Somebody's Watching Me

"Somebody's Watching Me" is a song recorded by American singer Rockwell, released by the Motown label in 1984, as the lead single from his debut studio album of the same name. Rockwell's debut single release, the song features guest vocals by brothers Michael Jackson (in the chorus) and Jermaine Jackson (additional backing vocals).[3]

For the album, see Somebody's Watching Me (album).

"Somebody's Watching Me"
Side-A label of US 12-inch vinyl single
Single by Rockwell
from the album Somebody's Watching Me
B-side"Somebody's Watching Me (Instrumental)"
ReleasedJanuary 14, 1984[1]
Format
StudioMars Recording Studios (Los Angeles, California)[1]
GenreSynth-funk[2]
Length4:59 (album version)
3:57 (single version)
3:33 (radio/video version)
LabelMotown
Songwriter(s)Kennedy "Rockwell" Gordy
Producer(s)
  • Curtis Anthony Nolen
  • Rockwell
Rockwell singles chronology
"Somebody's Watching Me"
(1984)		 "Obscene Phone Caller"
(1984)
Music video
"Somebody's Watching Me" on YouTube

Chart performance

"Somebody's Watching Me" became a major commercial success internationally, topping the charts in Belgium, France, and Spain, and reaching the Top 5 in Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United States (peaking at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100; both "Jump" by Van Halen and "Footloose" by Kenny Loggins kept the song from No. 1).[4][5] The song reached No. 6 in the United Kingdom, Rockwell's only Top 40 hit there.[6]

Background and composition

Rockwell is a son of Motown CEO Berry Gordy. At the time of the recording, Rockwell was estranged from his father and living with Ray Singleton, his father's ex-wife and the mother of his older half-brother, Kerry Gordy. Singleton served as executive producer on the project and would occasionally play some demo tracks to Berry. The elder Gordy was less than enthusiastic about Rockwell's music until he heard the single with a familiar voice featuring prominently on background vocals.[3][7]

"Somebody's Watching Me" was written in the key of C-sharp minor in 4
4 time with a tempo of 124 beats per minute. The vocals span from C#4 to C#5.[8]

Produced by Curtis Anthony Nolen, the song featured backing vocals by Michael and Jermaine Jackson, with Alan Murray on percussion.[3][9]

Music video

The Frances Delia-directed music video to "Somebody's Watching Me" (which uses the radio edit instead of the album version) underscores the song's paranoid tone with a haunted house-inspired theme, including imagery of floating heads, ravens, graveyards, and shower scenes referencing Psycho.

Plot

The video opens with Rockwell coming home to discover that a newspaper in Chinese has been delivered to his doorstep. As he greets his pet dog and takes a quick shower, he begins to have strange visions (in a manner recalling The Dead Zone) of himself being pursued around his house by assorted ghoulish apparitions, of the looming figure of a cadaverous-looking man, and of finding a tombstone engraved with his own name. His shower is interrupted when he hears something outside and goes out on his balcony to investigate. He is shocked to see the man from his visions standing at his gate, but as he struggles to get a better look in spite of the sun in his face he is greatly relieved to see that he is merely a mailman, coming to deliver the correct newspaper. As the mailman walks up the path towards the front porch, however, a brief close-up of his arm reveals that he is, in fact, a zombie. Rockwell emerges onto the porch to receive the paper, which the mailman genially hands over. As the mailman brings his other arm around in an attempt to strike, Rockwell has just enough time to notice that he is not human.

Due in part to the popularity of the music video, the song is sometimes used for Halloween celebrations, with cover versions found in various collections of Halloween music.

Charts

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[38] Gold 50,000^
France — 354,000[39]
United States (RIAA)[40] Gold (Digital) 500,000^
United States (RIAA)[40] Gold (Physical) 500,000^

*sales figures based on certification alone
^shipments figures based on certification alone

DJ BoBo version: "Somebody Dance with Me"
Main article: Somebody Dance with Me

DJ BoBo based his 1992 single "Somebody Dance with Me" on "Somebody's Watching Me" with new lyrics and rap. The DJ BoBo single reached No. 1 in Sweden and Switzerland, and the Top 5 in Austria, Finland, Germany, the Netherlands and Norway. In 2012, a remix of the hit was made by Remady titled "Somebody Dance With Me (Remady 2013 Mix)" by DJ BoBo featuring Manu-L. Released early in 2013, it charted on the Swiss Hitparade, reaching No. 4. The mix was made on the 20th anniversary of the initial hit by DJ BoBo in November 1992.

Beatfreakz version
"Somebody's Watching Me"
Single by Beatfreakz
Released2006
FormatCD single
Length2:48
Songwriter(s)Kennedy "Rockwell" Gordy
Producer(s)Beatfreakz
Beatfreakz singles chronology
"Somebody's Watching Me"
(2006)		 "Superfreak"
(2006)
Music video
"Somebody's Watching Me" on YouTube

In 2006, Dutch dance group Beatfreakz recorded a pseudo-cover of the song which sampled the chorus but omitted the verses. This version was a Top 10 hit in Belgium, Finland, Ireland, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.

Track listing
CD single
  1. Somebody's Watching Me [Hi Tack Edit]
  2. Somebody's Watching Me [Hi Tack Club Mix]
  3. Somebody's Watching Me [E-Craig's 2006 Remix]
  4. Somebody's Watching Me [DeNnis Christopher Remix]
  5. Somebody's Watching Me [Ian Carey Club Mix]

Charts
Chart (2006) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[41] 38
Belgium (Ultratip Flanders)[42] 6
Belgium (Ultratip Wallonia)[43] 4
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Dance Flanders)[44] 17
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Dance Wallonia)[45] 17
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[46] 28
France (SNEP)[47] 18
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[48] 7
Germany (Official German Charts)[49] 41
Ireland (IRMA)[50] 5
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[51] 12
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[52] 21
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[53] 7
Romania (Romanian Top 100)[54] 28
Scotland (Official Charts Company)[55] 3
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[56] 65
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[57] 3
UK Dance (Official Charts Company)[58] 1

Year-end charts
Chart (2006) Position
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[59] 94
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[60] 42

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[61] Silver 200,000

sales+streaming figures based on certification alone

See also

References
  1. Allard, François; Lecocq, Richard (2018). "Rockwell: Somebody's Watching Me". Michael Jackson: All the Songs: The Story Behind Every Track. Octopus Books. ISBN 9781788401234.
  2. Huey, Steve. "Rockwell – Artist Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved October 18, 2014. Son of Berry Gordy who scored a number two Hot 100 hit with the 1983 synth-funk single "Somebody's Watching Me."
  3. Somebody's Watching Me (Media notes). Rockwell. Hollywood, California: Motown Records. 1984.CS1 maint: others (link)
  4. "The Hot 100". Billboard. March 24, 1984. Retrieved December 16, 2018.
  5. "The Hot 100". Billboard. March 31, 1984. Retrieved December 16, 2018.
  6. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 23, 2013.
  7. Gordy Singleton, Raynoma (1990). "Super Three". Berry, Me and Motown (1st ed.). Chicago: Contemporary Books. pp. 297–299. ISBN 0-8092-4340-7. As they finished mixing down the record, I could barely wait to rush it over and play it for Berry.
  8. "Somebody's Watching Me By Rockwell – Digital Sheet Music". Musicnotes. Retrieved February 28, 2017.
  9. Higginson, Cheryl (May 1, 1984). "Rockwell Rockets Up The Popular Charts". Luddington Daily News.
  10. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
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  13. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 6316." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved July 23, 2013.
  14. "Toutes les Chansons N° 1 des Années 80's" (in French). InfoDisc. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
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  61. "British single certifications – Beatfreakz – Somebody's Watching Me". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved December 10, 2019. Select singles in the Format field. Select Silver in the Certification field. Type Somebody's Watching Me in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
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