What The Hell Have I - Wikipedia

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• 1 Origin and recording
• 2 Release and reception
• 3 Music video
• 4 Personnel
• 5 Charts
• 6 References
• 7 External links

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Appearance move to sidebar hide From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia 1993 single by Alice in Chains

"What the Hell Have I"
Promotional single by Alice in Chains
from the album Last Action Hero: Music from the Original Motion Picture
Released	June 7, 1993 (1993-06-07)
Genre	Grunge alternative metal
Length	3:58
Label	Columbia
Songwriter	Jerry Cantrell
Producers	Andy Wallace Alice in Chains
Alice in Chains singles chronology
"Rooster" (1993) "What the Hell Have I" (1993) "Down in a Hole" (1993)
Music video
"What the Hell Have I" on YouTube

"What the Hell Have I" is a song by the American rock band Alice in Chains. It was originally featured on the soundtrack to the 1993 John McTiernan film Last Action Hero, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. The song was released on June 7, 1993,[1] as a promotional single, and peaked at No. 19 on Billboard's Album Rock Tracks chart. It was included on their first greatest hits album, Nothing Safe: Best of the Box (1999). Also, a remixed version of the song was included on the band's box set collection, Music Bank (1999), as well as on their compilation album, The Essential Alice in Chains (2006).

Origin and recording

[edit]

The song was originally written for their breakthrough album, Dirt (1992), but was shelved at the time and used later for the Last Action Hero soundtrack.[2] Contrary to popular belief, Jerry Cantrell did not actually use a traditional sitar during the recording session, although he did attempt to play one, but was unsure how. While experimenting with sounds, he adopted a guitar-sitar into the session to achieve the sound of the opening riff.[2]

In the liner notes of 1999's Music Bank box set collection, guitarist Jerry Cantrell said of the song:

This and "A Little Bitter" were mixed by Andy Wallace because Toby [Wright] had a previous commitment, and they always bothered me because they were too "tinny" compared to our other stuff. So I was happy to see Toby finish his work off with the remixes [on Music Bank]. That's not to disrespect Andy, it's just that he wasn't there when they were being created. Toby's like a brother, he knows all our shit, all our personalities and we don't trust anybody unless we've got something on them.[3]

Release and reception

[edit]

"What the Hell Have I" was released to radio stations on June 7, 1993 in support of Alice in Chains' appearance on the 1993 Lollapalooza tour.[1] The single peaked at No. 19 on Billboard's Album Rock Tracks chart.[4]

AllMusic's Jason Birchmeier said that the song is "on a par with those featured on the band's recent (and magnificent) Dirt album."[5] Ned Raggett of AllMusic said that the song "isn't bad at all but on the flipside has little immediate surprise to offer to it."[6]

Music video

[edit]

The music video for "What the Hell Have I" was released in 1993 and was directed by Rocky Schenck, who had previously directed the "We Die Young" and "Them Bones" music videos for the band, and who would later direct the music video for "Grind". In the music video, singer Layne Staley's face is projected on him with different expressions, while guitarist Jerry Cantrell is seen with the same contact lenses with a smiley face that was worn by Mr. Benedict (played by Charles Dance) in Last Action Hero. The video is available on the home video release Music Bank: The Videos (1999).

Personnel

[edit]

• Layne Staley – lead vocals
• Jerry Cantrell – guitar, electric sitar, vocals
• Mike Inez – bass
• Sean Kinney – drums, percussion

Charts

[edit]

Chart (1993)	Peakposition
US Mainstream Rock Tracks[4]	19

References

[edit]

1. ^ a b Russell, Deborah (May 22, 1993). "Sony in Overdrive For 'Hero' Tie-Ins". Billboard. p. 122. Retrieved July 8, 2018.
2. ^ a b Kitts, Jeff (May 1994). "Primecuts: Jerry Cantrell". Guitar School. Archived from the original on July 14, 2014. Retrieved July 8, 2018.
3. ^ Liner notes, Music Bank box set. 1999.
4. ^ a b "Alice in Chains "What The Hell Have I" Chart History – Mainstream Rock"". Billboard. August 28, 1993. Retrieved July 8, 2018.
5. ^ Birchmeier, Jason. "Last Action Hero > Overview". Allmusic. Retrieved July 23, 2009.
6. ^ Raggett, Ned. "What the Hell Have I". Allmusic. Retrieved February 27, 2009.

External links

[edit]

• Review of "What the Hell Have I" at Allmusic

v t e Alice in Chains
Jerry Cantrell Sean Kinney Mike Inez William DuVall Layne Staley Mike Starr
Studio albums	Facelift Dirt Alice in Chains Black Gives Way to Blue The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here Rainier Fog
Extended plays	We Die Young Sap Jar of Flies
Live albums	Unplugged Live Live Facelift
Compilations	Nothing Safe: Best of the Box Music Bank Greatest Hits The Essential Alice in Chains
Video albums	Live Facelift The Nona Tapes Music Bank: The Videos
Singles	"We Die Young" "Man in the Box" "Would?" "Them Bones" "Angry Chair" "Rooster" "Down in a Hole" "No Excuses" "I Stay Away" "Don't Follow" "Grind" "Heaven Beside You" "Again" "Get Born Again" "A Looking in View" "Check My Brain" "Your Decision" "Lesson Learned" "Hollow" "Stone" "Voices" "Tears" "The One You Know" "So Far Under" "Never Fade" "Rainier Fog"
Promotional singles	"Bleed the Freak" "Sea of Sorrow" "What the Hell Have I" "Got Me Wrong" "Over Now" "Fear the Voices"
Other songs	"Sunshine" "Brother" "Hate to Feel" "Nutshell" "Died" "Black Gives Way to Blue" "Phantom Limb"
Film	Black Antenna AIC 23
Related	Discography List of songs List of awards and nominations Susan Silver Blackdiamondskye Sleze Alice N' Chains Spys4Darwin
Category

Authority control databases	MusicBrainz work MusicBrainz release group

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=What_the_Hell_Have_I&oldid=1315980905" Categories:

• 1993 songs
• 1993 singles
• Alice in Chains songs
• Songs written by Jerry Cantrell
• Music videos directed by Rocky Schenck
• Columbia Records singles

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