Do You Really Want to Hurt Me

"Do You Really Want to Hurt Me"
Single by Culture Club
from the album Kissing to Be Clever
B-side "You Know I'm Not Crazy "
"Love Is Cold" (non-album track)
"Bow Down Mister"
Released 6 September 1982 (UK)
22 November 1982 (US)
Format
Recorded 1982
Genre
Length 4:22
Label Virgin
Epic (US)
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) Steve Levine
Culture Club singles chronology
"Mystery Boy"
(1982)		 "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me"
(1982)		 "Time (Clock of the Heart)"
(1982)

"Mystery Boy"
(Japan)
(1982)		 "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me"
(1982)		 "Time (Clock of the Heart)"
(1982)
Music video
"Do You Really Want to Hurt Me" on YouTube

"Do You Really Want to Hurt Me" is a song written and recorded by the British new wave band Culture Club. Released as a single in September 1982 from the group's platinum-selling debut album Kissing to Be Clever, it was the band's first UK #1 hit. In the United States, the single was released in November 1982 and also became a huge hit, reaching #2 for three weeks.

History

"Do You Really Want to Hurt Me" was the third single released in Europe by Culture Club and their debut release in the United States and Canada. The song was picked up by BBC Radio 2 and became a UK #1 single for three weeks in October 1982. The song entered the American Pop chart the week ending December 4, 1982. It hit #1 in Cash Box magazine and held at #2 for three weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in March and April 1983 (kept from the #1 spot by the massive success of Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean"). The single achieved sales of 900,000 US copies and also hit #1 in Canada.[1] It was also number one in Australia.

This was Culture Club's first success, after their first two releases, "White Boy" and "I'm Afraid of Me" charted in the UK at #114 and #100 respectively. According to Boy George, it was their last chance to get an album deal.

The song rose rapidly in the UK charts after the group's first appearance on Top of the Pops, which resulted in George's androgynous style of dress and sexual ambiguity making newspaper headlines. The group were only asked to appear on Top of the Pops the night before the show, after Shakin' Stevens pulled out.[2]

In a retrospective review, Allmusic journalist Jose F. Promis described "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me" as "a simple masterpiece, resonating with an ache that harked back to the classic torch songs of yesteryear."[3]

In 2007, Boy George said that the song was "not just about Culture Club's drummer Jon Moss, my boyfriend at the time. It was about all the guys I dated at that time in my life."[2]

The B-side was a dub version featuring Pappa Weasel in many countries and "You Know I'm Not Crazy" on the US release. On the 12" version of the record, the track "Love Is Cold (You Were Never No Good)" was also included.

Remixes

The song was remixed by DJs Quivver and Kinky Roland in 1998 for a Culture Club compilation called Greatest Moments and the single "I Just Wanna Be Loved". It was also remixed and presented on Culture Club's 2002 box set along with the original demo version.

Re-released as a reggaeton remix in France, it was again a top 20 hit in the summer of 2005.

Music video

The video for the song, directed by Julien Temple, featured lead singer Boy George on trial in a courtroom, with flashbacks to the Gargoyle Club, Soho in 1936 and the Dolphin Square Health Club, Pimlico in 1957. The jury was in blackface making jazz hands gestures. One band member, Mikey Craig, was not in the video, and was replaced by his brother Greg.

Boy George wears a shirt with the Hebrew writing "Tarbut Agudda" (תַּרְבּוּת אֲגֻדָּה), a literal translation of the individual words "culture" and "association" in a grammatically incorrect order.

Track listings

Chart history and certifications

Blue Lagoon version

"Do You Really Want to Hurt Me"
Single by Blue Lagoon
from the album Club Lagoon
B-side "Extended version"
Released February 13, 2005
Format CD single
CD maxi
Length 3:29
Label Kon$um, SME
Songwriter(s) Michael Craig
Roy Hay
Jon Moss
George O'Dowd
Producer(s) Felix J. Gauder
Blue Lagoon singles chronology
"Break My Stride"
(2004)		 "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me"
(2005)		 "Heartbreaker"
(2005)

"Break My Stride"
(2004)		 "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me"
(2005)		 "Heartbreaker"
(2005)

The song was covered in 2005 by German band Blue Lagoon on its album Club Lagoon and became a hit in Europe.

Track listings

CD single
  1. "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me" (radio edit) — 3:29
  2. "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me" (extended version) — 4:59

Charts

Chart (2005) Peak
position
Austrian Singles Chart[37] 21
Danish Singles Chart[38] 11
German Singles Chart[39] 13
Swedish Singles Chart[40] 29
Swiss Singles Chart[41] 32

Other cover versions

References

  1. ↑ "RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Retrieved 17 February 2013.
  2. 1 2 "Flashback: October 1982". Guardian. 14 October 2007. Retrieved 17 February 2013.
  3. ↑ Promis, Jose F. "Kissing to Be Clever - Culture Club : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 17 February 2013.
  4. ↑ "Australian-charts.com – Culture Club – Do You Really Want To Hurt Me". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved June, and 2017.
  5. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Culture Club – Do You Really Want To Hurt Me" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved June, and 2017.
  6. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Culture Club – Do You Really Want To Hurt Me" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved June, and 2017.
  7. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Culture Club – Do You Really Want To Hurt Me" (in French). Ultratop 50. Retrieved June, and 2017.
  8. ↑ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 6205." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved June, and 2017.
  9. ↑ "Danishcharts.com – Culture Club – Do You Really Want To Hurt Me". Tracklisten. Retrieved June, and 2017.
  10. ↑ "Lescharts.com – Culture Club – Do You Really Want To Hurt Me" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved June, and 2017.
  11. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Culture Club – Do You Really Want To Hurt Me". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved June, and 2017.
  12. ↑ Irish Single Chart Irishcharts.ie Archived 9 June 2009 at the Wayback Machine. (Retrieved 17 July 2008)
  13. ↑ "Italiancharts.com – Culture Club – Do You Really Want To Hurt Me". Top Digital Download. Retrieved June, and 2017.
  14. ↑ "Charts.nz – Culture Club – Do You Really Want To Hurt Me". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved June, and 2017.
  15. ↑ "Norwegiancharts.com – Culture Club – Do You Really Want To Hurt Me". VG-lista. Retrieved June, and 2017.
  16. ↑ "Spanishcharts.com – Culture Club – Do You Really Want To Hurt Me" Canciones Top 50. Retrieved June, and 2017.
  17. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Culture Club – Do You Really Want To Hurt Me". Singles Top 100. Retrieved June, and 2017.
  18. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Culture Club – Do You Really Want To Hurt Me". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved June, and 2017.
  19. ↑ "Culture Club: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June, and 2017.
  20. ↑ "Culture Club Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved June, and 2017.
  21. ↑ "Culture Club Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved June, and 2017.
  22. ↑ "Culture Club Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved June, and 2017.
  23. ↑ "Culture Club Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved June, and 2017.
  24. ↑ "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me", Belgian (Wallonia) Singles Chart Ultratop.be (Retrieved 17 July 2008)
  25. ↑ "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me", French Singles Chart Lescharts.com (Retrieved 17 July 2008)
  26. ↑ https://www.top40.nl/bijzondere-lijsten/top-100-jaaroverzichten/1982
  27. ↑ Top Selling Singles of 1982 | The Official New Zealand Music Chart
  28. ↑ http://www.uk-charts.top-source.info/top-100-1982.shtml
  29. ↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (doc)|format= requires |url= (help). Australian Chart Book, St Ives, N.S.W. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  30. ↑ "Top 100 Singles of 1983 – Volume 39, No. 17, December 24 1983". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved April 9, 2017.
  31. ↑ Musicoutfitters.com
  32. ↑ "Canadian single certifications – Culture Club – Do You Really Want to Hurt Me". Music Canada.
  33. ↑ "French single certifications – Culture Club – Do You Really Want to Hurt Me" (in French). InfoDisc. Select CULTURE CLUB and click OK. 
  34. ↑ "Les Singles en Or :" (in French). Infodisc.fr. Archived from the original on 2 August 2012. Retrieved 1 April 2012.
  35. ↑ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Culture Club; 'Do You Really Want to Hurt Me')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie.
  36. ↑ "British single certifications – Boy George & Culture Club – Karma Chameleon". British Phonographic Industry. Select singles in the Format field. Select Gold in the Certification field. Type Karma Chameleon in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
  37. ↑ "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me", by Blue Lagoon, Austrian Singles Chart Austriancharts.at Archived 8 December 2008 at the Wayback Machine. (Retrieved 17 July 2008)
  38. ↑ "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me", by Blue Lagoon, Danish Singles Chart Danishcharts.com Archived 12 October 2008 at the Wayback Machine. (Retrieved 17 July 2008)
  39. ↑ German Singles Chart Charts-surfer.de Archived 16 December 2008 at the Wayback Machine. (Retrieved 17 July 2008)
  40. ↑ "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me", by Blue Lagoon, Swedish Singles Chart Swedishcharts.com (Retrieved 17 July 2008)
  41. ↑ "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me", by Blue Lagoon, Swiss Singles Chart Hitparade.ch Archived 8 December 2008 at the Wayback Machine. (Retrieved 17 July 2008)
  42. ↑ Anon. "Reggae Reviews: The Heptones". Archived from the original on 11 October 2013. Retrieved 10 October 2013.
  43. ↑ /. "Do You Really Want To Hurt Me | Curry Cuts". Currycuts.bandcamp.com. Retrieved 2016-10-26.
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