"Sixty Eight Guns" is a song by Welsh rock band
the Alarm
The Alarm are a Welsh rock band that formed in Rhyl, Wales, in 1981. Initially formed as a punk band, the Toilets, in 1977, under lead vocalist Mike Peters, the band soon embraced arena rock and included marked influences from Welsh language ...
that was released as a single in August 1983 and later appeared on the group's debut album ''
Declaration
Declaration may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Literature
* ''Declaration'' (book), a self-published electronic pamphlet by Michael Hardt and Antonio Negri
* ''The Declaration'' (novel), a 2008 children's novel by Gemma Malley
Music ...
'' in February 1984. It was written by Alarm members
Mike Peters and Eddie MacDonald.
The song reached #17 on the
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
, becoming the Alarm's first Top 40 appearance and their highest-ever position on that chart. The song also reached #39 on the
Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks
Mainstream Rock is a music chart in ''Billboard'' magazine that ranks the most-played songs on mainstream rock radio stations in the United States, a category that combines the formats of active rock and heritage rock. The chart was launched in Ma ...
chart in the United States, the Alarm's first-ever chart position in that country. Soon after, it "bubbled under" the
Billboard Hot 100
The ''Billboard'' Hot 100 is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for songs, published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine. Chart rankings are based on sales (physical and digital), radio play, and online streaming ...
singles chart at #106, becoming the band's first charting single on the American pop charts.
The song was recorded at Good Earth Studios and mixed at
Abbey Road Studios
Abbey Road Studios (formerly EMI Recording Studios) is a recording studio at 3 Abbey Road, St John's Wood, City of Westminster, London, England. It was established in November 1931 by the Gramophone Company, a predecessor of British music c ...
.
Background and writing
The lyrics to "Sixty Eight Guns" were inspired by a book that Peters had read about the 1960s street gangs of
Glasgow
Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...
.
Title
The song's title is written as "Sixty Eight ''(sic)'' Guns" and "68 Guns" interchangeably on the various
I.R.S.
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is the revenue service for the United States federal government, which is responsible for collecting U.S. federal taxes and administering the Internal Revenue Code, the main body of the federal statutory ta ...
releases. The back cover of ''Declaration'' and the front cover of the 7" single show the title as "Sixty Eight Guns" while the labels on the discs themselves show the title as "68 Guns".
Track listing
All songs written by Mike Peters and Eddie MacDonald.
UK 7" Single
#"68 Guns" - 3:15
#"68 Guns Part II" - 3:25
UK 12" Single
#"68 Guns (Full Version)" - 5:45
#"Thoughts of a Young Man" - 2:50
Credits
* Vocals - Mike Peters
* Guitars - Dave Sharp, Mike Peters
* Bass - Eddie MacDonald
* Drums - Nigel Twist
* Keyboards - Ian Kewley
* Piano - Alan Shacklock
* Trumpet - Arthur Fairlie
* Single cover - Harry Murlowski
Charts
Other releases
The song appeared on several other Alarm releases:
* As a live track on the maxi-version of the single "Spirit of '76".
* As a live studio version on the "
45 RPM" hoax single released by the Alarm under the name of the
Poppy Fields.
* As a live track on Peters' solo ''Live (From a Broadcast)'' album. It includes an additional verse that was dropped during the early stages of writing.
Notes
External links
The Alarm official website
{{The Alarm
1983 songs
1983 singles
I.R.S. Records singles
The Alarm songs