This is a case where there is an obvious original and an obvious cover, and yet both are iconic.
But you weren't expecting THREE songs, were you?
In 1981, Falco released this song as a single in Germany and Austria. He really wanted it to be a B-side because he thought the bassline was too-"Super Freak"-y. He may have been right, but his record label insisted, and, well, they were right.
The song hir #1 in both countries.
So they all decided to release it broader. And it did really really well in Europe, and hit #11 in Canada in 1982.
It only made club hit status in the US, despite this amazing US-only video with terrific special effects. Don't worry, though - he had hits later.
We jump to early 1982, and struggling UK prog rock band After The Fire. In a last-ditch effort to stay together, they recorded a version of this song, and it was a hit everywhere Falco's version was not, except Canada, where not only were both hits, but - remember above, where I said Falco's version hit #11? ATF's version hit #12, the SAME WEEK.
Anyway, this was a more popular song in the US, but both are great.
Falco, who HATED the ATF version with a passion, would not agree with me that both are great.
ATF would break up in late 1982 - ON STAGE, during an opening gig supporting Van Halen - but they did reform in 2004, and yeah, they did perform this song live. And well.
But c'mon. Falco did live better, if just for the trenchcoats.
But wait. There's more. Around the time of ATF's breakup, Laura Branigan was recording and preparing for release her own version of the song, with a different translation and in a very different key.
Here she is lip-syncing to "Deep In The Dark" on American Bandstand. It did get a 1983 single release but went nowhere on the charts, and was quickly overshadowed by "Self Control".
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