Bring On the Dancing Horses

"Bring On the Dancing Horses"
Single by Echo & the Bunnymen
from the album Songs to Learn & Sing
B-side "Over Your Shoulder", "Bedbugs and Ballyhoo"
Released 14 November 1985
Format 7", 12", picture disc
Genre Post-punk, alternative rock
Length 3:59 (7"), 5:37 (12")
Label Korova (UK)
WEA (Worldwide)
Songwriter(s) Will Sergeant, Ian McCulloch, Les Pattinson, Pete de Freitas
Producer(s) Laurie Latham, The Bunnymen
Echo & the Bunnymen singles chronology
"Seven Seas"
(1984)
"Bring On the Dancing Horses"
(1985)
"The Game"
(1987)

"Seven Seas"
(1984)
"Bring On the Dancing Horses"
(1985)
"The Game"
(1987)

"Bring On the Dancing Horses" is a single by Echo & the Bunnymen which was released on 14 November 1985. It was the only new single to be included on their 1985 compilation album Songs to Learn & Sing. According to the liner notes that accompany the CD release of the album, the song was recorded specifically for the John Hughes film Pretty in Pink, the soundtrack of which also includes it. The song reached number 21 on the UK Singles Chart[1] and number 15 on the Irish Singles Chart.[2]

Allmusic journalist Stewart Mason said that the layers of synths on the song and Ian McCulloch's overdubbed vocals on the chorus add to the "psychedelic haze of the track". Mason wrote: "Bring On the Dancing Horses has a dreamily catchy chorus and a nice melody."[3]

Versions

The single was released as a 7-inch single, a 12-inch single and a shaped picture disc. On the 7-inch single and the picture disc the title track is three minutes and 59 seconds long and the b-side is "Over Your Shoulder". The title track was extended by one minute and 38 seconds for the 12-inch single, to five minutes and 37 seconds, and an extra track, "Bedbugs and Ballyhoo", was added to the b-side. The 7-inch single was also released as a limited edition with an extra disc containing "Villiers Terrace" and "Monkeys" from the August 1979 John Peel session. Laurie Latham produced the title track and The Bunnymen produced the b-sides. The singles were released on Korova in the United Kingdom and on WEA elsewhere.

Cover versions

"Bring On the Dancing Horses" has been covered by various artists. American punk group Lagwagon released a version on their 2000 B-sides and rarities album Let's Talk About Leftovers and Simple Minds recorded a version for their 2001 covers album Neon Lights. The song has also been performed live by The Flaming Lips and The Decemberists. A version of the song, performed by Universal Circus, is included on the 2005 Spanish tribute album Play the Game: Un Tributo a Echo & the Bunnymen.[4] Part of the song was also sung by The Killers frontman Brandon Flowers at the 2008 MTV Europe Music Awards, during their performance of Human. It is also featured on the cover EP The Velveteen Age by Diane Birch.

Track listings

All tracks written by Will Sergeant, Ian McCulloch, Les Pattinson and Pete de Freitas.

7-inch (Korova KOW 43, WEA S248933-7) and picture disc (Korova KOW 43P, WEA 248933-7)
  1. "Bring On the Dancing Horses" – 3:59
  2. "Over Your Shoulder" – 4:04
12-inch release (Korova KOW 43T, WEA 248932-0)
  1. "Bring On the Dancing Horses" – 5:37
  2. "Bedbugs and Ballyhoo" – 3:35
  3. "Over Your Shoulder" – 4:04

Chart positions

Chart (1985-6) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[5] 78
Belgium (Ultratop 50)[6] 19
Irish Singles Chart[2] 15
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[7] 45
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[8] 31
UK Singles Chart[1] 21

Personnel

References

  1. 1 2 Roberts, David, ed. (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). HIT Entertainment. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  2. 1 2 "The Irish Charts – All there is to know". IRMA. 2008. Archived from the original on 5 January 2010. Retrieved 30 April 2008.
  3. http://www.allmusic.com/song/bring-on-the-dancing-horses-mt0033752798
  4. "The Ultimate Echo and the Bunnymen Resource". Villiers Terrace.com. Retrieved 21 May 2008.
  5. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  6. "ultratop.be". Hung Medien (in Dutch). Ultratop. Retrieved 12 June 2017.
  7. "dutchcharts.nl". Hung Medien. MegaCharts. Retrieved 12 June 2017.
  8. "charts.org.nz". Hung Medien. Recording Industry Association of New Zealand. Retrieved 12 June 2017.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.