Bring On the Dancing Horses

"Bring On the Dancing Horses" is a single by the English rock band Echo & the Bunnymen, released on 7 October 1985. It was the only single from their 1985 compilation album Songs to Learn & Sing and was recorded for the John Hughes film Pretty in Pink (1986).^[2] The song reached number 21 on the UK Singles Chart^[3] and number 15 on the Irish Singles Chart.^[4]

"Bring On the Dancing Horses"
Single by Echo & the Bunnymen
from the album Songs to Learn & Sing
B-side	"Over Your Shoulder", "Bedbugs and Ballyhoo"
Released	7 October 1985 (1985-10-07)[1]
Genre	Alternative rock post-punk neo-psychedelia dream pop
Length	3:59 (7") 5:37 (12")
Label	Korova
Songwriter(s)	Will Sergeant Ian McCulloch Les Pattinson Pete de Freitas
Producer(s)	Laurie Latham The Bunnymen
Echo & the Bunnymen singles chronology
"Seven Seas" (1984) "Bring On the Dancing Horses" (1985) "The Game" (1987)
Music video
"Bring On the Dancing Horses" on YouTube

Releases

The single was released as a 7" single, a 12" single and a shaped picture disc. On the 7" single and the picture disc the title track is three minutes and 59 seconds long and the B-side is "Over Your Shoulder". The title track was extended by one minute and 38 seconds for the 12-inch single, to five minutes and 37 seconds, and an extra track, "Bedbugs and Ballyhoo", was added to the B-side. The 7" single was also released as a limited edition with an extra disc containing "Villiers Terrace" and "Monkeys" from the August 1979 John Peel session. Laurie Latham produced the title track and the Bunnymen produced the B-sides. The singles were released on Korova in the United Kingdom and on WEA elsewhere.

Critical reception

AllMusic journalist Stewart Mason praised the song's "dreamily catchy chorus" and "nice melody", adding that the layers of synths and Ian McCulloch's overdubbed vocals on the chorus add to the "psychedelic haze of the track".^[5]

John Leland at Spin said, "the only new song on Echo and the Bunnymen's best-of album, goes for the massive, resonant whoosh of "How Soon Is Now?" and "Pride (In the Name of Love)", but comes up empty. The inane rhymes on the chorus don't help."^[6]

Track listings

All tracks written by Will Sergeant, Ian McCulloch, Les Pattinson and Pete de Freitas.

7-inch (Korova KOW 43, WEA S248933-7) and picture disc (Korova KOW 43P, WEA 248933–7)

1. "Bring On the Dancing Horses" – 3:59
2. "Over Your Shoulder" – 4:04

12-inch (Korova KOW 43T, WEA 248932–0)

1. "Bring On the Dancing Horses" – 5:37
2. "Bedbugs and Ballyhoo" – 3:35
3. "Over Your Shoulder" – 4:04

Personnel

• Ian McCulloch – vocals, guitar
• Will Sergeant – lead guitar
• Les Pattinson – bass
• Pete de Freitas – drums
• Laurie Latham – producer
• The Bunnymen – producer

Chart positions

Chart (1985-6)	Peak position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[7]	78
Belgium (Ultratop 50)[8]	19
Irish Singles Chart[4]	15
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[9]	45
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[10]	31
UK Singles Chart[3]	21

References

1. "Music Week" (PDF). p. 20.
2. "November 1985: Echo & the Bunnymen Release SONGS TO LEARN & SING". Rhino Entertainment. 11 November 2022. Retrieved 17 June 2023.
3. Roberts, David, ed. (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). HIT Entertainment. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
4. "The Irish Charts – All there is to know". IRMA. 2008. Archived from the original on 5 January 2010. Retrieved 30 April 2008.
5. Mason, Stewart. "Bring on the Dancing Horses by Echo & the Bunnymen". AllMusic. Retrieved 17 June 2023.
6. John Leland (March 1986). "Singles". Spin. No. 11. p. 37.
7. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
8. "ultratop.be". Hung Medien (in Dutch). Ultratop. Retrieved 12 June 2017.
9. "dutchcharts.nl". Hung Medien. MegaCharts. Retrieved 12 June 2017.
10. "charts.nz". Hung Medien. Recording Industry Association of New Zealand. Retrieved 12 June 2017.

External links

• "Bring On the Dancing Horses" at Discogs (list of releases)