"I'm Not Scared" is a song by British pop band Eighth Wonder, released in February 1988 by CBS as the first single from their debut album, Fearless (1988). The song achieved success in France, Italy, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and West Germany, where it was a top-10 hit. Written by the Pet Shop Boys, the original version contains several words in French. "J'ai pas peur" is the French adaptation of "I'm Not Scared" and is included as the B-side to the 7-inch and 12-inch singles. The 12-inch "disco mix" combines the two versions into one long mix. Pet Shop Boys also released their own version of the song, with Neil Tennant vocals, on the album Introspective.
Critical reception
In his review of the song, John Wilde from Melody Maker wrote, "It is entirely meaningless and is exactly what you expect it to be. This doesn't stop it roving through an empty space with a fair amount of scarlet charm."[4] Another Melody Maker editor, Chris Roberts, complimented the single as "fine".[5] Jerry Smith of Music Week considered that it was not surprising that "I'm not Scared" sounds like Pet Shop Boys and Phil Harding production, as the song was written and produced by them, noted "Kensit's distinctive, breathy vocal" and deemed the song a potential hit.[6]James Hamilton from Record Mirror wrote in his dance column, "Patsy Kensit-lisped and French-spoken lethargic Eurobeat-ish ultimately quite haunting 0-105+5⁄6-0bpm slinker produced by the Pet Shop Boys and Phil Harding".[7]
William Shaw from Smash Hits felt the song "definitely bears all the hallmarks of Eurodisco — all the little insistent keyboard tunes, all the thumping bass bits, all the chattering drum machines. But where most Eurodisco records tend to be lyrically a bit daff and musically lightweight, this is a work of genius. An extremely girlie sounding Patsy Kensit strides through a city full of dogs singing a beautifully mournful melody about how she's not afraid of them, first in English, and then (just to add a touch of Euro-flavour) in French. Strange indeed, but mighty compelling."[8]
Retrospective response
Slant Magazine ranked the song at number 62 on its "100 Greatest Dance Songs" list in 2006, writing, "'I'm Not Scared' is unmistakably a Lowe/Tennant composition, with sharp staccato synth lines, a fluctuating bassline, histrionic lyrics ending in curly, figurative question marks [...], and – on the extended Disco Version – dramatic string stabs".[9]
^"Index: Wonder Stuff". Record Mirror. 6 February 1988. p. 2.
^Blythe, Daniel (2002). The Encyclopaedia of Classic 80s Pop. Allison & Busby. p. 133. ISBN0-7490-0534-3. Yes, it's the one with Patsy Kensit—who, halfway through 'Im Not Scared', an enjoyable piece of atmospheric synth-pop, delivers some French lyrics in a deliciously good accent.
^I'm Not Scared (US cassette single sleeve). Eighth Wonder. WTG Records. 1988. 31 T68939.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^I'm Not Scared (UK 10-inch single vinyl disc). Eighth Wonder. CBS Records. 1988. SCARE Y1.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^I'm Not Scared (UK 12-inch single vinyl disc). Eighth Wonder. CBS Records. 1988. SCARE T1.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^I'm Not Scared (UK CD single liner notes). Eighth Wonder. CBS Records. 1988. SCARE C1.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^I'm Not Scared (European mini-CD single liner notes). Eighth Wonder. CBS Records. 1988. CBS 651359 8.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^I'm Not Scared (US 12-inch single vinyl disc). Eighth Wonder. WTG Records. 1988. 41 68820.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^I'm Not Scared (Japanese mini-CD single liner notes). Eighth Wonder. Epic Records. 1988. 10・8P-3012.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)