"Long Train Runnin'" | ||||
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Single by The Doobie Brothers | ||||
from the album The Captain and Me | ||||
B-side | "Without You" | |||
Released | 1973 | |||
Format | 7" single | |||
Length | 3:25 | |||
Label | Warner Bros. | |||
Writer(s) | Tom Johnston | |||
Producer(s) | Ted Templeman | |||
The Doobie Brothers singles chronology | ||||
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"Long Train Runnin'" | ||||
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Single by Traks | ||||
from the album Long Train Runnin' | ||||
B-side | "Drums Power" | |||
Released | 1982 | |||
Format | ||||
Length | 3:30 | |||
Label |
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Producer(s) | Traks | |||
Traks singles chronology | ||||
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"Long Train Running" | ||||
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Single by Bananarama | ||||
from the album Pop Life | ||||
B-side | "Outta Sight" | |||
Released | 1991 | |||
Format |
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Genre | Dance-pop | |||
Length | 3:31 | |||
Label | London | |||
Producer(s) | Youth | |||
Bananarama singles chronology | ||||
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"Long Train Runnin'" (or "Long Train Running") is a song recorded by The Doobie Brothers and written by band member Tom Johnston. It was included on the band's 1973 album The Captain and Me and released as a single, becoming a top 10 hit on the US Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 8.
It was covered by Italian band Traks in 1982 and then by English girl group Bananarama in 1991. In 1993 the Doobie Brothers version was remixed and charted again in several countries, including reaching number 7 in the UK Singles Chart.
The song is sometimes titled "Long Train Runnin' (Without Love)" due to the words "without love" being sung frequently during the song. The harmonica bridge is played by lead vocalist Tom Johnston.
The tune evolved from an untitled and mostly ad-libbed jam that the Doobies developed onstage years before it was finally recorded. Its working title, according to Johnston, was "Rosie Pig Moseley" and later "Osborn". "I didn't want to cut it," Johnston later confessed. "...I just considered it a bar song without a lot of merit. Teddy [Templeman], on the other hand, thought it had some." Templeman convinced Johnston to write words to the song.
Johnston performed the lead vocal and the rhythmic guitar strumming that propels the song.
In 1982, Italian band Traks covered the song. This version charted in France and in Germany, where it peaked at no. 62 and no. 18, respectively.
Bananarama's version appeared on their fifth studio album Pop Life in 1991 and was released as the album's third single in the UK. The group discovered the song when they were browsing through the record collection of Youth, producer of the Pop Life album. They needed one more song recorded to complete Pop Life and decided to go with a cover version.
Bananarama's music video features them dressed in black Spanish dresses eating at a decadent feast and performing the song on a large bed in a Spanish castle. Bananarama's then-manager Hilary Shaw appears on the feast scene.