"Wishing Well" is a song by American singer-songwriter Terence Trent D'Arby. Written by D'Arby and Sean Oliver, D'Arby said "Wishing Well" was written "when I was in a half-asleep, half-awake state of mind", and that he "liked the feel of the words". Martyn Ware of Heaven 17 produced the song along with D'Arby. Released through Columbia Records as the second single from D'Arby's debut album, Introducing the Hardline According to Terence Trent D'Arby, the song went into heavy rotation on MTV and eventually topped the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, as well as the Canadian and Dutch charts.
D'Arby performed the song live at the 30th Annual Grammy Awards, where he lost the Grammy Award for Best New Artist to Jody Watley. When the single reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100, it had charted for 17 weeks, the longest progress to number one in the US charts since Eurythmics' "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" in 1983.
Critical reception Ben Greenman of The New Yorker credits "Wishing Well", along with other D'Arby songs, with "[bringing] soul music into the eighties". Writing about D'Arby for AllMusic, Stephen Thomas Erlewine called the song "sparse funk", and noted how "Wishing Well" was his first major hit in the United States. Kathi Whalen of The Washington Post credited the song's chart success to D'Arby's combination of "'60s soul and pop on top", and called "Wishing Well" "bouncy".
Track listings UK and US 7-inch single; US cassette single "Wishing Well" – 3:33 "Elevators & Hearts" – 4:41
UK and European 12-inch maxi-single "Wishing Well" (Three Coins in a Fountain mix) – 6:14 "Wishing Well" – 3:33 "Elevators & Hearts" – 4:41
UK 12-inch maxi-single (The Darbinian Mix) "Wishing Well" (The Darbinian Mix) – 8:44 "If You Let Me Stay" (Remix) – 3:14 "Elevators & Hearts" – 4:41
UK 12-inch maxi-single (limited-edition); US 12-inch maxi-single (The Cool in the Shade Mix) "Wishing Well" (The Cool in the Shade Mix) – 7:50 "Wonderful World" – 3:56 "Elevators & Hearts" – 4:41
Europe 12-inch maxi-single (special edition) "Wishing Well" (Three Coins in a Fountain mix) – 6:14 "Elevators & Hearts" – 4:41 "Wishing Well" (The Cool in the Shade Mix) – 7:50 "Wonderful World" – 3:56
Charts
Weekly charts +Chart (1987–1988)PeakpositionAustralia (Kent Music Report) N.B. the Kent Report chart was licensed by ARIA between mid 1983 and June 19, 1988.9Europe (European Hot 100 Singles)14Italy Airplay (Music & Media)15Luxembourg (Radio Luxembourg)2South Africa (Springbok Radio)6
Year-end charts +Chart (1987)RankAustralia (Kent Music Report)53Belgium (Ultratop)35Europe (European Hot 100 Singles)40Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)27Netherlands (Single Top 100)25UK Singles (OCC)46
+Chart (1988)RankCanada Top Singles (RPM)8US Billboard Hot 10012
Certifications
Release history +RegionDateFormat(s)Label(s)United KingdomJune 8, 1987CBSJune 22, 1987June 29, 1987Limited-edition 12-inch vinylUnited StatesJanuary 1988ColumbiaJapanJanuary 21, 198812-inch vinylEpic
References