"Yellow River"
Single by Christie
from the album Christie
B-side"Down the Mississippi Line"
Released23 April 1970 (1970-04-23)
GenrePop rock
Length2:44
LabelCBS (UK) Epic (US)
Songwriter(s)Jeff Christie
Producer(s)Mike Smith
Christie singles chronology
"Yellow River"
(1970) 		"San Bernadino"
(1970)
Alternative cover
Music video
"Yellow River" on YouTube

"Yellow River" is a song recorded by the British band Christie. It was released in 1970 and became a No. 1 hit song for the band in the UK.[1]

Background

The song was written by the leader of Christie, Jeff Christie. It was first offered to The Tremeloes, who recorded it with the intention of releasing it as a single early in 1970. However, after the success of their then most recent single, "(Call Me) Number One", and after considering it too pop-oriented for their future direction, they decided to follow it up with another of their own compositions, "By the Way", which was only a minor Top 40 success.[citation needed]

Producer Mike Smith therefore took their vocals off the recording and added Jeff Christie's. Released on 23 April 1970, it became an international hit, reaching number one on the UK Singles Chart for one week in June 1970. In the US, it reached number 23 on the Billboard Hot 100.[2]

The actual location of Yellow River in this song is not specified, although the author, Jeff Christie, is on record as saying that it was inspired by the idea of a soldier going home at the end of the American Civil War.[3] As the song was released during the Vietnam War, it has been interpreted as being about a soldier leaving the U.S. Military at the end of his period of conscription.

Chart performance

Other versions

"Yellow River" has spawned a host of cover versions by artists as diverse as R.E.M., Leapy Lee, Elton John, The Compton Brothers, Middle of the Road, Chris Rea, Bernd Spier, Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver, Mayada, and Joe Dassin (his cover named "L'Amérique" reached No. 1 in France).[13]

In Australia, Christie's version of Yellow River gained only limited airplay due to the 1970 radio ban. Local bands Jigsaw from Melbourne and Autumn from Sydney both had success with cover versions.[14]

In the USSR, the band Singing Guitars (Поющие гитары) used the melody of "Yellow River" paired with the words to a Russian children's song called "Fat Karlsson" ("Толстый Карлсон").[15]

See also

References

  1. ^ Pingitore, Silvia (1 November 2020). "50 years from Yellow River: interview with Jeff Christie". Retrieved 30 June 2023.
  2. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits: Eighth Edition. Record Research. p. 126.
  3. ^ Youtube recording of interview, copyright to Nederlandse Programma Stichting, 2003, uploaded to Jeff Christie's Youtube channel, 4 February 2011 |https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyza1A00AxA&t=1m46s
  4. ^ "Cash Box - International Best Sellers" (PDF). Cash Box. 26 September 1970. p. 50. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  5. ^ a b Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970-1992. St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  6. ^ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. 16 September 1971. Retrieved 15 April 2019.
  7. ^ "Billboard "Hits of the World"". 23 January 1971. p. 65. Retrieved 7 September 2022.
  8. ^ "De Nederlandse Top 40, week 26, 1970". Retrieved 3 March 2008.
  9. ^ Flavour of New Zealand, 14 September 1970
  10. ^ "Top 100 Single-Jahrescharts 1970" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  11. ^ "All the Number One Singles: 1970". The Official Charts Company. Retrieved 16 June 2012.
  12. ^ Whitburn, Joel (1999). Pop Annual. Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. ISBN 0-89820-142-X.
  13. ^ "Charts singles Top 50 en France: TOP 100 ANNUEL 1970".
  14. ^ "Yellow River - Autumn". PopArchives.com.au. Retrieved 19 March 2010.
  15. ^ "Текст песни "Толстый Карлсон" поэта Ильи Резника". 13 March 2018.
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