The Unlikely Beginnings of a Classic Hit
Few songs capture the essence of late 80s pop perfection quite like Fine Young Cannibals' She Drives Me Crazy, but the track's journey to becoming a global smash was anything but straightforward. According to band members Roland Gift and David Steele, the song that would eventually become their signature track initially languished in what they called "the box of unfinished songs" and was almost overlooked entirely.
The band had originally conceived the track as a much rockier number under the working title She's My Baby. David Steele recalls that none of the band members particularly liked the early version, and it was only when London Records pushed them to work with additional producers that the song found its path to greatness.
The Prince Connection That Transformed Everything
When record label executives suggested bringing in outside producers, the band made an audacious demand: they would only work with Prince. While the label couldn't deliver the Purple One himself, they did secure the next best thing - Prince's engineer David Z and access to his legendary Paisley Park studio in Minneapolis.
Roland Gift describes the surreal experience of working in Prince's creative sanctuary: "Prince's Purple Rain guitar was in the corner of the studio and his lava lamps were everywhere. The mixing desk had been used by Sly and the Family Stone. You couldn't help but be inspired in that situation."
The band fully embraced the unique environment, experimenting with Prince's equipment in ways that would define the song's distinctive sound. Andy Cox played the iconic riff on Prince's own Rickenbacker guitar, while the band ran keyboards through Prince's wah-wah pedals, creating the track's unmistakable texture.
The Creative Breakthroughs Behind the Sound
One of the most surprising revelations about the recording process concerns the drum sound that drives the entire track. While David Z has told complicated stories about gating techniques and elaborate production methods, David Steele reveals that most of the distinctive percussion came from the conga pre-set on Prince's drum machine.
When Roland Gift arrived from London to record vocals, the lyrics remained incomplete. The band considered asking Prince to contribute but worried it would transform the song into a Prince composition. Instead, they found inspiration in Steele's notebook of song titles, settling on She Drives Me Crazy and completing the lyrics using what Gift describes as "William Burroughs cut-ups" - pillaging lines from their other songs and assembling them collage-style.
Gift's decision to sing in falsetto marked another creative departure. He had never used falsetto before but was possibly influenced by their labelmate Jimmy Somerville. The elongated phrasing of lines like "I can't help mysel-el-elf" represented a deliberate breaking of conventional language rules that Gift believes enhanced the song's emotional impact.
The Bittersweet Success of a Global Smash
Released as part of their second album The Raw and the Cooked in 1989, She Drives Me Crazy became the band's breakthrough American hit, reaching number one in the US and cracking the Top 5 in the UK. The success cemented Fine Young Cannibals' status as international stars but came at a personal cost for Gift.
"It was bittersweet for me," Gift recalls. "When it was a hit I was reading Martin Amis's Money and my girlfriend chucked me, just like in the book." Despite the personal turmoil, the band achieved their artistic ambition of creating music that would endure - the song remains a staple of 80s playlists and cultural references decades later.
The recording also marked a milestone for Paisley Park studios, becoming the first number one single recorded at Prince's legendary facility. Prince himself apparently appreciated the achievement, occasionally performing the song in his post-gig jams, though the band members never properly met the reclusive genius, maintaining what Steele calls "some mystery" in their almost-connection.
Fine Young Cannibals are currently celebrating their legacy with the release of FYC40, a career-spanning collection of hits, rarities and remixes released on 5 December, while Roland Gift has recently put out the seasonal single Everybody Knows It's Christmas.
