"I Can't Stop" is a song by English musician Gary Numan, which was released in 1986 as the second single from his eighth studio album Strange Charm. It was written by Numan, and produced by Numan and the Waveteam.[2] "I Can't Stop" reached No. 27 in the UK and remained on the charts for four weeks.[3]
| "I Can't Stop" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Gary Numan | ||||
| from the album Strange Charm | ||||
| B-side | "Faces" | |||
| Released | June 1986[1] | |||
| Length | 3:23 (7" version) 5:50 (album version) 6:48 (12" version) | |||
| Label | Numa | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Gary Numan | |||
| Producer(s) | Gary Numan, The Waveteam | |||
| Gary Numan singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Music video
editA music video was filmed to promote the single. The nightclub performance footage was shot at Kadek TV (adjoining Shepperton Studios) and the footage of Numan flying his Harvard plane was filmed at Duxford Aerodrome. Speaking to Sound on Sound in 1986, Numan said: "The flying sequences were done with a minicam attached to the engine cowling of the plane and pointing into the cockpit. I had a trigger in one hand to start the camera shooting."[4]
Release
editThe first 15,000 copies of both the 7-inch and 12-inch formats came with a free flexi disc promoting Steve Braun and Hohokam, two of Numan's signings on his label Numa.[1]
Critical reception
editOn its release, Mark Jenkins of Sound on Sound considered the single to be Numan's "best for a long while".[4] In a retrospective review of Strange Charm, Ned Raggett of AllMusic commented: "...even those cuts that derive all too clearly from the Berserker aesthetic, like 'Unknown and Hostile' and 'I Can't Stop,' come across as more unsettled and unexpected, making Strange Charm an imperfect but still noteworthy success."[2] Speaking of Numan's 1989 live album The Skin Mechanic, Scott Kahn of MusicPlayers.com wrote in 2006: "Tracks like 'I Can't Stop' and '"New Anger' really came to life with Numan's live band compared to the studio tracks that were marred by rigid and heavily quantized drum beats."[5]
Track listing
edit7-inch single
- "I Can't Stop" - 3:23
- "Faces" - 4:42
12-inch single
- "I Can't Stop (Extended Mix)" - 6:48
- "Faces" - 4:42
12-inch single (picture disc)
- "I Can't Stop (Picture Mix)" - 5:50
- "Faces" - 4:42
12-inch single (UK promo)
- "I Can't Stop (Special Club Mix)" - 6:32
Personnel
edit- Gary Numan - vocals, keyboards, instrumentation
- Mark Railton - guitar
- Mike Smith - keyboards
- Linda Taylor, Rrussell Bell - backing vocals
Production
- Gary Numan - producer
- The Waveteam - producers
- Tim Summerhayes - engineer
- Arun Chakraverty - mastering
Other
- Francis Drake - artwork
Charts
edit| Chart (1986) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles Chart[3] | 27 |
References
edit- ^ a b Massey, Paul (11 June 1986). "Citysound: News". Evening Express. p. 4.
- ^ a b Ned Raggett. "Strange Charm - Gary Numan | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 2018-10-13.
- ^ a b "Gary Numan | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". Officialcharts.com. 2017-09-22. Retrieved 2018-10-13.
- ^ a b "Just Can't Stop (SOS Aug 86)". Muzines.co.uk. Retrieved 2018-10-13.
- ^ Scott Kahn (July 2006). "Gary Numan: Conversation –". Musicplayers.com. Retrieved 2018-10-13.