Stormy Weather (Echo & the Bunnymen song)
Encyclopedia
"Stormy Weather" is a single
by Echo & the Bunnymen
which was released on 5 September 2005 on the Cooking Vinyl
label
. It was the first single to be released from the 2005 album
, Siberia
. It reached number 55 on the UK Singles Chart
.
their second album, 1981's Heaven Up Here
. At the time Jones said that the Siberia work was the best he had ever done. The song was written by Will Sergeant
and Ian McCulloch
and it was recorded at Elevator Studios in The Bunnymen's home town of Liverpool
. The cover of the single shows a photograph of Sergeant and McCulloch which was taken in Berlin
by photographer Joe Dilworth.
Released on the Cooking Vinyl
label
, the single was available as a CD single
(FRY CD246), a 7-inch single
(FRY 246) and digital downloads – both as an individual track (FRY DL246) and as a bundled download (FRY DL246X) – which were available from the band's official website. On 14 November 2005, a live version of the song was also released which had been recorded at an HMV store. The acoustic
versions of "Make Me Shine
", "Nothing Lasts Forever
" and "Lips Like Sugar
", which are on the 7-inch single and the bundled download, are taken from a live session for Brazil
ian radio.
described the song as an "epic air-puncher" and says the band sounds better than anyone who has been around for 26 years has a right to; the download service Wippit's newsletter said the single "signifies a return to the magnificence of the band’s glory days"; and The Oakland Tribune
said the song was "moody and catchy" and that it was "a slice of classic'80s-style Echo".
Whilst being a hit with the critics, the song only achieved moderate success with the fans, reaching number 55 on the UK Singles Chart
.
and Ian McCulloch
except where noted.
CD version (Cooking Vinyl FRY CD246)
7-inch version (Cooking Vinyl FRY 246)
Digital download version (Cooking Vinyl FRY DL246)
Digital bundle version (Cooking Vinyl FRY DL246X)
Digital live HMV session
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
by Echo & the Bunnymen
Echo & the Bunnymen
Echo & the Bunnymen are an English post-punk band, formed in Liverpool in 1978. The original line-up consisted of vocalist Ian McCulloch, guitarist Will Sergeant and bass player Les Pattinson, supplemented by a drum machine. By 1980, Pete de Freitas had joined as the band's drummer, and their debut...
which was released on 5 September 2005 on the Cooking Vinyl
Cooking Vinyl
Cooking Vinyl is a UK-based independent record company, founded in 1986. Its original orientation was toward contemporary folk music—notably Billy Bragg, and Michelle Shocked's Texas Campfire Tapes, recorded on a Sony Walkman, one of its first releases...
label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
. It was the first single to be released from the 2005 album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
, Siberia
Siberia (album)
Siberia is the tenth studio album by Echo & the Bunnymen. The album garnered generally positive reviews, with some commentators calling it their best work since Ocean Rain, despite it being the first to not reach the UK Top 75....
. It reached number 55 on 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 ...
.
Overview
The single and its parent album re-united the band with Hugh Jones, who producedRecord producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
their second album, 1981's Heaven Up Here
Heaven Up Here
Heaven Up Here is the second album by the British post-punk band Echo & the Bunnymen, released in 30 May 1981. In June 1981, Heaven Up Here became Echo & the Bunnymen's first Top 10 release when it reached number 10 on the UK Albums Chart. It was also the band's first entry into the United States...
. At the time Jones said that the Siberia work was the best he had ever done. The song was written by Will Sergeant
Will Sergeant
Will Sergeant is an English guitarist, best known for being a member of Echo & the Bunnymen. Born in the centre of Liverpool, he grew up in the suburb of Melling and attended nearby Deyes High School...
and Ian McCulloch
Ian McCulloch (singer)
Ian Stephen McCulloch is an English singer, born in Liverpool, and is best known as the frontman for the rock group Echo & the Bunnymen.-Career:...
and it was recorded at Elevator Studios in The Bunnymen's home town of Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
. The cover of the single shows a photograph of Sergeant and McCulloch which was taken in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
by photographer Joe Dilworth.
Released on the Cooking Vinyl
Cooking Vinyl
Cooking Vinyl is a UK-based independent record company, founded in 1986. Its original orientation was toward contemporary folk music—notably Billy Bragg, and Michelle Shocked's Texas Campfire Tapes, recorded on a Sony Walkman, one of its first releases...
label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
, the single was available as a CD single
CD single
A CD single is a music single in the form of a standard size Compact Disc, not to be confused with the 3-inch CD single, which uses a smaller form factor. The format was introduced in the mid-1980s, but did not gain its place in the market until the early 1990s...
(FRY CD246), a 7-inch single
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
(FRY 246) and digital downloads – both as an individual track (FRY DL246) and as a bundled download (FRY DL246X) – which were available from the band's official website. On 14 November 2005, a live version of the song was also released which had been recorded at an HMV store. The acoustic
Acoustic music
Acoustic music comprises music that solely or primarily uses instruments which produce sound through entirely acoustic means, as opposed to electric or electronic means...
versions of "Make Me Shine
Make Me Shine
"Make Me Shine" is a single by Echo & the Bunnymen which was released on 27 August 2001 on the Cooking Vinyl label. It was the second single to be released from the 2001 album, Flowers...
", "Nothing Lasts Forever
Nothing Lasts Forever (Echo & the Bunnymen song)
"Nothing Lasts Forever" is a single by Echo & the Bunnymen which was released in 1997. It was the first single released after Ian McCulloch, Will Sergeant and Les Pattinson reformed the band. It was also the first single to be released from their 1997 album, Evergreen. It reached number 8 on the...
" and "Lips Like Sugar
Lips Like Sugar
"Lips Like Sugar" is a single by Echo & the Bunnymen which was released in August 1987. It was the second single from their 1987 eponymous album. It reached number 36 on the UK Singles Chart and number 24 on the Irish Singles Chart...
", which are on the 7-inch single and the bundled download, are taken from a live session for Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
ian radio.
Reception
Generally the song was received favourably by the critics, with the release being seen as a return to the band's 1980s form: CollectiveCollective (BBC)
Collective was an "interactive culture magazine" hosted by the BBC's website, bbc.co.uk. Collective was launched in May 2002, becoming interactive in September of the same year. Collective editors included Rowan Kerek, Jonathan Carter, Alastair Lee, James Cowdery and Matt Walton who had the...
described the song as an "epic air-puncher" and says the band sounds better than anyone who has been around for 26 years has a right to; the download service Wippit's newsletter said the single "signifies a return to the magnificence of the band’s glory days"; and The Oakland Tribune
The Oakland Tribune
The Oakland Tribune is a daily newspaper published in Oakland, California, by the Bay Area News Group , a subsidiary of MediaNews Group...
said the song was "moody and catchy" and that it was "a slice of classic'80s-style Echo".
Whilst being a hit with the critics, the song only achieved moderate success with the fans, reaching number 55 on 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 ...
.
Track listings
All tracks written by Will SergeantWill Sergeant
Will Sergeant is an English guitarist, best known for being a member of Echo & the Bunnymen. Born in the centre of Liverpool, he grew up in the suburb of Melling and attended nearby Deyes High School...
and Ian McCulloch
Ian McCulloch (singer)
Ian Stephen McCulloch is an English singer, born in Liverpool, and is best known as the frontman for the rock group Echo & the Bunnymen.-Career:...
except where noted.
CD version (Cooking Vinyl FRY CD246)
- "Stormy Weather" (radio editRadio editIn music, a radio edit is a modification to make a song more suitable for airplay, whether it be adjusted for length, profanity, subject matter, instrumentation, or form...
) – 3:07 - "What If We Are" (vocal and strings mix) – 5:09
- "Stormy Weather" (instrumentalInstrumentalAn instrumental is a musical composition or recording without lyrics or singing, although it might include some non-articulate vocal input; the music is primarily or exclusively produced by musical instruments....
version) – 4:31
7-inch version (Cooking Vinyl FRY 246)
- "Stormy Weather" (radio edit) – 3:07
- "Make Me ShineMake Me Shine"Make Me Shine" is a single by Echo & the Bunnymen which was released on 27 August 2001 on the Cooking Vinyl label. It was the second single to be released from the 2001 album, Flowers...
" (acoustic version) – 3:10
Digital download version (Cooking Vinyl FRY DL246)
- "Stormy Weather" (radio edit) – 3:07
Digital bundle version (Cooking Vinyl FRY DL246X)
- "Stormy Weather" (radio edit) – 3:07
- "Nothing Lasts ForeverNothing Lasts Forever (Echo & the Bunnymen song)"Nothing Lasts Forever" is a single by Echo & the Bunnymen which was released in 1997. It was the first single released after Ian McCulloch, Will Sergeant and Les Pattinson reformed the band. It was also the first single to be released from their 1997 album, Evergreen. It reached number 8 on the...
" (acoustic version) (Sergeant, McCulloch, Les PattinsonLes PattinsonLes Pattinson is an English musician, best known for his work as the bassist and co-writer of the Liverpool based band, Echo & the Bunnymen....
) - "Lips Like SugarLips Like Sugar"Lips Like Sugar" is a single by Echo & the Bunnymen which was released in August 1987. It was the second single from their 1987 eponymous album. It reached number 36 on the UK Singles Chart and number 24 on the Irish Singles Chart...
" (acoustic version) (Sergeant, McCulloch, Pattinson, Pete de FreitasPete de FreitasPete Louis Vincent de Freitas was a musician and producer, best known as a drummer with Echo & the Bunnymen, and whose drumming skills have been compared to Dave Grohl's....
)
Digital live HMV session
- "Stormy Weather" (live HMV session) – 3:09
Chart positions
| Chart (2005) | Peak position |
Weeks on Chart |
|---|---|---|
| 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 ... |
55 | 1 |
Musicians
- Ian McCullochIan McCulloch (singer)Ian Stephen McCulloch is an English singer, born in Liverpool, and is best known as the frontman for the rock group Echo & the Bunnymen.-Career:...
– vocals, guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with... - Will SergeantWill SergeantWill Sergeant is an English guitarist, best known for being a member of Echo & the Bunnymen. Born in the centre of Liverpool, he grew up in the suburb of Melling and attended nearby Deyes High School...
– lead guitarLead guitarLead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure... - Peter WilkinsonPeter Wilkinson (musician)Peter Wilkinson in an English musician.-Biography:He is best known as the bass player with Cast, whom he co-founded with frontman John Power in 1992 and was a member of until the band disbanded in 2002, and Shack...
– bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick.... - Paul Fleming – keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
- Simon Finley – drumsDrummerA drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
Production
- Hugh Jones – producerRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, mixed byAudio mixing (recorded music)In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may...
, engineeringAudio engineeringAn audio engineer, also called audio technician, audio technologist or sound technician, is a specialist in a skilled trade that deals with the use of machinery and equipment for the recording, mixing and reproduction of sounds. The field draws on many artistic and vocational areas, including... - Dave Blackman – mastered byAudio masteringMastering, a form of audio post-production, is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device ; the source from which all copies will be produced...
- Andrea Wright – engineering
- Matt Edge – engineering, engineering (mix)
- Sean Sinnott – engineering (mix assistant)
- Joe Dilworth – photographyPhotographyPhotography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
- Ged Doyle – sleeve design