Sussudio
Phil Collins' improvised pseudoword became a US number-one hit.
"Sussudio" is a song by English singer-songwriter Phil Collins, released as a single in 1985. It became a number-one hit on the US Billboard Hot 100 in July of that year. The song's title is a pseudoword Collins improvised during a practice session.
Quick Facts
- Artist
- Phil Collins
- Album
- No Jacket Required
- B-side
- "The Man with the Horn"; "I Like the Way" (US)
- Released
- 14 January 1985
- Genre
- Funk
- dance-pop
- R&B
- Label
- Virgin; Atlantic
- Producer
- Phil Collins; Hugh Padgham
Facts from the source article.
Production and recording
Collins improvised the lyrics while playing with a drum machine, producing the phrase "su-sussudio." He later tried to find a substitute word that scanned as well but could not, so he kept "sussudio." The lyrics describe a schoolboy's crush on a girl at school. David Frank of the System handled synthesizer, rhythm, synth bass, sound design, and programming. Horn arrangements were based on the bassline motif.
Music video
The music video was filmed at the Princess Victoria pub in Shepherd's Bush, West London, then owned by Richard Branson. It features Collins, Daryl Stuermer, Chester Thompson, and bassist Leland Sklar, though neither Thompson nor Sklar played on the studio recording. The video opens with a man leaving his family to walk his dog; they ignore him while watching the video for Collins' earlier single "In the Air Tonight." He passes a pub where Collins' band plays to an uninterested crowd that gradually becomes enthusiastic.
Critical reception
Some critics noted the song's similarity to Prince's "1999." Collins acknowledged the resemblance, stating he listened to "1999" frequently while on tour with Genesis and is a Prince fan. Tom Breihan of Stereogum wrote that Collins "bit Prince" like many mid-80s funk-pop artists, adding that today Collins would likely have given Prince a songwriting credit, though he noted that aside from the groove, the songs differ. Keegan Hamilton of the Riverfront Times called it the album's best track, praising its "catchy gibberish" and Collins' effective use of synthesizer, keyboard, and horn section. Robert Hilburn of the Los Angeles Times described it as having a "friskier R&B style" and agreed it resembled Prince's song. Michael R. Smith of The Daily Vault also deemed it the album's best track, calling it a "monster track." Conversely, David Fricke of Rolling Stone felt songs with heavy horn sections like "Sussudio" were "beginning to wear thin." Alexis Petridis of The Guardian called it a "vapid funk workout," and Tom Service of the same publication wrote that the song brings him "out in a cold sweat," citing the production, drum machine, and "inane sincerity" as creating a cold, superficial sound.
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