Missionary Man (Eurythmics song)

"Missionary Man" is a song by the British pop music duo Eurythmics. It was taken from their sixth album, Revenge, and continued the band's rock/R&B musical style of the time and featured Jimmy Zavala on harmonica and Joniece Jamison on back-up vocals.

"Missionary Man"
Single by Eurythmics
from the album Revenge
ReleasedJuly 1986
RecordedJuly 1985
Genre
Length4:28
LabelRCA Records
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)David A. Stewart
Eurythmics singles chronology
"The Miracle of Love"
(1986)		 "Missionary Man"
(1986)		 "Beethoven (I Love to Listen To)"
(1987)
Music video
"Missionary Man" on YouTube

In the band's native UK, it was the fourth single to be taken from the album and peaked at number 31. It was more successful in the United States, where it was the first single to be taken from the album and peaked at number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 (becoming their last main US Top 20 hit to date). It also made the Top 10 of the Billboard Hot Dance/Club Play chart, and it received extensive airplay on American rock radio, reaching number 1 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks, Eurythmics' only song to top this chart. The single was also a top ten hit in Australia, where it was released as the second single from the album.

"Missionary Man" earned Eurythmics a 1986 Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal.[1]

Background

Upon the single's July 1986 US release, the song was described as being inspired in part by Lennox's 1984-1985 marriage to devout Hare Krishna Radha Raman. When discussing the song's inspiration and meaning, Lennox stated "Obviously, there is a personal meaning in [Missionary Man] for me, because of my past history. But I also think that there are a great deal of people in the media, in the form of politicians or religious speakers or philosophical people, people who are generally trying to have some power over other people, who I just don't trust."[2]

Music video
Lennox in the "Missionary Man" video

Directed by Willy Smax, the music video for Missionary Man featured stop-animation techniques similar to those used in Peter Gabriel's "Sledgehammer" video from earlier in 1986. The video received heavy play from MTV and received five nominations at the 1987 MTV Video Music Awards.

Track listings
  • UK 7-inch single
A. "Missionary Man" (7″ Version) – 3:50
B. "The Last Time" (Live at The Roxy in Los Angeles)
  • UK 12-inch single
A. "Missionary Man" (Extended Version) – 6:55
B. "The Last Time" (Live at The Roxy in Los Angeles)
  • US 7-inch single
A. "Missionary Man" (7″ Version) – 3:50
B. "Take Your Pain Away" (LP Version) – 4:37
  • US 12-inch single
A. "Missionary Man" (Extended Version) – 6:55
B. "Take Your Pain Away" (LP Version) – 4:37

Charts

References
  1. "Winners: Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal". Grammy.com. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
  2. Lynn Van Matre (20 July 1986). "Eurythmics: They Express Themselves Through the Way They Look". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 15 August 2019.
  3. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book. p. 105. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  4. "Ultratop.be – Eurythmics – Missionary Man" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 28 February 2020.
  5. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 0728." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 28 February 2020.
  6. "European Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 4 no. 11. 21 March 1987. p. 18. OCLC 29800226. Retrieved 28 February 2020 – via American Radio History.
  7. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Missionary Man". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 28 February 2020.
  8. "Dutchcharts.nl – Eurythmics – Missionary Man" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 28 February 2020.
  9. "Charts.nz – Eurythmics – Missionary Man". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 28 February 2020.
  10. "Eurythmics: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 9 November 2016.
  11. "Eurythmics Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 28 February 2020.
  12. "Eurythmics Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 28 February 2020.
  13. "Eurythmics Chart History (Dance Singles Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved 3 June 2020.
  14. "Eurythmics Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved 28 February 2020.
  15. "Cash Box Top 100 Singles – Week ending October 18, 1986". Cash Box. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
  16. "Top 100 Singles of '86". RPM. Vol. 45 no. 14. 27 December 1986. p. 5. ISSN 0315-5994. Retrieved 28 February 2020 – via Library and Archives Canada.
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