Fields of Fire (song)

"Fields of Fire"
Single by Big Country
from the album The Crossing
Released 18 February, 1983
Recorded 1982-1983
Genre Celtic rock
Length 3:31
Label Mercury
Writer(s) Stuart Adamson, Mark Brzezicki, Tony Butler, Bruce Watson
Producer(s) Steve Lillywhite
Big Country singles chronology
"Harvest Home"
(1982)		 "Fields of Fire"
(1983)		 "In a Big Country"
(1983)

"Fields of Fire" (single version subtitled "400 Miles")[1] is one of the biggest hits by the Scottish rock band Big Country. It was first released as a single in the United Kingdom in 1983 and included on the band's debut album The Crossing.

Music video

The music video begins with a young boy playing with his toy train set. The members of the band are passengers on a train that has left the railway station and are seen playing their instruments inside their train coach. After going through a tunnel, the train is stopped because a Scotsman is playing the bagpipes on the railway line. The band then leave their carriage and follow the Scotsman to find themselves watching a First World War Battle in which the band members themselves are taking part. [2]

Reception

The song was a big hit, introducing the band to mainstream audiences in the United States in 1984 and reaching the top ten in the UK Singles Chart.[1] On their album review of The Crossing, Rolling Stone noted that the song was "one of the great, resounding anthems of this or any other year" and praised the "bagpipelike single-string riffs".[3] Big Country's bassist Tony Butler has also claimed this song to be one of his favorites.[4]

Chart positions

Chart (1983-1984) Peak
position
New Zealand Singles Chart 26
UK Singles Chart[1] 10
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 52

[5][6][7]

Credits

Compilation album usage

The song has been included on several notable compilation albums since its release. For instance, in 1992, the track was included on the Time Life:The Rock Collection-Hot Rock release,[9] and in 1997, the long-running The Best... Album in the World...Ever! compilation album brand included the song on their The Best Scottish Album in the World... Ever! release.[10]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. pp. 56–7. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  2. ↑ "YouTube". YouTube. Retrieved 2014-04-08.
  3. ↑ "Album Reviews and Ratings". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2014-04-08.
  4. ↑ "Greatest Hits (News of the World)". Bigcountryinfo.com. 2006-12-10. Retrieved 2014-04-08.
  5. ↑ "RetroUniverse: Big Country - The Settlement Years". Rqsretrouniverse.blogspot.com. 2009-02-07. Retrieved 2014-04-08.
  6. ↑ Steffen Hung. "australian-charts.com". australian-charts.com. Retrieved 2012-03-31.
  7. ↑ "Big Country". UMD Music. Retrieved 2012-03-31.
  8. ↑ Steffen Hung. "Big Country - Fields Of Fire (400 Miles)". australian-charts.com. Retrieved 2014-04-08.
  9. ↑ Steffen Hung. "Time Life: The Rock Collection - Hot Rock". australian-charts.com. Retrieved 2014-04-08.
  10. ↑ "The Best Scottish Album in the World...Ever! - Various Artists | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 2014-04-08.

External links