"The Return of Pan" | ||||
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Single by the Waterboys | ||||
from the album Dream Harder | ||||
B-side | "Karma" | |||
Released | 3 May 1993 [1] | |||
Length | 4:19 | |||
Label | Geffen | |||
Songwriter(s) | Mike Scott | |||
Producer(s) |
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The Waterboys singles chronology | ||||
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"The Return of Pan" is a song by British band the Waterboys, released in May 1993 by Geffen Records as the lead single from their sixth studio album, Dream Harder (1993). It was written by Mike Scott, and produced by Scott and Bill Price. The song reached No. 24 in the UK Singles Chart and No. 10 on the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart. [2] [3]
"The Return of Pan" is the Waterboys' second ode to the Greek deity, following "The Pan Within", a track from their third studio album This Is the Sea (1985). [4] Speaking of the musical similarities between the two songs, Scott told NME in 1993, "It's the same chord sequence, and those chords signify 'Pan' to me." [5]
Speaking of the song's lyrical influence, Scott revealed to NME in 1993, "He's a really great guy, yeah, but everybody's got a bit of Pan in them, and it's all about finding the Pan in yourself. Pan is wildness, freedom, the natural world, a sense of abandonment – the very opposite, really, of modern urban living. I'm non-denominational, but I'm interested in all religions. I believe there's one creator, but there are gods for different aspects of creation, and Pan represents a particular aspect." [5] In 1996, Scott described the song as "mischievous". [6]
The 12-inch and CD formats of the single included an acoustic demo version of "The Return of Pan", recorded in Scott's front room, as a hidden fourth track. [7]
Upon its release as a single, Everett True of Melody Maker noted that "The Return of Pan" "possesses a certain windswept epic feel that I figured Mike Scott had lost after This Is the Sea ". He added, "I'm not saying I actively enjoy Bill Price's BMP production, I'm not saying this isn't anything but an ordinary-to-good song buoyed up by bracing guitars... but hell. This isn't too bad at all." [8] The Accrington Observer awarded the single a five out of five star rating. The reviewer described the "typically majestic track" as a "a much slower version" of the band's 1985 track "The Pan Within" from This Is the Sea and added that it "is arguably the best single of the year so far". [9]
George Byrne of the Irish Independent criticised the track for "sounding for all the world like a Chris de Burgh song played with a middling degree of urgency". He added, "It's 1993 and Mike Scott is singing about ancient gods with cloven hooves... not even the crusties will fall for that." [10] Johnny Dee of NME was also negative in his review, calling it "fraggle cack from the bowels of Hippyhell". [11]
In the US, Larry Flick of Billboard described the song as a "tough, well-produced track that neatly balances raucous electric guitars with the Celtic folk the band has long made a specialty". [12] Randy Clark of Cash Box wrote, "This single from the upcoming Waterboys album could have just as easily appeared on an Al Stewart record. Just add a bigger beat and a lengthy, screaming guitar solo." [13]
In a review of Dream Harder, CD Review commented, "'The Return of Pan' finds [Scott] singing about mythological gods and although romanticism is neat stuff, it's most effective when shaded with a touch of reality." [14] Audio noted the song "point[s] to Scott's fondness for other kinds of supreme beings". [15]
The song's music video was directed by Jeff Stein and features Carla Azar on drums. [16] It was the Waterboys' first video since 1985's "The Whole of the Moon" and Scott's debut video for Geffen Records. Scott had previously refused to shoot videos for most of the Waterboys' singles. He considered the medium to taint the listener's relationship with a song and spoil their imagination of it by presenting imagery that was often "shallow and moronic". By 1993, he decided to give making videos a try again to maximise the potential of the new material reaching a big audience. [17]
Prior to shooting any video for Geffen, Scott received some training from the acting teacher and theatre director Stephen Jobes on how to present himself in front of a camera and remain composed in front of a film crew. Meanwhile, a number of directors drew up their ideas for videos for "The Return of Pan", but Scott rejected all of the ideas for either being clichéd or misinterpreting the song. Geffen eventually suggested the director Jeff Stein and after Scott met him in a coffee shop along Sixth Avenue, he agreed for him to direct the video for "The Return of Pan". [17]
Scott wished to control the vision for the video to "ensure [it] conformed to my sense of the song" and did not misinterpret it with an "irrelevant storyline". Stein obliged with Scott's suggestion of a performance-based video with Scott sitting down performing the song with a gold guitar, the concept of which was based on a photograph taken for the Dream Harder sleeve. Scott also suggested featuring some goats in the video, but the resulting footage presented them as "goofy, like wacky pets at a children's zoo" rather than "wild and Pan-like". The final sequence, featuring Scott surrounded by goats and with his guitar raised over his head, was shot at The Palisades of the lower Hudson River. Scott recalled in his autobiography of seeing the final result, "I realised the folly of controlling the content myself; though the video was well shot by Jeff it was stiff and kooky, a thousand miles from the intent of the song". [17]
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "The Return of Pan" (LP version) | 4:19 |
2. | "Karma" | 2:47 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "The Return of Pan" (LP version) | 4:19 |
2. | "Karma" | 2:47 |
3. | "Mister Powers" | 7:00 |
4. | "The Return of Pan" (demo version, hidden track) | 1:14 |
Production
Other
Chart (1993) | Peak position |
---|---|
Canada Top Singles ( RPM ) [18] | 64 |
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100) [19] | 89 |
Europe (European Hit Radio) [20] | 34 |
Ireland (IRMA) [21] | 28 |
Portugal (AFP) [22] | 10 |
UK Singles (OCC) [23] | 24 |
UK Airplay ( Music Week ) [24] | 26 |
US Alternative Airplay ( Billboard ) [25] | 10 |
World Party was a musical group, predominantly the solo project of its sole consistent member, the songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist Karl Wallinger. Wallinger started the band in 1986 in London after leaving the Waterboys. At various times, World Party also featured Guy Chambers, David Catlin-Birch, future Oasis drummer Chris Sharrock, Jeff Trott, Amanda Kramer and John Turnbull.
The Waterboys are a British folk rock band formed in London in 1983 by Scottish musician and songwriter Mike Scott. The band's membership, past and present, has been composed mainly of musicians from Scotland, Ireland, Wales and England. Mike Scott has remained the only constant member throughout the band's career. They have explored a number of different styles, but their music is mainly a mix of folk music with rock and roll. They dissolved in 1993 when Scott departed to pursue a solo career. The group reformed in 2000, and continue to release albums and to tour worldwide. Scott emphasises a continuity between the Waterboys and his solo work, saying that "To me there's no difference between Mike Scott and the Waterboys; they both mean the same thing. They mean myself and whoever are my current travelling musical companions."
Dream Harder is the sixth studio album by the Waterboys, released by Geffen Records on 24 May 1993. Led by Scottish singer-songwriter-instrumentalist Mike Scott, the album features none of the earlier UK-based band members and instead finds Scott backed by American session musicians. It was the last Waterboys album before Scott spent seven years pursuing a formal solo career, with Bring 'Em All In (1995) and Still Burning (1997). The album reached position 171 on the Billboard Top 200 charts, surpassing the previous Waterboys album Room to Roam, in spite of a less-than-enthusiastic response from critics to the album's sound.
This Is the Sea is the third studio album by the Waterboys, released on 16 September 1985 by Ensign Records. The last of their "Big Music" albums, it is considered by critics to be the finest album of the Waterboys' early rock-oriented sound, described as "epic" and "a defining moment". It peaked at number 37 in the UK Albums Chart. Steve Wickham makes his Waterboys recording debut playing violin on "The Pan Within" and subsequently joined the band. This Is the Sea is the last Waterboys album with contributions from Karl Wallinger, who left the group to form his own band, World Party.
Fisherman's Blues is the fourth studio album by the Waterboys, released by Ensign Records in October 1988. The album marked a change in the band's sound, with them abandoning their earlier grandiose rock sound for a mixture of traditional Irish music, traditional Scottish music, country music, and rock and roll. Critics were divided on its release with some disappointed at the change of direction and others ranking it among the Waterboys' best work. The album was the Waterboys' best selling album, reaching a number 13 placing on the U.K. charts on release, and 76 on the Billboard 200.
Michael Scott is a Scottish singer, songwriter, and musician. He is the founding member, lead singer, guitarist and songwriter of rock band The Waterboys. He has also produced two solo albums, Bring 'Em All In and Still Burning. Scott is a vocalist, guitarist and pianist, and has played a large range of other instruments, including the bouzouki, drums, and Hammond organ on his albums. Scott is also a published writer, having released his autobiography, Adventures of a Waterboy, in 2012.
"Loser" is a single by American musician Beck. It was written by Beck and record producer Carl Stephenson, who both produced the song with Tom Rothrock. "Loser" was initially released as Beck's second single by independent record label Bong Load Custom Records on 12-inch vinyl format with catalog number BL5 on March 8, 1993.
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Room to Roam is the fifth studio album by the Waterboys, released by Ensign Records on 2 October 1990. It continued the folk rock sound of 1988's Fisherman's Blues, but was less of a commercial success, reaching #180 on the Billboard Top 200 after its release in September 1990. Critical response continues to be mixed. Allmusic describes it both as "not quite as [musically] successful" as Fisherman's Blues, but also as a "Celtic rock classic". The front and back covers were designed by Simon Fowler based upon photography by Stefano Giovannini and Sean Jackson.
"Easy" is a song by American band Commodores from their fifth studio album, Commodores (1977), released on the Motown label. Group member Lionel Richie wrote "Easy" with the intention of it becoming another crossover hit for the group given the success of a previous single, "Just to Be Close to You", which spent two weeks at number one on the US Billboard Hot Soul Singles chart and peaked at number seven on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1977.
"Fisherman's Blues" is a song from folk rock band The Waterboys, which was released in 1988 as the lead single from their fourth studio album of the same name. It was written by Mike Scott and Steve Wickham, and produced by Scott. The song reached number 3 on the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart, number 13 in Ireland and number 32 in the UK.
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"The Whole of the Moon" is a song by Scottish band the Waterboys, released as a single from their album This Is the Sea in October 1985. It is a classic of the band's repertoire and has been consistently played at live shows ever since its release. Written and produced by Mike Scott, the subject of the song has inspired some speculation.
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Discography of releases by The Waterboys and Mike Scott.
Modern Blues is the eleventh studio album by the Waterboys, released on the independent label Harlequin and Clown in 2015. It was produced by Mike Scott, with two tracks being co-produced with Paul Brown. Modern Blues reached No. 14 on the UK Albums Chart and No. 2 on the UK Independent Albums Chart.
"Love Anyway" is a song from Scottish singer-songwriter Mike Scott, which was released as the lead single from his second solo album Still Burning. It was written by Mike Scott, and produced by Scott and Niko Bolas. "Love Anyway" reached No. 50 in the UK Singles Chart and remained on the charts for two weeks.
"Rare, Precious and Gone" is a song by Scottish singer-songwriter Mike Scott, released as the second single from his second solo album Still Burning. It was written by Mike Scott, and produced by Scott and Niko Bolas. "Rare, Precious and Gone" reached No. 74 on the UK Singles Chart in February 1998.
waterboys return of pan.
waterboys return of pan.