More Than This (Roxy Music song)

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"More Than This"
More Than This.jpg
Single by Roxy Music
from the album Avalon
B-side"India"
ReleasedApril 1982 (1982-04)[1]
Recorded1981–1982 (1981–1982)
Genre
Length
Label
Songwriter(s)Bryan Ferry
Producer(s)
Roxy Music singles chronology
"Jealous Guy"
(1981) 		"More Than This"
(1982) 		"Avalon"
(1982)

"More Than This" is a 1982 single by English rock band Roxy Music. It was released as the first single from their final album, Avalon, and was the group's last top-ten UK hit (peaking at No. 6). Although it reached only No. 58 on the US Billboard Rock Top Tracks chart, it remains one of Roxy Music's best-known songs in America.

American alternative rock band 10,000 Maniacs released a successful cover version in 1997 which peaked at No. 25, and British singer Emmie released cover that reached No. 5 in the UK in January 1999.

The cover of the single's release is the painting Veronica Veronese, by Dante Gabriel Rossetti, which was completed in 1872 with Alexa Wilding as the model.

Composition[]

The song was written by the lead singer Bryan Ferry, who has stated in interviews that he began writing the songs for Avalon while on the western coast of Ireland, which he believes contributed to the dark melancholy of the album.[citation needed]

"More than This" is somewhat unusual for a pop song in that Ferry's lead vocals end at 2:45 minutes, leaving the last 1:45 minutes as a synthesizer-driven instrumental outro.

Personnel[]

Charts[]

Chart (1982) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[3] 6
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[4] 14
Ireland (IRMA)[5] 6
Luxembourg Radio Singles[6] 3
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[7] 24
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[8] 25
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[9] 12
Norway (VG-lista)[10] 2
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[11] 17
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[12] 6
UK Singles (OCC)[13] 6
US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)[14] 58
West Germany (Official German Charts)[15] 24

Certifications[]

Region Certification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[16] Silver 250,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Notable cover versions[]

In 1997, a cover performed by 10,000 Maniacs with Mary Ramsey on lead vocals was a single from their album Love Among the Ruins becoming a US hit when it reached No. 25 on the Billboard Hot 100 on the week ending 29 August 1997.[17] The version also debuted at its peak position, No. 87, on the UK Singles Chart on the week ending 28 September 1997.[18] The video for the cover was filmed at House on the Rock. A live version was also included on their 2016 album Playing Favorites. English singer-songwriter Emmie recorded a cover of the song in 1998 and released it as a single on 11 January 1999.[19] Produced by Mark Hadfield and Adam Carter-Ryan, her version of the song peaked at No. 5 on the UK Singles Chart,[20] No. 25 on the Irish Singles Chart,[5] and No. 39 in the Flanders region of Belgium.[21]

References[]

  1. ^ Strong, Martin C. (2006). The Essential Rock Discography. Edinburgh: Canongate Books. p. 931. ISBN 1-84195-860-3.
  2. ^ Peake, Steve. "Top Soft Rock Songs of the 1980s". LiveAbout.
  3. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  4. ^ "Ultratop.be – Roxy Music – More Than This" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 21 November 2020.
  5. ^ Jump up to: a b "The Irish Charts – Search Results – More Than This". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 21 November 2020.
  6. ^ "Ultimate Music Database". Umdmusic.com. Retrieved 5 November 2016.
  7. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 18, 1982" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40 Retrieved 21 November 2020.
  8. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Roxy Music – More Than This" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 21 November 2020.
  9. ^ "Charts.nz – Roxy Music – More Than This". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 21 November 2020.
  10. ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Roxy Music – More Than This". VG-lista. Retrieved 21 November 2020.
  11. ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Roxy Music – More Than This". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 21 November 2020.
  12. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Roxy Music – More Than This". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 21 November 2020.
  13. ^ "Roxy Music: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 21 November 2020.
  14. ^ "Roxy Music Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved 21 November 2020.
  15. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Roxy Music – More Than This". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 21 November 2020.
  16. ^ "British single certifications – Roxy Music – More Than This". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 21 November 2020.
  17. ^ "10,000 Maniacs – Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved 6 December 2020.
  18. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100: 28 September 1997 – 04 October 1997". Official Charts. Retrieved 6 December 2020.
  19. ^ "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 9 January 1999. p. 17. Retrieved 16 July 2021.
  20. ^ "Emmie". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 21 November 2020.
  21. ^ "Ultratop.be – Emmie – More Than This" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 21 November 2020.

External links[]

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