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| "Waterfront" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Single by Simple Minds | ||||
| from the album Sparkle in the Rain | ||||
| B-side | "Hunter and the Hunted" (live) | |||
| Released | 14 November 1983[1] | |||
| Recorded | September 1983[2] | |||
| Genre | Rock[3] | |||
| Length | 4:43 | |||
| Label | Virgin | |||
| Songwriter(s) | ||||
| Producer(s) | Steve Lillywhite | |||
| Simple Minds singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"Waterfront" is a song by Scottish rock band Simple Minds, the first single–released in November 1983–taken from their (then-to-come) sixth studio album, Sparkle in the Rain (released in February 1984). It features a bass line consisting of a single note (D) throughout. The version as released on 7-inch vinyl single differs from versions available on CD. The original single did not feature the repetitive bass-line that leads into the main body of the song but had a "one, two....one, two, three, four.." drumstick count-in by drummer Mel Gaynor.
The song originated from the one-note bassline Derek Forbes came up with. The lyrics was written by Jim Kerr. Inspired by him walking along River Clyde in summer 1983 watching the decline of the shipyard industry in his native Glasgow, the lyrics expresses a feeling of hope and rebirth.[4]
Prior to the release of "Waterfront" as the first single from Simple Minds' forthcoming album Sparkle in the Rain in November 1983, the song had been premiered at a live gig a few months earlier and in a radio session for Kid Jensen.[5]
The music video features a shot of a live performance of the song to an invited audience at Barrowland's Ballroom in Glasgow on 20 November 1983, with additional black and white footage of the band on Renfrew Ferry and aerial shots of River Clyde.[6]
"Waterfront" became a chart hit around the world, topping the New Zealand Singles Chart for two weeks during February 1984. It also reached number 13 on the UK Singles Charts, number 16 in Sweden, number 19 in Australia and number five in Ireland. Today, it is a live favourite.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
nzwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ http://www.simpleminds.org/sm/songs/sessions.htm . Recorded just before the session on 11 September 1983.
- ^ Evans, Richard (6 August 2024). "1983.1". Listening to the Music the Machines Make: Inventing Electronic Pop 1978-1983. Omnibus Press. p. 411. ISBN 978-1-915841-45-2.
- ^ "Waterfront". Dream Giver Redux.
- ^ "Waterfront single". Dream Giver Redux.
- ^ "Waterfront video". Dream Giver Redux.