Real Gone Kid
"Real Gone Kid" is a song by the Scottish rock/pop band Deacon Blue. Released in 1988, it was the first single to come from the band's second album When the World Knows Your Name which was released six months later. The single was the band's first top ten hit, reaching number eight on the UK Singles Chart, number 10 in Ireland, and number five in New Zealand. In Spain, the song reached number one for three weeks. Vocalist Ricky Ross wrote the song about a performance he saw of ex-Lone Justice singer Maria McKee on stage (Deacon Blue had toured with Lone Justice for a time as the opening band).
"Real Gone Kid" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by Deacon Blue | ||||
from the album When the World Knows Your Name | ||||
B-side |
| |||
Released | October 1988 | |||
Recorded | March 1988 | |||
Genre | Rock, pop rock | |||
Length | 4:03 7:06 (Extended Version) | |||
Label | Columbia | |||
Songwriter(s) | Ricky Ross | |||
Producer(s) | Warne Livesey | |||
Deacon Blue singles chronology | ||||
|
The B-sides consist of the song "Little Lincoln" and covers of Sam & Dave's "Born Again" and Hüsker Dü's "It's Not Funny Anymore".
Music video
The music video opens with a brief shot of the Deacon Blue logo, which moves into a line of various people against a white background queuing up to use a photo booth. This then cuts to the band, also against a white background, playing the song. The video consists of alternating shots of photo booth usage and the band playing, featured therein are a gay kiss between two photo booth customers, a scuffle behind the photo booth curtain and Ricky Ross jumping off the piano. Shots of the photo booth being used by the band members are intertwined in the last shots as the song fades out.
Track listing
All songs written by Ricky Ross, except where noted:
7" Single (deac 7)
- "Real Gone Kid" — 4:03
- "Little Lincoln" — 3:06
7" limited edition single (deac ep7)
- "Real Gone Kid" — 4:03
- "Little Lincoln" — 3:06
- "Born Again" (Isaac Hayes, David Porter) — 3:29
- "It's Not Funny Anymore" (Grant Hart) — 3:01
12" Single (deac t7)
- "Real Gone Kid" (Extended Version) — 7:06
- "Little Lincoln" — 3:06
- "Real Gone Kid" — 4:03
12" Single (fold out picture sleeve) (deac qt7)
- "Real Gone Kid" (extended version) — 7:06
- "Little Lincoln" — 3:06
- "Real Gone Kid" — 4:03
Cassette single (deac c7)
- "Real Gone Kid" — 4:03
- "Little Lincoln" — 3:06
3" CD single (653035 3)
- "Real Gone Kid" (Extended Version) — 7:06
- "Little Lincoln" — 3:06
- "Real Gone Kid" — 4:03
CD single (CDDeac 7)
- "Real Gone Kid" — 4:03
- "Little Lincoln" — 3:06
- "Born Again" (Hayes, Porter) — 3:29
- "It's Not Funny Anymore" (Hart) — 3:01)
Charts
Certifications
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
United Kingdom (BPI)[7] | Silver | 200,000 |
|
In popular culture
Various mixes of the song appeared in adverts for the Boots Pharmacy in the UK from 2015 to 2017.[8]
The song was also used by boxer Paul Smith for his ring entrances, most recently against Andre Ward.[9]
The song appears in the 2013 science fiction horror film Under the Skin.
The song is in 2016's film Eddie the Eagle, about the British Olympic ski jumper, Eddie "The Eagle" Edwards.
References
- "Australian-charts.com – Deacon Blue – Real Gone Kid". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
- "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Real Gone Kid". Irish Singles Chart.
- "Charts.nz – Deacon Blue – Real Gone Kid". Top 40 Singles.
- Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
- "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
- "End of Year Charts 1989". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 22 September 2018.
- "British single certifications – Deacon Blue – Real Gone Kid". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 5 July 2019. Select singles in the Format field. Select Silver in the Certification field. Type Real Gone Kid in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
- "boots – TV Ad Music". Tvadmusic.co.uk. Retrieved 6 August 2018.
- "Paul Smith Jnr on Twitter". Twitter. Retrieved 6 August 2018.