Chart (1988)

! scope="col"| Peak
position

{{single chart|Canadatopsingles|5|chartid=8552|rowheader=true|access-date=6 November 2019}}
{{single chart|Canadaadultcontemporary|2|chartid=8576|rowheader=true|access-date=6 November 2019}}
scope="row"| Europe (Eurochart Hot 100){{cite magazine|title=Eurochart Hot 100 Singles|magazine=Music & Media|volume=5|issue=37|page=20|date=10 September 1988}}

| 13

{{single chart|Ireland2|3|artist=Breathe|song=Hands to Heaven|rowheader=true|access-date=6 November 2019}}
{{single chart|New Zealand|10|artist=Breathe|song=Hands to Heaven|rowheader=true|access-date=6 November 2019=}}
{{single chart|Norway|4|artist=Breathe|song=Hands to Heaven|rowheader=true|access-date=6 November 2019}}
{{single chart|Sweden|14|artist=Breathe|song=Hands to Heaven|rowheader=true|access-date=6 November 2019}}
{{single chart|UK|4|date=19880821|rowheader=true|access-date=6 November 2019}}
scope="row"| US Billboard Hot 100{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-100/1988-08-06/|title=Billboard Hot 100|magazine=Billboard|date=6 August 1988|access-date=4 February 2025}}

| 2

scope="row"| US Adult Contemporary (Billboard){{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/adult-contemporary/1988-08-06/|title=Adult Contemporary|magazine=Billboard|date=6 August 1988|url-access=subscription|access-date=4 February 2025}}

| 2

scope="row"| US Cash Box Top Singles{{cite web|url=http://cashboxmagazine.com/archives/80s_files/19880813.html|title=Cash Box Top 100 Singles (week ending August 13, 1988)|work=Cash Box|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121007030715/http://cashboxmagazine.com/archives/80s_files/19880813.html|archivedate=7 October 2012|access-date=6 November 2019}}

| 2

{{single chart|West Germany|29|artist=Breathe|song=Hands to Heaven|songid=9250|rowheader=true|access-date=6 November 2019|refname=}}

{{col-2}}

=Year-end charts=

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
scope="col"| Chart (1988)

! scope="col"| Position

scope="row"| Canada Top Singles (RPM){{cite magazine|url=http://rpmimages.3345.ca/pdfs/Volume%2049-No.%2010-December%2024,%201988.pdf|title=Top 100 Singles of '88|magazine=RPM|volume=49|issue=10|page=9|date=24 December 1988|access-date=6 November 2019}}

| 54

scope="row"| UK Singles (OCC){{cite book|editor-first=Peter |editor-last=Scaping|title=BPI YearBook 1989/90|chapter=Top 100 Singles: 1988 |publisher=British Phonographic Industry|location=London, England|pages=64–65|date=1991|isbn=978-0-9061-5410-6}}

| 44

scope="row"| US Billboard Hot 100{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/1988/hot-100-songs|title=1988 Year-End Charts – Hot 100 Songs|magazine=Billboard|access-date=6 November 2019}}

| 9

scope="row"| US Adult Contemporary (Billboard){{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/1988/adult-contemporary-songs|title=1988 Year-End Charts – Adult Contemporary Songs|magazine=Billboard|access-date=6 November 2019}}

| 4

scope="row"| US Cash Box Top Singles{{cite web|url=http://cashboxmagazine.com/archives/80s_files/1988YESP.html|title=Cash Box Year-End Charts: 1988|work=Cash Box|date=31 December 1988|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121007030529/http://cashboxmagazine.com/archives/80s_files/1988YESP.html|archivedate=7 October 2012|access-date=6 November 2019}}

| 13

{{col-end}}

Cover versions

  • A version recorded by Irish singer Brendan Keeley[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sq1BcXTS5oE Hands to Heaven by Brendan Keeley - Topic on YouTube] reached #12 on the Irish Singles Chart in 1997{{cite web|url=http://irishcharts.ie/search/placement?page=1&search_type=title&placement=Hands%20to%20Heaven|title=The Irish Charts - All There Is To Know - Hands to Heaven | website=irishcharts.ie | publisher=IRMA | access-date=6 April 2025}}
  • Filipino pop singer Christian Bautista covered the song for his self-titled debut album Christian Bautista[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2c6txvu0Gw Hands to Heaven by Christian Bautista - Topic on YouTube] in 2004 and later the single released on 5 April 2005.

In popular culture

The song was used for the Michael and Julia characters on the American soap opera Santa Barbara.{{cite web|url=http://www.cybercom.net/~jima/misc/songs.html|title=Santa Barbara|website=Cybercom|accessdate=17 July 2015}}

References

{{Reflist}}

External links

  • [http://www.discogs.com/release/1175335 Single release info at discogs.com]
  • [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KC5InWPjtL8 Official music video]

{{Breathe (British band)}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:1987 songs

Category:1987 singles

Category:A&M Records singles

Category:Breathe (British band) songs

Category:Song recordings produced by Bob Sargeant

Category:Pop ballads

Category:1980s ballads