Say You, Say Me

"Say You, Say Me" is a song written and recorded by American singer and songwriter Lionel Richie for the film White Nights.^[2] The single hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100^[3] and on the Hot Black Singles chart^[4] in December 1985. It also became Richie's ninth number-one on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart.^[5][6] The track is not available on the film's soundtrack album, as Motown did not want Richie's first single following the massive success of his 1983 album Can't Slow Down to appear on another label. It was included by Motown on Richie's 1986 release Dancing on the Ceiling.

"Say You, Say Me"
Standard picture sleeve
Single by Lionel Richie
from the album White Nights: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack and Dancing on the Ceiling
B-side	"Can't Slow Down"
Released	October 29, 1985[1]
Recorded	1985
Genre	Pop
Length	4:03
Label	Motown
Songwriter(s)	Lionel Richie[2]
Producer(s)	Lionel Richie James Anthony Carmichael
Lionel Richie singles chronology
"Penny Lover" (1984) "Say You, Say Me" (1985) "Dancing on the Ceiling" (1986)
Audio
"Say You, Say Me" on YouTube

Development and production

For the 1985 film White Nights, a ballet drama starring Mikhail Baryshnikov and Gregory Hines, director Taylor Hackford asked Richie to write a title theme. Unable to compose a song with "White Nights" in the title, Richie submitted a demo of the ballad "Say You, Say Me". Eventually, Hackford approved the song and included the completed version in White Nights. Produced by Richie and James Anthony Carmichael, the song was primarily recorded in Richie's living room.^[7][8] "Say You, Say Me" made its official radio debut in Chicago, Illinois, on then-Top 40 radio station WLS-FM on October 15, in connection of the White Nights world premiere at the 1985 Chicago International Film Festival. In the movie itself, "Say You, Say Me" was introduced over the closing credits.^[9]

Music video

A music video, also directed by Hackford, was made for the song. It featured inserted clips from White Nights.^[10]

Critical reception

For The New York Times in 1986, Stephen Holden called the song "a powerful mid-80's echo of the Beatles' late-60's chant-like ballads."^[8] In a mixed review of Dancing on the Ceiling, Mike Joyce of The Washington Post called the song "silly and horrendously overexposed."^[11]

In a 2007 retrospective of the January 11, 1986 Billboard Hot 100 chart, Whitney Pastorek of Entertainment Weekly graded "Say You, Say Me" with an A-minus, calling it "an enduring love song" and commenting "the cranked-up electric bridge alone should be enough to make it a classic."^[12]

In 2008, the song was ranked at number 74 of the top songs of all time on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, commemorating the first 50 years of the chart.^[13]

Commercial performance

In the US, the "Say You, Say Me" single sold a million copies and was no. 1 for two weeks on the Billboard "Hot Black" chart and for four weeks on the Hot 100.^[7]

The single was hugely successful in South Africa, attaining the No. 1 spot on the weekly charts for a total of 30 weeks. It was the No. 1 single of 1986 on the year-end Springbok chart.

Accolades

Award	Date of ceremony	Category	Result	Ref.
Academy Awards	March 24, 1986	Best Original Song	Won	[14]
Golden Globe Awards	January 24, 1986	Best Original Song	Won	[15]

Track listing

1. "Say You Say Me" – 3:59
2. "Can't Slow Down" – 4:40

Personnel

• Lionel Richie – vocals, keyboards, rhythm and vocal arrangement
• Greg Phillinganes – keyboards, Minimoog bass
• Michael Boddicker – Yamaha DX7
• Carlos Rios – acoustic guitar
• Steve Lukather – guitar
• Tim May – guitar
• Abraham Laboriel – electric bass guitar
• John Robinson – drums
• Paulinho da Costa – percussion
• Paul Leim – Oberheim DMX and Linn LM-1
• James Anthony Carmichael – rhythm and string arrangement

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (1985–1986) Peak position Australia (Kent Music Report)[16] 3 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[17] 2 Belgium (VRT Top 30 Flanders)[18] 2 Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)[19] 1 Canada Top Singles (RPM)[20] 1 Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[21] 1 Ireland (IRMA)[22] 3 Japan (Oricon)[23] 42 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[24] 2 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[25] 1 Norway (VG-lista)[26] 1 South Africa (Springbok)[27] 1 UK Singles (OCC)[28] 8 US Billboard Hot 100[3] 1 US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[6] 1 US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[4] 1 US Cash Box Top 100[29] 1 Chart (1986) Peak position Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[30] 6 France (SNEP)[31] 4 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[32] 8 South Africa (Springbok Radio)[33] 1 Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[34] 1 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[35] 1 West Germany (GfK)[36] 12 Chart (2009) Peak position Japan (Japan Hot 100)[37] 25

Year-end charts Chart (1985) Position Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[38] 84 Canada Top Singles (RPM)[39] 42 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[40] 82 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[41] 39 Chart (1986) Position Australia (Kent Music Report)[42][43] 35 Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[44] 27 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[45] 45 Canada Top Singles (RPM)[46] 40 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[47] 91 South Africa (Springbok Radio)[48] 1 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[49] 8 US Billboard Hot 100[50] 2 US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[51] 2 US Top Black Singles (Billboard)[52] 11 US Cash Box Top 100[53] 23 West Germany (Official German Charts)[54] 49 All-time charts Chart (1958–2018) Position US Billboard Hot 100[55] 94

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Belgium (BRMA)[56]	Gold	100,000[56]
Canada (Music Canada)[57]	Platinum	100,000^
Netherlands (NVPI)[58]	Gold	75,000^
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[59]	Gold	30,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[60]	Silver	200,000‡
United States (RIAA)[1]	Gold	1,000,000^
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. ‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Lionel Richie and Rasmus Seebach version

"Say You, Say Me"
Single by Lionel Richie and Rasmus Seebach
from the album Tuskegee
Released	February 24, 2012
Recorded	2012
Genre	Country pop
Length	5:09
Label	Mercury
Songwriter(s)	Lionel Richie
Producer(s)	Dann Huff Lionel Richie
Lionel Richie singles chronology
"Endless Love" (2012) "Say You, Say Me" (2012)
Rasmus Seebach singles chronology
"Millionær" (2011) "Say You, Say Me" (2012)
Music video
"Say You, Say Me" on YouTube

In 2012, Lionel Richie re-recorded the song with Danish pop singer-songwriter Rasmus Seebach.^[61] The duet is featured on Richie's album Tuskegee, for which Richie has picked a host of best-selling singers from around the world in collaborations. The album version features American country singer Jason Aldean.^[62]

Track listing

1. "Say You, Say Me" – 5:09

Charts

Chart (2012)	Peak position
Denmark (Tracklisten)[63]	3

See also

• List of number-one singles and albums in Sweden
• List of number-one singles of the 1980s (Switzerland)
• List of number-one adult contemporary singles of 1985 (U.S.)
• List of number-one adult contemporary singles of 1986 (U.S.)
• List of Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles of 1985
• List of Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles of 1986
• List of number-one R&B singles of 1986 (U.S.)
• List of number-one singles of 1985 (Canada)
• List of number-one singles of 1986 (Canada)