What Is The Most Expensive Single Ever?

What do you mean by *make* - recording time or packaging costs? Cause the most expensive single by far was a New Order one... oh god, memory don't fail me now... Was it Blue Monday? The packaging was so expensive that Factory *lost* money on every copy sold. Add to that, it was one of the fastest selling singles of the 80s.

Come on, someone's got to have some other info on this, it's not just my imagination is it? It was in some New Order rock bio, but that's gone god knows where. Probably cut up for Barney-Krishnas.

Allowing for inflation and that, 'Heroes and Villains' by the Beach Boys should be in there, shouldn't it? Considering the cost of hiring fire engines etc (there is a great article about the 'H&V' recording sessions by, I think, Jules Siegel, which may have been included in a generally rubbish anthology called 'Meaty, Beaty, Big and Bouncy').

Yes, you're right about 'Blue Monday' Kate. Peter Saville's design was a great Factory moment of spendthrift genius.

Now I think about it, 'River Deep, Mountain High' is probably a good bet, too.

tom, you and i of course had this discussion. no one talks anymore about how much it costs to make a particular single; now all of that discussion is directed towards video.

at the time of its making in 1966, "good vibrations," at a cost of $50,000 (i added one too many zeros when we spoke) was the most expensive single ever recorded. with inflation, that $50,000 would be $260,000 today, for comparison.

in 1967, the left banke's "desiree" was reputedly the most expensive single, and then in '75, it was "bohemian rhapsody."

I understand Steely Dan used many studio musicians on their records. That had to cost a few bucks.

Probably one of them Michael Jackson singles back in the 80s, like 'Bad' (hey cut & paste that one to the KICK ME thread!).

'River Deep, Mountain High': every single penny spent, was worth it.

I always thought that "Good Vibrations" was the most expensive single ever (inflation taken into account). At least at the time it was I think. Brian Wilson spent several months and about 5 studios on it. Plenty of takes and orchestration and the theremin...

Crumbs, isn't the Modern Inter Web wonderful? The article about 'Heroes & Villains' I mentioned is available here: http://www.cafecancun.com/bookarts/wilson.htm

ST