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Echo Beach

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For other uses, see Echo Beach (disambiguation).

"Echo Beach"
Single by Martha and the Muffins
from the album Metro Music
B-side"Teddy the Dink"
ReleasedFebruary 1980
Recorded1979
GenreNew wave[1][2]
Length3:38
LabelDindisc
Songwriter(s)Mark Gane
Producer(s)Mike Howlett
Martha and the Muffins singles chronology
"Insect Love"
(1979) 		"Echo Beach"
(1980) 		"Saigon"
(1980)
Music video
"Echo Beach" on YouTube

"Echo Beach" is a song by Canadian musical group Martha and the Muffins. Written by band member Mark Gane,[3] it was released as a single from their album Metro Music in 1980 and went on to reach number five in Canada, number six in Australia, and number 10 in the UK.[4] It was certified gold in Canada on October 1, 1980, a month after Metro Music achieved gold status,[5] and also won the Juno Award for Single of the Year. "Echo Beach" was the band's only significant international hit, although they had other popular singles in Canada.

Background

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Echo Beach in the song is not a real place. It's a metaphor for a pleasant location that someone thinks of when they have an unsatisfactory job.[6] There is now an Echo Beach in Toronto, but it was named after the song. The song was created while Gane was working checking wallpaper for printing faults. He found the work rather dull and his mind drifted to times he would like to live over again. One such time was an evening spent at Sunnyside Beach on the shoreline of Lake Ontario in Toronto in summer. 'Echo Beach' was a reference made to a faded time and place gone in the lyrics of the song "Hiroshima Mon Amour" by the band Ultravox.[citation needed] The B-side, 'Teddy The Dink', is featured on the band's second album Trance and Dance.

Sunnyside Beach, Etobicoke, Toronto, Canada
Sunnyside Beach, Etobicoke, Toronto, Canada

The map shown on the cover of the Canadian and US version of the single is of the eastern part of Toronto, including the Beaches neighbourhood, the Leslie Street Spit, and a portion of the Toronto Islands. The UK version of the single shows the north-western end of the Fleet Lagoon and the bar of Chesil Beach, the location of Abbotsbury Swannery in Dorset. It has been modified to show Chesil Beach being named as Echo Beach.

In 2010, the band released a 30th anniversary version of "Echo Beach". A commentator described the new version as "definitely a different song compared to the previous version; it's slower and the famous guitar riff that introduces the song is acoustic. [The original] was also good to be danced to, whereas the new one is darker and languid."[7] Mark Gane explained, "We wanted to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the song, by not trying to replicate the version that we originally recorded, but as musicians who've experienced three decades of living. We'd like to refer to the new recording of 'Echo Beach' as our 'grown-up' version."[7]

In June 2011, concert promoter Live Nation opened a 4,000-person outdoor concert facility in Toronto and named it after the song.[8][9]

In 1996 the song was featured on Oh, What a Feeling, a 4-CD collection of Canadian music. In 2003, Q magazine listed "Echo Beach" among the 1001 best songs ever.[10] In 2005, it was named the 35th greatest Canadian song of all time on the CBC Radio One series 50 Tracks.[citation needed]

Track listing

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  • 7-inch single
A. "Echo Beach" – 3:38
B. "Teddy the Dink" – 3:32

Charts

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Certifications

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[17] Gold 75,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[18] Silver 200,000‡

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Toyah version

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"Echo Beach"
Single by Toyah
from the album Desire
B-side"Plenty"
ReleasedApril 6, 1987[19]
Length3:20
LabelE.G.
Songwriter(s)Mark Gane
Producer(s)Mike Hedges
Toyah singles chronology
"World in Action"
(1985) 		"Echo Beach"
(1987) 		"Moonlight Dancing"
(1987)
Music video
"Echo Beach" on YouTube

British singer Toyah covered "Echo Beach" on her 1987 album Desire. The song was released as the lead single from the album and reached number 54 in the UK Singles Chart.[20] It is Toyah's last charting single in the UK to date.

Track listings

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  • 7-inch single
A. "Echo Beach" – 3:20
B. "Plenty" – 3:40
  • 12-inch single
A. "Echo Beach" (Surf mix) – 5:36
B1. "Echo Beach" (7-inch mix) – 3:20
B2. "Plenty" – 3:40

Charts

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Chart (1987) Peak
position
UK Singles (OCC)[21] 54

References

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  1. ^ Bush, John. "Martha and the Muffins | Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
  2. ^ Monger, James Christopher. Various Artists - Playlist: New Wave (2008) Review at AllMusic. Retrieved December 1, 2024.
  3. ^ "Martha and the Muffins back after 18 years". CBC.ca. February 2, 2010. Archived from the original on January 15, 2013.
  4. ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 351. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  5. ^ "Gold/Platinum: Martha and the Muffins". Music Canada. Retrieved October 22, 2011.
  6. ^ ClassicVideos80s (February 22, 2015). Martha & The Muffins Interview on Countdown 1980. Retrieved December 21, 2024 – via YouTube.{{cite AV media}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  7. ^ a b Roberta Capuano (August 20, 2010). "Martha and the Muffins – Echo Beach". AAA Music.
  8. ^ Vaccaro, Mishki (April 26, 2011). "Live Nation to open Echo Beach, a new 4,000-person venue in Toronto". Toronto Life. ISSN 0049-4194. OCLC 2545264. Archived from the original on July 4, 2011.
  9. ^ "TD Echo Beach Upcoming Shows in W. Toronto, Ontario — Live Nation". Echobeach.ca. Retrieved October 16, 2016.
  10. ^ Trynka, Paul, ed. (2003). "1001 Best Songs Ever". Q (Special edition). Top 10 80s Pop.
  11. ^ "One Hit Wonders". australian-charts.com. Retrieved September 15, 2011.
  12. ^ a b "National Top 100 Singles for 1980". Kent Music Report. No. 341. January 5, 1981. Retrieved August 30, 2022 – via Imgur.
  13. ^ "RPM 100 Singles". RPM. Vol. 33, no. 20. August 9, 1980. p. 7. Retrieved March 7, 2013.
  14. ^ "The Irish Charts - All there is to know". irishcharts.ie. Retrieved July 27, 2021.
  15. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 75: 23 March 1980 - 29 March 1980". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 27, 2021.
  16. ^ "RPM Top 100 Singles - December 20, 1980" (PDF).
  17. ^ "Canadian single certifications – Martha and the Muffins – Echo Beach". Music Canada. Retrieved August 28, 2020.
  18. ^ "British single certifications – Martha & The Muffins – Echo Beach". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved August 28, 2020.
  19. ^ Smith, Robin (April 4, 1987). "News Digest". Record Mirror. p. 20. ISSN 0144-5804.
  20. ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 563. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  21. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100: 26 April 1987 - 02 May 1987". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 27, 2021.
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