B-side "Hole in the Wall" Format 7", 12" | Released 27 May 1982 Recorded January 1, 1982 Length 3:38 | |
"Hot in the City" is a 1982 song by Billy Idol, released on his self-titled album. It charted at No. 23 in the US and No. 58 in the UK. A re-release of the song in the UK in 1987 reached No. 13.
Contents
Formats and track listings
- "Hot in the City"
- "Dead On Arrival"
- "Hot in the City" (Extended Version)
- "Dead On Arrival"
- "Hot in the City"
- "Catch My Fall" (Remix Fix)
- "Hot in the City" (Exterminator Mix)
- "Catch My Fall" (Remix Fix)
- "Soul Standing By"
Music video
There are two versions of the video. The first version (the 1982 version) starts off with a girl walking into a record store. She picks up a Billy Idol record and the song starts to play. The video features scenes from New York City, interspersed with stock footage of nuclear bomb tests. The second version (the 1987 version) was banned by MTV because it showed Idol's girlfriend Perri Lister bound to a cross toward the end of the video. The later version was included on the DVD edition of The Very Best of Billy Idol: Idolize Yourself.
Other versions and covers
Although the released version of the song has Idol shouting "New York!", other versions of the song were recorded for various radio stations, including ones for such cities as "Boston", "Amarillo", "Minneapolis" and "New Haven".
In 1986, the Norwegian swing/pop duo Bobbysocks! did a cover on their LP Waiting for the Morning.
Appearances in other media
The song was used as the introduction for Booker, the TV series spin-off of 21 Jump Street. It is also featured in the 1988 hit film, Big, starring Tom Hanks.
The song was used by the NBA's Phoenix Suns during the introductions of the visiting team at home games during the team's run to the 1993 NBA Finals