Mary's Prayer

"Mary's Prayer" is a sophisti-pop^[1] song by the Scottish pop/rock group Danny Wilson. Included on the group's 1987 debut album Meet Danny Wilson, "Mary's Prayer" would eventually become a Top Ten hit in Britain and Ireland, and was a Top 40 hit in the US.

Background[]

The song's composer, Gary Clark, said of "Mary's Prayer": "I certainly don't think [it's] the best song on the album but it is probably the most accessible and therefore the best choice for a first single".^[2] Clark had written "Mary's Prayer" while Danny Wilson was the house band at Dundee nightclub the Swamp soon after the group (then known as Spencer Tracy) formed in 1984.

The song has been described as "an extended Catholic metaphor",^[3] although Clark has not denied any intended religious significance in his composition: "There is a lot of religious imagery in the song but that is really just a device to relate past present and future"..."It is basically just a simple love song. In fact I like to think of it as being like a country and western song".^[2]

"Mary's Prayer" was released as a single three times between February 1987 and March 1988 in the UK, reaching number 3 in the UK Singles Chart on its third release.^[4] The initial UK release in February 1987 peaked at only number 86, but was a hit in Ireland (number 5), Germany (number 35) and South Africa (number 10).

The June 1987 US release of "Mary's Prayer" afforded the single a peak of number 23 on the Hot 100 in Billboard magazine, while on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart "Mary's Prayer" rose as high as number 6.^[5] Virgin Records US' promotion for the single included a full-page advertisement run in the music industry trade journals with an endorsement from Mike Bone, head of promotion for rival label Elektra Records. The advertisement reproduced a cable Bone sent to Virgin Records that said "'Mary's Prayer' is my life" and prompted "Do Mike Bone a Favor. Add Danny Wilson's 'Mary's Prayer'". Bone had given permission for Virgin Records to use his endorsement to promote the single, but "thought they'd just have it buried [among] other testimonials."^[6]

The US success of "Mary's Prayer" triggered a second UK single release August 1987, with a resultant number 42 UK chart peak. The single subsequently topped a BBC Radio 1 phone-in poll of listeners nominations for 1987 singles which had failed to be hits.^[7] Clark credits this poll with the Virgin Records UK decision to reissue "Mary's Prayer" a third time in March 1988, with this release resulting in a number 3 UK chart peak. The March 1988 UK release of "Mary's Prayer" was labelled "the Paul Staveley O'Duffy remix" but, according to Gary Clark, "[Although] they did a remix on it...it was essentially the same record".^[7]

On 24 September 2014, the members of Danny Wilson performed "Mary's Prayer" at the opening gala for the Ryder Cup at the Hydro Arena in Glasgow, marking the sole performance by the band since 1989.^[8]

Charts[]