"Weather with You"
Single by Crowded House
from the album Woodface
Released17 February 1992 (1992-02-17)[1]
StudioPeriscope (Melbourne)
Length3:45
LabelCapitol
Songwriter(s)Neil Finn, Tim Finn
Producer(s)Mitchell Froom, Neil Finn
Crowded House singles chronology
"It's Only Natural"
(1991) 		"Weather with You"
(1992) 		"Four Seasons in One Day"
(1992)

"Weather with You" is a song by Australian-New Zealand rock band Crowded House. It was the third and most successful single released from the group's third studio album, Woodface (1991), reaching top 50 in 10 countries, including the United Kingdom, where it reached number seven. At the APRA Music Awards of 1994, the song won Most Performed Australian Work Overseas.[2] The song was intended to be part of the Finn Brothers' unreleased 1990 debut, but after Capitol Records found the recordings, they were merged with a Crowded House session to become Woodface.

In 1996, Crowded House disbanded, releasing a greatest hits album, Recurring Dream, in June of that year. "Weather with You" was made the album's first track. Later in the year, the band reunited for one final performance at the Sydney Opera House and performed the song again, calling upon ex-member Tim Finn, who originally performed the song with the group, to join the group onstage. This live performance was not included on the VHS release of the concert, but it was shown on television broadcast and also appeared on the 10-year anniversary DVD entitled Farewell to the World.

Background

On his website, Neil Finn explained:

The first day we got together, we wrote "Weather with You" and [Tim Finn] had the title and the chorus line. 'Everywhere you go you always take the weather with you', and the opening line, 'Walking round the room singing stormy weather'. We started playing that and got the guitar riff going and wrote the whole thing on the first day, so it got off to a good start. 57 Mount Pleasant Street is a fictitious address as far as the number goes, but my sister used to live in a house in Mount Pleasant Road in Auckland and that’s what we were thinking of when we wrote the song. It was just a good contrast to the theme of the song for it to be called Mount Pleasant Street because really it was about a guy who's totally wrapped up in melancholia standing in his lounge room feeling lost.[3]

He went on to say, "Ultimately, the theme of the song is of course, that you are creating your own weather, you are making your own environment, always."[4]

Critical reception

Andrew Mueller from Melody Maker wrote that songs like "Weather with You" "tout pleasingly wry sentiments but are entirely bereft of any hooks upon which to hang your heart."[5] Another music critic, Peter Paphides, complimented the way Neil Finn could write a song like this and "make it seem like a postcard from a dream."[6] Alan Jones from Music Week praised it as "splendid".[7]

Music video

The accompanying music video for "Weather with You" was filmed after Tim Finn's departure.[citation needed] The video, directed by MacGregor Knox (Director of I'm Talking's "Holy Word"), features the remaining members, Neil Finn, Paul Hester and Nick Seymour, at various beaches in Victoria, Australia (including Queenscliff) driving in cars including a Fiat 600 Multipla towing a small "Sports Minor" caravanette and a Ford Thunderbird "Bullet Bird" convertible.

The music video features a slightly rearranged song structure, with a chorus placed before the second verse and some of the instrumental sections shortened.

Legacy

In 2001, "Weather with You" was voted 16th-best New Zealand song of all time by APRA and featured on Nature's Best.

Track listings

  1. "Weather with You" (single edit) - 4:17
  2. "Into Temptation" - 4:35
  1. "Weather with You" (single edit) - 4:17
  2. "Mr. Tambourine Man" (Bob Dylan) (live) - 2:35
  3. "Eight Miles High" (Gene Clark, Jim McGuinn and David Crosby) (live) - 4:50
  4. "So You Want to Be a Rock 'n' Roll Star" (Jim McGuinn, Chris Hillman) (live) - 2:49

Note: Live tracks recorded with Roger McGuinn at the Pantages Theater, Los Angeles, 7 April 1989, previously released on "I Feel Possessed" CD and 12" single.

  1. "Weather with You" (radio edit) - 3:46
  2. "Fall at Your Feet" (live) - 6:59
  3. "When You Come" (live) - 6:22
  4. "Walking on the Spot" (live) - 3:23

Note: Live tracks recorded at The Town & Country Club, London, 9–10 November 1991, exclusive to this release

  1. "Weather with You" (single edit) – 4:17
  2. "Into Temptation" (live) – 4:43
  3. "Don't Dream It's Over" (live) – 4:27
  4. "Recurring Dream" (original Version) – 2:59

Note: Limited edition. Live tracks recorded at Ancienne Belgique, Brussels, Belgium, 24 February 1992, exclusive to this release.

  1. "Weather with You" (Remix full version)
  2. "Weather with You" (Remix full version without Tim Finn)
  3. "Weather with You" (Single mix. No breakdown)
  4. "Weather with You" (Neil Finn's Edit)

Note: The "Outlaw Remixes", mixed at Platinum Studios, Melbourne. Produced and remixed by The Outlaw.

  1. "Weather with You" – 4:02
  2. "Walking on the Spot" (live) – 4:13
  3. "Don't Dream It's Over" (live) – 5:53
  4. "Something So Strong" (live) – 4:02
  5. "Mr. Tambourine Man" (live) – 2:35

Note: "Walking on the Spot" recorded at The Town & Country Club, London, 10 November 1991 (previously unreleased in Japan); "Don't Dream It's Over" recorded at The Roxy, Los Angeles, 26 February 1987; "Something So Strong" recorded at The Trocadero, Philadelphia, 24 March 1987; "Mr. Tambourine Man" recorded with Roger McGuinn at the Pantages Theater, Los Angeles, 7 April 1989 (however, label indicates 7 July 1989 incorrectly).

  1. "Weather with You" (Radio Edit) - 3:46
  2. "Walking on the Spot" (live)
  3. "Don't Dream It's Over" (live)
  4. "Better Be Home Soon" (live)
  5. "World Where You Live" (live)

Note: All live tracks recorded at The Town & Country Club, London, England, 9–10 November 1991. "Walking on the Spot" was previously unreleased in the US.

Charts

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[23] Gold 400,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Cover versions and live performances

In 2001, Neil and Tim Finn performed the song during the week-long concert series that was captured on the CD/DVD 7 Worlds Collide.[citation needed]

In 2006, Jimmy Buffett covered "Weather with You" and used it as the namesake for his album Take the Weather with You.[24]

In 2009, a re-recorded version featuring Tim, Neil and Liam Finn appeared on the Tim Finn retrospective North, South, East, West...Anthology.[citation needed]

In 2011, a recording by Hollie Smith was included on the compilation album They Will Have Their Way.[citation needed]

In 2015, the song was included in the soundtrack of the film Everest (2015).[citation needed]

References

  1. ^ "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. 15 February 1992. p. 21.
  2. ^ "1994 APRA MUSIC AWARD WINNERS". APRA AMCOs. Archived from the original on 22 June 2015. Retrieved 5 July 2019.
  3. ^ "Weather With You — Neil Finn website". Neil Finn. Retrieved 22 January 2023.
  4. ^ Vink, Amy (22 March 2016). "10 songs inspired by the weather" (in German). Artiesten Nieuws. Retrieved 24 August 2017.
  5. ^ Mueller, Andrew (29 June 1991). "Albums". Melody Maker. p. 30. Retrieved 29 April 2023.
  6. ^ Paphides, Peter (18 September 1993). "Singles". Melody Maker. p. 36. Retrieved 17 June 2023.
  7. ^ Jones, Alan (23 October 1993). "Market Preview: Mainstream - Albums — Pick of the Week" (PDF). Music Week. p. 13. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
  8. ^ "Crowded House – Weather with You". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  9. ^ "Crowded House – Weather with You" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  10. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 2109." RPM. Library and Archives Canada.
  11. ^ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 9, no. 13. 28 March 1992. p. 45. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
  12. ^ "Crowded House – Weather with You" (in French). Les classement single.
  13. ^ "Crowded House – Weather with You" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 20 July 2019.
  14. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Weather with You". Irish Singles Chart.
  15. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 17, 1992" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 20 July 2019.
  16. ^ "Crowded House – Weather with You" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  17. ^ "Crowded House – Weather with You". Top 40 Singles.
  18. ^ "Crowded House – Weather with You". Swiss Singles Chart.
  19. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 20 July 2019.
  20. ^ "Jaaroverzichten 1992" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Retrieved 20 July 2019.
  21. ^ "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 1992" (in German). Retrieved 20 July 2019.
  22. ^ "Year End Charts: Top Singles". Music Week. 16 January 1993. p. 8.
  23. ^ "British single certifications – Crowded House – Weather with You". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 2 September 2022.
  24. ^ Buffett, Jimmy. "Take the Weather With You: Stories Behind the Songs". Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville. Margaritaville. Retrieved 23 August 2014.
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