"Put Your Arms Around Me" is a song by Scottish alternative rock band Texas, released on 3 November 1997 by Mercury as the fourth single from their fourth studio album, White on Blonde (1997). The song peaked at number 10 on the UK Singles Chart. The Autumn Breeze mix, which was the version released as a single, was included on the soundtrack to Ever After.[2]
Release and promotion
"Put Your Arms Around Me" was released as the fourth single from the bands fourth studio album White on Blonde (1997), released via Mercury Records on 3 November 1997.[3] During the time of its release, Texas were said to be one of the most played artists on radio stations across Europe, with previous singles "Say What You Want", "Halo" and "Black Eyed Boy" spending five and two weeks atop radio airplay respectively.[4] During the release week of "Put Your Arms Around Me", it lodged a total of 616 plays on radio airplay, with 19 plays on Capital Radio and eight on BBC Radio 1.[5] To promote the single release, Texas performed an acoustic, stripped back, version of "Put Your Arms Around Me" on Later...with Jools Holland, featuring Jools Holland on piano.[6]
Upon its release, "Put Your Arms Around Me" was described as one of a number of "a batch of strong releases" by Music and Media.[7]
Commercial performance
In their native Scotland, "Put Your Arms Around Me" debuted at number six on the official Scottish Singles Charts.[8] In the United Kingdom, it charted just within the UK Top 10 and number ten on the official UK Singles Charts, and remained in the UK Top 100 Singles Charts for a total of eight weeks.[9] In France, it debuted at number sixty-seven, and spent a total of five weeks on the French Singles Charts, and on the European Hot 100 Singles, it debuted at number twenty-eight.[10]
During the week of 22 November 1997, "Put Your Arms Around Me" was the seventh best selling single of the week in the United Kingdom.[11]
Critical reception
Andy Gill from The Independent remarked that "looming strings are carried on a slowed-down breakbeat" on songs such as "Put Your Arms Around Me".[12] A reviewer from Music Week gave it four out of five, adding, "Sharleen Spiteri's voice has rarely sounded better than on this re-recorded version of the White On Blondeballad which is likely to be championed on Chris Evans' Virgin Radio Breakfast Show."[13]
^Put Your Arms Around Me (UK CD2 liner notes). Texas. Mercury Records. 1997. MERDD 497, 568 211-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^Put Your Arms Around Me (UK cassette single sleeve). Texas. Mercury Records. 1997. MERCH 497, 568 208-4.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^Put Your Arms Around Me (European CD single liner notes). Texas. Mercury Records. 1997. 568 208-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^"Texas ARIA Chart history (complete 1988-2024)". ARIA. Retrieved 28 July 2024 – via Imgur.com. N.B. The High Point number in the NAT column represents the release's peak on the national chart.
