Released1 December 2003 GenreAcoustic, blues LabelDramatico
FormatCD Length4:11 Writer(s)Mike Batt
"The Closest Thing to Crazy" is the debut single of Georgia-born singer Katie Melua. It is featured on her hugely successful album, Call Off the Search. The song appeared first in 1995 on Mike Batt's album Arabesque.
The single was originally due out in January 2004, but was released a month early in an attempt by Terry Wogan to make it that year’s Christmas number one in the UK. The single reached only number ten in the UK charts. However, owing to the success of the album reaching number one, the song climbed back into the top 20 during the January and February period, and resulted in obtaining Katie's first nomination for the annual The Record of the Year prize on ITV1. She was to be nominated again at the ceremony the following year for Nine Million Bicycles, but lost out to Busted and Westlife respectively. She did however finish in the top 5 of voting for both years.
Track listings
"Closest Thing to Crazy" (Mike Batt)
"Downstairs to the Sun" (Katie Melua)
"Thank You, Stars" (Mike Batt)
The enhanced CD had the video of "The Closest Thing to Crazy".
Personnel
Katie Melua - guitar, vocals
Mike Batt - organ, piano, conductor
Jim Cregan - guitar
Tim Harries - bass
Irish Film Orchestra - orchestra
Michael Kruk - drums
Alan Smale - leader
Chris Spedding - guitar
Henry Spinetti – drums
Production
Producer: Mike Batt
Engineer: Steve Sale
Arranger: Mike Batt
Music Details
The song is played in the key of E Major at a tempo of 64bpm. The vocal range is G#3-C#5. It has an irregular meter with a mix of 4/4, 3/4 and 2/4.
Lyrics
The lyrics of the song take the form of a series of rhetorical questions, describing the contradictory emotions of being in love. It appears that the object of the singer's love treats the singer unkindly, and may not return the emotion.