"Trapped"
Single by Colonel Abrams
from the album Colonel Abrams
B-side"Trapped (A Cappella Version)"
Released1985
Recorded1984
GenreHouse[1]
Length3:41
LabelMCA (23568)
Songwriter(s)
  • Colonel Abrams
  • Marston Freeman
Producer(s)Richard Burgess
Colonel Abrams singles chronology
"The Truth"
(1985) 		"Trapped"
(1985) 		"I'm Not Gonna Let"
(1985)

"Trapped" is a song by American musician Colonel Abrams, released in 1985 as the first single from his self-titled debut album. It has since become known as Abrams' signature song and still receives airplay on dance radio stations in the UK and the US.

This song has arguably remained Abrams' biggest hit on both sides of the Atlantic, topping the US Hot Dance Club Play chart for one week in September 1985 and peaking at number 20 on the soul chart.[2] Overseas, it went to number three on the UK Singles Chart.

Produced by Richard Burgess in 1984, "Trapped" is widely considered the precursor to house music,[3] and is referred to as a proto-house track and a precursor to garage house.[4]

Legacy

Mike Stock of Stock Aitken Waterman stated that "Trapped" was a big influence on the 1987 Rick Astley smash hit "Never Gonna Give You Up".[5]

"Trapped" was also remixed by Boards of Canada under their Hell Interface pseudonym. The resulting track, also called "Trapped", was released on Skam Record's MASK 200.[6]

On the October 9, 2014 episode of BBC television program Mock the Week, "Trapped" was featured in a section concerning the use of private browsing, in which comedians Dara Ó Briain (hosting) and Ed Byrne (panelist) could not stop laughing during its recording.[7][better source needed]

In 2014, Belgian band the Subs recorded a cover of "Trapped" for their third album Hologram. Abrams went to Belgium specially for this collaboration.[citation needed]

Track listing

Radio Version (A-side)
No.TitleLength
1."Trapped (Vocal Version)""4:13
2."Trapped (Dub Version)"4:06
3."Trapped (A Cappella Version)"4:16
Dance Version (B-side)
No.TitleLength
1."Trapped (Vocal Version)"6:30
2."Trapped (Dub Version)"6:44
No.TitleLength
1."Trapped (Vocal Version)""4:13
2."Trapped (A Cappella Version)"4:16

Charts and certifications

See also

References

  1. ^ "House Hunting #64 – Colonel Abrams – "His huge house hit 'Trapped' transcended the underground clubs and ascended the top ten charts in the US and beyond especially over the Atlantic in Europe..."". The Ransom Note. 20 August 2021.
  2. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 22.
  3. ^ "History of House Music". Housegroove.net. Archived from the original on October 7, 2011. Retrieved October 8, 2011.
  4. ^ Burgess, Richard James (August 17, 2014). The History of Music Production. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780199357178 – via Google Books.
  5. ^ Jonze, Tim (March 28, 2017). "'I crawled on my knees to Kylie' – the inside story of Stock, Aitken and Waterman". The Guardian. Retrieved July 7, 2018.
  6. ^ "Hell Interface Sample". WhoSampled. Retrieved February 10, 2013.
  7. ^ "Private Browsing Has Seen Too Much! | Mock The Week". Mock the Week. BBC. October 9, 2014. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved June 19, 2016.
  8. ^ "Colonel Abrams – Trapped" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved October 7, 2021.
  9. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 50, 1985" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved October 7, 2021.
  10. ^ "Colonel Abrams – Trapped" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved October 7, 2021.
  11. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 7, 2021.
  12. ^ "Colonel Abrams, DSI". Billboard. Retrieved October 7, 2021.
  13. ^ "Colonel Abrams, BSI". Billboard. Retrieved October 7, 2021.
  14. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Colonel Abrams – Trapped" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved October 7, 2021.
  15. ^ "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1985". Dutch Top 40. Retrieved October 7, 2021.
  16. ^ "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1985". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved October 7, 2021.
  17. ^ "British single certifications – Colonel Abrams – Trapped". British Phonographic Industry.

External links

Categories