Clouds Across the Moon
"Clouds Across the Moon" is a song written by Richard Anthony Hewson. It was released as a single on 18 March 1985 on his studio group the RAH Band's album Mystery. The single reached the top 10 of the singles charts in the UK, The Netherlands and Sweden.
"Clouds Across the Moon" | ||||
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Single by RAH Band | ||||
from the album Mystery | ||||
B-side | Clouds Across the Moon (Solar Horizon Mix)[1] | |||
Released | 18 March 1985 | |||
Genre | Jazz-funk, synthpop, new wave | |||
Length | 6:49 (album version)[2] 4:12 (single edit)[3] | |||
Label | RCA[1] | |||
Songwriter(s) | Richard Anthony Hewson[3] | |||
Producer(s) | Richard Anthony Hewson[3] | |||
RAH Band singles chronology | ||||
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Alternative cover | ||||
Cover of "Clouds Across the Moon 07" | ||||
Audio sample | ||||
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Background
In an interview with Smash Hits on 8 May 1985, Richard Anthony Hewson said that the song took place in the future where there was a 100-year long war on Mars. In regards to the phone call featured in the song, Hewson said that it was "much more difficult to make these calls since British Telecom was privatized." Hewson also mentioned that the phone call cost about "five million six hundred and forty thousand pounds and forty pence. The songs reference to Flight 247 was included to garner airplay from BBC Radio 1 whose frequency and ID was 247 metres on the medium wave band."[4] The vocals were performed by Hewson's wife Liz.[5]
Chart performance
Chart (1985) | Peak position |
---|---|
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[6] | 6 |
France (SNEP)[7] | 28 |
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[8] | 5 |
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[9] | 9 |
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[10] | 6 |
Remixes
- "Clouds Across the Moon" was first remixed in 1999 by German house group "Tiefschwarz". The remix peaked at #85 on GfK Entertainment Charts.[11]
- "Clouds Across the Moon 07" is a remix of the original recording. The vocals were re-recorded by vocalist Emma Charles and the single was released by Shocking Music in July 2007. Hewson states that the single was remixed and released in response to "the phenomenal demand by fans and DJs, for a modern mix of the 1985 'classic'". As well as new vocals, the new version has a more jazz-funk feel than the original, but still retains the original synthesizer and drum machine.[12]
Covers
- In 1995, Japanese techno producer Yoshinori Sunahara covered the song for his album, Crossover.[13]
- In 1998, Norwegian electronica duo Frost covered the song for their debut album, "Bedsit Theories". It peaked at #13 on VG-lista.[14]
References
- "RAH Band - Clouds Across The Moon". Discogs. Retrieved 29 February 2012.
- "RAH Band - Mystery". Discogs. Retrieved 23 August 2016.
- "RAH Band - Clouds Across The Moon (Vinyl)". Discogs. Retrieved 29 February 2012.
- "Rah Band - Foiled Again". Smash Hits. 10 (7): 4. 8 May 1985.
- "RAH Band Discography". Discogs. Retrieved 29 February 2012.
- "Ultratop.be – Rah Band – Clouds Across the Moon" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
- "Lescharts.com – Rah Band – Clouds Across The Moon" (in French). Les classement single.
- "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 28, 1985" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40
- "Swedishcharts.com – Rah Band – Clouds Across The Moon". Singles Top 100.
- "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
- "Offizielle Deutsche Charts". www.offiziellecharts.de (in German). 3 May 1999. Retrieved 2 December 2017.
- Euro Solution | Release information | The Rah Band feat Emma Charles: Clouds Across The Moon Archived 27 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine
- Porter, Charlie (24 January 1998). "New album releases". The Times. p. 11.
What's best is the first known cover of that Eighties space-age weepy, Clouds Across the Moon by the Rah Band, which sounds as if it were performed by an Oriental Bucks Fizz.
- "Clouds Across The Moon" (in Norwegian Bokmål). VG-lista. 14 September 1998. Retrieved 4 December 2017.