Walking on the Moon
| "Walking on the Moon" | |||||||||||||||
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| Single by The Police | |||||||||||||||
| from the album Reggatta de Blanc | |||||||||||||||
| B-side | "Visions of the Night" | ||||||||||||||
| Released | November, 1979 | ||||||||||||||
| Format | vinyl record (7") | ||||||||||||||
| Recorded | 1979 | ||||||||||||||
| Genre | New Wave, reggae fusion | ||||||||||||||
| Length | 4:08 (7" single edit) 5:03 (Full-length album version) |
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| Label | A&M - AMS 7494 | ||||||||||||||
| Writer(s) | Sting | ||||||||||||||
| Producer | Nigel Gray Stewart Copeland Sting Andy Summers |
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| Certification | Gold (BPI) | ||||||||||||||
| The Police singles chronology | |||||||||||||||
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"Walking on the Moon" is a 1979 song by The Police, from their second album, Reggatta de Blanc. The song was The Police's second number-one hit single in the United Kingdom.[1] It reached number nine in Australia but did not chart in the United States. It is one of The Police's more reggae-influenced songs.
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[edit] Origin
Sting said that he wrote the song when he was drunk:[2]
I was drunk in a hotel room in Munich, slumped on the bed with the whirling pit when this riff came into my head. I got up and starting walking round the room singing : 'Walking round the room, walking round the room'. That was all. In the cool light of morning I remembered what had happened and I wrote the riff down. But 'Walking round the room' was a stupid title so I thought of something even more stupid which was 'Walking on the moon.'
In his autobiography, Sting alludes that the song was partially inspired by an early girlfriend:[3]
Deborah Anderson was my first real girlfriend...walking back from Deborah's house in those early days would eventually become a song, for being in love is to be relieved of gravity.
[edit] Music video
The video for the song was filmed at Kennedy Space Center on October 23, 1979. It features the band members pantomiming to the song amidst spacecraft displays, interspersed with NASA footage. Both Sting and Andy Summers strum guitars (not bass) in the video, and Stewart Copeland strikes his drumsticks on a Saturn V moon rocket.
[edit] Cover versions
- The British soul/funk band Hot Chocolate recorded a version for their album Everyone's a Winner.
- Musician Jimmy Nail (also from Sting's hometown of Newcastle upon Tyne) released a cover in 2001.
- American alt-rock band Incubus occasionally covered a small part during the bridge of their song Calgone in live performances from 1998-2000.
- Seattle-based digital hardcore band Rabbit Junk included a cover of the song on their 2004 self-titled debut.
- German techno group Scooter sampled The Police original in the song, "Privileged to Witness", from the 2005 album Who's Got the Last Laugh Now?
- Cas Haley, runner up for America's Got Talent, does a reggae cover of the song on his self-titled debut album, released February 14, 2008.
- ¡Policia! - A Tribute to the Police (2005) contains a cover by The Pale.[4]
- Dutch rock band Intwine recorded two cover versions. The first one was released in 2009 on their studio album Kingdom of Contradiction, and also featured guest vocals by Sarah Bettens. The second version was captured on their 2010 EP The Original Acoustic Rumshop Sessions Vol I.
- American progressive rock/jam band Umphrey's McGee occasionally performs strongly reggae-influenced covers of this song during live sets.
- Canadian rock band Darkest of the Hillside Thickets recorded a cover version on Great Old Ones.
- Jam Band The String Cheese Incident recorded a live cover version for their album Trick or Treat
- Merrie Amsterburg recorded a cover version on her album Season of Rain
- William Shatner recorded a cover version with Toots Hibbert on Shatner's 2011 album Seeking Major Tom.
[edit] Personnel
- Sting - Lead vocals, backing vocals, bass guitar
- Andy Summers - Guitar
- Stewart Copeland - Drums
[edit] Track listing
[edit] 7": A&M / AMS 7494 (UK)
- "Walking on the Moon" (Edit) - 3:59
- "Visions of the Night" - 3:05
[edit] 12": A&M / AMSP 7494 (UK)
- "Walking on the Moon" - 4:59
- "Visions of the Night" - 3:05
[edit] References
- ^ The Police in the UK Charts, The Official Charts.
- ^ Fielder, Hugh; Sutcliffe, Phil (1981). The Police l'historia bandido. North Bellmore, N.Y: Proteus. ISBN 0-906071-77-1.
- ^ Sting (2003). Broken music: a memoir. New York: Dial Press. ISBN 0-385-33678-0.
- ^ ¡Policia! - A Tribute to the Police - Overview. Allmusic.com.
| Preceded by "When You're in Love with a Beautiful Woman" by Dr Hook |
UK Singles Chart number-one single December 8, 1979 |
Succeeded by "Another Brick in the Wall" by Pink Floyd |
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