Red Rain (song)

Last updated
"Red Rain"
Pgrr.jpg
Single by Peter Gabriel
from the album So
Released29 June 1987 [1]
Recorded1985
Genre Rock [2]
Length
  • 5:39 (album version)
  • 4:02 (US promo edit)
Label Geffen
Songwriter(s) Peter Gabriel
Producer(s)
  • Peter Gabriel
  • Daniel Lanois
Peter Gabriel singles chronology
"Big Time"
(1987)		"Red Rain"
(1987)		"Biko Live/No More Apartheid"
(1987)
Music video
"Red Rain" on YouTube

"Red Rain" is the first track on English rock musician Peter Gabriel's fifth solo studio album So (1986). In the United States, it was initially only released as a promotional single and reached number three on Billboard magazine's Mainstream Rock chart in June 1986, where it stayed for three weeks between July and August. [3] A year later, in June 1987, it was released as a commercial single in parts of Europe, Australia and the United States, peaking at 46 in the UK Singles Chart after entering the chart in July of that year. [4] A live version also charted in the US and the UK in 1994.

Contents

Background

The song is a combination of several inspirations. The lyrics directly reference a recurring dream Gabriel was having where he swam in his backyard pool drinking cold red wine. Another version of the dream had bottles in the shape of people falling from a cliff. In it, a stream of red liquid would seep out of the people-shaped bottles as they smashed with impact onto the ground, and was usually followed by a torrential downpour of the same red liquid. [5]

Earlier in his solo career, Gabriel had an idea for a movie he referred to as Mozo. In it, villagers were punished for their sins with a blood-red rain. "Red Rain" was to be the theme song. This idea was eventually scrapped, although there was a mention of Mozo in the song "On the Air" in Peter Gabriel (1978). "Down the Dolce Vita", "Here Comes the Flood", and "Exposure" reference the Mozo story, as well. [6]

Strongly percussive in nature, the song features two notable American drummers: Stewart Copeland from the Police played the hi-hat for the rain-like background sound and was requested by Gabriel due to his mastery of the instrument, [7] while the rest of the drumming was provided by Gabriel's regular drummer Jerry Marotta, who recorded eight different drum takes for producer Daniel Lanois to choose from. [8]

Critical reception

Gabriel's biographer Daryl Easlea wrote that the song was "a brooding opening to the album" which reflected "two very current Eighties obsessions: AIDS and nuclear fallout". [9] Jon Parles of The New York Times identified "Red Rain" as one of the bleakest songs on the album. [10] In his review of So, Tim Holmes of Rolling Stone thought that the song's descending melody acted as a soothing metaphor for an apocalyptic image." [11] Stephen Thomas Erlewine has described it as "a stately anthem popular on album rock radio". [12]

Track listing

  1. "Red Rain"
  2. "In Your Eyes" (special mix) [only on 12"]
  3. "Ga-Ga"

"Ga-Ga" is an instrumental version of the song "I Go Swimming", which was only released on the Plays Live album.

US 12" single (20749-0)

  1. "Red Rain" – 5:35
  2. "Ga-Ga" (instrumental) – 4:31
  3. "Walk Through the Fire" – 3:31

Personnel

Charts

Studio version

Chart performance for "Red Rain" studio version
Chart (1986–1987)Peak
position
Ireland (IRMA) [13] 27
UK Singles (OCC) [14] 46
US Mainstream Rock ( Billboard ) [15] 3

Live version

Chart performance for "Red Rain" live version
Chart (1994)Peak
position
Canada Top Singles ( RPM ) [16] 63
UK Singles (OCC) [17] 39
US Mainstream Rock ( Billboard ) [15] 33

References

  1. ↑ "Music Week" (PDF). p. 27.
  2. ↑ Hill, Sarah (2017). "Peter Gabriel, From Genesis to Growing Up". Taylor & Francis. ISBN   9781351554282 . Retrieved 1 October 2024.
  3. ↑ "Billboard Mainstream Rock Chart History". songdatabase.com. Retrieved 8 August 2015.
  4. ↑ David Roberts British Hit Singles & Albums , Guinness World Records Limited
  5. ↑ Scott 2012, 4:05.
  6. ↑ Scarfe, Graeme (2021). Peter Gabriel: Every Album, Every Song. United Kingdom: SonicBond. p. 14. ISBN   978-1-78952-138-2.
  7. ↑ Burke, Chris (17 April 2015). "Classic Albums featuring Stewart Copeland". MusicRadar . Retrieved 8 August 2015.
  8. ↑ Scott 2012, 5:45.
  9. ↑ Easlea, Daryl (2013). Without Frontiers: The Life & Music of Peter Gabriel. Omnibus Press. ISBN   978-1780383156.
  10. ↑ Pareles, Jon (15 June 1986). "Peter Gabriel Sings of Lost Egos". The New York Times . Archived from the original on 14 August 2014. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
  11. ↑ Holmes, Tim (14 August 1986). "So". Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on 15 August 2014. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
  12. ↑ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Peter Gabriel - So". AllMusic . Retrieved 8 August 2015.
  13. ↑ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Red Rain". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 11 April 2024.
  14. ↑ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 11 April 2024.
  15. 1 2 "Peter Gabriel Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved 11 April 2024.
  16. ↑ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 1838." RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 11 April 2024.
  17. ↑ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 11 April 2024.

Bibliography

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