Sinéad O’Connor “Mandinka” released

Mandinka Sinéad O’Connor

Writer(s): Sinéad O’Connor (see lyrics here) Released: December 1, 1987 First Charted: January 16, 1988 Peak: 3 CO, 17 UK, 33 CN, 39 AU, 3 DF (Click for codes to charts.) Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, 4.64 video, 16.24 streaming

Awards: Click on award for more details.

About the Song: Sinéad O’Connor was born in 1966 in Dublin, Ireland. She released her first album, The Lion and the Cobra, in 1987 when she was 20 years old. The lead single, “Troy,” peaked at #48 in the UK. The follow-up, “Mandinka,” got to #17 and reached the top 40 in Canada and Australia. It was a #6 hit in Ireland. Mandinka is a West African tribe. O’Connor was inspired to write the song by the 1977 miniseries Roots based on the book by Alex Haley about slavery in the 1700s. She said, “I was a young girl when I saw it, and it moved something so deeply in me, I had a visceral response. I came to emotionally identify with the civil rights movement and slavery, especially given the theocracy I lived in and the oppression in my own home.” SF The song is “a propulsive anthem that straddles pop and the loosely knit genre of alternative rock.” AT “O’Connor threw every bit of texture and range—snarling, chanting, cooing, and, yes, screaming—she could into the song.” AT Critic Kate Davies said, “Phewee. What a single. A veritable pot pourri of sounds and ideas. Sinéad serenades, screams and strains all in the course of a few minutes.” WK Music Week’s Jerry Smith said, “The striking talents of the rather formidable Sinéad O’Connor are well showcased in this dynamic number…and its infectuous, if unorthodox, nature deserved wide exposure.” WK Smash Hits’ Sue Dando called it a “rasping, raw rock/punkesque thing…destined to be possibly the most absolutely brilliant single to never be a hit.” WK The song introduced her to American audiences with her first network television appearance on Late Night with David Letterman in 1988. She also performed it at the Grammys in 1989 when she was nominated for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance. She painted the logo for rap group Public Enemy on her head for the performance in solidarity with rap artists boycotting the Grammys because the Best Rap Performance Grammy award presentation was not televised. SF Resources: AT The Atlantic (7/27/2023). “The Song That First Captured Sinéad O’Connor’s Power” by Jason Heller SF Songfacts WK Wikipedia Related Links: First posted 8/7/2023.

Sinéad O’Connor The Lion and the Cobra

The Lion and the Cobra Sinéad O’Connor

Released: October 5, 1987 Peak: 36 US, 27 UK, 17 CN, 37 AU, 5 DF Sales (in millions): 0.5 US, 0.1 UK, 2.5 world (includes US and UK) Genre: alternative rock

Tracks: Song Title (date of single release, chart peaks) Click for codes to charts. Jackie (8 DF) Mandinka (12/1/87, 3 CO, 17 UK, 33 CN, 39 AU, 3 DF) Jerusalem (10 CO, 17 DF) Just Like U Said It Would B (16 DF) Never Get Old (22 DF) Troy (10/19/87, 16 CO, 48 UK, 22 DF) I Want Your Hands on Me (4/18/88, 9 CO, 77 UK, 7 DF) Drink Before the War (23 DF) Just Call Me Joe (17 DF) Total Running Time: 42:21

Rating: 3.995 out of 5.00 (average of 12 ratings) Awards: (Click on award to learn more).

Her Beginnings Sinéad O’Connor was born in 1966 in Ireland. She had a troubled childhood that including abuse from her mother, shoplifting, truancy, and eighteen months at the Grianán Training Centre. While there, she developed an interest in writing and music but bristled at the expected conformity. W-O In 1984, she met Irish music producer Colm Farrelly via an ad to form a band. She signed a contract with Ensign Records W-O and recorded her first album, The Lion and the Cobra in 1986 and 1987. It was released jointly by Ensign and Chrysalis Records. The title is taken from Psalm 91:13: “You will tread upon the lion and cobra.” WK The Album’s Success The album achieved gold status in the United States and sold two-and-a-half million copies worldwide, promoted by the singles “Troy,” “Mandinka,” and “I Want Your Hands on Me.” It earned her a Grammy nomination for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance. Reviews At AllMusic.com, Stephen Thomas Erlewine said The Lion and The Cobra is “a thoroughly impressive debut,” AM “finding a major talent striving to achieve her own voice.” AM He said, “what’s striking about the record” AM is how she synthesizes her influences like Peter Gabriel and Prince “into her own sound – an eerie, expansive sound heavy on atmosphere and tortured passion.” AM In the UK newspaper Sounds Neil Perry said, “I challenge you to hear the voice and remain unmoved” and “I can think of no finer debut this year.” WK Record Mirror’s Eleanor Levy said, “From pain to pure joy, this is a truly remarkable album.” WK Slant magazine’s Sal Cinquemani went so far as to call it “one of the most electrifying debuts in rock history.” WK The Songs Highlights on the album included “the hard-rocking Mandinka” AM and the “sexy hip-hop of I Want Your Hands on Me.” AM “Troy, Jackie, and Jerusalem are compelling because of their hushed, quiet intensity.” AM .

Resources: AM AllMusic.com review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine W-O Wikipedia entry on Sinead O’Connor WK Wikipedia entry on The Lion and the Cobra Related DMDB Links: First posted 12/4/2024.