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"Pure Imagination"
Song by Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka
Released1971 (1971)
Length4:20
LabelParamount
Songwriter(s)Leslie Bricusse, Anthony Newley

"Pure Imagination" is a song from the 1971 film Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. It was written by British composers Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley specifically for the movie.[1] It was sung by Gene Wilder who played the character of Willy Wonka. Bricusse has stated that the song was written over the phone in one day.[2] The song has a spoken introduction.[3]

Since its release, the song has been covered and remixed hundreds of times by a wide variety of artists.[3] The original song was not popular when it was first released. The film itself was not a blockbuster and other songs from the soundtrack performed better. It was not until the movie began appearing on television reruns in the 1980s that the film and "Pure Imagination" become more well known.[2][4] Although the original song never charted, some cover versions have done so.[5][4]

In the week following Wilder's death in 2016, the song rose in streams and sales by more than 1000%.[5] The song was featured in television, radio, and social media tributes to Wilder.[4][6] While it was not at all used for the 2005 remake film Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, the song was featured in the promotional material for the 2023 prequel film Wonka.[7]

Notable cover versions

References

  1. ^ "Stories of Standards: "Pure Imagination"". KUVO. 3 April 2019.
  2. ^ a b Riedel, Michael (30 August 2016). "Gene Wilder's most famous song was originally a dud". New York Post.
  3. ^ a b "Why Has 'Pure Imagination' Been Covered So Many Times?". WNYC Studios. 22 October 2014.
  4. ^ a b c Geddes, James (31 August 2016). "'Pure Imagination' By Gene Wilder From 'Willy Wonka' Hits iTunes Chart 45 Years After Initial Release". Tech Times.
  5. ^ a b Zellner, Xander (7 September 2016). "'Pure Imagination' Streams Increase 1,061% After Gene Wilder's Death". Billboard. Archived from the original on 10 September 2016.
  6. ^ Hines, Ree (31 August 2016). "Coldplay performs touching Gene Wilder tribute with 'Pure Imagination'". Today.
  7. ^ Rudoy, Matthew (14 November 2023). "Timothée Chalamet Finally Sings Iconic Gene Wilder Song In New Wonka Trailer". ScreenRant. Retrieved 28 November 2023.
  8. ^ Roberts, Randall (13 September 2013). "Fiona Apple covers Willy Wonka in striking new Chipotle clip". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 14 September 2013.
  9. ^ "Fiona Apple – Chart history | Billboard". Billboard. Retrieved 26 August 2016.
  10. ^ "'Supergirl' recap: Kara hosts an awkward girls' night". EW.com. 31 October 2017. Retrieved 19 January 2018.
  11. ^ Schmidt, Joseph (4 November 2017). "'Thor: Ragnarok' Has A Willy Wonka Easter Egg". Comicbook.com.
  12. ^ Armitage, Hugh (25 October 2017). "12 amazing Easter eggs from Thor: Ragnarok". Digital Spy.
  13. ^ "The Chainsmokers – Testing Lyrics - Genius". Genius.

External links

Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Authority control databases
Categories