Peak
7
Weeks
44
Score
6,533
Chart Year
2012
A music video to accompany the release of "Too Close" was first released onto YouTube on 15 March 2011 at a total length of four minutes and eighteen seconds. The video contains Clare singing in a chair intermixed with scenes of a heavily dramaticized representation of a Kendo match between two heavily padded athletes in black uniforms. The fight takes place in an urban setting resembling a deserted factory building. Alex Clare said that he originally wanted samurais cutting each other up in the music video, but the budget did not permit it, so he had to settle for kendo fighters.[4] The video opened to very small numbers, but two months after the Internet Explorer 9 advert campaign, it gained much popularity and by 24 February 2013, it had more than 40 million views. It has over 79 million views as of September 2022.[15] An alternate music video was released to YouTube on 28 August 2012.[16] There is also an official version of the music video with footage from Taken 2.[
London-born singer-songwriter Alex Clare grew up listening to his father's Jazz records. He took up the trumpet and drums as a youngster, but as he grew older he graduated to guitar-based songwriting, playing open-mike nights with original material. Clare dated Amy Winehouse for a year during these early days, after meeting her during a performance at The Hawley Arms in Camden, North London. A demo earned him a deal with the Island label in the U.K. His debut album, The Lateness Of The Hour, which was produced by M.I.A collaborators Diplo and Switch, was released in July 2011. "Too Close" was released as the second single from the album. Clare explained in publicity materials that, "It's about a friend I had of the opposite sex. It's no longer a friendship…" The song became Clare's first U.S. Hot 100 hit after featuring in a Microsoft Internet Explorer 9 commercial. The song was inspired by a relationship with a close friend that turned romantic. "One thing led to another, but it didn't really work out and that felt too close," Clare told Billboard magazine. The song's success marked a turnaround in Clare's fortunes. Prior to it entering the singles chart, Clare had been forced to take a job as an estate agent after being dropped by his record label. The artwork for the single features a bear and wolf ready to attack each other. Clare explained to MTV News: "I'm kind of into the minimal side of art on that end. I kind of thought, look, you want this song to depict conflict, you don't want to go with the kind of day-glo, electronic feel. You want to go with something that had some thought and love go into it." Several Major League Baseball teams have used this song for player entrances. They include the Cincinnati Reds (for Zack Cozart's entrance) and the Washington Nationals (for Danny Espinosa's entrance). This topped the German singles chart, spending three weeks at the peak position. The song appears in the end credits of the film Taken 2.
You know I'm not one to break promises I don't want to hurt you but I need to breathe At the end of it all you're still my best friend But there's something inside that I need to release Which way is right? Which way is wrong? How do I say that I need to move on? You know we're heading separate ways And it feels like I am just too close to love you There's nothing I can really say I can lie no more I can hide no more Got to be true to myself And it feels like I am just too close to love you So I'll be on my way You've given me more than I can return Yet there's oh so much that you deserve Nothing to say Nothing to do I've nothing to give I must live without you You know we're heading separate ways And it feels like I am just too close to love you There's nothing I can really say I can lie no more I can hide no more Got to be true to myself And it feels like I am just too close to love you So I'll be on my way So I'll be on my way And it feels like I am just too close to love you There's nothing I can really say I can lie no more I can hide no more Got to be true to myself And it feels like I am just too close to love you So I'll be on my way So I'll be on my way
| Week | Chart Date | Position | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Apr 7, 2012 | 68 | 58 |
| 2 | Apr 14, 2012 | 100 | 26 |
| 3 | Apr 21, 2012 | 80 | 46 |
| 4 | Apr 28, 2012 | 73 | 53 |
| 5 | May 5, 2012 | 63 | 63 |
| 7 | May 19, 2012 | 75 | 51 |
| 8 | May 26, 2012 | 63 | 63 |
| 9 | Jun 2, 2012 | 48 | 78 |
| 10 | Jun 9, 2012 | 67 | 59 |
| 11 | Jun 16, 2012 | 74 | 52 |
| 12 | Jun 23, 2012 | 75 | 51 |
| 13 | Jun 30, 2012 | 67 | 59 |
| 14 | Jul 7, 2012 | 64 | 62 |
| 15 | Jul 14, 2012 | 61 | 65 |
| 16 | Jul 21, 2012 | 59 | 67 |
| 17 | Jul 28, 2012 | 45 | 81 |
| 18 | Aug 4, 2012 | 35 | 91 |
| 19 | Aug 11, 2012 | 30 | 96 |
| 20 | Aug 18, 2012 | 24 | 102 |
| 21 | Aug 25, 2012 | 21 | 105 |