For a Friend

This article is about The Communards song. For the 1940 Czech film, see For a Friend (film).

"For a Friend" is a single from the British synth-pop duo The Communards taken from their 1987 album Red.

"For a Friend"
Single by The Communards
from the album Red
B-side	"Victims (Live)" (7")
Released	8 February 1988 (UK)[1]
Recorded	1987
Genre	Pop, ballad
Length	4:39 (CD single)
Label	London Records (UK) / Metronome (Germany)
Songwriter(s)	Richard Coles, Jimmy Somerville
Producer(s)	Stephen Hague
The Communards singles chronology
"Never Can Say Goodbye" (1987) "For a Friend" (1988) "There's More to Love" (1988)

The song is an emotional ballad and was written in the memory of Mark Ashton,^[2] a friend of Jimmy Somerville and Richard Coles.^[3] Mark Hooper of The Rough Guide to Rock writes that this cut may be Somerville's "most impassioned moment".^[2] "For a Friend" reached number 28 on the British charts.^[4]

In media

The official music video for the song was directed by Andy Morahan.^[5] In 2014, the song was featured on the soundtrack to the film Pride.^[6] It was also one of the songs played at Burberry’s February 2018 show, presented on 17 February at the Dimco Buildings in West London, marking Christopher Bailey’s final outing for the brand.^[7]

Track and format listing

7" Vinyl - LON 166 (UK)

No.	Title	Length
1.	"For a Friend"	4:35
2.	"Victims (Live)"	5:08

For a Friend 12" Vinyl - London LONX 166 (UK)

No.	Title	Length
1.	"For a Friend"
2.	"Victims (Live)"
3.	"Don't Leave Me This Way (Live)"
4.	"Heavens Above"

For a Friend 12" Vinyl - London LONY 166 (UK)

No.	Title	Length
1.	"For a Friend (Remix)"
2.	"You Are My World (Live)"
3.	"So Cold The Night (Live)"
4.	"Victims (Live)"

For a Friend 12" Vinyl Promo - London LOXDJ 166 (UK)

No.	Title	Length
1.	"For a Friend"
2.	"Megamix"
3.	"Never Can Say Goodbye"
4.	"Don't Leave Me This Way"
5.	"Disenchanted"
6.	"You Are My World"
7.	"Heaven Above"
8.	"You Are My World"

Chart performance

Weekly charts

Chart	Peak position
Belgium (Ultratop Flanders)[8]	29
Ireland (IRMA)[9]	12
UK Singles (OCC)[10]	28
West Germany (GfK)[11]	35

Notes

1. "Index". Record Mirror. 6 February 1988. p. 2.
2. Hooper 2003, pp. 221–222.
3. Kellman, Andy. "Review: Red". AllMusic.
4. Warwick, Kutner & Brown 2004, p. 256.
5. Garcia, Alex S. "mvdbase.com - the Communards - "For a friend"". Music Video DataBase. Retrieved 1 November 2015.
6. Brightmore, Dan (12 September 2014). "The Story Behind the Making of Pride – Producer and Cast Q&A". NME. Retrieved 9 November 2014.
7. Laura, Hawkins. "United Visual Artists lights up Christopher Bailey's final Burberry show". Wallpaper*. Retrieved 18 February 2018.
8. "The Communards - For A Friend" (in Dutch). Top 30. Retrieved 8 November 2014.
9. "The Irish Charts – All there is to know". Irishcharts.ie. Retrieved 8 November 2014.
10. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 8 November 2014.
11. "Offiziellecharts.de – The Communards – For A Friend" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 18 February 2019.

References

• Hooper, Mark (2003). Buckley, Peter (ed.). The Rough Guide to Rock (3rd ed.). Rough Guides. ISBN 978-1-84353-105-0. OL 9016361W.
• Kutner, Jon (28 October 2012). "For A Friend (Communards)".
• Warwick, Neil; Kutner, Jon; Brown, Tony (2004). The Complete Book of the British charts: Singles & Albums. Omnibus Press. ISBN 978-1-84449-058-5.

External links

• For a Friend at AllMusic
• "For a Friend" at MusicBrainz
• "For a Friend" at Discogs
• "Jimmy Somerville on TV-am in 1988" on YouTube