Under the Gun (The Sisters of Mercy song)

"Under The Gun" is a song by the English rock band The Sisters of Mercy released as the single from their album A Slight Case of Overbombing: Greatest Hits Vol. 1. It is a duet featuring Terri Nunn on vocals, and was accompanied by a music video with Andrew Eldritch and Nunn.

"Under the Gun"
Single by The Sisters of Mercy
from the album 'A Slight Case of Overbombing: Greatest Hits Vol. 1
Released1993
Genre
Length5:41 (Album version)
6:16 (Single)
4:02 (edit)
LabelMerciful Release/East West Records
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
The Sisters of Mercy singles chronology
"Temple of Love"
(1992)		 "Under the Gun"
(1993)
Music video
"Under The Gun" on YouTube

It is the only new song on a greatest hits compilation released in 1993 by Merciful Release on East West Records, a UK Warner Music Group label.[1] This is the band's most recent single as of 2021.

The single reached no. 19 on the UK Singles Chart.[2][3] The song was written by Andrew Eldritch, Billie Hughes, and Roxanne Seeman,  It was co-produced by Eldritch and Hughes.[4] Additional production was credited to Ian Stanley.[5]

Two alternate mixes of "Under The Gun" were included in the 2017 bonus tracks of The Sisters of Mercy's compilation album Some Girls Wander by Mistake, released on their own label Merciful Release and distributed by East West Records/Warner Music UK.[6][7]

Song information

Chris Roberts in Melody Maker described the song as "a big Berlin ballad (of Heart, Roxette, etc)" with "several thousand epic heartbreaking refrains" of the chorus hook "Are you living for love?" noting Eldritch's "restrained guitar foreplay" and "fiendish subliminal rant", while comparing it to "the melodrama of Bowie's 'Sweet Thing/Candidate".[8]

The song is mostly a cover of "Two Worlds Apart", a song written by Hughes and Seeman and released on Hughes' album Welcome to the Edge.[9] It appeared earlier as a love theme for the characters of Michael & Julia in the television series Santa Barbara.[10]

Track listing

"Under the Gun" written by Eldritch, Hughes and Seeman, "Alice" written by Eldritch.

7": Merciful Release / MR59
  1. "Under the Gun" - 6:16
  2. "Alice" (1993) - 3:57

12": Merciful Release / MR59T
  1. "Under the Gun" (Metropolis mix) - 6:16
  2. "Alice" (1993) - 3:57
  3. "Under the Gun" (Jutland mix) - 6:20

CD: Merciful Release / MR59CD
  1. "Under the Gun" (Metropolis mix) - 6:16
  2. "Alice" (1993) - 3:57
  3. "Under the Gun" (Jutland mix) - 6:20

Personnel

Personnel as listed in the album's liner notes are:[11]

Critical reception

Karen Holmes, The Network 40 praised the song: "Nunn rounds out Andrew's talent for finding incredible females voices to collaborate with. Andrew's contribution to the sexual passion is subliminal with taunting vocals that intensifies Nunn's pipes."[12]

In a glowing review in Melody Maker, Chris Roberts wrote "This is a colossus of a record...ironic and yet thoroughly serious, the spoof vulture of youth culture chimes in belalmgubriously...Gothic only as in arch, this is as far from indie as it gets.  A black (comedy) beauty".[13]

Charts

Weekly charts
Chart (1993) Peak

position

Germany (GfK Entertainment)[14] 40
United Kingdom (UK Singles Chart)[15] 19
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[16] 17
Billboard Eurochart Hot 100 Singles[17] 51

Artists' commentary
  • Terri Nunn (2002/04): “[Andrew Eldritch] asked if I was going to use it for my record, and since I couldn't get anybody excited about it... It was really strange and dark, and he said 'Well, I want to do it, why don't we sing it?' It was called 'Under the Gun', and we sang it for the Best of Sisters album.” “My record company rejected this song for my own record.”[18][19][20]
  • Andrew Eldritch (1993): “The tape I was working from already had her vocal on it. Although I met her once in the mid-80's I didn't meet her to make the record. I just fucked around with the tape that her vocal was already on. But that was one of the reasons for my wanting to cover that song and change it around, because I thought her vocal on it was great! So I used the original demo because I don't see the point in re-recording something that is already so great to start with. So I edited it, I changed the bass, the drums and keyboards around what was already there a little bit. I got a friend of mine from Leeds [Adam Pearson] to put some electric guitars on, and then sang my stuff. So the original version sounds kind of like, I don't know, a sort of Jennifer Rush song I suppose, and the new song sounds like Jennifer Rush from hell!”[21]

Televised performances and usage in other media

References
  1. Music & Media (PDF). September 11, 1993. p. 23.
  2. Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 504. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  3. "UK Top 40 Chart Archive, British Singles & Album Charts". everyHit.com. 2000-03-16. Retrieved 2014-05-22.
  4. Under The Gun - The Sisters of Mercy | Song Info | AllMusic, retrieved 2021-02-26
  5. A Greatest Hits, Vol. 1: A Slight Case of Overbombing - The Sisters of Mercy | Credits | AllMusic, retrieved 2021-02-26
  6. "The Sisters of Mercy's 'Some Girls Wander By Mistake' to receive 4LP box set reissue". slicing up eyeballs // 80s alternative music, college rock, indie. 2017-07-12. Retrieved 2021-06-21.
  7. "The Sisters Of Mercy - Some Girls Wander By Mistake | Rhino". www.rhino.com. Retrieved 2021-02-21.
  8. "Singles reviewed by Chris Roberts". Melody Maker. August 14, 1993.
  9. Welcome to the Edge - Billie Hughes | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic, retrieved 2021-02-26
  10. List of musical works used on the NBC television series Santa Barbara in the period 1984 - 1993 (PDF).
  11. A Slight Case of Overbombing (booklet). Merciful Release/East West Records. 1993.
  12. Holmes, Karen (September 24, 1993). The Network 40, Alternative Music Meeting (PDF). p. 38.
  13. "Melody Maker August 14,1993". noanoamusic.com. Retrieved 2021-12-28.
  14. "Offizielle Deutsche Charts - Offizielle Deutsche Charts". www.offiziellecharts.de. Retrieved 2021-02-26.
  15. "Official Singles Chart Top 75 | Official Charts Company". www.officialcharts.com. Retrieved 2021-02-26.
  16. "swedishcharts.com - The Sisters Of Mercy - Under The Gun". swedishcharts.com. Retrieved 2021-02-26.
  17. Music & Media (PDF). September 4, 1993. p. 23.
  18. Terri Nunn interview, Chorusandverse.com website, 13 December 2002
  19. Terri Nunn, Berlinpage.com website, 25 August 2004
  20. "The Popdose Interview: Terri Nunn". Popdose. 2013-09-19. Retrieved 2021-02-26.
  21. Andrew Eldritch TV interview, ZTV Sweden, late 1993
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