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The song has a strong [[Anti-war movement|anti-war]] message, focusing on America's involvement in the [[Vietnam War]] and the effect it had on the soldiers who served. The track was notable for early use of sampled and processed speech, in particular a synthesized stutter effect used on the words 'nineteen' and 'destruction'. It also includes various non-speech, re-dubbed sampling, such as crowd noise and a military bugle call. |
The song has a strong [[Anti-war movement|anti-war]] message, focusing on America's involvement in the [[Vietnam War]] and the effect it had on the soldiers who served. The track was notable for early use of sampled and processed speech, in particular a synthesized stutter effect used on the words 'nineteen' and 'destruction'. It also includes various non-speech, re-dubbed sampling, such as crowd noise and a military bugle call. |
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"19" features sampled narration (by [[Peter Thomas (announcer)|Peter Thomas]]), interview dialogue ("I wasn't really sure what was going on"), and news reports from ''[[Vietnam Requiem]]''<ref name="A">{{IMDb title|0203184|Vietnam Requiem}}</ref> the [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] television documentary about the [[Posttraumatic stress disorder|post-traumatic stress disorder]] suffered by Vietnam veterans. In 2009, the song placed at 73 on [[VH1]]'s ''100 Greatest One-Hit Wonders of the 80s.''<ref>{{cite web|title= 100 Greatest One-Hit Wonders of the ’80s |url= http://www.vh1.com/music/tuner/2013-05-02/100-greatest-one-hit-wonders-of-the-80s/29/ |first= Rahsheeda |last= Ali |publisher= [[VH1]] |accessdate= 20 October 2010}}</ref> |
"19" features sampled narration (by [[Peter Thomas (announcer)|Peter Thomas]]), out-of-context interview dialogue ("I wasn't really sure what was going on"), and news reports from ''[[Vietnam Requiem]]''<ref name="A">{{IMDb title|0203184|Vietnam Requiem}}</ref> the [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] television documentary about the [[Posttraumatic stress disorder|post-traumatic stress disorder]] suffered by Vietnam veterans. In 2009, the song placed at 73 on [[VH1]]'s ''100 Greatest One-Hit Wonders of the 80s.''<ref>{{cite web|title= 100 Greatest One-Hit Wonders of the ’80s |url= http://www.vh1.com/music/tuner/2013-05-02/100-greatest-one-hit-wonders-of-the-80s/29/ |first= Rahsheeda |last= Ali |publisher= [[VH1]] |accessdate= 20 October 2010}}</ref> |
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"19" had huge international success in the charts; it went to No. 1 in the UK for five weeks; a number of other countries world wide, and yet only met with muted reception in the US Pop Charts. Despite this, the single had great success in the Dance and Club charts, where it went to No. 1. 19, became the top selling [[Single (music)|single]] in 13 countries. This was helped by the fact that versions of the song, spoken by well-known local news anchors, were recorded in French, Spanish, German and Japanese. The song received the [[Ivor Novello]] award for Best-selling single of 1985. The song's English language release came in 3 different 12" versions - "Extended Version", "Destruction Mix" and "The Final Story"), each with an alternative cover design. |
"19" had huge international success in the charts; it went to No. 1 in the UK for five weeks; a number of other countries world wide, and yet only met with muted reception in the US Pop Charts. Despite this, the single had great success in the Dance and Club charts, where it went to No. 1. 19, became the top selling [[Single (music)|single]] in 13 countries. This was helped by the fact that versions of the song, spoken by well-known local news anchors, were recorded in French, Spanish, German and Japanese. The song received the [[Ivor Novello]] award for Best-selling single of 1985. The song's English language release came in 3 different 12" versions - "Extended Version", "Destruction Mix" and "The Final Story"), each with an alternative cover design. |
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"19" is a song by British musician Paul Hardcastle released as the first single from his self-titled third studio album Paul Hardcastle (1985).
The song has a strong anti-war message, focusing on America's involvement in the Vietnam War and the effect it had on the soldiers who served. The track was notable for early use of sampled and processed speech, in particular a synthesized stutter effect used on the words 'nineteen' and 'destruction'. It also includes various non-speech, re-dubbed sampling, such as crowd noise and a military bugle call.
"19" features sampled narration (byPeter Thomas), out-of-context interview dialogue ("I wasn't really sure what was going on"), and news reports from Vietnam Requiem[3] the ABC television documentary about the post-traumatic stress disorder suffered by Vietnam veterans. In 2009, the song placed at 73 on VH1's 100 Greatest One-Hit Wonders of the 80s.[4]
"19" had huge international success in the charts; it went to No. 1 in the UK for five weeks; a number of other countries world wide, and yet only met with muted reception in the US Pop Charts. Despite this, the single had great success in the Dance and Club charts, where it went to No. 1. 19, became the top selling single in 13 countries. This was helped by the fact that versions of the song, spoken by well-known local news anchors, were recorded in French, Spanish, German and Japanese. The song received the Ivor Novello award for Best-selling single of 1985. The song's English language release came in 3 different 12" versions - "Extended Version", "Destruction Mix" and "The Final Story"), each with an alternative cover design.
Hardcastle was inspired to create the song after watching Vietnam Requiem,[3] and comparing his own life at 19 to those of the soldiers featured: "...what struck me was how young the soldiers were: the documentary said their average age was 19. I was out having fun in pubs and clubs when I was 19, not being shoved into jungles and shot at."[5]
The title "19" comes from the documentary's claim that the average age of an American combat soldier in the war was 19, as compared to World War II's 26.[6] This claim has since been disputed.[7] Undisputed statistics do not exist, although Southeast Asia Combat Area Casualties Current File (CACCF), the source for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, shows a large number of deaths (38%) were ages 19 or 20. According to the same source, 23 is the average age at time of death (or time of declaration of death).[8] The song also comments that while the tour of duty was longer during World War II, soldiers in Vietnam were subjected to hostile fire [more frequently] almost every day.[6]
Musically, the song was inspired by electro, particularly Afrika Bambaataa, although Hardcastle also "added a bit of jazz and a nice melody", and beyond the sampling of the documentary narration, the song incorporated pieces of interviews with soldiers.[5][6] The song's pivotal hook: the repetitive ""N-n-n-n-nineteen", was chosen due to the limitations of the early sampling technology used. The E-mu Emulator could only sample for two seconds, so the hook was based around "the only bit of the narrative that made sense in two seconds."[5] Hardcastle wasn't optimistic about the song's chances in the charts. His previous two singles for independent labels had failed to make it into the UK's Top 40 and the musical policy at Radio 1 was felt to be unsupportive of dance music.[5] News interest in the song helped, with the 10th Anniversary of the End of the Vietnam War seeing Hardcastle interviewed by Alastair StewartofITN.
Tony Blackburn, then breakfast DJ for Radio London was an early supporter of the song and it quickly reached No. 1 in the UK, and around the world. Hardcastle produced different mixes of the song to help maintain interest in it.[5] Although the song did not climb as high in the United States chart, Hardcastle claims "it outsold everybody else for three weeks solid, it only reached number 15, because back then the chart was based on airplay as well as sales."[5] The song was held back in the US by some radio stations refusing to play it, feeling that the song took an anti-American stance, something Hardcastle denies, noting "I had tons of letters from Vietnam vets thanking me for doing something for them."[5]
The success of "19" meant that Hardcastle's manager Simon Fuller, who had recently left Chrysalis Records to set up on his own label, was able to use the funds to continue his business. He named the business 19 Management in acknowledgement of its great significance to Fuller.[9] Fuller went on to become the most successful British music manager of all time. He was behind the success of the Spice Girls and the now iconic, international talent show, American Idol. Hardcastle has continued his connections to 19 Entertainment, and in 2009 created the sound for the end card used at the end of 19's shows.[10]
After the song's unexpected, rapid climb to the top of the UK Singles chart, Chrysalis asked directors Jonas McCord and Bill Couterie to rush a video into production.[11] Due to the lack of a band able to perform the song, the video was primarily composed of clips from the Vietnam Requiem documentary, edited together by Ken Grunbaum. The first version of the video included footage from the television networks NBC and ABC, including a newscast by ABC anchorman Frank Reynolds.[11] After it was aired on MTV in the US, NBC and ABC objected to the "bad taste" of using the serious clips in a "trivial" form of "propaganda."[11] McCord and Couterie were forced to produce a new cut incorporating public domain footage, but ABC permitted Reynolds' audio to remain.[11] Couterie asserted at the time that the television networks opposed the video because it involved rock music:[11]
What is the difference between the words in our song and the 7 o'clock news? The only difference is rock'n'roll. And why did they love the documentary and hate the video so much? Every word in the song is from the film, and there was never any argument with the facts. The only difference is the music.[11]
The song's reliance on sampling also caused problems with legal clearance. Grunbaum recalled in 2012 that "there were no precedents for something like this. We ended up having to pay Peter Thomas, the narrator, royalties."[5]
Weekly charts
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In the same year of release, British comedian Rory Bremner, using the band name The Commentators, released a parodied version of the song as "N-N-Nineteen Not Out", about England's tragic performance in test cricket, with references to the England cricket team's disastrous 1984 home series against the West Indies in which the England captain David Gower had averaged 19.[48] In 2002, Hardcastle admitted in an interview with Q Magazine that, despite objections from Chrysalis Records, he did actually contribute towards the making of The Commentators' version of the song.
Manchester United used the "19" soundtrack to celebrate their 19th Premier League title in May 2011,[49] and the song made a reappearance in the UK Top 40.[34]
Simon Fuller (...) produced "19″ for Paul Hardcastle- a very cheesy slice of Eighties' synth pop
Paul Hardcastle debuted as a solo artist in 1984 and scored the following year with "19," an electro-oriented record featuring news reports and other sources on Vietnam.
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Assuming KIAs accurately represented age groups serving in Vietnam, the average age of an infantryman (MOS 11B) serving in Vietnam to be 19 years old is a myth, it was actually 22. None of the enlisted grades have an average age of less than 20.
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