Released June 1990 (1990) Genre Pop rock | Format 7", CD, cassette Length 3:46 | |
B-side "Car Building" by Hans Zimmer | ||
"Show Me Heaven" is a song written by Maria McKee, Eric Rackin and Jay Rifkin recorded by McKee for the soundtrack to the movie Days of Thunder (which was released in June 1990). It was later covered by Robin Zander, Laura Branigan, and other artists. Australian singer Tina Arena released her version of the song as the fifth single for her 1994 album, Don't Ask.
Contents
Originally written by Jay Rifkin and Eric Rankin, when McKee was first offered the song, she refused to record it unless she was allowed to change the lyrics. She was, and with a co-writing credit, "Show Me Heaven", produced by Peter Asher, topped the charts in the United Kingdom, Netherlands and Norway.
Chart performance
The theme song to the Tom Cruise movie Days of Thunder, McKee's recording was a massive hit in the United Kingdom, spending four weeks at number one on the UK Singles Chart. It was also a number one hit on the Dutch Top 40 in the Netherlands and the Norwegian Singles Chart in Norway. "Show Me Heaven" failed to enter the Billboard Hot 100, but did peak at number 28 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart. Although it was her only number-one as a performer, her song "A Good Heart" was taken to number-one in November 1985 by Feargal Sharkey.
Tina Arena version
Australian singer Tina Arena released her version of the song as the fifth single for her 1994 album Don't Ask.
Other cover versions
McKee sang backup on a remake of the song by Cheap Trick lead singer Robin Zander, when he released his first, self-titled solo album in 1993. Laura Branigan recorded the song and featured it as one of two new tracks on her 1995 greatest hits album, The Best of Branigan. Swedish pop singer Cecilia Vennersten sang a Swedish version of the song, "Sjunde himlen finns", on her 1995 album Cecilia Vennersten. Other artists who have recorded the song include Jessica Andrews, the British horror punk band Zombina and the Skeletones, Mickey Modelle and the gothic metal band Elis. In the United Kingdom, a dance version by Chimira peaked at number seventy on the UK Singles Chart in 1997 and another dance version by Saint featuring Suzanne Dee peaked at number thirty six on the chart in 2003. In 2002, Nadine Coyle performed the song on Popstars The Rivals en route to winning a spot in the group Girls Aloud.[1] Honeyz member and former Solid HarmoniE member, Mariama Goodman recorded her own version of this song and it leaked on YouTube.