Kyrie (song)

"Kyrie"
Single by Mr. Mister
from the album Welcome to the Real World
Released December 21, 1985 (US)[1]
Format
Recorded 1985
Genre
Length
  • 4:25 (album version)
  • 4:10 (single version)
Label RCA
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Mr. Mister singles chronology
"Broken Wings"
(1985)		 "Kyrie"
(1985)		 "Is It Love"
(1986)
Audio sample
  • file
  • help

"Kyrie" (/ˈkiːri.eɪ/) is a song by American pop rock band Mr. Mister, from their album Welcome to the Real World. Released in late 1985, it hit the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 charts in March 1986, where it was number one for two weeks. It also hit the top spot on the Billboard Top Rock Tracks chart for one week. In the UK, the song peaked at number 11 in April 1986.

Background and writing

The lyrics to "Kyrie" were written by Arizona-born John Lang who co-wrote the songs on all of Mr. Mister's albums. The music was composed by Richard Page and Steve George while on tour with Adam Ant.

Kýrie, eléison means "Lord, have mercy" in Greek, and is a part of many liturgical rites in Eastern and Western Christianity. Kýrie, eléison; Christé, eléison; Kýrie, eléison is a prayer that asks "Lord, have mercy; Christ, have mercy; Lord, have mercy.[2] According to Page the entire song is, essentially, a prayer.[3] Also, in contemporary Greek, one of the English translations of the root word, κύριος (kyrios) is "Mister".[4]

There is a myth that singer Richard Page wrote this song while lying in a hospital bed following being assaulted. John Lang has stated that he was the one who was assaulted, three years before "Kyrie" was written, and that the incident has nothing to do with the song.[5]

The video for this song was directed by Nick Morris, and features the band in performance mixed with footage taken at the tail end of their Autumn 1985 tour with Tina Turner.[6]

The song was used in the hit US TV series Miami Vice during season two, episode fourteen "One-Way Ticket".

The U.S. 7" single can be found pressed on transparent purple vinyl or polystyrene, depending on where it was manufactured.

Track listing

7" single
  1. "Kyrie" (single edit) – 4:10
  2. "Run to Her" – 3:36
12" single
  1. "Kyrie" (album version) – 4:24
  2. "Run to Her" – 3:36
  3. "Hunters of the Night" – 5:07

The single edit of the song (which was also used for the video version) ends with the a cappella phrase "Kýrie, eléison, down the road that I must travel", while the album version simply fades out.

Charts

Cover versions

In 1993, Acapella Vocal Band, a traditional Southern gospel group, included a version of the song on their album U And Me And God Make 5 (Word). The cover charted on the Contemporary Christian Music charts of 1994. The group later recorded a Spanish version of the song as well. Also in 1993, the song, retitled as "Kyrie Elieson", was covered by Contemporary Christian music duo East to West on their self-titled debut album.

Contemporary Christian artist Mark Schultz recorded a version of the song on his 2001 album Song Cinema.[19]

Kevin Max has covered this song on his "Serve Somebody" Album from 2017.

Notes

  1. ↑ - Mr. Mister Mr. Mister- History Retrieved 1-14-2012.
  2. ↑ Kýrie, eléison – Translation from the StraightDope
  3. ↑ Richard Page discusses Kyrie Archived 2008-11-19 at the Wayback Machine. – RetroRewind interview
  4. ↑ "Google Translate".
  5. ↑ Lang letter to "Mr. Music" – dated June, 2004
  6. ↑ Kyrie details – from Mr. Mister fansite
  7. ↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  8. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Mr. Mister – Kyrie" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  9. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Mr. Mister – Kyrie" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  10. ↑ "Musicline.de – Mr. Mister Single-Chartverfolgung" (in German). Media Control Charts. PhonoNet GmbH.
  11. ↑ "Irish Singles Chart – Search for song". Irish Recorded Music Association. Retrieved July 6, 2011.
  12. ↑ "Hit Parade Italia – Indice per Interprete: M". Hit Parade Italia. Retrieved July 6, 2012.
  13. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Mr. Mister" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40.
  14. ↑ "Charts.nz – Mr. Mister – Kyrie". Top 40 Singles.
  15. ↑ "Norwegiancharts.com – Mr. Mister – Kyrie". VG-lista.
  16. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Mr. Mister – Kyrie". Singles Top 100.
  17. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Mr. Mister – Kyrie". Swiss Singles Chart.
  18. ↑ "Forum – ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts – 1986". Australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 14 May 2017.
  19. ↑ "Song Cinema - Mark Schultz - Songs, Reviews, Credits - AllMusic". AllMusic.
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