Hold Me (Laura Branigan song)

Background

Following the success of the previous single "Spanish Eddie" peaked at #40 in America, "Hold Me" followed as the next single. It was not as successful, only managing to peak at #82 in America and #39 on the American Dance/Club Play Songs Chart.

Release

The single was released on both 7" and 12" vinyl in America and on 7" vinyl in Japan only. The single did not get a European release.

The single's b-side was the track "Tenderness" which was featured on the same album, written by German producer/composer Jack White, Branigan and American songwriter/producer Mark Spiro. This track had already been b-side to the previous single "Spanish Eddie". On the Japanese 7" vinyl, the b-side was the track "When the Heat Hits the Streets" which was also featured on the same album, written by Cappy Capossela and Linda Schreyer.

The American 7" vinyl single used an edit of the "Hold Me" track, cutting half a minute from the album version, whilst "Tenderness" was the b-side. An American 7" promotional single was also released, featuring "Hold Me (Edited Version of Remix)" as the a-side (the same version as the main single track) and "Hold Me (New Extended Remix)" as the b-side, both remixed by American producer Beau Hill. In Japan, the 7" vinyl featured "Hold Me" and "Tenderness" as the b-side, whilst a Japanese 7" promotional single featured the same two tracks.

The American 12" vinyl featured "Hold Me (Vocal/New Extended Remix)" as the a-side, whilst "Tenderness (Vocal/Extended Remix Version)" and "Spanish Eddie (Vocal/Extended Remix Version)" were the two b-sides. An American 12" promotional single used the a-side "Hold Me (Vocal/New Extended Remix)" as the track on both sides of the vinyl.

"Hold Me" was produced by German producer/composer Jack White and German musician/songwriter/producer Harold Faltermeyer, whilst "Tenderness" was produced by White and "When the Heat Hits the Streets" was produced by Mark Spiro. White had previously worked with Branigan for her entire recording career up to that point.

The single's cover features a center image of Branigan posing, whilst the sleeve uses a black background. The single's artwork would be re-used for the following European only single "Maybe Tonight".

The song has never appeared on any Laura Branigan compilation.

Promotion

No music video was created for the single, unlike the leading single "Spanish Eddie" from the Hold Me album.

Branigan performed the song on American syndicated music television show Solid Gold, Dick Clark's music/comedy/talk show Nitetime, as well as another, although unknown, American TV show. Branigan would perform the song on the tour for the Hold Me album, and would continue to perform it on the tour for her 1987 follow-up album Touch. A particular live version filmed in Chile, 1986, at the Viña del mar Song Festival was broadcast in Chile on national TV.

Track listing

1. "Hold Me" - 4:15
2. "Tenderness" - 3:42

1. "Hold Me (Edited Version of Remix)" - 4:15
2. "Hold Me (New Extended Remix)" - 5:16

1. "Hold Me" - 4:14
2. "When the Heat Hits the Streets" - 3:42

1. "Hold Me" - 4:13
2. "When the Heat Hits the Streets" - 3:40

1. "Hold Me (Vocal/New Extended Remix)" - 5:16
2. "Tenderness (Vocal/Extended Remix Version)" - 5:50
3. "Spanish Eddie (Vocal/Extended Remix Version)" - 5:31

1. "Hold Me (Vocal/New Extended Remix)" - 5:16
2. "Hold Me (Vocal/New Extended Remix)" - 5:16

Personnel