Waterfront (song)
Song by Simple Minds
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"Waterfront" is a song by Scottish rock band Simple Minds, released as the first single from their sixth studio album, Sparkle in the Rain (1984), in November 1983. "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.
| "Waterfront" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||
| 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 | |||
| Songwriters | ||||
| Producer | Steve Lillywhite | |||
| Simple Minds singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Background and recording
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.[4]
Composition
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 were 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 express a feeling of hope and rebirth.[5]
Music video
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]
Track listings
Personnel
- Produced by Steve Lillywhite
- Engineered by Howard Gray
- Words and music by Simple Minds
- Additional production and remix on "Waterfront" (extended version) by Steve Lillywhite
Charts
| Chart (1983–1984) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report)[9] | 19 |
| Ireland (IRMA)[10] | 5 |
| New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[1] | 1 |
| Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[11] | 16 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[12] | 13 |
Sales
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | — | 100,436[13] |