Praying for Time

Last updated

"Praying for Time"
Praying for time george michael.jpg
Single by George Michael
from the album Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1
B-side "If You Were My Woman" (live at Wembley Stadium, 11 Jun '88)
Released13 August 1990 (1990-08-13) [1]
RecordedOctober 1989 [2]
Genre Pop
Length4:41
Label Epic
Songwriter(s) George Michael
Producer(s) George Michael
George Michael singles chronology
"Kissing a Fool"
(1988)		"Praying for Time"
(1990)		"Waiting for That Day"
(1990)
Music video
"Praying for Time" on YouTube

"Praying for Time" is a song written, produced, and performed by English singer and songwriter George Michael, released on Epic Records in the United Kingdom and Columbia Records in the United States in 1990. It was the first single from his second studio album, Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1 (1990), spending one week at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100, making it Michael's seventh number one in the US and his last solo single to reach the top of the Hot 100. "Praying for Time" also reached number one in Canada for two weeks, becoming Michael's penultimate number-one solo hit there.

Contents

Release

The song was Michael's first single in almost two years, entering the UK Singles Chart in August 1990. A dark and sombre reflection on social ills and injustice, it was hailed by many critics. The single peaked at number six in the UK, but it was his eighth number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US. The song remained in the Billboard top 40 for ten weeks. [3] It was the first song of political motivation he had released as a single since his earliest days with Wham!.

The song was the first of five released in the UK from the album Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1 , although it was the only one of the quintet to make the UK top 10. As of October 2017, the single sold 140,000 copies in UK. [4]

Critical reception

In a retrospective review, Matthew Hocter from Albumism wrote that the song, "which examines the many social injustices faced by so many, questions the listener into the conditioning that society has created and why it can be so hard to be kind to one another." He added, "Timeless and still so relevant in this day and age." [5] Stephen Thomas Erlewine from AllMusic picked it as a "highlight" from the album. [6] Upon the release, Bill Coleman from Billboard noted, "Previewing the long-awaited Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1 album is a dramatic, socially conscious ballad, delivered with the kind of unabashed soul and bravado we've come to expect (and love) from Michael. The countdown to No. 1 starts now ..." [7] In a 2008 review, The Daily Vault's Melanie Love said that "Praying for Time" "features Michael singing in a lower range to more formally distance himself from the realm of sunny pop, his tone oddly soothing". She added, "It's the expressiveness of his voice that makes this track such a potent opener, switching seamlessly from scathing to aching to helpless on this rumination on social injustices." [8] Chris Roberts from Melody Maker named it Single of the Week, adding that it "marks George entering his loony eccentric British recluse genius phase and displays a staggering excess of ambition." [9]

Pan-European magazine Music & Media stated, "A well-crafted, lovely ballad building up to sizeable proportions. The transparent production gives ample space to Michael's passionate vocals." [10] David Giles from Music Week described it as a "glorious ballad that ranks alongside "Careless Whisper" and "A Different Corner" as one of the best things he's ever written." He added, "This has distinct shades of Lennon circa 1975". [11] Victoria Segal from NME called it a "splendidly melodramatic breath of apocalypse". [12] A reviewer from People magazine commented, "Set to a somber Lennonesque arrangement (unfortunately, that’s Julian, not John), the song murkily bemoans our troubled, faithless times." The reviewer also complimented Michael's "talents for writing, singing, arranging and producing". [13] James Hunter of Rolling Stone described the song as "a distraught look at the world's astounding woundedness. Michael offers the healing passage of time as the only balm for physical and emotional hunger, poverty, hypocrisy and hatred." [14]

During the Symphonica Tour in 2011–12, Michael performed the song with slightly different lyrics:

I sang 20 years and a day
But nothing changed
The human race found some other god
And walked into the flame

Music video

While Michael refused to appear in videos to support the album, an experimental video clip directed by Michael Borofsky was released for "Praying for Time", featuring only the lyrics of the song with a blue and black background that, at the end of the clip, reveals itself to be the image on the cover of the album. Some of the written lyrics featured in the video are slightly animated:

The video quickly became a buzz clip on MTV, and stayed in rotation on most video networks for weeks. Similarly, the commercial single had no cover photo, only words. Some have speculated that the style of the video was influenced by Prince's similar promo clip for "Sign o' the Times" released three years previously.

After Michael's temporary move to Virgin in 1996, Sony Music re-made the video in a simplified CGI version, with a uniform black/grey background and no animations at all. This is the one most commonly available as of 2017, and as such it was released in the 2017 Deluxe Edition of the Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1 album.

An alternate music video for this song has also been released, with Michael actually seen recording and performing the lyrics.

Track listings

  1. "Praying for Time" – 4:40
  2. "If You Were My Woman" (live at Wembley Stadium, 11 Jun '88) – 4:05

Also available on MC (Epic / GEO M1), 12" (Epic / GEO T1) and CD (Epic / CD GEO 1)

  1. "Praying for Time" – 4:40
  2. "If You Were My Woman" (live at Wembley Stadium, 11 Jun '88) – 4:05
  3. "Waiting" (reprise) – 2:27
  1. "Praying for Time" – 4:40
  2. "If You Were My Woman" (live at Wembley Stadium, 11 Jun '88) – 4:05

Charts

Certifications

Certifications and sales for "Praying for Time"
RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI) [50] Silver200,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

American Idol

"Praying for Time"
Single by Carrie Underwood
Released9 April 2008
Recorded9 April 2008
Venue Kodak Theatre, Hollywood, California
Genre
Length3:31
Label Arista Nashville
Songwriter(s) George Michael
Carrie Underwood singles chronology
"Last Name"
(2008)		"Praying for Time"
(2008)		"Just a Dream"
(2008)

The song was performed by Carrie Underwood for the 2008 Idol Gives Back mini-marathon on 9 April 2008. In a matter of 24 hours, Underwood's rendition of "Praying for Time" reached number 10 on the Hot Digital Songs chart, with all proceeds being donated to charity.[ which? ] It also peaked at number 27 on the US Billboard Hot 100 on the week of 26 April 2008. George Michael performed the song during the 2008 American Idol finale on 21 May 2008.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gentle on My Mind</span> 1967 song by John Hartford

"Gentle on My Mind" is a song that was written and originally recorded by John Hartford, and released on his second studio album, Earthwords & Music (1967). Hartford wrote the song after watching Doctor Zhivago in 1966, as he was inspired by the film and his own personal experiences. The lyrics describe the reminiscences of lost love of a man as he travels through the country. An obituary for Hartford indicated that the lyrics are "about a hobo reminiscing about a lost love". The following year, Hartford released the song as a single on RCA Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Love Will Never Do (Without You)</span> 1990 single by Janet Jackson

"Love Will Never Do (Without You)" is a song by American singer Janet Jackson and was composed by songwriters and record producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. Janet recorded the song for her fourth studio album, Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814 (1989). It was released as the seventh commercial single from the album by A&M Records on October 2, 1990. In 1991 it topped the US Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, becoming the fifth number-one hit of her career and the fourth number-one single from Rhythm Nation 1814. On both the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Dance Club Songs charts, the single peaked in the top five. It also peaked within the top 40 in several countries. It is certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), denoting sales of 500,000 units in the US alone.

<i>Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1</i> 1990 album by George Michael

Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1 is the second solo studio album by the English singer-songwriter George Michael, released on 3 September 1990 by Columbia Records in the US and Epic Records in the UK. The album was Michael's final album of all-new material on Columbia until 2004's Patience. Listen Without Prejudice was a stark departure from Michael's previous album, 1987's Faith, with largely acoustic instrumentation and a sombre intensity in many of the lyrics and melodies. While the album topped the UK Albums Chart, disappointing sales in the United States led to Michael's legal battles against Sony Music, in which he accused the corporation of not fully supporting him as an artist. Listen Without Prejudice was reissued across a number of formats on 20 October 2017 and again topped the UK Albums Chart, 27 years after it first reached number one on the chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Who Is It (Michael Jackson song)</span> 1992 single by Michael Jackson

"Who Is It" is a song by American singer Michael Jackson. It was released by Epic Records on July 13, 1992, as the fifth single from Jackson's eighth studio album, Dangerous (1991). The song was written and composed by Jackson, and produced by Jackson and Bill Bottrell. The song's lyrics pertain to despair over being left by someone you love; some critics noted a comparison to the lyrics of the song to Jackson's single "Billie Jean" from the album Thriller. As part of the promotion for the song, two music videos were released in 1992. The song was not performed by Jackson on any of his tours. He did, however, perform a small segment of the song in his interview with Oprah Winfrey in early 1993.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Freedom! '90</span> 1990 single by George Michael

"Freedom! '90" is a song written, produced, and performed by English singer-songwriter George Michael, and released by Columbia Records in October 1990. The "'90" added to the end of the title is to prevent confusion with a hit by Michael's former band Wham!, also entitled "Freedom". The song's backing beat is a sample from James Brown's song "Funky Drummer".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Edge of Heaven</span> 1986 single by Wham!

"The Edge of Heaven" is a song by English pop duo Wham!, released on Epic Records in 1986. It was written and produced by George Michael, one half of the duo, and was promoted in advance as Wham!'s farewell single.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A Different Corner</span> 1986 single by George Michael

"A Different Corner" is a song written and performed by English singer and songwriter George Michael that was released on Epic Records in 1986.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Waiting for That Day</span> 1990 single by George Michael

"Waiting for That Day" is a song performed and largely written by English singer-songwriter George Michael which was released on Epic Records in 1990 in the UK and on Columbia Records in 1991 in the US.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heal the Pain</span> 1991 single by George Michael

"Heal the Pain" is a song written and performed by English singer-songwriter George Michael and released on Epic Records in February 1991. A contemplative, acoustic guitar-based love song, it was the fourth of five UK singles taken from his second solo album, Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1 (1990).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Faith (George Michael song)</span> 1987 single by George Michael

"Faith" is a song by English singer and songwriter George Michael. Written and produced by Michael, it was released via Columbia Records as the second single from his 1987 debut solo album of the same name. It held the number-one position on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for four weeks and, according to Billboard magazine, was the number-one single of the year in the United States in 1988. The song also reached number one in Australia and Canada and number two on the UK Singles Chart. In 2001, it placed at number 322 on the Songs of the Century list.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Father Figure (George Michael song)</span> 1987 single by George Michael

"Father Figure" is a song by English singer and songwriter George Michael from his debut studio album, Faith (1987). It was released on 28 December 1987 as the album's fourth single by Columbia Records. The song reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 11 on the UK singles chart. Additionally it was a top five hit in Australia, Belgium, Canada, Iceland, Ireland, the Netherlands and Spain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fastlove</span> 1996 single by George Michael

"Fastlove" is a song by English singer-songwriter George Michael, released on 22 April 1996 by Virgin Records in the United Kingdom and by DreamWorks Records in the United States as the second single from his third album, Older (1996). Written by Michael, Patrice Rushen, Freddie Washington and Terri McFaddin and produced by Michael and Jon Douglas, the song interpolates Rushen's 1982 single "Forget Me Nots".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">One More Try (George Michael song)</span> 1988 single by George Michael

"One More Try" is a song recorded by English singer and songwriter George Michael from his debut solo studio album, Faith (1987). It was released on 11 April 1988 as the album's fourth single by Columbia Records. The song hit number one on all of the US Billboard Hot 100, the Hot Black Singles and the Hot Adult Contemporary charts. Its music video was directed by Tony Scott and filmed in Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Too Funky</span> 1992 single by George Michael

"Too Funky" is a song written and performed by English singer and songwriter George Michael and released by Columbia Records in the United States and Epic Records elsewhere in 1992. The song was Michael's final single for his recording contract with Sony Music before he started legal action to extricate himself from it.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">You Got It</span> 1989 single by Roy Orbison

"You Got It" is a song from American singer Roy Orbison's 22nd studio album, Mystery Girl (1989). The song was released posthumously on January 3, 1989, after Orbison's death from a heart attack on December 6, 1988. The song was issued with "The Only One" as the B-side and was later released with "Crying". The single reached number nine on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the Adult Contemporary chart, returning Orbison to the top 10 for the first time in 25 years. "You Got It" also reached number three on the UK Singles Chart and entered the top five in 10 other countries. Although it is an Orbison solo single, Orbison's fellow Traveling Wilburys bandmates Tom Petty and Jeff Lynne co-wrote the song and played instruments on the record.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">How Am I Supposed to Live Without You</span> 1982 song written by Doug James and Michael Bolton

"How Am I Supposed to Live Without You" is a song co-written in 1982 by Doug James and Michael Bolton. The track was originally recorded by Laura Branigan in 1983, charting at number one in both the US and Canadian Adult Contemporary charts. Bolton later recorded his own version of the song that topped the US Billboard Hot 100 and became a worldwide hit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me</span> 1974 single by Elton John

"Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" is a song written by English musician Elton John and songwriter Bernie Taupin. It was originally recorded by John for his eighth studio album, Caribou (1974), and was released as a single that peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and reached number 16 on the UK Singles Chart.

"Mother's Pride" is a song written and performed by George Michael from the album Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1, released in 1990. It was released as the US B-side to the single "Waiting for That Day".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pray (MC Hammer song)</span> 1990 single by MC Hammer

"Pray" is a song released in August 1990 by Capitol as the third single from American rapper and dancer MC Hammer's third album, Please Hammer Don't Hurt 'Em (1990). Produced by Hammer, the song heavily samples Prince's 1984 song "When Doves Cry", the first of just a few times that Prince allowed samples of his compositions. The track also interpolates Faith No More's "We Care a Lot". The word "pray" is mentioned 147 times during the song, setting the record for the number of times a song title is repeated in an American Top 40 hit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Greatest Love of All</span> Popular song by Michael Masser and Linda Creed

"The Greatest Love of All" is a song written by Michael Masser, who composed the music, and Linda Creed, who wrote the lyrics. It was originally recorded in 1977 by George Benson, who made the song a substantial hit, peaking at number two on the US Hot Soul Singles chart that year, the first R&B chart top-ten hit for Arista Records. The song was written and recorded to be the main theme of the 1977 film The Greatest, a biopic of the boxer Muhammad Ali, and is performed during the opening credits.

References

  1. ↑ "New Singles" (PDF). Music Week . 11 August 1990. p. 27. Retrieved 28 July 2022.
  2. ↑ Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1 (liner notes). George Michael. Epic Records. 3 September 1990. p. 3. 467295 2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) CS1 maint: year (link)
  3. ↑ Joel Whitburn, The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits (8th Ed., 2004)
  4. ↑ "Remembering George Michael's Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1". Official Charts Company . 13 October 2017. Archived from the original on 25 October 2017. Retrieved 25 October 2017.
  5. ↑ Hocter, Matthew (31 August 2020). "George Michael's 'Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1' Turns 30: Anniversary Retrospective". Albumism. Retrieved 16 November 2020.
  6. ↑ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "George Michael – Listen Without Prejudice, Vol. 1". AllMusic . Retrieved 4 November 2020.
  7. ↑ Coleman, Bill (25 August 1990). "Single Reviews" (PDF). Billboard . p. 87. Retrieved 28 October 2020.
  8. ↑ Love, Melanie (19 April 2008). "Listen Without Prejudice, Vol. 1 – George Michael". The Daily Vault. Retrieved 22 November 2020.
  9. ↑ Roberts, Chris (25 August 1990). "Singles". Melody Maker . Retrieved 24 February 2023.
  10. ↑ "Previews: Singles" (PDF). Music & Media . 18 August 1990. p. 12. Retrieved 3 November 2020.
  11. ↑ Giles, David (18 August 1990). "Singles" (PDF). Music Week . p. 25. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
  12. ↑ Segal, Victoria. "GEORGE MICHAEL – Ladies And Gentlemen - The Best Of George Michael". NME . Archived from the original on 17 August 2000. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
  13. ↑ "Picks and Pans Review: Listen Without Prejudice Vol 1". People . 8 October 1990. Retrieved 13 November 2020.
  14. ↑ Hunter, James. "Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1". Rolling Stone .
  15. ↑ "George Michael – Praying For Time". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 14 January 2017.
  16. ↑ "George Michael – Praying For Time" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 14 January 2017.
  17. ↑ "George Michael – Praying For Time" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 14 January 2017.
  18. ↑ Lwin, Nanda. Top 40 Hits: The Essential Chart Guide (2000). Mississauga, Ont.: Music Data Canada
  19. ↑ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 1361." RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 14 January 2017.
  20. ↑ "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 7747." RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 11 April 2019.
  21. ↑ Danish Singles Chart. 21 September 1990.
  22. ↑ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media . Vol. 7, no. 36. 8 September 1990. p. 10. Retrieved 22 November 2019.
  23. ↑ Nyman, Jake (2005). Suomi soi 4: Suuri suomalainen listakirja (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Tammi. ISBN   951-31-2503-3.
  24. ↑ "George Michael – Praying For Time" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 14 January 2017.
  25. ↑ "George Michael – Praying For Time" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 14 January 2017.
  26. ↑ "Top 3 Singles in Europe" (PDF). Music & Media . Vol. 7, no. 39. 29 September 1990. p. VII. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
  27. ↑ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Praying for Time". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 11 April 2019.
  28. ↑ "Top 3 Singles in Europe" (PDF). Music & Media . Vol. 7, no. 31. 13 October 1990. p. VII. Retrieved 22 November 2019.
  29. ↑ "ジョージ・マイケルのシングル売り上げランキング" (in Japanese). Oricon. Archived from the original on 11 January 2012. Retrieved 5 December 2020.
  30. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 37, 1990" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 11 April 2019.
  31. ↑ "George Michael – Praying For Time" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 14 January 2017.
  32. ↑ "George Michael – Praying For Time". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 14 January 2017.
  33. ↑ "George Michael – Praying For Time". VG-lista. Retrieved 14 January 2017.
  34. ↑ "Top 3 Singles in Europe" (PDF). Music & Media . Vol. 7, no. 43. 27 October 1990. p. VII. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
  35. ↑ "George Michael – Praying For Time". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 14 January 2017.
  36. ↑ "George Michael – Praying For Time". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 14 January 2017.
  37. ↑ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 14 January 2018.
  38. ↑ "George Michael Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 14 January 2017.
  39. ↑ "George Michael Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved 14 January 2017.
  40. ↑ "Contemporary Hit Radio" (PDF). Radio & Records . 5 October 1990. p. 96.
  41. ↑ "The ARIA Australian Top 100 Singles Chart 1990 (61–100) (from The ARIA Report No. 50)". Imgur.com (original document published by ARIA). Retrieved 10 October 2016.
  42. ↑ "Jaaroverzichten 1990" (in Dutch). Ultratop . Retrieved 11 April 2019.
  43. ↑ "Top 100 Hit Tracks of 1990". RPM . Library and Archives Canada . Retrieved 11 April 2019.
  44. ↑ "Top 100 Hit Tracks of 1990". RPM . Library and Archives Canada . Retrieved 11 April 2019.
  45. ↑ "Eurochart Hot 100 of 1990" (PDF). Music & Media . Vol. 7, no. 51. 22 December 1990. p. 60. OCLC   29800226 . Retrieved 15 January 2020– via American Radio History.
  46. ↑ "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1990". Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 1 May 2020.
  47. ↑ "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1990" (in Dutch). MegaCharts . Retrieved 11 April 2019.
  48. ↑ "1990 The Year in Music & Video: Top Pop Singles". Billboard. Vol. 102, no. 51. 22 December 1990. p. YE-14.
  49. ↑ Lwin, Nanda. "Top 100 singles of the 1990s". Jam!. Archived from the original on 29 August 2000. Retrieved 26 March 2022.
  50. ↑ "British single certifications – George Michael – Praying for Time". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved 28 October 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.