Sixty Eight Guns

Last updated
"Sixty Eight Guns"
The Alarm 68 Guns single.jpg
Single by The Alarm
from the album Declaration
B-side "68 Guns Part II"
ReleasedAugust 1983
Recorded1983
Genre Alternative rock, new wave
Length3:15
Label I.R.S. Records
Songwriter(s) Mike Peters, Eddie MacDonald
Producer(s) Alan Shacklock
The Alarm singles chronology
"The Stand"
(1983)
"Sixty Eight Guns"
(1983)
"Where were you Hiding when the Storm Broke?"
(1984)

"Sixty Eight Guns" is a song by Welsh rock band the Alarm that was released as a single in August 1983 and later appeared on the group's debut album Declaration in February 1984. It was written by Alarm members Mike Peters and Eddie MacDonald.

Contents

The song reached #17 on the UK Singles Chart, becoming the Alarm's first Top 40 appearance and their highest-ever position on that chart. The song also reached #39 on the Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart in the United States, the Alarm's first-ever chart position in that country. Soon after, it "bubbled under" the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart at #106, becoming the band's first charting single on the American pop charts.

The song was recorded at Good Earth Studios and mixed at Abbey Road Studios. [1]

Background and writing

The lyrics to "Sixty Eight Guns" were inspired by a book that Peters had read about the 1960s street gangs of Glasgow. [2]

Title

The song's title is written as "Sixty Eight [ sic ] Guns" and "68 Guns" interchangeably on the various I.R.S. releases. The back cover of Declaration and the front cover of the 7" single show the title as "Sixty Eight Guns" while the labels on the discs themselves show the title as "68 Guns". [3]

Track listing

All songs written by Mike Peters and Eddie MacDonald.

UK 7" Single

  1. "68 Guns" - 3:15
  2. "68 Guns Part II" - 3:25

UK 12" Single

  1. "68 Guns (Full Version)" - 5:45
  2. "Thoughts of a Young Man" - 2:50

Credits

Charts

Chart (1983)Peak
position
UK Singles Chart 17
U.S. Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles 106
U.S. Billboard Top Rock Tracks 39

Other releases

The song appeared on several other Alarm releases:

Notes

  1. "The Alarm – Sixty Eight Guns (1983, Vinyl)".
  2. Interview with Mike Peters published in 'Zig Zag' magazine, 1983
  3. "The Alarm - Sixty Eight Guns". Discogs. Retrieved 2019-08-08.

Related Research Articles

"With a Little Help from My Friends" is a song recorded by English rock band the Beatles for their 1967 album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. It was written primarily by Paul McCartney with contributions from John Lennon, and is sung by drummer Ringo Starr, his lead vocal for the album. As the second track on the album, it segues from the applause on the title track.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">And I Love Her</span> 1964 single by the Beatles

"And I Love Her" is a song recorded by English rock band the Beatles, written primarily by Paul McCartney and credited to the Lennon–McCartney partnership. It is the fifth track of their third UK album A Hard Day's Night and was released 20 July 1964, along with "If I Fell", as a single release by Capitol Records in the United States, reaching No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">You've Really Got a Hold on Me</span> 1962 Motown song by the Miracles

"You've Really Got a Hold on Me" is a song written by Smokey Robinson, which became a 1962 Top 10 hit single for the Miracles. One of the Miracles' most covered tunes, this million-selling song received a 1998 Grammy Hall of Fame Award. It has also been selected as one of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll. It was recorded by the Beatles for their second album, With the Beatles (1963). Many other musicians also recorded versions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chains (Cookies song)</span> 1962 single by the Cookies

"Chains" is a rhythm and blues song written by husband-and-wife songwriting team Gerry Goffin and Carole King. It was a hit for the American girl group the Cookies in 1962 and for the English rock band the Beatles, who recorded the song for their debut album in 1963. King recorded a solo version of "Chains" for her 1980 album Pearls: Songs of Goffin and King.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Alarm</span> Welsh rock band

The Alarm are a Welsh rock band that formed in Rhyl, Wales, in 1981. Initially formed as a punk band, the Toilets, in 1977, under lead vocalist Mike Peters, the band soon embraced arena rock and included marked influences from Welsh language and culture. By opening for acts such as U2 and Bob Dylan, they became a popular new wave pop band of the 1980s.

<i>The Alarm</i> (EP) 1983 EP by The Alarm

The Alarm is a studio EP by The Alarm. It was released in 1983 by IRS Records, initially on 12 inch vinyl and cassette. The cassette was released in the UK with the "68 Guns" single. A re-mastered version was released with bonus tracks in 2000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Save the Last Dance for Me</span> Original song written and composed by Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman; first recorded by the Drifters

"Save the Last Dance for Me" is a song written by Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman, first recorded in 1960 by American musical group the Drifters with Ben E. King on lead vocals. It has since been covered by several artists, including Dalida, the DeFranco Family, Emmylou Harris, Dolly Parton, and Michael Bublé.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mike Peters (musician)</span> Welsh musician

Michael Leslie Peters is a Welsh musician, best known as the lead singer of The Alarm. After the band split up in 1991, Peters wrote and released solo work, before reconstituting The Alarm in 2000. Additionally, he is co-founder of the Love Hope Strength Foundation. Between 2011 and 2013, Peters was the vocalist for Big Country as well as The Alarm.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cathy's Clown</span> Everly Brothers song

"Cathy's Clown" is a popular song, written by Don Everly and recorded by The Everly Brothers in 1960. The lyrics describe a man who has been wronged and publicly humiliated by his lover: "Here he comes / That's Cathy's clown". The choruses are sung by brothers Don and Phil in their trademark close harmony style, while Don sings the bridges solo.

"Drinking Champagne" is a song written by Bill Mack. He released the first version of the song on Pike Records in the mid-sixties. The song grabbed nationwide attention when the version by Cal Smith reached #35 on the country music charts in 1968.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">45 RPM (song)</span> 2004 single by The Poppy Fields (The Alarm)

"45 RPM" is a song written by Mike Peters and Steve Grantley.

<i>Declaration</i> (The Alarm album) 1984 studio album by The Alarm

Declaration is the debut studio album from The Alarm. It was released on February 13, 1984 by IRS Records. The album was released initially on vinyl and cassette. A CD version was released in the U.S. by June 1984. An extended re-master version was released in 2000, including extra tracks.

<i>Strength</i> (The Alarm album) 1985 studio album by The Alarm

Strength is the second studio album by The Alarm, released in 1985 on IRS Records. The single "Strength" was released before the album, reaching #40 on the UK singles chart. This was followed after the album release by "Spirit of '76", which reached #22 and saw the band on Top of the Pops and in various other TV appearances. "Knife Edge" was the final single from the album to be released, just failing to reach the top 40.

<i>Eye of the Hurricane</i> (The Alarm album) 1987 studio album by The Alarm

Eye of the Hurricane is the third studio album by the Welsh band the Alarm, released in October 1987 on I.R.S. Records. The album was initially released on vinyl LP and cassette, reaching number 23 in the UK charts and number 77 in the US charts. A CD version was released later the same year and in 2000 an extended re-mastered version was released, including extra tracks.

<i>Change</i> (The Alarm album) 1989 studio album by The Alarm

Change is the fourth studio album by The Alarm. It was released in September 1989 on IRS Records.

<i>Raw</i> (The Alarm album) 1991 studio album by The Alarm

Raw is the fifth and final studio album released by the original line-up of The Alarm. The band split up after the album was released. It was released in 1991 on IRS Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I've Done Everything for You</span> 1978 single by Sammy Hagar

"I've Done Everything for You" is a song written and performed by Sammy Hagar, and released as a single in 1978. A version by Rick Springfield in 1981 became a top 10 hit in the US. In addition to recorded versions by Hagar and Springfield, the song has been performed and recorded by numerous bands, including Buckcherry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Got to Get You into My Life</span> 1966 song by The Beatles

"Got to Get You into My Life" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles, first released in 1966 on their album Revolver. It was written by Paul McCartney and credited to Lennon–McCartney. The song is a homage to the Motown Sound, with colourful brass instrumentation and lyrics that suggest a psychedelic experience. "It's actually an ode to pot," McCartney explained.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Poppy Fields</span> Fictitious teenage group

The Poppy Fields were a fictitious teenage group, invented by the Welsh rock band The Alarm. The Poppy Fields scored a hit with the release of "45 RPM" that would become The Alarm's first hit in over a decade. Mike Peters revealed the truth on live radio as Radio 1 was conducting a 2004 broadcast of their then current chart countdown. The story was highlighted by international news outlets with several headlines being published globally.

"Peace in Our Time" is a song written by English songwriters Andy Hill and Peter Sinfield, first recorded by American singer and actress Jennifer Holliday for the 1988 Summer Olympics album One Moment in Time. The song was later covered by American rock singer Eddie Money and English singer Cliff Richard.