The Memory Remains

"The Memory Remains" is a song by American heavy metal band Metallica, with British singer Marianne Faithfull on backing vocals.

"The Memory Remains"
Single by Metallica featuring Marianne Faithfull
from the album Reload
B-side	"Fuel for Fire" "Memory" "The Outlaw Torn" "King Nothing" "For Whom the Bell Tolls" (Haven't Heard it Yet Mix)
Released	November 11, 1997
Genre	Hard rock[1]
Length	4:38
Label	Elektra
Songwriter(s)	James Hetfield Lars Ulrich
Producer(s)	Bob Rock Hetfield Ulrich
Metallica singles chronology
"King Nothing" (1997) "The Memory Remains" (1997) "The Unforgiven II" (1998)
Music video
"The Memory Remains" on YouTube

The lead single from Metallica's seventh studio album, Reload, released in 1997, it was first performed live in a "jam" version on July 2, 1996.[2] Marianne Faithfull was brought in as James Hetfield felt her "weathered, smellin'-the-cigarettes-on-the-CD voice" fit what he described as "the whole eeriness of the Sunset Boulevard-feel of the song", given the lyrics tell the story of a faded artist who goes insane from losing her fame.[3] The spoken words "Say yes, at least say hello", during the outro, are a reference to The Misfits, the last complete movie in which Marilyn Monroe starred.[4]

The song was written by James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich. It can be heard playing in the strip club Bada Bing! in the episode of The Sopranos, "The Knight in White Satin Armor". It is also used as one of the theme songs for WrestleMania XXVIII.

Asked if he would have bought Reload, bassist Jason Newsted said, "Not if I heard 'The Memory Remains' first."[5]

Demo

The song's demo was also called "Memory" and was recorded in Lars Ulrich's home musical studio "Dungeon" on March 6, 1995 (take 1) and March 17, 1995 (take 2).

Other versions

The band, with Faithfull, performed the song on the December 6, 1997, edition of Saturday Night Live. A live version was released as B-side to the single "The Unforgiven II". It was later performed with the San Francisco Symphony (conducted by Michael Kamen) for S&M. Another live version was included on Orgullo, Pasión y Gloria. According to a post on Metallica's Facebook wall, they performed the song, again with Faithfull, on December 7, 2011, at the Fillmore in San Francisco.

Covers

Several bands have covered the song (either live or on record), including The Kovenant, Spleen, Iron Horse and The Stanford Harmonics.

Chart performance

The single was successful, hitting number 28 on the Billboard Hot 100, number 3 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and number 13 on the UK Singles Chart. It was Metallica's last appearance in the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100 until 2008's "The Day That Never Comes". The song was Faithfull's first Top 40 single on the Hot 100 since 1965's "Summer Nights", and her last to date.

Music video

The "Memory Remains" music video (directed by Paul Andresen) features a surreal, anti-gravity concept. The band plays on a large, suspended platform making full and continuous rotations throughout the performance, like an enormous swing. The platform and band are actually stationary and the room, a giant constructed box, spins around it. Marianne Faithfull sings in a dark corridor and turns the crank of a street organ, the crank presumably attached to the rotating platform upon which the band plays. In some scenes paper money rains down, an allegorical reference.

According to Encyclopedia Metallica, the video was shot at the Van Nuys Airport and cost $400,000, with the large platform costing over $100,000. The video premiered on MTV's Mattrock on November 15, 1997.[2]

Track listing

CD single (ReLoad)

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"The Memory Remains"	James Hetfield Lars Ulrich	4:38
2.	"Fuel for Fire (work in progress with different lyrics)"	Hetfield Ulrich Kirk Hammett	4:41
3.	"Memory (Demo)"	Hetfield Ulrich	6:41

CD single (UK pt. 2)

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"The Memory Remains"	Hetfield Ulrich	4:38
2.	"The Outlaw Torn (Unencumbered by Manufacturing Restrictions Version)"	Hetfield Ulrich	10:48
3.	"King Nothing (Tepid Mix)"	Hetfield Ulrich Hammett	5:07

CD 2-track single (U.S. and Canada) and 7" single (Europe)

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"The Memory Remains"	Hetfield Ulrich	4:38
2.	"For Whom the Bell Tolls (Haven't Heard It Yet Mix)"	Hetfield Ulrich Cliff Burton	4:39

Personnel

Metallica

• James Hetfield – vocals, rhythm guitar
• Kirk Hammett – lead guitar
• Jason Newsted – bass guitar, backing vocals
• Lars Ulrich – drums

Additional performer

• Marianne Faithfull – additional vocals

Production

• "The Memory Remains", "Fuel for Fire", and "The Outlaw Torn" produced by Bob Rock with Hetfield and Ulrich
• "The Memory Remains" and "Fuel for Fire" mixed by Randy Staub
• "The Outlaw Torn" mixed by Mike Fraser
• "The Memory Remains" and "The Outlaw Torn" mastered by George Marino
• "King Nothing (Tepid Mix)" remixed by Sascha Konietzko
• "For Whom the Bell Tolls (Haven't Heard It Yet Mix)" remixed by DJ Spooky

Charts

Chart (1997)	Peak position
Australia (ARIA)[6]	6
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[7]	20
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[8]	28
Canada (Nielsen SoundScan)[9]	4
Canada Rock/Alternative (RPM)[10]	25
Denmark (Tracklisten)[11]	13
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[12]	1
Germany (Official German Charts)[13]	20
Hungary (Mahasz)[14]	4
Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40)[15]	1
Ireland (IRMA)[16]	13
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[17]	17
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[18]	15
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[19]	23
Norway (VG-lista)[20]	3
Scotland (Official Charts Company)[21]	14
Spain (AFYVE)[22]	3
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[23]	4
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[24]	30
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[25]	13
UK Rock and Metal (Official Charts Company)[26]	1
US Billboard Hot 100[27]	28
US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)[28]	3

Release history

Region	Date	Format	Label
Europe	November 10, 1997	7" CD cassette	Elektra
United States	November 11, 1997	7" CD cassette	Elektra

References

1. "If You Still Hate Metallica For 'Load' And 'Reload,' Here's Why You Need To Reconsider". 3 August 2015.
2. The Memory Remains EncycMet.com. Retrieved March 21, 2008.
3. Inc, CMJ Network (1 February 1998). "CMJ New Music Monthly". CMJ Network, Inc. – via Google Books.
4. Dome, Malcolm; Wall, Mick (2013). Metallica: The Music and the Mayhem. Omnibus Press. p. 160. ISBN 978-0-85712-721-1.
5. "2001: A Rock Odyssey". Classic Rock #36. January 2002. p. 40.
6. "Australian-charts.com – Metallica – The Memory Remains". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
7. "Austriancharts.at – Metallica – The Memory Remains" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
8. "Ultratop.be – Metallica – The Memory Remains" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
9. "Metallica Chart History (Canadian Digital Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved February 20, 2020.
10. "Top RPM Rock/Alternative Tracks: Issue 3425." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved February 20, 2020.
11. "Danishcharts.com – Metallica – The Memory Remains". Tracklisten.
12. "Metallica: The Memory Remains" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland.
13. "Offiziellecharts.de – Metallica – The Memory Remains". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved February 20, 2020.
14. "Top 10 Hungary" (PDF). Music & Media. Retrieved May 6, 2018.
15. "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (18.–25. 12. 1997)". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). December 19, 1997. p. 34. Retrieved February 20, 2020.
16. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – The Memory Remains". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved February 20, 2020.
17. "Nederlandse Top 40 – Metallica" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40.
18. "Dutchcharts.nl – Metallica – The Memory Remains" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved February 20, 2020.
19. "Charts.nz – Metallica – The Memory Remains". Top 40 Singles.
20. "Norwegiancharts.com – Metallica – The Memory Remains". VG-lista.
21. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 20, 2020.
22. "Hits of the World – Spain". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. December 13, 1997. p. 51. Retrieved June 10, 2017.
23. "Swedishcharts.com – Metallica – The Memory Remains". Singles Top 100.
24. "Swisscharts.com – Metallica – The Memory Remains". Swiss Singles Chart.
25. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 20, 2020.
26. "Official Rock & Metal Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 20, 2020.
27. "Metallica Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved February 20, 2020.
28. "Metallica Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved February 20, 2020.