Missing (Everything but the Girl song)
"Missing" is a song by English musical duo Everything but the Girl, taken from their eighth studio album, Amplified Heart (1994). It was written by the two band members, Tracey Thorn and Ben Watt, and was produced by Watt and John Coxon. It was taken as the second single off the album on 8 August 1994 by Blanco y Negro Records in the United Kingdom and by Atlantic Records in the United States. It initially did not achieve much success until it was remixed by Todd Terry and re-released in 1995, resulting in worldwide success, peaking at or near the top of the charts in many countries. The release of the remixed version of "Missing" gave an indication of the band's future experimentation with more electronic dance music on subsequent albums.
"Missing"
"Missing" remixes
- 8 August 1994
- 16 October 1995 (Todd Terry remix)
- 4:15
- 9:05 (Todd Terry Remix)
- Blanco y Negro (UK)
- Atlantic (US)
- Ben Watt
- John Coxon
- Todd Terry
Musically the song takes in multiple genres. The original version from the album is a more low-tempo influenced song, while the popular Todd Terry remix version is a more up-tempo dance-pop song. "Missing" was critically acclaimed by the majority of music critics, who praised the composition and generally considered it a highlight on the album.
Composition[edit]
According to the music sheet published at Musicnotes.com by Sony/ATV Music Publishing, "Missing" is written in the key of A minor.[4] In vocal range, Thorn's vocals span from the key note of E4 to the key note of G5.[4] The song is set in common time and has a beat of 128 beats per minute.[4] Lauren Barnett from The Guardian recalled the style of music as "monochrome electronic beats."[5] Toponehitwonders.com had said the remix "Add[s] a pulsing disco beat that sounds equally at home."
Critical reception[edit]
The song was generally acclaimed by most music critics. Larry Flick from Billboard wrote that "this forlorn love song is bolstered by a springy retro-pop arrangement that is brilliantly tweaked into a credible dance confection by post-producer Todd Terry. Singer Tracey Thorn's performance is a study in affecting, but restrained emotion, and the chorus instantly sticks to the brain."[6] Steve Baltin from Cash Box noted that here, the duo "throw in everything but the sink", concluding with that "the blend is very effective, though, as the song comes off as a mix between Lisa Stansfield and Cowboy Junkies. Ethereal pop that can be danced to isn't much in demand these days, but this winner could change that if given the opportunity."[7] Douglas Wolk from CMJ said it's "a first-rate pairing of songwriting and technology", pairing a torch song and techno-inflected backing tracks. He added that "neither the song nor the grooves are all that hot on their own, but in combination they're great—the kind of heartfelt but not histrionic dancefloor simmer that's been too rare since, say, Lisa Stansfield's heyday a few years ago."[8]
Dave Sholin from the Gavin Report commented, "What a difference a few months and a remix can make. Miami is where "Missing" has busted big, and where requests tell the story of how broad the appeal of the song really is. Track two, the remix edit, is the one to check out."[9] Chuck Campbell from Knoxville News Sentinel felt that it "achieves a beautifully enchanting chorus".[10] Pan-European magazine Music & Media wrote, "Suddenly hip in the dance milieu due to Tracey Thorn's vocals on Massive Attacks "Protection", these remixes by Todd Terry and Ultramarine a.o. will further speed it up."[11] James Hamilton from Music Week's RM Dance Update deemed it "atmospheric" and "melancholy".[12] Ben Turner from Muzik declared it as a "miracle".[13] John Kilgo from The Network Forty viewed it as a "very exciting uptempo groover from this debut artist."[14] James Hunter from Vibe remarked that Terry's remix had allowed singer Tracey Thorn "to grace stateside radios with her rare English soul", adding that her voice "is untouchable".[15]
Retrospective response[edit]
Bill Lamb from About.com said that "there has never been a more powerful expression of emotional and sexual longing in pop music than that at the core of 'Missing'."[16] AllMusic was also very positive, highlighting the song as an album standout and rated it with 4 stars out of 5.[17][18] Stopera and Galindo from BuzzFeed ranked it number 10 in their list of "The 101 Greatest Dance Songs of the '90s" in 2017, commenting, "Have you ever sat and really thought about if the desert actually misses the rain? Like any good song, it makes you think."[19] A writer from Complex noted that the remix "set the world ablaze".[20] Idolator ranked it among "The 50 Best Pop Singles of 1995", calling the song a "noir-ish study in wistful longing, with a hint of lonely-but-relatable stalker in the lyric."[21]
Chart performance[edit]
The resulting Todd Terry remixed dance version of "Missing" became a worldwide success, matching Everything But the Girl's best UK chart score of number three in November 1995[22] and scoring number one on the German singles chart. The song became the duo's first and only US Top 40 entry on the Billboard Hot 100, entering at number 94 for the week ending 12 August 1995.[23] After a long climb, it peaked at number two during 1996 (in its 28th chart week). "Missing" eventually logged 55 weeks on the chart (a record at the time which has since been broken; the single is today the eleventh-longest charting song on the US Hot 100). "Missing" was the first ever single to spend an uninterrupted year on the US Hot 100.[24] It also topped the US Cash Box Top 100. Even with its success in the mainstream and in nightclubs, the remix never entered the US Hot Dance Club Play chart.
In addition to its US success, "Missing" topped the Canadian RPM Top Singles, Adult Contemporary, and Dance/Urban charts. In the UK it spent over 20 weeks on the UK Singles Chart and earned the duo a double platinum certification from the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), denoting sales and streams of over 1,200,000 units. The song was also successful in Australia and New Zealand. It peaked at number two in Australia, staying on the chart for twenty-three weeks. It had similar success in New Zealand, peaking at 14 on the charts and stayed in the charts for fourteen weeks. The song also eventually peaked inside the top ten in many European countries, including Austria, Belgium (Flanders and Wallonia), France, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and Switzerland. The single has sold three million copies worldwide.[25]
Music video[edit]
An accompanying music video was shot for the single (both the original and dance versions). It was directed by English director Mark Szaszy.[26] The video features both Thorn and Watt in an apartment, having split up but them missing each other. It also features Thorn walking around Balham and Clapham South.[27]
"Missing (I Miss You Like the Deserts Miss the Rain)"
Other cover versions[edit]
In 2021, British singer Will Young covered "Missing" on his album Crying on the Bathroom Floor.[131][132][133]