Christian (song)

1983 single by China Crisis

"Christian"

Single by China Crisis
from the album  Difficult Shapes & Passive Rhythms, Some People Think It's Fun to Entertain
Released| 3 January 1983 (1983-01-03)
Studio| Strawberry South (Dorking)
Genre|

* New wave[1]
* ambient[1]

Length| 5:37
Label| Virgin
Songwriter(s)|

* Gary Daly
* Eddie Lundon
* David Reilly

Producer(s)| Peter Walsh
China Crisis singles chronology
| "No More Blue Horizons (Fool, Fool, Fool)"
(1982)  | "Christian"
(1983)  | "Tragedy and Mystery"
(1983)

|
|

"Christian" is a song by the English new wave band China Crisis. It was released as a single from their debut studio album Difficult Shapes & Passive Rhythms, Some People Think It's Fun to Entertain (1982) and was the band's first major success on the UK Singles Chart, peaking at number 12 in February 1983.

The track features an unusual sliding bassline, and although played live by the band bassist Gary Johnson on many occasions, the bass in the original recording was played on a fretless bass by Landscape bassist Andy Pask, who also co-wrote the theme from The Bill.[2]

The lyrics of the song was inspired by images from World War I that lead vocalist and keyboardist Gary Daly had seen, while the title "Christian" was added when recording the song:

> "The actual 'Christian' of the title was the name of a little boy, who was friends with a nephew of mine… I'd never heard of anyone having that name. And when recording the track in Strawberry South, Dorking with Pete Walsh producing, we had nothing happening in the middle eight. Pete asked if we had any ideas and I would have just sang "Christian" at the point where the music changes and it worked beautifully."

— Gary Daly, 2020

[3]

## Track listing

[edit]

### 7": Virgin / VS 562 (UK)

[edit]

Side one

1. "Christian" – 4.10

Side two

1. "Greenacre Bay" – 3.51
2. "Performing Seals" – 2.45

### 12": Virgin / VS 562-12 (UK)

[edit]

Side one

1. "Christian" – 5.55

Side two

1. "Greenacre Bay" – 4.17
2. "Performing Seals" – 2.45

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b Gibbs, Ryan (November 15, 2022). "An introduction to Sophisti-pop". In Between Drafts. Retrieved October 12, 2024.
2. ^ "CHINA CRISIS | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". Officialcharts.com. 2016-01-04. Retrieved 2016-04-06.
3. ^ China Cris Interview The Electricity Club February 22, 2020

## External links

[edit]

* "Christian" at Discogs (list of releases)

* v
* t
* e

China Crisis

* Gary Daly
* Eddie Lundon

* Dave Reilly
* Gazza Johnson
* Kevin Wilkinson
* Walter Becker
* Brian McNeill

Studio albums|

* Difficult Shapes & Passive Rhythms, Some People Think It's Fun to Entertain
* Working with Fire and Steel – Possible Pop Songs Volume Two
* Flaunt the Imperfection
* What Price Paradise
* Diary of a Hollow Horse

Singles|

* "African and White"
* "No More Blue Horizons (Fool, Fool, Fool)"
* "Christian"
* "Tragedy and Mystery"
* "Working with Fire and Steel"
* "Wishful Thinking"
* "Hanna Hanna"
* "Black Man Ray"
* "King in a Catholic Style"
* "You Did Cut Me"

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