| "Blood and Roses" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by The Smithereens | ||||
| from the album Especially for You | ||||
| B-side | "Behind the Wall of Sleep" | |||
| Released | 1986 | |||
| Recorded | The Record Plant, New York City | |||
| Genre | Alternative rock | |||
| Length | 3:35 | |||
| Label | Enigma | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Pat DiNizio | |||
| Producer(s) | Don Dixon | |||
| The Smithereens singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"Blood and Roses" is a song by the American alternative rock group The Smithereens. It is the first single released in support of their debut album Especially for You .
DiNizio explained of the song's origin, "I was walking home from my job as soundman at NYC's legendary Folk City nightclub through the freezing rain at about four in the morning when the bass line came to me, the chords and melody came later built around the bass part." [1] Lyrically, the song is about a girl DiNizio knew in highschool, who took her own life. The title was taken from a short story of the same name by the Japanese writer Yukio Mishima, a literary hero of DiNizio's. "I found out years later that Blood and Roses was also the title of an obscure early 1960s horror film directed by Roger Vadim", DiNizio said.
"Blood and Roses" was released as the first single from the band's debut album, Especially for You . The single reached number 14 on the US Mainstream Rock Charts as well as number 99 in Australia. The song was released with a music video that features clips of the band interspersed with clips from the 1986 film Dangerously Close .
All songs written by Pat DiNizio, except where noted.
| Publication | Country | Accolade | Year | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Village Voice | United States | Singles of the Year [2] | 1986 | 13 |
| Bruce Pollock | United States | The 7,500 Most Important Songs of 1944-2000 [3] | 2005 | * |
| WOXY.com | United States | Modern Rock 500 Songs of All Time [4] | 2009 | 299 |
(*) designates unordered lists.
| Chart (1986/87) | Peak position | |
|---|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report) [5] | 99 | |
| US Mainstream Rock ( Billboard ) [6] | 14 |
The Smithereens are an American rock band from Carteret, New Jersey, United States. The group formed in 1980 with members Pat DiNizio, Jim Babjak, Mike Mesaros, and Dennis Diken. This original lineup continued until 2006, when Mesaros left the band and Severo Jornacion took over on bass guitar until Mesaros' return in 2016. After DiNizio died in 2017, the band continued performing live shows as a trio with various guest vocalists.
11 is the third studio album by American rock band The Smithereens, released on October 24, 1989 by Capitol Records. It includes the Billboard Top 40 single "A Girl Like You". The album was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America in June 1990.
Green Thoughts is the second studio album by The Smithereens, released in March 1988 by Enigma/Capitol Records. The single, "Only a Memory", reached No. 92 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped the Album Rock Tracks chart in 1988.
A Date with the Smithereens is the fifth album by the New Jersey rock band The Smithereens, released in 1994. It is seen as a stylistically consistent with the melodic pop sensibilities of their earliest albums, along with the more rock-driven sound and production of their most commercially successful releases.
Especially for You is the first full-length album from New Jersey-based rock band The Smithereens, released in July 1986 by Enigma Records.
Patrick Michael DiNizio was the lead singer, songwriter, and founding member of the band The Smithereens, which he formed in 1980 with Jim Babjak, Dennis Diken, and Mike Mesaros, from Carteret, New Jersey.
Blow Up is the title of the fourth full-length studio album by The Smithereens. The album charted at #120 in the U.S. in October 1991. The second single, "Too Much Passion", became the group's second top-40 single, peaking at #37. Top of the Pops was released as the first single of the album.
2011 is the eleventh studio album by American rock band The Smithereens, released on April 5, 2011 by eOne Music.
"Strangers When We Meet" is a song by the American alternative rock group The Smithereens, released as a European-only single in 1987. It is the fourth single released in support of their debut album Especially for You.
"Behind the Wall of Sleep" is a song by the American alternative rock group The Smithereens, released in 1986. It is the second single released in support of their debut album Especially for You.
"In a Lonely Place" is a song by the American alternative rock group The Smithereens, released in 1986. It is the third single released in support of their debut album Especially for You. It features Suzanne Vega on background vocals, as well as guest musicians Frank Christian on acoustic guitar and Jeffrey Berman on vibraphone.
"Only a Memory" is a song by the American alternative rock group The Smithereens. It is the first single released in support of their second album Green Thoughts.
"House We Used to Live In" is a song by the American alternative rock group The Smithereens. It is the second single released in support of their second album Green Thoughts.
"Drown in My Own Tears" is a song by the American alternative rock group The Smithereens. It is the third single released in support of their second album Green Thoughts.
"A Girl Like You" is a song by the American alternative rock group The Smithereens. It is the first single released in support of their third album 11.
"Blues Before and After" is a song by the American alternative rock group The Smithereens. It is the second single released in support of their third album 11.
"Yesterday Girl" is a song by the American alternative rock group The Smithereens. It is the third single released in support of their third album 11.
"Top of the Pops" is a song by the American alternative rock group The Smithereens. It is the first single released in support of their fourth album Blow Up.
"Too Much Passion" is a song by the American alternative rock group The Smithereens. It is the second single released in support of their fourth album Blow Up.
From Jersey It Came! The Smithereens Anthology is a two-disc, career-spanning compilation album by The Smithereens, released in 2004. It features most of the band's singles, as well as album and EP tracks, non-album B-sides and a handful of rarities.
