No Cheap Thrill

"No Cheap Thrill" is a song by American singer-songwriter Suzanne Vega, which was released in 1996 as the second single from her fifth studio album, Nine Objects of Desire (1996). It was written by Vega and produced by Mitchell Froom. "No Cheap Thrill" reached number 40 in the UK Singles Chart in February 1997, giving Vega her fourth and final UK Top 40 hit.[1]

"No Cheap Thrill"
Single by Suzanne Vega
from the album Nine Objects of Desire
B-side"Luka"
Released1996
Length3:09
LabelA&M
Songwriter(s)Suzanne Vega
Producer(s)Mitchell Froom
Suzanne Vega singles chronology
"Caramel"
(1996)		 "No Cheap Thrill"
(1996)		 "Headshots"
(1997)
Music video
"No Cheap Thrill" on YouTube

Background

Vega has described "No Cheap Thrill" as "a song about romance using the language of gambling".[2]

Music video

The song's music video was directed by David Cameron.[3]

Critical reception

Upon its release as single, Larry Flick of Billboard considered it to be a "shining moment" from Nine Objects of Desire. He commented, "Vega's vocals are sewn into a short and direct rock beat that is frayed at the edges with gnarly guitars and ambient keyboards. All the while, the song's bright and peppy hook grab[s] the ear and never let[s] go."[4] Pan-European magazine Music & Media described it as an "excellent mid-tempo track with plenty of radio appeal". They praised Froom for "diversifying Vega's folkie feel by introducing tempo changes, weird background stuff and providing a great base for her soft voice".[5] A reviewer from Music Week rated it four out of five, adding, "A poppy lead single to Vega's forthcoming boundary-blurring album. This will delight early fans and intrigue those won over by the Tom's Diner remixes."[6]

In a review of the Nine Objects of Desire, J. D. Considine of The Baltimore Sun noted that the song "flirts with calypso rhythms throughout its Runyonesque verse".[7] Jeff Hall of the Courier-Post described it as "engaging barbed pop".[8] Dan Kening of The Daily Herald commented, "The ultra-catchy 'No Cheap Thrill' compares a poker game to a seduction."[9]

Track listing

Personnel

No Cheap Thrill

Production

  • Mitchell Froom – producer of "No Cheap Thrill"
  • Tchad Blake – recording and mixing on "No Cheap Thrill"
  • Joe Warda – assistant recording engineer on "No Cheap Thrill"
  • John Paterno, S. Husky Höskulds – assistant mixing engineers on "No Cheap Thrill"
  • Bob Ludwig – mastering on "No Cheap Thrill"
  • Lenny Kaye – producer of "Luka", "Marlene on the Wall" and "Tom's Diner"
  • Steve Addabbo – producer and engineer on "Luka", "Marlene on the Wall" and "Tom's Diner"
  • Rod O'Brien – engineer on "Luka" and "Tom's Diner"
  • Shelly Yakus – mixing on "Luka" and "Tom's Diner"

Charts
Chart (1996–97) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[10] 155
UK Singles (OCC)[11] 40
US Adult Alternative Songs (Billboard)[12] 12

References
  1. "SUZANNE VEGA; full Official Chart History; Official Charts Company". Officialcharts.com. Retrieved November 1, 2020.
  2. "Suzanne Vega - No Cheap Thrill: The Story Behind the Song". YouTube. Retrieved November 1, 2020.
  3. "Music Video: Production Notes". Billboard. September 28, 1996. p. 98.
  4. Flick, Larry (January 18, 1997). "Reviews & Previews: Singles". Billboard. p. 73.
  5. "New Releases: Singles". Music & Media. August 24, 1996. p. 10.
  6. "Reviews: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. February 1, 1997. p. 27. Retrieved May 8, 2022.
  7. Considine, J. D. (September 19, 1996). "Music: CD Reviews". The Baltimore Sun.
  8. Hall, Jeff (October 25, 1996). "Sound Bites: Romantic, sexy album from Suzanne Vega". Courier-Post. p. 15F.
  9. Kening, Dan (September 6, 1996). "Music: Vega's passion heats up 'Nine Objects of Desire'". The Daily Herald.
  10. "Response from ARIA re: ARIA chart history for Suzanne Vega, received October 31, 2017". Imgur.com. Retrieved October 31, 2017.
  11. "Suzanne Vega: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 1, 2020.
  12. "Suzanne Vega Chart History (Adult Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved November 1, 2020.
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