B-side "Fingertips '93" Recorded March 1993 | Released 10 May 1993 Genre Pop rock | |
Format CD
7"
picture disc
cassette Studio Mayfair Studios, London
Polar Studios, Stockholm | ||
"Almost Unreal" is a song by Swedish pop music duo Roxette, released on 10 May 1993 as the lead single from the soundtrack of the 1993 live action adaption of Super Mario Bros., which starred Bob Hoskins and Dennis Hopper. The song became a top twenty hit in numerous territories, including Scandinavia, Ireland and the UK. It would also be the duo's final top ten hit in both of the latter countries—excluding a re-release of "It Must Have Been Love" two months later. The song proved to be unsuccessful in North America, peaking at number 94 on the Billboard Hot 100, although it performed better in Canada where it peaked within the top thirty. Roxette themselves were later dismissive of both the song and the associated movie. It appeared as a bonus track on the Japanese edition of their next studio album, Crash! Boom! Bang! (1994), mis-titled "It's Almost Unreal".
Contents
Background and recording
"Almost Unreal" was written by Per Gessle after he was contacted by Walt Disney Pictures about composing the theme song to Bette Midler's upcoming film Hocus Pocus. The song's backing track had already been completed at London's Mayfair Studios in March 1993 when Gessle was informed by Disney that US girlband En Vogue had been invited to record the movie's theme song. "Almost Unreal" was then transferred to another Disney project, the live action adaption of the Nintendo game series Super Mario Bros.. Although hesitant about the project, the duo decided to allow the company to use the song in the film, as they were both fans of Bob Hopkins and Dennis Hopper. The lyrics of the song were then modified to omit most references to Hocus Pocus, although the title would still remain in the song's chorus, with the lyric: "I love when you do that hocus pocus to me". Marie Fredriksson's vocals were recorded at Polar Studios in Stockholm in March 1993, when she was nine months pregnant.
Composition and style
According to Ultimate Guitar, "Almost Unreal" is a mid-tempo pop rock song composed in the key of E major, and is written in common time with a moderate tempo of 92 beats per minute. The intro is composed of two repetitions of an E–B–Asus2 sequence, followed by a further two lines composed of C♯m–B–Asus2. Each verse is composed of variations of a B–G♯m7–E–C♯m–E–A–G♯sus4–G♯ sequence, while the chorus is composed of two repetitions of E–B–A, followed by a C♯m–B–A–F♯ sequence.
Roxette were later dismissive of both the song and the film, calling the latter a "flop" and "ridiculous". In the liner notes of the duo's first greatest hits compilation, Don't Bore Us, Get to the Chorus!, Fredriksson referred to the track as "not one of our most inspired moments", while Gessle said: "I still like the song, in a way... but if you wanted to make a parody of Roxette, it would probably sound something like this." Mike Schiller from PopMatters called the song "awful"; and wrote, "...not only does it sound like corporate pandering, but it's probably the most forced smash-hit wannabe Roxette ever created."
Music video
The music video was directed by Michael Geoghegan, and stars British actor Nick Pickard as a young man playing a video game in which he's watching parts of the film, as well as various band members performing the song.
Formats and track listings
All music and lyrics by Per Gessle.
- "Almost Unreal" – 3:59
- "The Heart Shaped Sea" – 4:10
- "Almost Unreal" – 3:59
- "The Heart Shaped Sea" – 4:10
- "Fingertips '93" – 3:42
- "Almost Unreal" – 3:59
- "The Heart Shaped Sea" – 4:10
- "Fingertips '93" – 3:42
- "Almost Unreal" (AC Mix) – 3:56
Credits
Personnel