Mirror in the Bathroom

Composition

According to composer and singer Dave Wakeling, the song originated when he was working on a building site and he got up for work one winter morning after "a couple of drinks" and found his clothes still wet on the bathroom floor. While shaving, he says,

On his way to work on his motorbike, he thought about the idea of "The door is locked, just you and me"; and reflected on the nature of narcissism:

When he first heard David Steele's "revolutionary" 2/2 bassline, he thought, "Wow, that poem I was writing on the motorbike fits it like a glove."

The title of the song led some to believe, mistakenly, that it was about drawing lines of cocaine on a mirror. Wakeling says that "in America in the early '80s, everybody gave me knowing winks and said, 'Oh, I know what that one's about, then, Dave.' And it wasn't that mirror in the bathroom at all, it was the one on the wall, and not the one on your knee."

Release

Jerry Dammers wanted the Beat to release "Mirror in the Bathroom" as their first single for his company 2 Tone Records, but Chrysalis Records, 2 Tone's parent company, refused to allow them to release it as a single. Instead, they released a ska version of the Smokey Robinson and the Miracles song "The Tears of a Clown". When that record was successful, the Beat formed their own label, Go-Feet Records, which released "Mirror in the Bathroom".

Critical reception

"Mirror in the Bathroom" was ranked at No. 3 in the NME "Tracks of the Year" list for 1980, and at No. 24 in Sounds magazine's "Singles of the Year" list for 1980. In 2003, Q magazine ranked the song at No. 517 in their list of the "1001 Best Songs Ever". In 2002, Gary Mulholland included the song in his list This is Uncool: The 500 Greatest Singles Since Punk and Disco.

Later releases

The single was re-released on 21 April 2012 for Record Store Day 2012 as a limited edition 750 run of 7" copies. Its B-side is "Too Nice to Talk To".

Ranking Roger's album Pop Off the Head Top includes a new remix version of "Mirror in the Bathroom" produced by Gaudi.

The song is included in the soundtracks of the films Someone to Watch Over Me (1987), Grosse Pointe Blank (1997), and SLC Punk! (1999), by a project called Fifi.

1990s reissues

12" single, 74321232061 (1995)

1. "Mirror in the Bathroom" (Sure Is Pure Remix)
2. "Mirror in the Bathroom" (Tic Tac Toe Remix)
3. "Mirror in the Bathroom" (Simon and Diamond Remix)
4. "Mirror in the Bathroom" (Adelphi Remix) : A promo 12" containing only the first two tracks (VAIN 001) was also released.

CD single, 74321232062 (January 8, 1996)

1. "Mirror in the Bathroom" (Mark "Spike" Stent Remix) — 3:28
2. "Mirror in the Bathroom" (Tic Tac Toe Remix) — 5:41
3. "Mirror in the Bathroom" (Adelphi Remix) — 4:45
4. "Mirror in the Bathroom" (Original Version) — 3:08

Charts

Certifications

References

References

1. (19 April 1980). "News".
2. (1995). "[[Spin Alternative Record Guide]]". [[Vintage Books]].
3. Chick, Stevie. (2015). "1001 Songs You Must Hear Before You Die". [[Rizzoli Libri.
4. "New Wave Music Songs".
5. (24 July 2012). "Dave Wakeling on the short, successful, fractious career of The English Beat".
6. (1 March 2008). "Dave Wakeling of The English Beat".
7. "Mirror in the Bathroom".
8. (2016). "Albums and Tracks of the Year". [[NME]].
9. [http://www.muzieklijstjes.nl/Q1001bestsongsever.htm Q - 1001 best songs ever (2003)]
10. (2002). "This is Uncool: The 500 Greatest Singles Since Punk and Disco". Cassell Illustrated.
11. Weidner, Erica. (22 April 2020). "''Grosse Pointe Blank'' Is a Bop and a Half". [[The Fordham Ram]].
12. "Mirror in the Bathroom (song by The Beat) ••• Music VF, US & UK hits charts".