Clouds Across the Moon explained
| Clouds Across the Moon |
| Cover: | catm85.jpg |
| Caption: | Artwork for original release |
| Type: | single |
| Artist: | RAH Band |
| Album: | Mystery |
| B-Side: | Clouds Across the Moon (Solar Horizon Mix)[1] |
| Released: | 18 March 1985 |
| Genre: | Jazz-funk, synthpop, new wave, space disco |
| Length: | 6:49 (album version)[2]
4:12 (single edit)[3] |
| Label: | RCA |
| Producer: | Richard Anthony Hewson |
| Prev Title: | Are You Satisfied? (Funka Nova) |
| Prev Year: | 1984 |
| Next Title: | Sorry Doesn't Make It Anymore |
| Next Year: | 1985 |
"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.
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 regard 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." It’s been suggested the song’s reference to "Flight 247" was included to garner airplay from BBC Radio 1 who at one time had broadcast on the wavelength of 247 metres on the medium wave band. This however is unlikely as Radio 1 had switched to broadcasting on 275 & 285 metres in 1978, nearly 7 years before the song’s release.”[4] The vocals were performed by Hewson's wife Liz.[5]
Charts
Peak position
Year-end charts
Remixes
- "Clouds Across the Moon" was first remixed in 1999 by German house group Tiefschwarz. The remix peaked at No. 85 on the 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 debut album, Crossover.[13]
- In 1998, Norwegian electronic duo Frost covered the song for their debut album, Bedsit Theories. It peaked at No. 13 on the VG-lista chart.[14]
- In 2008, Regine Velasquez covered this song on her album, Low Key.
- "Clouds Across the Moon" is the name of an episode of the British crime drama television series McDonald & Dodds which features one of the characters repeatedly singing a smooth jazz version of the song.
External links
Notes and References
- Web site: RAH Band - Clouds Across The Moon . . 29 February 2012.
- Web site: RAH Band - Mystery. Discogs. 23 August 2016.
- Web site: RAH Band - Clouds Across The Moon (Vinyl) . Discogs . 29 February 2012.
- Rah Band - Foiled Again. Smash Hits. 8 May 1985. 10. 7. 4.
- Web site: RAH Band Discography . Discogs . 29 February 2012.
- European Top 100 Singles . . 2 . 17 . 29 April 1985 . 14 . 29800226 . World Radio History.
- Web site: Classifiche. Musica e dischi. it. Set "Tipo" on "Singoli". Then, in the "Artista" field, search "Rah Band".
- Web site: Jaaroverzichten 1985 – Singles . nl . Ultratop . 9 January 2021.
- Web site: Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1985 . nl . Dutch Top 40 . 9 January 2021.
- Web site: Jaaroverzichten – Single 1985 . nl . . 9 January 2021.
- Web site: Offizielle Deutsche Charts. 2 December 2017. www.offiziellecharts.de. 3 May 1999. de.
- http://www.music-house.co.uk/eurosolution/release_information.php?SingleID=2044 Euro Solution | Release information | The Rah Band feat Emma Charles: Clouds Across The Moon
- News: Porter. Charlie. New album releases. The Times. 24 January 1998. 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..
- Web site: Clouds Across The Moon. VG-lista. 4 December 2017. nb-NO. 14 September 1998.
