Honey to the Bee
1999 single by Billie Piper
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"Honey to the Bee" is a song by English singer Billie from her debut studio album, Honey to the B (1998). It was released on 22 March 1999 and debuted at number three on the UK Singles Chart, which became its peak position. It was not a hit in mainland Europe, but it became one of Billie's highest-charting songs in Australia and New Zealand, reaching number six in the former country and number five in the latter. In Australia, it was the 48th-best-selling song of 1999.
- "Call Me"
- "What's Missing"
- Ridge Farm (Surrey, England)
- Marcus (London, England)
- 5:04 (album version)
- 3:39 (radio edit)
| "Honey to the Bee" | ||||
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| Single by Billie | ||||
| from the album Honey to the B | ||||
| B-side |
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| Released | 22 March 1999 | |||
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| Music video | ||||
| "Honey to the Bee" on YouTube | ||||
In January 2007, the UK Official Charts Company lifted all restrictions for singles charting on digital sales, allowing songs to appear on the UK chart even if they had not been released physically.[1] In an attempt to exploit the new rules, BBC Radio 1 DJ Chris Moyles randomly selected "Honey to the Bee" and began to champion it. As a result, the song reappeared at number 17 on the UK Singles Chart on the week of 21 January, registering a sale of 6,500 downloads.[2]
Music video
The video, which uses the shorter radio edit version in lieu of the full album version, was directed by Katie Bell and features Billie in a computer-animated background, also known as computer-generated imagery.[3][4]
Track listings
Credits and personnel
Credits are lifted from the Honey to the B album booklet.[9]
Studios
- Recorded at Ridge Farm (Surrey, England) and Marcus Studios (London, England)
- Mixed at Metropolis Studios (London, England)
Personnel
- Wendy Page – writing, backing vocals, vocal arrangement, production
- Jim Marr – writing, guitar, keyboards, programming, production
- Billie Piper – vocals
- London Community Gospel Choir – choral backing vocals
- Reverend Bazil Meade – choir arrangement
- Pete Craigie – recording, mixing
- Steve Cooper – assistant engineering (Ridge Farm)
- Michelle Barry – assistant engineering (Marcus)
- Matt Tait – assistant engineering (Metropolis)
Charts
Weekly charts
| Chart (1999) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[10] | 6 |
| Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[11] | 13 |
| Ireland (IRMA)[12] | 25 |
| New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[13] | 5 |
| Scotland Singles (OCC)[14] | 3 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[15] | 3 |
| UK Airplay (Music Week)[16] | 15 |
| Chart (2007) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles (OCC)[17] | 17 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[20] | Platinum | 70,000^ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[21] | Silver | 200,000^ |
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^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
Release history
| Region | Date | Format(s) | Label(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 22 March 1999 |
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[22] | |
| United States | 10 August 1999 | Contemporary hit radio | [23] |
Play version
| "Honey to the Bee" | |
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| Song by Play | |
| from the album Replay | |
| Released | 2003 |
| Length | 4:14 |
| Label | Columbia |
| Songwriters | Wendy Page, Jim Marr |
| Producers | Desmond Child, Bill Padley, Rick Wake, Pamela Sheyne |
In June 2003, Swedish girl group Play covered the song on their third album Replay.[24] Play's version featured a trip hop beat and soprano vocals.[24]