"Suddenly I See"
Single by KT Tunstall
from the album Eye to the Telescope
B-side
  • "Girl and the Ghost"
  • "Moment of Madness"
  • "Get Ur Freak On"
Released29 August 2005 (2005-08-29)
StudioNam (Bath, England)
Length3:21
Label
Songwriter(s)KT Tunstall
Producer(s)Steve Osborne
KT Tunstall UK singles chronology
"Other Side of the World"
(2005) 		"Suddenly I See"
(2005) 		"Under the Weather"
(2005)
KT Tunstall US singles chronology
"Black Horse and the Cherry Tree"
(2005) 		"Suddenly I See"
(2006) 		"Other Side of the World"
(2007)
Music video
"Suddenly I See" on YouTube
Alternative covers
Vinyl cover

"Suddenly I See" is a song by Scottish singer-songwriter KT Tunstall from her debut studio album, Eye to the Telescope (2004). It was inspired by New York singer and poet Patti Smith, whose album cover for Horses (1975) also inspired Tunstall's album cover for Eye to the Telescope.[1] The song was released on 29 August 2005 as the third single from the album in the United Kingdom. In the United States, it was released as the album's second single on 27 February 2006.

"Suddenly I See" peaked at number 12 on the UK Singles Chart to become Tunstall's highest-charting single in the UK. It also reached number 21 in the United States and is Tunstall's only top-50 hit in Australia, where it charted at number six on the ARIA Singles Chart. The song won Tunstall an Ivor Novello Award in 2006 in the category of Best Song Musically and Lyrically.

Music and lyrics

The song itself is a tribute to "female power",[2] inspired by and about American singer and songwriter Patti Smith.[3] As described in the lyrics, KT Tunstall was inspired to a career in music through looking at a black and white picture of a woman. Admiring her strength and accomplishments, she suddenly realised what she wanted to do with her life. Tunstall stated in an interview that the song was "about Robert Mapplethorpe's photograph of Patti Smith on the cover of Horses".[4] Commenting on the song's later use in The Devil Wears Prada (2006), Tunstall said: "I didn't realize the lyrics could perfectly fit a chick flick, and it could sound like I was singing about wanting to be a fucking model!"[4][5]

The music has been described as featuring a "chugging rhythm" with a "guitar-bass focused beat",[2] as "compelling", and with "urgency", and having a "shiny production".[6] Although the real focus might be on her "clear vocals",[2] "it's in the growls...that Tunstall truly commands attention".[7] Stylistically, it has been described as a "blues-country-pop hybrid".[2]

Music video

There are three different music videos, one for Britain, one for the US, and one animated. The British version, directed by Big TV!, is a simple performance video in which Tunstall and her band play across from another set of Tunstall and her band. The US version, directed by Patrick Daughters features Tunstall in different situations involving a circus in Romania. Filmed in Bucharest, the video was produced by Black Dog Films and serviced by local production company Domino Productions with producer Catalin Neagu. This version aired for a short time in the US and has seemingly been replaced in rotations by the animated version. The animated version, directed by Honey (i.e., the husband-and-wife directorial team of Laura Kelly and Nicholas Brooks), features Tunstall walking around an animated pop-up fantasy world, and engages in activities such as walking up giant guitars, riding miniature trains, and drifting off into space.

Track listings

Credits and personnel

Credits are lifted from the Eye to the Telescope album booklet.[14]

Studios

Personnel

Charts

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[42] Gold 35,000^
Canada (Music Canada)[43] 2× Platinum 20,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[44] Platinum 600,000‡

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
United Kingdom 29 August 2005
  • 7-inch vinyl
  • CD
  • DVD
 Relentless [45]
Australia 16 January 2006 CD [46]
United States 27 February 2006 Triple A radio Virgin [47]
21 August 2006 Hot adult contemporary radio [48]
26 September 2006 Contemporary hit radio [49]

References

  1. ^ "Episode 66: KT Tunstall "Suddenly I See"". Song Exploder. 1 March 2016.
  2. ^ a b c d Lamb, Bill. "KT Tunstall - Suddenly I See". About.com. Archived from the original on 22 July 2009. Retrieved 26 October 2007.
  3. ^ "Suddenly I See Life's Great: KT Tunstall bean playing in coffee". Sunday Herald. 4 December 2005. Retrieved 17 June 2008.
  4. ^ a b Collis, Clark (20 September 2007). "KT Tunstall: Not Going to 'F--- It Up'". Ew.com. Retrieved 17 June 2008.
  5. ^ Jones, Nate (19 June 2018). "Pot Feuds With Kettle". Vulture. Retrieved 16 February 2023.
  6. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Eye to the Telescope > Overview". AllMusic. Retrieved 29 June 2008.
  7. ^ Jonathan Keefe (22 January 2006). "Review: KT Tunstall, Eye to the Telescope". Slant Magazine.
  8. ^ Suddenly I See (UK CD single liner notes). KT Tunstall. Relentless Records. 2005. RELCD21.((cite AV media notes)): CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  9. ^ Suddenly I See (UK 7-inch single sleeve). KT Tunstall. Relentless Records. 2005. REL21.((cite AV media notes)): CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  10. ^ Suddenly I See (UK DVD single liner notes). KT Tunstall. Relentless Records. 2005. RELDVD21.((cite AV media notes)): CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  11. ^ Suddenly I See (European CD single liner notes). KT Tunstall. Virgin Records. 2006. 0094634002820.((cite AV media notes)): CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  12. ^ Suddenly I See (Australasian CD single liner notes). KT Tunstall. Relentless Records. 2005. 094635011227.((cite AV media notes)): CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  13. ^ "Suddenly I See – Single". Apple Music. Retrieved 19 April 2021.
  14. ^ Eye to the Telescope (European CD album booklet). KT Tunstall. Relentless Records, Virgin Records. 2005. CDRELX06, 0724386024626.((cite AV media notes)): CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  15. ^ "KT Tunstall – Suddenly I See". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 16 May 2013.
  16. ^ "KT Tunstall – Suddenly I See" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 16 May 2013.
  17. ^ "KT Tunstall – Suddenly I See" (in Dutch). Ultratip. Retrieved 16 May 2013.
  18. ^ "KT Tunstall Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 16 May 2012.
  19. ^ "KT Tunstall Chart History (Canada AC)". Billboard. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
  20. ^ "KT Tunstall Chart History (Canada Hot AC)". Billboard. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
  21. ^ "KT Tunstall: Suddenly I See" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat. Retrieved 16 May 2013.
  22. ^ "KT Tunstall – Suddenly I See" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 16 May 2013.
  23. ^ "KT Tunstall – Suddenly I See" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 16 May 2013.
  24. ^ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Single (track) Top 40 lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
  25. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Suddenly I See". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 28 January 2020.
  26. ^ "KT Tunstall – Suddenly I See". Top Digital Download. Retrieved 16 May 2013.
  27. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – KT Tunstall" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 16 May 2013.
  28. ^ "KT Tunstall – Suddenly I See" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 1 February 2020.
  29. ^ "KT Tunstall – Suddenly I See". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 16 May 2013.
  30. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 4 July 2016.
  31. ^ "KT Tunstall – Suddenly I See". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 16 May 2013.
  32. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 4 July 2016.
  33. ^ "KT Tunstall Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 4 July 2016.
  34. ^ "KT Tunstall Chart History (Adult Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 4 July 2016.
  35. ^ "KT Tunstall Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved 4 July 2016.
  36. ^ "KT Tunstall Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 4 July 2016.
  37. ^ "KT Tunstall Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 4 July 2016.
  38. ^ "End of Year Singles Chart Top 100 – 2005". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 21 September 2019.
  39. ^ "ARIA Top 100 Singles for 2007". ARIA. Retrieved 21 September 2019.
  40. ^ "Adult Contemporary Songs – Year-End 2007". Billboard. Archived from the original on 10 May 2021. Retrieved 21 September 2019.
  41. ^ "Adult Pop Songs – Year-End 2007". Billboard. Retrieved 21 September 2019.
  42. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2007 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association.
  43. ^ "Canadian single certifications – KT Tunstall – Suddenly I See". Music Canada.
  44. ^ "British single certifications – KT Tunstall – Suddenly I See". British Phonographic Industry.
  45. ^ "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. 27 August 2005. p. 29.
  46. ^ "The ARIA Report: New Releases Singles – Week Commencing 16th January 2006" (PDF). ARIA. 16 January 2006. p. 29. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 January 2006. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
  47. ^ "Going for Adds" (PDF). Radio & Records. No. 1646. 24 February 2006. p. 20. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
  48. ^ "ACQB: Available for Airplay". FMQB. Archived from the original on 7 February 2007. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
  49. ^ "FMQB: CHR". FMQB. Archived from the original on 2 June 2013. Retrieved 27 March 2022.

External links

KT Tunstall
Ivor Novello Award for Best Song Musically and Lyrically
Categories