Switch It On
{{Short description|2005 single by Will Young}}
{{For|the single by Cliff Nobles And Co "Switch It On"|Jesse James (songwriter)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2025}}
{{Infobox song
| name = Switch It On
| cover = WYSIO1.jpg
| alt =
| caption =
| type = single
| artist = Will Young
| album = Keep On
| B-side = I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know
| released = {{start date|2005|11|14|df=y}}
| recorded =
| studio =
| venue =
| genre = Avant-pop{{cite web |last1=Southall |first1=Nick |title=Will Young - Keep On - Stylus Magazine |url=http://stylusmagazine.com/review_ID_3584.html |website=Stylus Magazine |accessdate=9 November 2020 |date=30 November 2005}}
| length = 3:47
| label =
| writer =
- Will Young
- Stephen Lipson
- Ronnie Peterson
- Karen Poole
- Steven Wolf
| producer = Stephen Lipson
| prev_title = Friday's Child
| prev_year = 2004
| next_title = All Time Love
| next_year = 2006
| misc =
}}
"Switch It On" is a song by English singer Will Young. It was written by Young, Stephen Lipson, Ronnie Peterson, Karen Poole and Steven Wolf, and produced by Lipson for third studio album, Keep On (2005). The song was released as the album's first single on 14 November 2005, a week before the album. The single reached number five in the UK Singles Chart.
Music video
The video for "Switch It On" was directed by Vaughan Arnell and filmed at Thunder City in Cape Town, South Africa.{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2005/nov/04/popandrock|title='I'm a very strange pop star'|website=The Guardian|date=4 November 2005|access-date=30 January 2023}} It is based on the 1986 American action drama Top Gun. The video opens with the titles "Will Young in Hot Gun", and features Young in the Tom Cruise fighter pilot role, playing beach volleyball and serenading a woman in a bar. In a 2005 interview with The Guardian, Young commented: "The video was the director Vaughan Arnell's idea – I'd had something different, a performance video, in mind. But he convinced me it was such a universal idea that covered so many areas – blokes love it, women like it. It's not in-your-face homoerotic. Homoeroticism should be subtle. It's not about dancing in leather pants. Mixed with humour, homoeroticism is fantastic."
Track listings
{{Track listing
| headline = UK CD1{{cite AV media notes|title=Switch It On|others=Will Young|year=2005|type=UK CD1 liner notes|publisher=Sony BMG, 19 Recordings|id=82876 752292}}
| extra_column = Producer(s)
| title1 = Switch It On
| writer1 = {{hlist|Will Young|Stephen Lipson|Ronnie Peterson|Karen Poole|Steven Wolf}}
| extra1 = Stephen Lipson
| length1 = 4:46
| title2 = Switch It On
| note2 = Freeform Reform
| writer2 = {{hlist|Young|Lipson|Peterson|Poole|Wolf}}
| extra2 = {{hlist|Lipson|Freeform Five{{ref|a|[a]}}}}
| length2 = 6:01
}}
{{Track listing
| headline = UK CD2{{cite AV media notes|title=Switch It On|others=Will Young|year=2005|type=UK CD2 liner notes|publisher=Sony BMG, 19 Recordings|id=82876 752302}}
| extra_column = Producer(s)
| title1 = Switch It On
| writer1 = {{hlist|Will Young|Stephen Lipson|Ronnie Peterson|Karen Poole|Steven Wolf}}
| extra1 = Lipson
| length1 = 4:46
| title2 = I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know
| writer2 = Al Kooper
| extra2 = Lipson
| length2 = 5:16
| title3 = Switch It On
| note3 = Freeform Reform
| writer3 = {{hlist|Young|Lipson|Peterson|Poole|Wolf}}
| extra3 = {{hlist|Lipson|Freeform Five{{ref|a|[a]}}}}
| length3 = 6:01
| title4 = Exclusive Picture Gallery and Will Young Screensaver
}}
Notes
- {{note|a|[a]}} denotes remix producer
- "Switch It On" is based on the composition "Ho Diddley" as performed by Chitlin Circuitry.
Charts
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
=Weekly charts=
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+ Weekly chart performance for "Switch It On" ! scope="col"| Chart (2005) ! scope="col"| Peak |
| scope="row"| Europe (Eurochart Hot 100){{cite web|url=http://www.aria.com.au/Issue822.pdf|title=The ARIA Report: European Top 20 Charts – Week Commencing 28th November 2005|publisher=ARIA|page=25|date=28 November 2005|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20180909233007/http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/23790/20180910-0905/issue822.pdf|archive-date=9 September 2018|access-date=15 May 2022}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}
| 18 |
|---|
| {{single chart|Ireland2|23|song=Switch It On|rowheader=true|access-date=19 October 2021}} |
| {{single chart|Scotland|4|date=20051126|rowheader=true|access-date=19 October 2021}} |
| {{single chart|UK|5|date=20051126|rowheader=true|access-date=19 October 2021}} |
{{col-2}}
=Year-end charts=
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+ Year-end chart performance for "Switch It On" ! scope="col"| Chart (2005) ! scope="col"| Position |
| scope="row"| UK Singles (OCC){{cite web|url=http://www.ukchartsplus.co.uk/ChartsPlusYE2005.pdf|title=The Official UK Singles Chart 2005|work=UKChartsPlus|access-date=10 August 2023}}
| 131 |
|---|
{{col-end}}
Release history
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|+ Release history for "Switch It On" ! scope="col"| Region ! scope="col"| Date ! scope="col"| Label ! scope="col"| Format ! scope="col"| {{abbr|Ref(s)|Reference(s)}} |
| scope="row"| United Kingdom
| 14 November 2005 | {{hlist|CD single|digital download}} | style="text-align:center;"| {{cite magazine|title=New Releases: Singles|magazine=Music Week|page=37|date=12 November 2005}} |
|---|
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.willyoung.co.uk/global/songs-and-lyrics/songs/switch_it_on?page=4 "Switch It On" lyrics]
{{Will Young}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:19 Recordings singles
Category:Music videos directed by Vaughan Arnell
Category:Song recordings produced by Stephen Lipson
Category:Songs written by Karen Poole
Category:Songs written by Stephen Lipson
Category:Songs written by Will Young
{{2000s-pop-single-stub}}