Boat on the River
| "Boat on the River" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Styx | ||||
| from the album Cornerstone | ||||
| B-side | "Borrowed Time" | |||
| Released | March 16, 1980 | |||
| Recorded | 1979 | |||
| Genre | Folk | |||
| Length | 3:10 | |||
| Label | A&M | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Tommy Shaw | |||
| Producer(s) | Styx | |||
| Styx singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"Boat on the River" is a 1979 song by Styx, from their album Cornerstone. It was released as a single in 1980, but did not chart in the band's native United States. However, it was popular in several German-speaking countries, becoming a top-five hit on the German, Austrian and Swiss charts (reaching number one on the latter,). And the only big hit in Israel by the band. [1][2][3]
Allmusic reviewer Mike DeGagne praised both "Boat on the River" and fellow Cornerstone single "Lights" retrospectively for their "silky harmonies and welcoming choruses." While not as big a hit as "Babe" (which hit #1 in the US), the song was Styx's biggest European hit.[4]
The song has been covered by Seventh Avenue, Guano Apes, and Finland's Riki Sorsa. The song has also been covered by Turkish artist Metin Özülkü and German folk rock band Fiddler's Green.
Contents
Track listings[edit]
7" Single
- Boat on the River – 3:10
- Borrowed Time – 4:58
Personnel[edit]
- Tommy Shaw - lead vocals, mandolin, autoharp
- Dennis DeYoung - accordion, harmony vocals
- James Young - acoustic guitar
- Chuck Panozzo - double bass
- John Panozzo - tambourine/bass drum
Charts[edit]
| Chart (1980) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| German Singles Chart | 5 |
| Austrian Singles Chart | 2 |
| South African Top 20[5] | 7 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 1 |
| Dutch Top 40 | 29 |
References[edit]
- ^ "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community".
- ^ "NEW (and CLASSIC) VIDEOCORNER#18 - (GASLIGHT ANTHEM ..." classic-rock-bottom.ning.com. Retrieved 2 January 2014.
- ^ "מצעד שבועי רשת ג' 4.5.1980 - פורום מצעדים וביקורת מוזיקה" (in Hebrew).
- ^ DeGagne, Mike. "Styx: Cornerstone: Review". Allmusic. Retrieved September 1, 2011.
- ^ http://www.rock.co.za/files/sa_charts_1969_1989_songs_(A-B).html
