"Sister Europe" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by The Psychedelic Furs | ||||
from the album The Psychedelic Furs | ||||
Released | February 1980 | |||
Recorded | 1979 | |||
Genre | Post-punk, gothic rock | |||
Length | 4:13 | |||
Label | CBS UK; Columbia US | |||
Writer(s) | John Ashton, Tim Butler, Richard Butler, Vince Ely, Duncan Kilburn, Roger Morris | |||
Producer(s) | Steve Lillywhite | |||
The Psychedelic Furs singles chronology | ||||
|
"Sister Europe" is a song by the English band The Psychedelic Furs from the band's 1980 first album, The Psychedelic Furs. Written by the band and produced by Steve Lillywhite, it was released in February 1980 as the album's second single.
Singer Richard Butler recalled Steve Lillywhite's directions to him regarding the vocals: "He told me, 'Go down to the pub, have a couple of beers, and when you come back, I want you to sing like it's three in the morning, and you're talking on the telephone to someone'". According to Butler, the lyrics conveyed sadness over his then-girlfriend moving away, and were written using imagery, "instead of saying 'My bird's gone to Italy and I miss her'".
"Sister Europe" was first released as a single in the UK in February 1980. The initial 7-inch release was on the Epic label, but this was withdrawn and replaced by a CBS version. Both releases had the unusual feature of a double A-side featuring two versions of the song, short (3:45) and long (4:13). In the US, the song was not released as a single but was used as the B-side for Columbia's 12-inch promo single of "We Love You".
An official music video was produced in 1980, directed by British filmmakers Don Letts and Mick Calvert.
The Psychedelic Furs traditionally opened their live shows with "Sister Europe" during the early part of their career. The single reached number 47 on the New Zealand charts. Writer Alex Ogg called it "an intoxicating song that announced the group's distinctive style", comparing it to The Velvet Underground mixed with David Bowie. Indeed, the saxophone is faintly reminiscent of Bowie's "Sons of the Silent Age". AllMusic writer Dave Thompson described Butler's vocal as "a masterpiece of understatement, whispered intimacy".