Whole Again

"Whole Again"
Single by Atomic Kitten
from the album Right Now
B-side "Locomotion"
"Holiday"
Released 29 January 2001
Format CD single, cassette
Recorded Motor Museum Studios, Liverpool, England
Genre Pop, disco
Length 3:03
Label Virgin
Writer(s) Andy McCluskey, Stuart Kershaw, Jem Godfrey, Bill Padley
Producer(s) Engine
Atomic Kitten singles chronology
"Follow Me"
(2000)		 "Whole Again"
(2001)		 "Eternal Flame"
(2001)
Music sample
Whole Again

"Whole Again" is the fifth single released from British pop girl group Atomic Kitten's debut album, Right Now (2000). It is the group's biggest selling single to date and was the final single to feature founding member Kerry Katona, who left the group midway through promoting the single. "Whole Again" was the first single released from the album in Europe, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. It was a massive success, reaching number one in several countries, and sold 1 million copies in the UK alone.[1] Among the song's writers was OMD frontman and Atomic Kitten founder Andy McCluskey, who achieved his only UK number one single with the track.

Following the departure of Katona, she was replaced a few days later by Jenny Frost, just after the single reached number one in the UK. As a result, the music video was reshot and Frost's vocals appeared on the reissue of Right Now.

Background

Following the failures of previous single "Follow Me" and the initial release of their debut album, Right Now,[2] Atomic Kitten persuaded Virgin Records to release the single as a last-ditch attempt to keep their record deal. They were given a shoe-string budget for the single's release with a basic video and previous photo shoots used for cover artwork. During promotion for the single, band member Kerry Katona announced her pregnancy and subsequent decision to leave the group. With the single's release imminent, the group opted to recruit Jenny Frost as a replacement and continued their promotional campaign. Surprisingly the single was a massive success, beating U2 to the number one spot on the UK Singles Chart and remaining there for four consecutive weeks.

.In a rare Asian pressing of their Right Now album, the song "Whole Again" features all lines spoken by Katona with only the chorus sung by the girls which was taken from the Japanese version of Right Now. The original version of Right Now features Katona's vocals; however, the reissue of the album features new vocals by Jenny Frost. This version has since replaced Katona's version for radio airplay, and it was subsequently issued as a bonus track on international versions of the group's second album, Feels So Good.

The first line of the song is identical to that of "Walk on By" by Bacharach and David.

Music video

The music video for "Whole Again" was filmed on a very small budget due to the commercial failure of previous single "Follow Me". It features the girls singing in front of a plain white background – similar to the video for the Sugababes' debut single "Overload". The original version of the video includes Kerry Katona, who had left the group just before the song's release. Much of the video was subsequently reshot to feature new member Jenny Frost.[3]

As a result of the single's huge success in many international markets, a second music video was filmed for the U.S. release with a much larger budget. This version features the three girls walking through the streets in Downtown Los Angeles and walking out into the countryside, gradually picking up more people along the way. The video ends with the camera zooming out on the field for Atomic Kitten's old logo is invisible in a shape of a kitten. The U.S. single release never materialised in the wake of the September 11 attacks, but the video can often be seen on British music television channels.

Track listing

UK CD1

  1. "Whole Again" – 3:03
  2. "Holiday" – 3:13
  3. "Whole Again" (Whirlwind Mix) – 3:05

UK CD2

  1. "Whole Again" – 3:03
  2. "Whole Again" (Original Version) – 3:19
  3. "Locomotion" – 3:32

UK Cassette

  1. "Whole Again" – 3:03
  2. "Locomotion" – 3:32

Official versions

Credits and personnel

Lyrics and Music Bill Padley, Stuart Kershaw, Andy McCluskey and Jem Godfrey
Producer Engine/Padley & Godfrey
Vocals Natasha Hamilton, Liz McClarnon and Kerry Katona
Vocals (Reissue) Natasha Hamilton, Liz McClarnon and Jenny Frost
Vocals (Japanese edition) Kerry Katona, Natasha Hamilton and Liz McClarnon
Album Right Now

Chart performance

The single debuted at number one in the United Kingdom with first week sales of 69,286 copies,[4] and since gone on to sell 1,000,000 copies in the UK alone.[5] It stayed atop the UK Singles Chart for four weeks, becoming the longest-charting number one since Westlife at Christmas 1999, and the only single which increased on weekly sales during each week at number 1. It is the fourth best-selling single by a girl group of all time, after "Wannabe" and "2 Become 1" by the Spice Girls, and "Never Ever" by All Saints, as well as being the best-selling girl group single of the decade. It also became the thirteenth overall best-selling single of the decade.[6] As of November 2016, it remains the biggest selling song of the 21st century in the UK by a girl band.[7]

In Australia, it peaked at number two in the charts, being certified double platinum for sales of over 140,000 copies. The single was also released in Germany and New Zealand, where it secured a number one position for six consecutive weeks on both countries. In Germany, the single was certified platinum,[8] one of three singles by a girl group to ever be certified Platinum; the others being "Daylight in Your Eyes" by No Angels and Shame by Monrose. The single was certified double platinum in New Zealand, one of the best selling singles by a girl group of all time there. The song achieved the most success in the UK, Germany, New Zealand, Austria, the Netherlands, Ireland, Turkey, Singapore and South Africa and has sold 2 million copies worldwide.[9]

Charts and certifications

Charts

Chart (2001) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[10] 2
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[11] 1
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[12] 4
Denmark (Tracklisten)[13] 10
Europe (European Hot 100 Singles) 1
France (SNEP)[14] 21
Germany (Official German Charts)[15] 1
Ireland (IRMA) 1
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[16] 1
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[17] 1
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[18] 20
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[19] 4
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[20] 2
UK Singles (The Official Charts Company) 1

End-of-decade positions

Chart (2000–2009) Position
German Singles Chart[21] 97
United Kingdom[22] 13
The Netherlands[23] 41

Year-end charts

Chart (2001) Position
Australian Singles Chart[24] 10
Austrian Singles Chart[25] 7
Belgian Singles Chart (Flanders)[26] 29
European Hot 100 Singles[27] 7
German Singles Chart[28] 5
Irish Singles Chart[29] 8
New Zealand Singles Chart[30] 3
Swiss Singles Chart[31] 16
UK Singles Chart[32] 4

Certifications

Country Certification Sales
Australia 2× Platinum[33] 140,000
Austria Gold[34] 20,000
Germany Platinum[8] 500,000
New Zealand 2× Platinum[35] 30,000
Netherlands Platinum[36] 40,000
Sweden Gold[37] 20,000
Switzerland Gold[38] 20,000
United Kingdom Platinum[39] 1,010,000[7]

Covers

Play version

"Whole Again"
Single by Play
from the album Replay
Released 2003
Format CD single, cassette
Genre Pop, teen pop, bubblegum pop
Length 3:04
Label Columbia
Writer(s) Stuart Kershaw, Andy McCluskey, Jem Godfrey, Bill Padley
Producer(s) Desmond Child, Bill Padley, Rick Wake, Pamela Sheyne
Play singles chronology
"I Must Not Chase the Boys"
(2002)		 "Whole Again"
(2003)		 "everGirl"
(2004)

Swedish girl group Play covered "Whole Again", which they released on the album Replay in 2003, as well as a CD and cassette single also in 2003.[40] It contains covers from British artists such as Billie Piper, Liberty X, and Atomic Kitten.

The song failed to chart on the Swedish Singles Chart as well as on other charts.

Background and promotion

Play was a Swedish pop girl group, consisting of, in total, seven young women. Faye Hamlin, Anna Sundstrand, Anaïs Lameche, and Rosanna "Rosie" Munter formed Play's original line-up from the band's formation from 2001 until late 2003. Play made several appearances to promote the album, including a guest spot on popular daytime talk show Live with Regis and Kelly. During the Replay era, Faye emerged as the group's lead singer. The album debuted at number sixty-seven and managed to stay in the top 200 albums for a seven weeks. The group released two singles from the album: coming-of-age song "I Must Not Chase the Boys" and "Whole Again".

Music video

A music video was released. The video theme was set in 1957 with the group wearing dresses from the 1950s.[40]

No Secrets version

"Whole Again"
Single by No Secrets
from the album Friends Forever
Released 2003
Format CD single, cassette
Genre Pop, teen pop, bubblegum pop
Length 3:18
Label Jive
Writer(s) Stuart Kershaw, Andy McCluskey, Jem Godfrey, Bill Padley
Producer(s) Robert John "Mutt" Lange
No Secrets singles chronology
"Kiss The Girl"
(2002)		 "Whole Again"
(2001)		 "Once Upon (Another) Dream"
(2001)

No Secrets was an American-British teen pop girl group with five members: Angel Faith, Carly Lewis, Erin Tanner, Jessica Fried, and Jade Ryusaki.

No Secrets recorded a remake of Atomic Kitten's hit "Whole Again,"[41] excluding (and unbeknownst to) Angel. Soon after singing the majority of leads in the band, Angel left the group to pursue a solo career, releasing the album Believe in Angels... Believe in Me in 2004, just as the finishing touches were being put on the second album Friends Forever. No Secrets went ahead of releasing the single "Whole Again" but it did not chart. Due to the contents of Angel Faith's contract, Friends Forever, was no longer able to be sold in stores.

The Sick Anchors version

In 2002 Arab Strap vocalist Aiden Moffat and Mogwai guitarist Stuart Braithwaite released a cover of Whole Again under the name "The Sick Anchors"[42]

References

  1. ↑ Lane, Daniel (27 June 2013). "Daft Punk's Get Lucky becomes one of the UK's biggest selling singles of all-time!". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 29 September 2014.
  2. ↑ "Atomic Kitten's perfect year". BBC News. BBC. 30 December 2002. Retrieved 8 July 2012.
  3. ↑ "SHOWBIZ | McFadden and Katona tie knot". BBC News. 2002-01-05. Retrieved 2014-04-01.
  4. ↑ "Atomic Kitten | Artist". Official Charts. Retrieved 2014-04-01.
  5. ↑ "Blimey! Daft Punk's 'Get Lucky' Passes The One Million Sales Mark In Just 69 Days - Celebrity Gossip, News & Photos, Movie Reviews, Competitions". Entertainmentwise. 2013-06-28. Retrieved 2014-04-01.
  6. ↑ As announced on BBC Radio 1's Official Chart of the Decade on Thursday 31 December 2009.
  7. 1 2 Myers, Justin (November 5, 2016). "Girlbands vs Boybands – their biggest songs of the century revealed". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 5, 2016.
  8. 1 2 "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank ('Whole Again')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved 27 July 2010.
  9. ↑ Archived 4 March 2008 at the Wayback Machine.
  10. ↑ "Australian-charts.com – Atomic Kitten – Whole Again". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  11. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Atomic Kitten – Whole Again" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  12. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Atomic Kitten – Whole Again" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  13. ↑ "Danishcharts.com – Atomic Kitten – Whole Again". Tracklisten.
  14. ↑ "Lescharts.com – Atomic Kitten – Whole Again" (in French). Les classement single.
  15. ↑ "Musicline.de – Atomic Kitten Single-Chartverfolgung" (in German). Media Control Charts. PhonoNet GmbH.
  16. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Atomic Kitten search results" (in Dutch) Dutch Top 40.
  17. ↑ "Charts.org.nz – Atomic Kitten – Whole Again". Top 40 Singles.
  18. ↑ "Spanishcharts.com – Atomic Kitten – Whole Again" Canciones Top 50.
  19. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Atomic Kitten – Whole Again". Singles Top 100.
  20. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Atomic Kitten – Whole Again". Swiss Singles Chart.
  21. ↑ "Die ultimative Chart Show | Hits des neuen Jahrtausends | Download". RTL.de. Retrieved 2012-10-07.
  22. ↑ Radio 1 Chart of the Decade, as presented by Nihal on Tuesday 29 December 2009
  23. ↑ "Best selling singles of the decade in the Netherlands". Retrieved 27 July 2010.
  24. ↑ "ARIA Charts – End Of Year Charts – Top 100 Singles 2001". allcharts. Retrieved 23 December 2009.
  25. ↑ "Austria best selling singles 2001". Retrieved 27 August 2010.
  26. ↑ "Best selling singles in Belgium Flanders (2001)". Retrieved 27 August 2010.
  27. ↑ "Europe's Top Singles Of 2001". Retrieved 27 August 2010.
  28. ↑ List of best-selling singles by year (Germany) Best selling singles of each year (2000–2010)
  29. ↑ "Best selling singles in Ireland (2001)". Retrieved 27 August 2010.
  30. ↑ "2001 best selling singles". Retrieved 27 August 2010.
  31. ↑ "Best selling singles in Switzerland (2001)". Retrieved 27 August 2010.
  32. ↑ "Top twenty best selling singles in the UK of 2001" (PDF). Retrieved 27 August 2010.
  33. ↑ Aria.com.au Certifications 2001 "ARIA accreditations > 2001 singles" Check |url= value (help). ARIA. Retrieved 27 August 2010.
  34. ↑ "IFPI Austria > Gold & Platin". International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 27 July 2010.
  35. ↑ Rianz.org.nz "Chart#1275 Whole Again – RIANZ certification" Check |url= value (help). Recording Industry Association of New Zealand. Retrieved 27 August 2010.
  36. ↑ "NVPI Goud & Platina". NVPI. Retrieved 27 August 2010.
  37. ↑ IFPI, Gold & Platinum certifications "IFPI Sweden – Guld & Platina – År 2001" Check |url= value (help) (PDF) (in Swedish). International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 27 August 2010.
  38. ↑ SwissCharts.com "Swiss Certifications – Awards 2001" Check |url= value (help) (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 27 August 2010.
  39. ↑ "Search by parameters". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 27 August 2014.
  40. 1 2 "Play - Whole Again (HQ Extended Music Video!)". YouTube. 2009-09-27. Retrieved 2014-04-01.
  41. ↑ "No Secrets - Whole Again". YouTube. 2008-06-15. Retrieved 2014-04-01.
  42. ↑ "Love sick Moffat is at it again". The Scotsman. 2002-02-14. Retrieved 2014-10-26.
Preceded by
"Rollin'" by Limp Bizkit		 UK number one single
11 February 2001 – 3 March 2001 		Succeeded by
"It Wasn't Me" by Shaggy
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