Wishing (If I Had a Photograph of You)
1982 single by A Flock of Seagulls
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"Wishing (If I Had a Photograph of You)" is a 1982 song by A Flock of Seagulls, the opening song and only hit single from their second album Listen.[3]
| "Wishing (If I Had a Photograph of You)" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||
| Single by A Flock of Seagulls | ||||
| from the album Listen | ||||
| B-side | "Committed" | |||
| Released | 22 October 1982[1] | |||
| Recorded | 1982, Compass Point Studios[2] | |||
| Genre | Synth-pop | |||
| Length | 4:09 (7" version) 5:29 (Album version) 9:34 (Extended version) | |||
| Label | Zomba Records | |||
| Songwriters | Mike Score, Ali Score, Frank Maudsley and Paul Reynolds | |||
| Producer | Mike Howlett | |||
| A Flock of Seagulls singles chronology | ||||
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Background
The song exemplifies "synth-pop's spaced-out loneliness" and yearning for imagined, absent lovers,[4] and is noted for its Wall of Sound-styled layer of synthesizer padding – a "multi-layered, hypnotic song", according to AllMusic.[3]
According to lead singer Mike Score, "Wishing" was based on a real person. When recalling the experience with this person, he said, "It was the eve of the first trip we ever took to America, and I had met a girl. We went out for the night, and I didn't want to forget her, so I said, 'We're going on tour and I'll be back. I'd like to get a photograph of you, if I could get one.' And she said, 'No, because you're going to go on to be famous and you'll forget me.'"[5]
Formats
- 7" Jive 25 (UK) – 1982
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Wishing (If I Had a Photograph of You)" | 4:00 |
| 2. | "Committed" | 2:50 |
- 12" Jive T25 (UK) – 1982
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Wishing (If I Had a Photograph of You) (Long Version)" | 9:08 |
| 2. | "Committed" | 5:34 |
| 3. | "Wishing (If I Had a Photograph of You) (Short Version)" | 4:57 |
- 12" Jive VJ 12014 (US) – 1982
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Wishing (If I Had a Photograph of You)" | 6:03 |
| 2. | "The Flight of Yuri Gagarin" | 7:03 |
| 3. | "Rosenmontag" | 8:01 |
| 4. | "Committed (Extended Version)" | 5:34 |
- CD August Day 41 (UK) – 2019[6]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Wishing (If I Had a Photograph of You) [Extended Remix]" | 8:34 |
| 2. | "Wishing (If I Had a Photograph of You) [Ilya Santana Remix]" | 6:08 |
| 3. | "Wishing (If I Had a Photograph of You) [Soda Pimps Remix]" | 4:06 |
| 4. | "Wishing (If I Had a Photograph of You) [Chris Coco Dub]" | 6:52 |
| 5. | "Wishing (If I Had a Photograph of You) [Extended Instrumental]" | 8:34 |
| 6. | "Wishing (If I Had a Photograph of You) [Ilya Santana Instrumental Remix]" | 6:08 |
| 7. | "Wishing (If I Had a Photograph of You) [Orchestral Version]" | 5:32 |
Chart and certifications
Unlike the band's 1982 hit "I Ran (So Far Away)", largely a United States and Australian hit, "Wishing" performed strongly in the band's home country, the United Kingdom, and reached the top 10 of the UK Singles Chart; in the US, it reached the top 30 on the Billboard Hot 100 in mid-1983.[7] It was popular in South Africa, reaching No. 8.[8]
Weekly charts
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Year-end charts
Certifications
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