Back on the Chain Gang
Encyclopedia
"Back on the Chain Gang" is a song by the English
-American
band The Pretenders, released as single by Sire Records
in November 1982. The song was also released on The King of Comedy
soundtrack album in March 1983 and later included on The Pretenders' next album Learning to Crawl
in January 1984. It reached number five on the Billboard
Hot 100
(becoming the band's only Top 5 hit in the U.S.), number four on Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and number 17 in the UK Singles Chart
.
The song was originally going to be about Ray Davies
, leader of the band The Kinks
. Lead vocalist/guitarist Chrissie Hynde
and Davies were a couple and had a daughter together, but the meaning of the song changed after James Honeyman-Scott
, the Pretenders guitarist, died of a drug overdose at the age of 25 in 1982.
The memorable chain-gang chant heard during the chorus of the song echoes a similar chant on Sam Cooke
's song "Chain Gang
."
included a cover version with all-new Spanish
lyrics on her album Amor Prohibido
. The song was retitled "Fotos y Recuerdos" (which translates as "Photos and Memories"), and even though there were no references to prison
ers in the Spanish lyrics, Selena's version still used the chain-gang chant hook in the chorus. The song became very successful on the Billboard Hot Latin Tracks charts, peaking at number one for seven weeks, giving Selena her fourth number one song off of the Amor Prohibido album.
Chart Performance
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
-American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
band The Pretenders, released as single by Sire Records
Sire Records
Sire Records is an American record label, owned by Warner Music Group and distributed through Warner Bros. Records.-Beginnings:The label was founded in 1966 as Sire Productions by Seymour Stein and Richard Gottehrer, each investing ten thousand dollars into the new company. Its early releases as a...
in November 1982. The song was also released on The King of Comedy
The King of Comedy (1983 film)
The King of Comedy is a 1983 American dark comedy film starring Robert De Niro and Jerry Lewis, and directed by Martin Scorsese. The subject of the movie is celebrity stalking...
soundtrack album in March 1983 and later included on The Pretenders' next album Learning to Crawl
Learning to Crawl
Learning to Crawl is the Pretenders' third album, released in 1984 after a two-year hiatus, during which time James Honeyman-Scott and Pete Farndon both died of drug overdoses....
in January 1984. It reached number five on the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
(becoming the band's only Top 5 hit in the U.S.), number four on Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and number 17 in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
.
The song was originally going to be about Ray Davies
Ray Davies
Ray Davies, CBE is an English rock musician. He is best known as lead singer and songwriter for the Kinks, which he led with his younger brother, Dave...
, leader of the band The Kinks
The Kinks
The Kinks were an English rock band formed in Muswell Hill, North London, by brothers Ray and Dave Davies in 1964. Categorised in the United States as a British Invasion band, The Kinks are recognised as one of the most important and influential rock acts of the era. Their music was influenced by a...
. Lead vocalist/guitarist Chrissie Hynde
Chrissie Hynde
Christine Ellen "Chrissie" Hynde is an US musician best known as the leader of the rock/new wave band the Pretenders. She is a singer, songwriter, and guitarist, and has been the only constant member of the band throughout its history.-Early life and career:Hynde is the daughter of a part-time...
and Davies were a couple and had a daughter together, but the meaning of the song changed after James Honeyman-Scott
James Honeyman-Scott
James Honeyman-Scott , commonly referred to as "Jimmy", was an English rock guitarist, songwriter and founding member of the band The Pretenders....
, the Pretenders guitarist, died of a drug overdose at the age of 25 in 1982.
The memorable chain-gang chant heard during the chorus of the song echoes a similar chant on Sam Cooke
Sam Cooke
Samuel Cook, , better known under the stage name Sam Cooke, was an American gospel, R&B, soul, and pop singer, songwriter, and entrepreneur. He is considered to be one of the pioneers and founders of soul music. He is commonly known as the King of Soul for his distinctive vocal abilities and...
's song "Chain Gang
Chain Gang (song)
"Chain Gang" is the name of a song written and recorded by Sam Cooke. When released as a single in 1960, the song performed very well, reaching #2 in the United States pop and R&B charts, and #9 in the United Kingdom....
."
Personnel
- Chrissie HyndeChrissie HyndeChristine Ellen "Chrissie" Hynde is an US musician best known as the leader of the rock/new wave band the Pretenders. She is a singer, songwriter, and guitarist, and has been the only constant member of the band throughout its history.-Early life and career:Hynde is the daughter of a part-time...
– vocal, guitar - Martin ChambersMartin ChambersMartin Chambers is the drummer in the rock band, The Pretenders. In addition to playing the drums with the group Chambers sings backing vocals and plays percussion...
– drums - Billy BremnerBilly Bremner (musician)William "Billy" Bremner is a guitarist best known for his work in the band Rockpile and on many of Nick Lowe and Dave Edmunds' albums...
– guitar - Tony Butler – bass
Charts
| Chart (1983) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks Mainstream Rock Tracks Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks is a ranking in Billboard magazine of the most-played songs on mainstream rock radio stations, a category that includes stations that play primarily rock music. Modern rock tracks are counted in the Alternative Songs chart.This chart began with the March 21, 1981, issue... |
4 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 5 |
| UK Singles Chart | 17 |
Selena version
The late Mexican-American singer SelenaSelena
Selena Quintanilla-Pérez , known simply as Selena, was a Mexican American singer-songwriter. She was named the "top Latin artist of the '90s" and "Best selling Latin artist of the decade" by Billboard for her fourteen top-ten singles in the Top Latin Songs chart, including seven number-one hits...
included a cover version with all-new Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
lyrics on her album Amor Prohibido
Amor Prohibido
Amor Prohibido is the fifth studio album by American Tejano pop singer Selena. The album was released on March 13, 1994 by EMI Latin. It was re-released on September 24, 2002, as part of the Selena: 20 Years of Music collection, and included music videos and spoken liner notes by her family,...
. The song was retitled "Fotos y Recuerdos" (which translates as "Photos and Memories"), and even though there were no references to prison
Prison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
ers in the Spanish lyrics, Selena's version still used the chain-gang chant hook in the chorus. The song became very successful on the Billboard Hot Latin Tracks charts, peaking at number one for seven weeks, giving Selena her fourth number one song off of the Amor Prohibido album.
Chart Performance
| Chart (1995) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard Billboard (magazine) Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis... Hot Latin Tracks |
1 |
| US Billboard Latin Regional Mexican Airplay | 1 |
| US Billboard Latin Pop Airplay | 12 |