Runner (song)

1981 single by Ian Thomas

This article is about the 1981 song. For other songs with the same title, see Runner (disambiguation) § Music.

"Runner"

Single by Manfred Mann's Earth Band
from the album  Somewhere in Afrika
B-side| "No Transkei"
Released| 1984
Recorded| 1981–82
Studio| Mastersounds Underhill Studio, London
Genre|

* Progressive rock
* Soft rock
* Pop rock

Length| 4:40
Label| Bronze (UK original release)
Cohesion (UK 1999 reissue)
Arista (U.S.)
Songwriter(s)| Ian Thomas
Producer(s)| Manfred Mann
Manfred Mann's Earth Band singles chronology
| "Demolition Man"
(1983)  | "Runner"
(1984)  | "Do Anything You Wanna Do"
(1986)

|
|

"The Runner", also called simply "Runner", is a song written by Canadian rock musician Ian Thomas and released in 1981 on his album of the same name. Inspired by the story of Terry Fox, "The Runner" was covered by French singer Sheila later that year, but its most famous rendition was recorded by Manfred Mann's Earth Band, a British band known for making hits of reworked cover songs, and released as a single in 1984, shortly before that year's Summer Olympics. The timing of the Manfred Mann's Earth Band version made it a success, and it reached number 22 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States.

## Ian Thomas's version

[edit]

Ian Thomas is a Canadian singer, songwriter and musician, whose songs have been successfully covered by several other artists.

Thomas was inspired to write "The Runner" by the story of Terry Fox, a Canadian athlete who lost a leg to cancer and attempted to run with his prosthetic leg from the East Coast of Canada in Newfoundland and Labrador to the West Coast in British Columbia, but was forced to stop in Ontario due to medical concerns when cancer had been discovered in both of his lungs. Fox died in 1981. Thomas said that in making the song he "wanted to capture that gallantry, the importance of passing on the flame".

His version was included in The Terry Fox Story, a 1983 docudrama about Fox.[1]

## Manfred Mann's Earth Band version

[edit]

The timing on the Manfred Mann's Earth Band version was especially good, as it came out right before the 1984 Summer Olympics held in Los Angeles, prompting especially heavy play. Trevor Rabin, at that time the guitarist of the progressive rock band Yes, played the guitar solo on this track.

The video for this version, directed by Lindsey Clennell, received heavy airplay on MTV. In it, the band performs near a campfire at night (shot on a soundstage), interspersed with video of runners racing or carrying the Olympic flame, much of which was footage shot for the previous Summer Olympics in 1972 and 1976. A 12-second sequence focused on American sprinter Robert Taylor, along with other parts from the 100 metres in Munich.[2]

This version of the song was used in the movie The Philadelphia Experiment (1984).

The song was included on the American release of their album Somewhere in Afrika (1984). With the 1998 series of remastered reissues, the song was instead appended to the reissue of Criminal Tango. It was also included on the compilations The Best of Manfred Mann's Earth Band Re-Mastered, Odds & Sods – Mis-takes & Out-takes, the Leftovers disc of the 40th Anniversary box set and the deluxe edition of Mannthology.

The single edit (which fades early) is rarer on CD, having only been reissued on The Complete Greatest Hits of Manfred Mann and the 50th anniversary release Mannthology.

### Track listing

[edit]

* 7" single

A. "Runner" (7" version) – 3:50
B. "No Transkei" 2:35

* 12" single

A. "Runner" (12" version) – 4:40
B. "No Transkei" 2:35
C. "Lies (Through the 80s)" 4:34

Both B-sides are taken from the Budapest Live concerts, although "No Transkei" (re-titled second part of the "Africa Suite") was originally only available on the cassette of the album. US releases retained the title "Where Do They Send Them", which had already been used on the Budapest Live cassette. [3] (The studio recording was called "To Bantustan?")

Chart (1983-84)  | Peak
position

|

Canada RPM | 34
U.S. Billboard Hot 100[4] | 22

### Personnel

[edit]

#### Musicians

[edit]

* Manfred Mann – keyboards, synthesizers
* John Lingwood – drums, percussion
* Chris Thompson – vocals
* Matt Irving – bass, programming (MC4)
* Mick Rogers – backup vocals
* Trevor Rabin – guitar solo

#### Technical

[edit]

* Manfred Mann – producer
* Lars Finnstrom – engineer
* Terry Medhurst – engineer

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Rock musician Ian Thomas' A Life in Song goes to the symphony Archived 2019-01-17 at the Wayback Machine
2. ^ Manfred Mann's Earth Band Archived 2019-01-17 at the Wayback Machine
3. ^ "Manfred Mann's Earth Band – Runner (1984, Vinyl)". Discogs. 1984. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
4. ^ Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-1990 \- ISBN 0-89820-089-X

* v
* t
* e

Manfred Mann's Earth Band

* Manfred Mann
* Mick Rogers
* Robert Hart
* John Lingwood
* Steve Kinch

* Chris Thompson
* Steve Waller
* Chris Slade
* Colin Pattenden
* Pat King
* Jimmy Copley
* Clive Bunker
* Dave Flett
* Matt Irving
* Shona Laing
* Richard Marcangelo
* Geoff Britton
* Noel McCalla
* John Trotter
* Geoff Dunn
* Pete May

Studio albums|

* Manfred Mann's Earth Band (1972)
* Glorified Magnified (1972)
* Messin' (Get Your Rocks Off) (1973)
* Solar Fire (1973)
* The Good Earth (1974)
* Nightingales and Bombers (1975)
* The Roaring Silence (1976)
* Watch (1978)
* Angel Station (1979)
* Chance (1980)
* Somewhere in Afrika (1982)
* Criminal Tango (1986)
* Masque (1987)
* Plains Music (1991)
* Soft Vengeance (1996)
* 2006 (2004)
* Lone Arranger (2014)

Live albums|

* Budapest Live (1984)
* Mann Alive (1998)

Compilations|

* Blinded by the Light: The Very Best of Manfred Mann's Earth Band (1992)
* The Best of Manfred Mann's Earth Band Re-Mastered (1999)
* The Best of Manfred Mann's Earth Band Re-Mastered Volume II (2001)
* Odds & Sods – Mis-takes & Out-takes (2005)

Songs|

* "I'll Be Gone" (1974)
* "Spirits in the Night" (1975)
* "Blinded by the Light" (1976)
* "Mighty Quinn" (1978)
* "Davy's on the Road Again" (1978)
* "Don't Kill It Carol" (1979)
* "For You" (1981)
* "Redemption Song" (1983)
* "Runner" (1984)

Related articles|

* Discography
* Manfred Mann
* Manfred Mann Chapter Three
* The Manfreds

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