Sister Europe

"Sister Europe" is a song by the English rock band the Psychedelic Furs, taken from the band's 1980 debut album, The Psychedelic Furs. Written by the band and produced by Steve Lillywhite, it was released in February 1980 by CBS as the album's second single.

"Sister Europe"
Single by the Psychedelic Furs
from the album The Psychedelic Furs
ReleasedFebruary 1980
Recorded1979
Length4:13
LabelCBS UK; Columbia US
Songwriter(s)John Ashton, Tim Butler, Richard Butler, Vince Ely, Duncan Kilburn, Roger Morris
Producer(s)Steve Lillywhite
The Psychedelic Furs singles chronology
"We Love You"
(1979)		 "Sister Europe"
(1980)		 "Mr. Jones"
(1980)

The Psychedelic Furs traditionally opened their live shows with "Sister Europe" during the early part of their career.[1]

Composition

Singer Richard Butler recalled Lillywhite's directions to him regarding the vocals: "He told me, 'Go down to the pub, have a couple of beers, and when you come back, I want you to sing like it's three in the morning, and you're talking on the telephone to someone'".[1] According to Butler, the lyrics conveyed sadness over his then-girlfriend moving away, and were written using imagery, "instead of saying 'My bird's gone to Italy and I miss her'".[1]

Release

"Sister Europe" was first released as a single in the UK in February 1980. The initial 7-inch release was on the Epic label, but this was withdrawn and replaced by a CBS version. Both releases had the unusual feature of a double A-side featuring two versions of the song, short (3:45) and long (4:13).[2] In the US, the song was not released as a single but was used as the B-side for Columbia's 12-inch promo single of "We Love You".[3]

An official music video was produced in 1980, directed by British filmmakers Don Letts and Mick Calvert.[4]

Reception

In The Rough Guide to Rock, writer Alex Ogg called it "an intoxicating song that announced the group's distinctive style", comparing it to the Velvet Underground mixed with David Bowie.[5]

AllMusic writer Dave Thompson described Butler's vocal as "a masterpiece of understatement, whispered intimacy".[1]

The single reached No. 47 on the New Zealand charts.[6]

The song and its production were a direct influence on the Replacements' "Within Your Reach", one of Paul Westerberg's first efforts to compose outside the group's hardcore mien.[7]

Cover versions

Foo Fighters released a cover of "Sister Europe" as the B-side to the 2002 single "All My Life," which also appeared also appeared as a bonus track on the French release of the band's One by One album,[8] and on their 01020225 EP released in 2019 as part of their "Foo Files" archival series.[9]

Track listing
7" vinyl
  1. "Sister Europe" - 4:13
  2. "****" - 3:45
12" vinyl (US promo)
  1. "We Love You" - 3:26
  2. "Sister Europe" - 5:39

Chart performance
Chart (1980) Peak
position
New Zealand RIANZ Singles Chart[6] 47

References
  1. Thompson, Dave. ""Sister Europe" - Review". AllMusic (Rovi Corporation). Retrieved 2010-01-31.
  2. Thompson, Dave (2004). Beautiful Chaos: The Psychedelic Furs. London: Helter Skelter. p. 199. ISBN 978-1-900924-47-4.
  3. Thompson, p. 204.
  4. Thompson, p. 214.
  5. Buckley, Peter, ed. (2003). The Rough Guide to Rock: The Definitive Guide to More than 1200 Artists and Bands (3rd ed.). London: Rough Guides. pp. 826. ISBN 978-1-84353-105-0.
  6. "Charts - The Psychedelic Furs - 'Sister Europe'". Ultratop. Retrieved 2010-01-31.
  7. Mehr, Bob (2016). Trouble Boys: The True Story of The Replacements. Da Capo Press. ISBN 9780306825361.
  8. "'All My Life' - Overview". AllMusic (Rovi Corporation). Retrieved 2010-01-31.
  9. Arcand, Rob (October 12, 2019). "'Foo Fighters' New 01020225 EP Features Some Surprising Covers'". SPIN. Retrieved October 16, 2019.
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