Looking Over My Shoulder
{{short description|'Til Tuesday song}}
{{Infobox song
| name = Looking Over My Shoulder
| cover = 'Til Tuesday Looking Over My Shoulder 1985 single cover.jpg
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = 'Til Tuesday
| album = Voices Carry
| B-side = Don't Watch Me Bleed
| released = August 6, 1985{{cite news|last=Kishbaugh|first=Jerry|date=August 2, 1985|title=Aimee Mann's alluring voice carries 'til tuesday to national prominence|newspaper=Citizens' Voice|page=31}}
| recorded =
| studio =
| venue =
| genre = New wave{{Cite podcast|url=https://slate.com/podcasts/hit-parade/2021/11/hit-parade-takes-on-80s-pop-acts-cyndi-lauper-the-bangles-and-aimee-mann|title= Be the One to Walk in the Sun Edition|website=Hit Parade {{!}} Music History and Music Trivia|publisher=Slate|last=Molanphy|first=Chris|date= November 20, 2021|access-date= March 4, 2024}}
| length = 3:50 (single version)
4:15 (album version)
| label = Epic
| writer = Aimee Mann
Michael Hausman
Robert Holmes
Joey Pesce
| producer = Mike Thorne
| prev_title = Voices Carry
| prev_year = 1985
| next_title = Love in a Vacuum
| next_year = 1985
}}
"Looking Over My Shoulder" is a song by American band 'Til Tuesday, which was released in 1985 as the second single from their debut studio album Voices Carry. The song was written by Aimee Mann, Michael Hausman, Robert Holmes and Joey Pesce, and produced by Mike Thorne. "Looking Over My Shoulder" peaked at No. 61 on the US Billboard Hot 100.{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/%27Til-Tuesday/chart-history/HSI/song/333149|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210701210019/https://www.billboard.com/music/%27Til-Tuesday/chart-history/HSI/song/333149|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 1, 2021|title='Til Tuesday - Looking Over My Shoulder|magazine=Billboard|access-date=September 13, 2020}}
Music video
The song's music video was directed by Nick Haggerty and produced by Paul Schiff for N. Lee Lacy & Associates. It was shot in July 1985 in the Manhattan borough of New York City, including at the Convent of the Sacred Heart.{{cite magazine|date=August 10, 1985|title=Video Music: Aimee's Angst|magazine=Billboard|page=31}} The video received active rotation on MTV.{{cite magazine|date=September 14, 1985|title=MTV Programming|magazine=Billboard|page=43}}
Critical reception
On its release as a single, Billboard described "Looking Over My Shoulder" as a "broad, sweeping tune" and praised Mann for "the best Bowie soundalike vocal yet achieved by a woman".{{cite magazine|date=August 24, 1985|title=Reviews: Singles|magazine=Billboard|page=63}} Cash Box considered the song a "certain pop hit". They commented, "The moody verses give way to an infectious, effective chorus. Mann's vocal is strong and similar in intensity to her previous outing."{{cite magazine|date=August 31, 1985|title=Single Releases|magazine=Cash Box|page=9}} In a retrospective review of Voices Carry, Joe Viglione of AllMusic noted the song's "bubbling intensity which Holmes' guitar adds drama to".{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/voices-carry-mw0000192094|title=Voices Carry - 'Til Tuesday|last=Viglione|first=Joe|website=AllMusic|access-date=September 13, 2020}}
Track listing
;7" single
- "Looking Over My Shoulder" (Single Mix) – 3:50
- "Don't Watch Me Bleed" – 3:26
;7" single (US promo)
- "Looking Over My Shoulder" (Single Mix) – 3:50
- "Looking Over My Shoulder" (Single Mix) – 3:50
;12" (US promo)
- "Looking Over My Shoulder" (Single Mix) – 3:50
- "Looking Over My Shoulder" (Long Version) – 4:06
Personnel
'Til Tuesday
- Aimee Mann – vocals, bass
- Robert Holmes – guitar, backing vocals
- Joey Pesce – synthesizer, backing vocals
- Michael Hausman – drums, percussion
Production
- Mike Thorne – producer
- Bob Clearmountain – mixing on "Looking Over My Shoulder" (Single Mix)
- Domenic Maita – engineer
- Mike Krowiak, Jeff Lippay – studio assistants
- Harvey Goldberg – mixing engineer
- Moira Marquis – mixing assistant
- Jack Skinner – mastering
Other
- Britain Hill – photography
- Hiro Ito – photography (Japanese sleeve)
Charts
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+Chart performance for "Looking Over My Shoulder" |
| scopee="col"|Chart (1985)
!scopee="col"|Peak |
|---|
| {{singlechart|Billboardhot100|61|artist='Til Tuesday|song=Looking Over My Shoulder|rowheader=true|access-date=September 13, 2020}} |
| scope="row"|US Cash Box Top 100 Pop Singles{{cite book |last1=Downey |first1=Pat |last2=Albert |first2=George |last3=Hoffman |first3=Frank |title=Cash Box Pop Singles Charts, 1950-1993 |date=1994 |publisher=Libraries Unlimited, Inc. |location=Englewood, Colorado |isbn=1563083167 |page=[https://archive.org/details/cashboxpopsingle00down/page/351 351] |url=https://archive.org/details/cashboxpopsingle00down |url-access=registration |access-date=September 13, 2020}}
| style="text-align:center;"|62 |
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Aimee Mann}}
{{authority control}}
Category:Songs written by Aimee Mann
Category:Song recordings produced by Mike Thorne