Wrap Her Up
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2022}}
{{Use British English|date=June 2022}}
{{More citations needed|date=January 2017}}
{{Infobox song
| name = Wrap Her Up
| cover = Wrap Her Up.jpg
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = Elton John
| album = Ice on Fire
| B-side = The Man Who Never Died
| released = 14 October 1985 (US){{cite web|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/FMQB-Album/1985/FMQB-1985-10-11.pdf|title=FMQB|page=38}}
29 November 1985 (UK){{cite web|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1985/Music-Week-1985-11-23-I.pdf|title=Music Week|page=22}}
| recorded = January 1985
| studio =
| venue =
| genre = * Synth-rock
| length = * 6:21 (album version)
- 4:18 (single version)
| label = * Geffen (US)
- Rocket (UK)
| writer = * Elton John
| producer = Gus Dudgeon
| prev_title = Nikita
| prev_year = 1985
| next_title = Cry to Heaven
| next_year = 1986
| misc = {{External music video|{{YouTube|XFBTpRmhIFo|"Wrap Her Up"}}}}
}}
"Wrap Her Up" is a song by English musician Elton John, released as the second single from his 1985 album, Ice on Fire. George Michael provides backing vocals on the song. The single had limited success worldwide.
It reached number 12 in the UK Singles Chart,{{cite web|url=http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/21478/elton+john/|title=Elton John – full Official Chart History – Official Charts Company|publisher=Official Charts Company|access-date=25 April 2018}} number 22 in Australia,{{cite web|title=Forum – ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts – Top 100 Singles 1986|website=Australian-charts.com. Hung Medien|url= https://australian-charts.com/forum.asp?todo=viewthread&id=27219&pages=4|access-date=24 August 2019}} number 26 in Canada on the RPM Top Singles chart and number 20 on the US Billboard Hot 100.{{cite web|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-100/1985-12-07/|title=Billboard Hot 100 (12-07-1985)|publisher=Billboard |access-date=17 June 2023}}
Background
George Michael was quoted at the time in Number One magazine that "it sounded like I had my willy in a garotte" because of the falsetto he sings throughout the song.
The song talks about fashion models as it was notable for the number of famous women's names dropped toward the end,{{Cite web |url=https://anguskidman.show/2024/08/24/wrap-her-up-age-analysis/ |title=Wrap Her Up: What's the average age of the women Elton John & George Michael sang about? |date=August 24, 2024 |access-date=August 24, 2024}} including Kiki Dee, who had duetted with Elton on the hit song "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" in 1976, and also provided background vocals for "Wrap Her Up". The rest of the list includes (in order) Marlene Dietrich, Marilyn Monroe, Brigitte Bardot, Doris Day, Billie Jean King, Samantha Fox, Joan Collins, Katharine Hepburn, Vivien Leigh, Grace Jones, Priscilla Presley, Vanessa Williams, Dusty Springfield, Nancy Reagan, Rita Hayworth, Madonna (as "Material Girl"), Julie Andrews, Superwoman, Annie Lennox, Mata Hari, Anouska Hempel, Shirley Temple, Tallulah Bankhead, Linda Lovelace, Little Eva, Nastassja Kinski, Princess Caroline of Monaco, Pat Fernandez (a close friend of George Michael who appeared in two Wham! videos), and Elsie Tanner. The single version fades out early, missing most of the list. The last name heard on the single edit is Vanessa Williams.
"Wrap Her Up" has the longest credit of songwriters on a Elton John song.
Reception
Cash Box called it "a healthy tribute to the girl group's of yesteryear".{{cite magazine|title=Single Releases|magazine=Cash Box|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/80s/1985/CB-1985-10-26.pdf|date=October 26, 1985|accessdate=2022-08-02|page=11}} Billboard said it has "shades of Temptations circa 1964".{{cite magazine|magazine=Billboard|date=October 26, 1985|accessdate=2022-08-02|page=79|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QyQEAAAAMBAJ|title=Reviews}}
Music video
A music video was recorded for the song, which was directed by Russell Mulcahy, and featured John and George Michael, as well as Kiki Dee (who gets a custard pie in the face from Elton) and John's backing band. The video was featured in the video compilation version of The Very Best of Elton John in 1990, but the song was not included on any formats of the audio release edition of the compilation. The music video version of the song is abridged, with a running time of 4 minutes 11 seconds, almost two minutes shorter than the album version.
Live performances
This song was heavily performed live during the 1985 leg of the Ice on Fire Tour. On the 1986 leg, John rarely performed this song on the concerts of the same tour.
Personnel
- Elton John – lead vocals
- George Michael – guest vocals
- Fred Mandel – keyboards, sequencing
- Davey Johnstone – electric guitar, backing vocals
- Paul Westwood – bass
- Charlie Morgan – drums
- Phil Todd – alto saxophone
- David Bitelli – baritone and tenor saxophones, horn arrangements
- Rick Taylor – trombone
- Raul D'Oliveira – trumpet
- Paul Spong – trumpet
- James Newton Howard – string arrangements
- Kiki Dee – backing vocals
- Katie Kissoon – backing vocals
- Pete Wingfield – backing vocals
Charts
=Weekly charts=
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" |
| scope="col"| Chart (1985–1986)
! scope="col"| Peak |
|---|
| scope="row"| Australia (Kent Music Report){{cite book|last=Kent|first=David|author-link=David Kent (historian)|title=Australian Chart Book 1970–1992|edition=illustrated|location=St Ives, NSW|publisher=Australian Chart Book|year=1993|pages=158–159|isbn=0-646-11917-6}}
| 22 |
| {{single chart|Canadatopsingles|26|chartid=0614|rowheader=true|access-date=17 June 2023}} |
| {{single chart|Germany|54|artist=Elton John|song=Wrap Her Up|songid=25428|rowheader=true|access-date=17 June 2023}} |
| {{single chart|Ireland2|12|song=Wrap Her Up|rowheader=true|access-date=17 June 2023}} |
| {{single chart|New Zealand|33|artist=Elton John|song=Wrap Her Up|rowheader=true|access-date=17 June 2023}} |
| {{single chart|UK|12|date=19860105|rowheader=true|access-date=17 June 2023}} |
| {{single chart|Billboardhot100|20|artist=Elton John|rowheader=true|access-date=17 June 2023}} |
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Elton John songs}}
{{George Michael singles}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Songs with music by Elton John
Category:Songs with lyrics by Bernie Taupin
Category:Song recordings produced by Gus Dudgeon
Category:Geffen Records singles
Category:The Rocket Record Company singles