"Blues from a Gun" is a song by Scottish alternative rock band The Jesus and Mary Chain. It serves as the lead single to the band's fourth studio album Automatic (1989) and was released in four different formats, including a 3" Mini CD single in a paper gatefold sleeve.
The single reached number 32 in the UK single charts,www.officialcharts.com. Retrieved 24 October 2015. and was also a hit for the band in the US, topping the Modern Rock charts for three weeks.www.billboard.com . Retrieved 24 October 2015. It is also one of the few singles by the band featuring lead vocals from William Reid, as opposed to Jim Reid.
Reception Denise Sullivan writing for AllMusic felt, "The Jesus & Mary Chain's song themes can be narrowed down to a couple: shooting drugs, shooting your head off, and shooting your mouth off. "Blues From a Gun" typifies all three in one great verse-chorus-verse song with a coda."
Track listing All tracks written by Jim Reid and William Reid, except where noted.
7" (NEG41) "Blues from a Gun" - 4:43 "Shimmer" - 2:45
10" (NEG41TE) Gatefold "Blues from a Gun" - 4:43 "Shimmer" - 2:45 "Penetration" - 2:46 "Break Me Down" - 2:23
12" (NEG41T) "Blues from a Gun" - 4:43 "Shimmer" - 2:45 "Penetration" - 2:46 "Subway" - 2:04
CD3 (NEG41CD) "Blues from a Gun" - 4:43 "Shimmer" - 2:45 "Penetration" - 2:46 "My Girl" (Smokey Robinson, Ronald White) - 2:31
Personnel
The Jesus and Mary Chain Jim Reid – guitar, synthesizer, drum programming, producer William Reid – vocals, guitar, synthesizer, drum programming, producer
Additional personnel Alan Moulder – engineer (track 1) Andrew Catlin – photography
Charts Chart (1989–90)Peakposition
See also List of Billboard number-one alternative singles of the 1980s
References