Too Hot (Alanis Morissette song)

"Too Hot" is a dance-pop and new jack swing song co-written by Alanis Morissette and Leslie Howe, and produced by Howe for Morissette's debut album, Alanis (1991). It was released as the album's first single in May 1991 (see 1991 in music).

"Too Hot"
Canadian commercial cassette release
Single by Alanis Morissette
from the album Alanis
ReleasedMay 1991
RecordedDistortion Studios, Ottawa
Genre
Length4:00
LabelMCA
MCA 129120
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Leslie Howe
Alanis Morissette singles chronology
"Fate Stay with Me"
(1987)		 "Too Hot"
(1991)		 "Walk Away"
(1991)

Content and history

The song is driven by drum machines, electronic keyboards and a guitar, and Morissette's brothers Chad and Wade provided some of the backing vocals. In the chorus the song's protagonist tells a boy aspiring towards a goal that he's "Always too hot" and "never too cold", adding that his "best shot" is "too hot to hold"; with this in mind, she urges him to "go for gold". The fifth chorus is sung almost a cappella. Morissette performs the first part of each verse as a rap, with lyrics describing the consequences of her "baby" achieving his goal. After the first chorus a man's voice says "I know you gonna dig this ... Ch-check this out", and more men's voices (one of whom addresses the "party people in the house") appear during the song's bridge, in which the backing singers shout for the listener to nonchalantly wave their arms around in the air. Purposeful arm-waving in an uncaring fashion can be seen by some as paradoxical, or even ironic.

Morissette had independently released a single, "Fate Stay with Me", in 1985, but "Too Hot" became her mainstream breakthrough in Canada; it reached number 14 on the country's singles chart,[1] peaked within the top ten on contemporary hit radio and contributed to the success of the album Alanis, which was certified gold during the same period.[2] It is her most popular dance-pop release, and was her biggest hit in Canada until the singles from her international debut album Jagged Little Pill (1995). It was not released elsewhere.

At the 1992 Juno Awards "Too Hot" received a nomination for "Single of the Year", and the song's "Hott Shot" remix was nominated in the category of "Best Dance Recording".

CBC called the song "Paula Abdul-inspired",[3] and the Arizona Daily Wildcat described it as "cheesy" and "poppy".[4] "Too Hot", along with "Feel Your Love" (another song from Alanis) and "An Emotion Away" (from Morissette's 1992 second album Now Is the Time), was used on the soundtrack of the 1993 film Just One of the Girls, in which Morissette appeared. She performed an acoustic version of the song during her 2005 Jagged Little Pill Acoustic concert tour, introducing the song with the statement "For those 16-year-old days".[5]

Music video

The single's video intercuts scenes featuring Morissette and others dancing at night with black-and-white footage of her loitering, flirting, streetwalking and dancing with friends during the day. The Toronto Sun noted Morissette's "big" hair in the video.[5]

Track listings

Cassette single

  • Side A:
  1. "Too Hot" (album version) - 3:58
  2. Album sampler: "Feel Your Love"/"Walk Away"/"Plastic"
  • Side B:
  1. "Too Hot" (Hott Shot mix) - 4:54

12-inch promo

  1. "Too Hot" (Hott Shot mix) - 4:54
  2. "Too Hot" (instrumental) - 3:58

CD promo

  1. "Too Hot" (album version) - 3:58
  2. "Too Hot" (Hott Shot mix) - 4:54

Personnel
  • Produced, engineered and mixed by Leslie Howe for Ghetto Records
  • Keyboards by Serge Côté
  • Drum programming, guitar and additional keyboards by Leslie "Bud" Howe
  • Keyboard solo by Frank "Fish" Levin
  • Lead vocals by Alanis Morissette
  • Back-up vocals by Chad & Wade Morissette, Tyley Ross, John & Peter (The "Burn Bros."), Tom "Sloppy" Saidak, Kevin "Iceman" Little, Dan "Capt. Pin", Deane Josh Lovejoy, Sean Daley, Jenny "Frank #1" Parlier, Mr. Fish, Sal, Rick "Slick" Kumar
  • Recorded at Distortion Studios in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Charts
Chart (1991) Peak
position
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[1] 14
Canada Dance/Urban (RPM)[6] 8

References
  1. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 1582." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved April 28, 2020.
  2. "Alanis Morissette - Biography" Archived 2012-02-26 at WebCite. The Canadian Pop Encyclopedia. Retrieved August 20, 2006.
  3. Mayer, Andre. "What a Pill". CBC. June 13, 2005. Retrieved August 20, 2006.
  4. "'Acoustic' album 10 years in the remaking". Arizona Daily Wildcat. August 8, 2005. Retrieved August 20, 2006.
  5. Stevenson, Jane. "Acoustic Little Pill goes down easy" . Toronto Sun. June 7, 2005. Retrieved August 20, 2006.
  6. "Top RPM Dance/Urban: Issue 1566." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved April 28, 2020.
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