China in Your Hand

"China in Your Hand" is a song by English pop group T'Pau from their debut studio album, Bridge of Spies (1987). A re-recorded version was released as a single in October 1987, spending five weeks at number one on the UK Singles Chart. "China in Your Hand" was the 600th single to top the UK chart and kept George Harrison's "Got My Mind Set on You" from hitting the top spot. The song also reached number one in Belgium, Iceland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway and Switzerland. In 2015, the song was voted by the British public as the nation's 11th favourite 1980s number one in a poll for ITV,[1] and in 2017 was chosen by The Daily Telegraph as one of the 21 best power ballads.[2]

"China in Your Hand"
Single by T'Pau
from the album Bridge of Spies
B-side"No Sense of Pride"
ReleasedOctober 1987 (1987-10)
GenrePop
Length5:06 (album version)
4:07 (single edit)
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
T'Pau singles chronology
"Heart and Soul"
(1987)		 "China in Your Hand"
(1987)		 "Bridge of Spies"
(1988)
Music video
"China in Your Hand" on YouTube

Background

The song's lyrics refer to the novel Frankenstein and its author Mary Shelley. This is more readily heard on the longer album version of the song, as the re-recorded single edit omits most of the more obvious references to the book. The song's title was more unclear however and when quizzed, co-writer Ron Rogers was unsure of its source material. Lyric writer Carol Decker explained that it is the effect that if you hold a china cup to a light, you can see your hand through it – therefore "china in your hand" means something that is transparent.[3] In a segment on the BBC1's The One Show on 6 March 2014, Carol Decker explained that she had been holding a china tea cup belonging to Ronnie Rogers' mother in her hand while washing up and had felt a lump in the bottom. She held the cup to the light and saw an image of a young woman in the base of the cup. Decker had the cup with her and showed the viewers the image.

The song is in the key of B-Flat major on the original album version, but the radio edit version is slightly sped up to reduce its length, resulting in the tuning being midway between B-Flat and B Major.

Other versions

In 2011, contestant Amelia Lily performed the song on series 8 of UK's The X Factor. Judge Gary Barlow said it was "nice to hear the song being sung in tune for once", in mockery of Decker, who reacted to the comment via Twitter.[4] Barlow would apologize later.[5]

Another song with the same title charted for the band Fusion in 1999.

Track listings
  • 7-inch single
A. "China in Your Hand" (Carol Decker, Ron Rogers) – 4:07 (Sax solo by Gary Barnacle: guitarist Dean Howard)
B. "No Sense of Pride" (T'Pau) – 3:25
  • 12-inch single
A1. "China in Your Hand" (Full Length Album Version) (5:06)
B1. "China in Your Hand" (Single Edit) – 4:07
B2. "No Sense of Pride" – 3:25

Charts

Certifications
Certifications for "China in Your Hand"
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Germany (BVMI)[32] Gold 250,000^
Netherlands (NVPI)[33] Gold 75,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[34] Gold 500,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

See also

References
  1. Westbrook, Caroline (25 July 2015). "The Nation's Favourite 80s Number One: 12 more classic 80s chart-toppers which didn't make the cut". Metro. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
  2. "The 21 best power ballads". The Daily Telegraph. London.
  3. Top 10 of 1987, Channel 4 documentary
  4. "T'Pau's Carol Decker calls Gary Barlow a t**t over 'X Factor' comments". Digital Spy. 26 November 2011. Archived from the original on 15 May 2012.
  5. "'X Factor' Gary Barlow apologises to T'Pau's Carol Decker". Digital Spy. Retrieved 8 March 2021.
  6. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St. Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 312. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  7. "T'Pau – China in Your Hand" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
  8. "T'Pau – China in Your Hand" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
  9. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 0953." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
  10. "European Hot 100 Singles". Music & Media. Vol. 5, no. 3. 9 January 1988. p. 18. OCLC 29800226.
  11. Pennanen, Timo (2021). "T'Pau". Sisältää hitin – Levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla 1.1.1960–30.6.2021 (PDF) (in Finnish) (2nd ed.). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. p. 262. ISBN 978-9-5274-6001-6.
  12. "T'Pau – China in Your Hand" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
  13. "Íslenski Listinn Topp 10". DV (in Icelandic). 15 January 1988. p. 38. ISSN 1021-8254 – via Timarit.is.
  14. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – China in Your Hand". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
  15. "Nederlandse Top 40 – T Pau" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
  16. "T'Pau – China in Your Hand" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 31 December 2017.
  17. "T'Pau – China in Your Hand". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
  18. "T'Pau – China in Your Hand". VG-lista. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
  19. "SA Charts 1965–1989 (As presented on Springbok Radio/Radio Orion) – Acts T". The South African Rock Encyclopedia. Archived from the original on 20 May 2018. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
  20. "T'Pau – China in Your Hand". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
  21. "T'Pau – China in Your Hand". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
  22. "TPau: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
  23. "Offiziellecharts.de – T'Pau – China in Your Hand" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
  24. "Gallup Year End Charts 1987 – Singles". Record Mirror. 23 January 1988. p. 36. ISSN 0144-5804.
  25. "Jaaroverzichten 1988 – Singles" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
  26. "1988 Year End Eurocharts – Hot 100 Singles". Music & Media. Vol. 6, no. 52/1. 1 January 1989. p. 30. OCLC 29800226.
  27. "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1988" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
  28. "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1988" (in Dutch). Dutch Charts. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
  29. "Top Selling Singles of 1988". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
  30. "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 1988". hitparade.ch (in German). Retrieved 28 July 2023.
  31. "Top 100 Single-Jahrescharts – 1988" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
  32. "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (T'Pau; 'China in Your Hand')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved 16 July 2022.
  33. "Dutch single certifications – T'Pau – China in Your Hand" (in Dutch). Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld- en geluidsdragers. Retrieved 16 July 2022. Enter China in Your Hand in the "Artiest of titel" box. Select 1988 in the drop-down menu saying "Alle jaargangen".
  34. "British single certifications – T'Pau – China in Your Hand". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 16 July 2022.
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