The Memory Remains

"The Memory Remains" is a song by American heavy metal band Metallica, with British singer Marianne Faithfull on backing vocals.

"The Memory Remains"
Single by Metallica featuring Marianne Faithfull
from the album Reload
B-side
ReleasedNovember 11, 1997
GenreHard rock[1]
Length4:38
LabelElektra
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Metallica singles chronology
"King Nothing"
(1997)		 "The Memory Remains"
(1997)		 "The Unforgiven II"
(1998)
Music video
"The Memory Remains" on YouTube

The lead single from Metallica's seventh studio album, Reload, released in 1997, it was first performed live in a "jam" version on July 2, 1996.[2] Faithfull was brought in, as James Hetfield felt her "weathered, smellin'-the-cigarettes-on-the-CD voice" fit what he described as "the whole eeriness of the Sunset Boulevard-feel of the song", given the lyrics tell the story of a faded artist who goes insane from losing her fame.[3] The spoken words "Say yes, at least say hello", during the outro, are a reference to The Misfits, the last complete movie in which Marilyn Monroe starred.[4]

The song was written by James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich. It can be heard playing in the strip club Bada Bing! in the episode of The Sopranos, "The Knight in White Satin Armor". It is also used as one of the theme songs for WrestleMania XXVIII.

Asked if he would have bought Reload, bassist Jason Newsted said, "Not if I heard 'The Memory Remains' first."[5]

Demo

The song's demo was also called "Memory" and was recorded in Lars Ulrich's home musical studio "Dungeon" on March 6, 1995, (take 1) and March 17, 1995 (take 2).

Other versions

The band, with Marianne Faithfull, performed the song on the December 6, 1997, edition of Saturday Night Live. A live version was released as B-side to the single "The Unforgiven II". It was later performed with the San Francisco Symphony (conducted by Michael Kamen) for S&M and again for S&M2 (conducted by Edwin Outwater). Another live version was included on Orgullo, Pasión y Gloria. According to a post on Metallica's Facebook wall, they performed the song, again with Faithfull, on December 7, 2011, at the Fillmore in San Francisco.

Covers

Several bands have covered the song (either live or on record), including The Kovenant, Spleen, Iron Horse and The Stanford Harmonics.

Critical reception

Larry Flick from Billboard wrote, "Rock radio is already way hip to this smokin' jam from the band's new album, "Re-load". The time has come for popsters to climb aboard and join the fun. With its grinding, slow groove and winding melody, "The Memory Remains" has the traditional song structure and crisp production needed to attract listeners who don't usually indulge in such guitar-heavy fare. In fact, this song has the potential to draw a pile.of new people into the band's already massive legion of fans."[6]

Chart performance

The single was successful, hitting number 28 on the Billboard Hot 100, number 3 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and number 13 on the UK Singles Chart. It was Metallica's last appearance in the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100 until 2008's "The Day That Never Comes". The song was Faithfull's first Top 40 single on the Hot 100 since 1965's "Summer Nights", and her last to date.

Music video

The "Memory Remains" music video (directed by Paul Andresen) features a surreal, anti-gravity concept. The band plays on a large, suspended platform making full and continuous rotations throughout the performance, like an enormous swing. The platform and band are actually stationary and the room, a giant constructed box, spins around it. Faithfull sings in a dark corridor and turns the crank of a street organ, the crank presumably attached to the rotating platform upon which the band plays. In some scenes paper money rains down, an allegorical reference.

According to Encyclopedia Metallica, the video was shot at the Van Nuys Airport and cost $400,000, with the large platform costing over $100,000. The video premiered on MTV's Mattrock on November 15, 1997.[2]

Track listing
CD single (ReLoad)
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."The Memory Remains"
4:38
2."Fuel for Fire (work in progress with different lyrics)"
4:41
3."Memory (Demo)"
  • Hetfield
  • Ulrich
6:41
CD single (UK pt. 2)
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."The Memory Remains"
  • Hetfield
  • Ulrich
4:38
2."The Outlaw Torn (Unencumbered by Manufacturing Restrictions Version)"
  • Hetfield
  • Ulrich
10:48
3."King Nothing (Tepid Mix)"
  • Hetfield
  • Ulrich
  • Hammett
5:07
CD 2-track single (U.S. and Canada) and 7" single (Europe)
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."The Memory Remains"
  • Hetfield
  • Ulrich
4:38
2."For Whom the Bell Tolls (Haven't Heard It Yet Mix)"
4:39

Personnel
Metallica
Additional performer
Production

Charts
Chart (1997) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[7] 6
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[8] 20
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[9] 28
Canada (Nielsen SoundScan)[10] 4
Canada Rock/Alternative (RPM)[11] 25
Denmark (Tracklisten)[12] 13
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[13] 1
Germany (Official German Charts)[14] 20
Hungary (Mahasz)[15] 4
Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40)[16] 1
Ireland (IRMA)[17] 13
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[18] 17
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[19] 15
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[20] 23
Norway (VG-lista)[21] 3
Scotland (OCC)[22] 14
Spain (AFYVE)[23] 3
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[24] 4
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[25] 30
UK Singles (OCC)[26] 13
UK Rock and Metal (OCC)[27] 1
US Billboard Hot 100[28] 28
US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)[29] 3

Release history
Region Date Format Label
Europe November 10, 1997
Elektra
United States November 11, 1997
Elektra

References
  1. "If You Still Hate Metallica For 'Load' And 'Reload,' Here's Why You Need To Reconsider". 3 August 2015.
  2. The Memory Remains EncycMet.com. Retrieved March 21, 2008.
  3. Inc, CMJ Network (1 February 1998). "CMJ New Music Monthly". CMJ Network, Inc. – via Google Books.
  4. Dome, Malcolm; Wall, Mick (2013). Metallica: The Music and the Mayhem. Omnibus Press. p. 160. ISBN 978-0-85712-721-1.
  5. "2001: A Rock Odyssey". Classic Rock #36. January 2002. p. 40.
  6. Flick, Larry (November 29, 1997). "Reviews & Previews: Singles" (PDF). Billboard. p. 65. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
  7. "Australian-charts.com – Metallica – The Memory Remains". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  8. "Austriancharts.at – Metallica – The Memory Remains" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  9. "Ultratop.be – Metallica – The Memory Remains" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  10. "Metallica Chart History (Canadian Digital Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved February 20, 2020.
  11. "Top RPM Rock/Alternative Tracks: Issue 3425." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved February 20, 2020.
  12. "Danishcharts.com – Metallica – The Memory Remains". Tracklisten.
  13. "Metallica: The Memory Remains" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland.
  14. "Offiziellecharts.de – Metallica – The Memory Remains". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved February 20, 2020.
  15. "Top 10 Hungary" (PDF). Music & Media. Retrieved May 6, 2018.
  16. "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (18.–25. 12. 1997)". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). December 19, 1997. p. 34. Retrieved February 20, 2020.
  17. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – The Memory Remains". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved February 20, 2020.
  18. "Nederlandse Top 40 – Metallica" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40.
  19. "Dutchcharts.nl – Metallica – The Memory Remains" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved February 20, 2020.
  20. "Charts.nz – Metallica – The Memory Remains". Top 40 Singles.
  21. "Norwegiancharts.com – Metallica – The Memory Remains". VG-lista.
  22. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 20, 2020.
  23. "Hits of the World – Spain". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. December 13, 1997. p. 51. Retrieved June 10, 2017.
  24. "Swedishcharts.com – Metallica – The Memory Remains". Singles Top 100.
  25. "Swisscharts.com – Metallica – The Memory Remains". Swiss Singles Chart.
  26. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 20, 2020.
  27. "Official Rock & Metal Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 20, 2020.
  28. "Metallica Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved February 20, 2020.
  29. "Metallica Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved February 20, 2020.
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