Stainsby Girls

"Stainsby Girls"
Single by Chris Rea
from the album Shamrock Diaries
B-side"And When She Smiles"
Released8 March 1985
Length3:50
LabelMagnet
SongwriterChris Rea
Producers
Chris Rea singles chronology
"Ace of Hearts"
(1984)
"Stainsby Girls"
(1985)
"Josephine"
(1985)
Music video
"Stainsby Girls (Official Music Video)" on YouTube

"Stainsby Girls" is a song by British singer-songwriter Chris Rea, released on 8 March 1985[1] as the lead single from his seventh studio album, Shamrock Diaries.[2] It was written by Rea, and produced by Rea and Dave Richards.[3] "Stainsby Girls" reached No. 26 in the UK and remained in the charts for twelve weeks.[4]

"Stainsby Girls" was written by Rea as a tribute for his wife Joan, a former student of the Stainsby Secondary Modern School.[2] The single's B-side, "And When She Smiles", is listed on the back sleeve as having been "recorded on eight track on a yacht in Ibiza harbour".[3] Rea later re-recorded "Stainsby Girls" for his 1988 album New Light Through Old Windows.[5]

Critical reception

In a retrospective review of Shamrock Diaries, Sharon Mawer of AllMusic described the song as "easily the most like Bruce Springsteen that Rea had ever sounded".[2] Colin Larkin, in his book The Encyclopedia of Popular Music, noted the song was a "slice of nostalgia for the northern England of Rea's adolescence".[6]

Track listing

7" single
  1. "Stainsby Girls" – 3:50
  2. "And When She Smiles" – 3:12
12" single (German release)
  1. "Stainsby Girls (Sax-Mix)" – 4:20
  2. "September Blue" – 3:54

Personnel

Charts

Chart (1985) Peak
position
Belgian Singles Chart (V)[7] 33
Irish Singles Chart[8] 10
UK Singles Chart[4] 26

References

  1. ^ "New Singles". Music Week. 2 March 1985. p. 16. ISSN 0265-1548.
  2. ^ a b c Sharon Mawer. "Shamrock Diaries - Chris Rea | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 2018-07-14.
  3. ^ a b "Chris Rea - Stainsby Girls / And When She Smiles - Magnet - UK - MAG 276". 45cat. Retrieved 2018-07-14.
  4. ^ a b "CHRIS REA | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". Officialcharts.com. Retrieved 2018-07-14.
  5. ^ Mike DeGagne (1988-10-17). "New Light Through Old Windows: The Best Of Chris Rea - Chris Rea | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 2018-04-10.
  6. ^ Larkin, Colin (2010-06-03). The encyclopedia of popular music: Indexes - Google Books. ISBN 9780195313734. Retrieved 2018-07-14.
  7. ^ "Chris Rea - Stainsby Girls". ultratop.be. Retrieved 2018-07-14.
  8. ^ "The Irish Charts - All there is to know". The Irish Charts. Retrieved 2018-07-14.