"Wish That You Were Here" | ||||
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Single by Florence and the Machine | ||||
Released | 26 August 2016 | |||
Genre | Art rock | |||
Length | 6:44 | |||
Label | Island | |||
Songwriter(s) |
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Producer(s) | Emile Haynie | |||
Florence and the Machine singles chronology | ||||
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Audio video | ||||
"Wish That You Were Here" on YouTube |
"Wish That You Were Here" is a song by English indie rock band Florence and the Machine written by Florence Welch, Andrew Wyatt, and Emile Haynie. It was released by Island Records on 26 August 2016. The song was made available via digital download and is featured on the soundtrack of the film Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children , which was directed by Tim Burton. Welch, a longtime fan of Burton's work, had expressed interest in collaborating with him long before the recording of "Wish That You Were Here", as they shared similar artistic themes. Upon release, the composition was positively received by music critics and reached number 128 on the UK Singles Chart.
On 2 July 2016, Florence and the Machine performed at the annual British Summer Time in Hyde Park, London, marking an end to the group's successful tour in support of their third studio album, How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful . [1] Nonetheless, the group remained relatively active, contributing three songs, "Too Much Is Never Enough", "I Will Be", and a cover version of Ben E. King's "Stand by Me", to the Final Fantasy XV video game soundtrack. Florence and the Machine's recordings were compiled on the EP Songs from Final Fantasy XV on 12 August for digital download. [2]
Keeping in their trend of soundtrack work, the band and film director Tim Burton collaborated in composing "Wish That You Were Here" for Burton's movie adaptation of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children . Welch had been a big-time fan of Burton's work and was interested in teaming up with him long before "Wish That You Were Here", calling Burton a "kindred spirit" who shared in her themes of dark romance and fantasy. [3] To prepare to compose a song that complemented the film, Welch read the novel version of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children . [4]
The song was partly inspired while Florence and the Machine was in the midst of a busy touring schedule; Welch commented, "it [touring] comes at a cost — a cost of leaving the people you love behind for a year or two. You kind of feel like if you could sing a song into the wind, maybe the wind could take it to them in a way that you can't with a text or a call. You just want to send your love in a different way, in a way to somehow reach the unreachable". [5] Music critic Rebecca Deczynski described "Wish That You Were Here"'s sound as a combination of everything that made the band successful, including "the same cathartic crash of percussion that made 'Shake It Out' an instant hit", and "the ethereal peals of harps found in 'Cosmic Love'". [6]
"Wish That You Were Here" was released on 26 August 2016 for digital download with a still image taken from Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. It is featured during the ending credits of the film, which debuted in theaters on 30 September. The song managed to reach number 128 on the UK Singles Chart. [7] In his review for Rolling Stone magazine, Jon Blistein praised Welch for "singing wistfully over a distant keyboard and string plucks", also noting the "bombastic chorus that's as determined as it is heartbreaking". [8] Critic Christine Costello regarded the collaboration between the group and Burton as one of the most interesting pairings of 2016, also stating "Welch’s renowned, whimsical vocals and art-pop sound are a perfect backdrop for Burton’s infamous scenes of twisting trees, gloomy palettes and underworld aesthetic often captured in his films". [9]
Chart (2016) | Peak position |
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Scotland (OCC) [10] | 34 |
UK Singles (OCC) [11] | 128 |
Florence and the Machine are an English indie rock band formed in London in 2007 by lead vocalist Florence Welch, keyboardist Isabella Summers, guitarist Rob Ackroyd, drummer Christopher Lloyd Hayden & harpist Tom Monger. The band has comprised a number of other musicians. The band's music has received acclaim across the media, especially from the BBC, which played a large part in their rise to prominence by promoting Florence and the Machine as part of BBC Music Introducing. At the 2009 Brit Awards they received the Brit Awards "Critics' Choice" award. The band's music is renowned for its dramatic, eccentric production and Welch's powerful vocals.
Florence Leontine Mary Welch is an English singer and songwriter. She is the lead vocalist and primary songwriter of the indie rock band Florence and the Machine. The band's debut studio album, Lungs (2009), topped the UK Albums Chart and won the Brit Award for Best British Album. Their next four albums also achieved chart success. In 2018, Welch released a book titled Useless Magic, a collection of lyrics and poems written by her, along with illustrations.
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"Kiss with a Fist" is the debut single by indie rock band Florence and the Machine, taken from their debut studio album Lungs (2009). The single was released through Moshi Moshi Records on 9 June 2008 in the UK and was then released four months later on 6 October 2008 through IAMSOUND Records in the US. The B-side to "Kiss with a Fist" is a cover version of the Cold War Kids song "Hospital Beds".
"Dog Days Are Over" is a song by English indie rock band Florence and the Machine from their debut album Lungs (2009). It was originally scheduled for release on 24 November 2008 through Moshi Moshi Records in the UK as the album's second single, but was later pushed back for release on 1 December 2008. A day later on 2 December 2008 the single was released in download and seven-inch vinyl format through IAMSOUND Records in the US. The B-side to the single is a cover of "You Got the Love" by The Source featuring Candi Staton which later was confirmed as a track on their debut album and the band's fifth single. The single reached the top 30 in Canada, Ireland, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Lungs is the debut studio album by English indie rock band Florence and the Machine, released on 3 July 2009 by Island Records. After working on various projects, Florence Welch formed a band which included Robert Ackroyd, Chris Hayden, Mark Saunders, Tom Monger, and former collaborator Isabella Summers. The album features production from James Ford, Paul Epworth, Stephen Mackey, Eg White and Charlie Hugall, with additional production by band member Isabella Summers. The album has been reissued several times: an expanded version titled Between Two Lungs (2010), a digital EP subtitled The B-Sides (2011), and a Tenth Anniversary Edition (2019).
Ella Summer Purnell is an English actress. She began her career as a child actress in West End theatre and films such as Never Let Me Go (2010), Intruders (2011), and Maleficent (2014). Her other films include Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (2016), Churchill (2017), and Army of the Dead (2021).
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