The Whole of the Moon
"The Whole of the Moon" is a song by Scottish band the Waterboys, released as a single from their album This Is the Sea in October 1985. It is a classic of the band's repertoire and has been consistently played at live shows ever since its release. Written and produced by Mike Scott, the subject of the song has inspired some speculation.[2]
"The Whole of the Moon"
- "Medicine Jack"
- "Spirit"
- "The Girl in the Swing"
- "A Golden Age" (1991)
14 October 1985
May 1985
Livingstone (London), Amazon (Liverpool)
4:58
Mike Scott
The single was not a big success when initially released in 1985, only making the lower ends of the chart, although it reached No. 12 on the Australian chart. Subsequently, it became one of the Waterboys' best-known songs and their most commercially successful.[3] It was the Ivor Novello Award winner "Best Song Musically and Lyrically" in 1992.[4] Upon its re-release in March 1991, it reached No. 3 in the United Kingdom.
"The Whole of the Moon" was first released on 14 October 1985 as a 7-inch and 12-inch single,[13] which reached No. 26 on the UK Singles Chart. The song was re-released as a single (7-inch, 12-inch, cassette and CD) on 25 March 1991,[14] and it was included on the band's compilation album The Best of the Waterboys 81–90, issued on 29 April 1991.[15] The re-release was a big hit, peaking at No. 3 on the UK Singles Chart and receiving an Ivor Novello Award as "Best Song Musically and Lyrically" in 1991.[4]
The 1991 releases of "The Whole of the Moon" and The Best of the Waterboys 81–90 was an attempt to boost the band's record sales to match their reputation. A survey of album buyers carried out by Chrysalis found that 11% considered themselves fans of the Waterboys and only 1% actually owned any of their singles or albums. "The Whole of the Moon" was partly chosen for re-release as a single because it had become popular on the dance and club scene since the late 1980s. Chrysalis chose to focus the single's promotion through retailers rather than radio as the label felt stations would be "wary of a reissue". Deals were made with music retailers and the marketing strategy included the use of press adverts, posters and counter cards.[16] Nevertheless, the song was successful in gaining heavy airplay in the UK and across Europe. In the UK, it reached No. 3 on the Music & Media chart for most played records on BBC stations and major independents.[17] It also reached No. 22 on the Music & Media European Airplay Top 50 chart.[18]
Including the 2004 remastered album, the song has been officially released four times and appears on the following Waterboys albums:
"The Whole of the Moon" remains one of the Waterboys' most famous and most financially successful songs.[3] Scott said of the song's durability, "I guess it has timelessness in its sound and I know the lyrics mean a lot to people. If a lyric was true when it was written, it'll be true today. 'The Whole of the Moon' still means a lot to me and it's one of my old songs that I never tire of hearing or performing."[3]
Music video[edit]
The song's music video was directed by Meiert Avis for Midnight Films.[19] It was shot at the Lyceum Theatre, London in November 1985. Scott sings live over an amended version of the record, on which fiddle and acoustic guitar were added at Wessex Studios, London. Lu Edmonds of Public Image Ltd. mimes the bass in the video. Steve Wickham, who joined the Waterboys shortly after the release of This Is the Sea, recorded his fiddle part in order to have a "genuine part" in the music video.[20] The video achieved heavy action on Music Box and breakout rotation on MTV.[21][22]
Critical reception[edit]
On its release in 1985, Roger Morton of Record Mirror noted how the four tracks on the 12-inch single "draw out the drama in Scott's barnstorming pop poetry to raging effect" and "should bring water to both your eyes and your mouth". He considered Scott to sound "like a cross between" Bob Dylan and Cat Stevens.[23] Jerry Smith of Music Week praised "The Whole of the Moon" as a "memorable number" which "should give them their first big hit".[24] Richard Bryson of the Suffolk & Essex Free Press described the song as "curiously appealing". He noted its commercial potential, but added "there is also something a little elusive at the core of this record".[25] In a review of the 1991 re-issue, Paul Lester, writing for Melody Maker, praised it as "the greatest single of October 1985".[26]
Covers[edit]
"The Whole of the Moon" was covered by Jennifer Warnes on her 1992 album The Hunter, by Mandy Moore on her 2003 album Coverage, by Human Drama on the compilation New Wave Goes to Hell, by folk singer-songwriter Peter Mulvey on his 1995 album Rapture, by Terry Reid on his album The Driver and by Susan McFadden on the Celtic Woman album Destiny. Steve Hogarth of Marillion has included it in his solo "h natural" shows. It was also a hit on the Balearic dance scene in the 1980s and has appeared on numerous other compilations.[8]
Prince covered the song at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club during his 2014 Hit & Run tour,[45] and again at the Paisley Park Studios during a Dance Rally for Peace in May 2015.[46] "He's so strict about people filming gigs on their phones, no one's posted it on YouTube," rued Mike Scott. "However, I understand it was a piano-and-vocal solo version. Boy, would I love to hear that."[47]
Mike Scott included a live solo version on his 1995 single "Building the City of Light".[48]
U2 used it as their walk-up song during much of The Joshua Tree Tours 2017 and 2019.[49] Scott said of U2's version "They performed it in a medley with 'Where the Streets Have No Name' on one of their tours, maybe 10 years ago, which was a very cool acknowledgement that the two songs have the same chorus melody. People keep telling me it plays just before they take the stage on their Joshua Tree tours, and that's supercool too. They must feel it sets the scene, and I can dig that."[3]
The Killers covered the song at the 2018 Glasgow TRNSMT festival of which Brandon Flowers described it as "One of the finest songs I've ever heard" before dedicating it to all the women in the audience. [50]
Kirin J. Callinan released a cover of the song and an accompanying video clip in 2019. The track marked the first single from Callinan's third album, Return To Center.[51]
Fiona Apple recorded a cover of the song in 2019, which appeared in the finale of the Showtime TV series The Affair.[52]
The electronic-house group Little Caesar released an indie dance version in the UK in 1990. It reached No. 68 in the UK Singles Chart.[53]
In the Father Ted episode "Hell", Father Noel Furlong (Graham Norton) sings a very aggressive version with his youth group members in a caravan.[54]
Bleachers regularly play a cover of the song at their shows including at their Radio City performance in July 2022. This cover was subsequently released as part of the live album Live at Radio City.[55]