Shadowplay (song)#The Killers version
{{short description|Song by Joy Division}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2025}}{{Infobox song
| name = Shadowplay
| cover =
| alt =
| type =
| artist = Joy Division
| album = Unknown Pleasures
| released = 15 June 1979
| recorded = 1–17 April 1979
| studio = Strawberry, Stockport
| venue =
| genre = * Gothic rock
| length = 3:55
| label = Factory
| writer = * Bernard Sumner
- Peter Hook
- Stephen Morris
- Ian Curtis[http://www.ascap.com/ace/search.cfm?requesttimeout=300&mode=results&searchstr=490962966&search_in=i&search_type=exact&search_det=t,s,w,p,b,v&results_pp=30&start=1 Ascap entry]
| producer = Martin Hannett, Joy Division
| misc = {{Audio sample
| type = song
| file =
}}
{{External music video|{{YouTube|juD4ayBbHdY|"Shadowplay"}}
| type = song
}}
}}
"Shadowplay" is a song by the English rock band Joy Division. The song appeared on their debut studio album, Unknown Pleasures, released on 15 June 1979. Previously, Joy Division played "Shadowplay" live on their first television appearance on Granada TV in September 1978.
Lyrics
Early recordings of the lyrics on the Warsaw album show the first line of the song as saying "To the centre of the city where all roads meet looking for you". In later recordings the word looking is replaced with waiting.{{citation needed|date=November 2022}}
The Killers version
{{Infobox song
| name = Shadowplay
| cover = Shadowplay (The Killers song) cover.jpg
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = The Killers
| album = Sawdust
| released = 9 October 2007 (U.S.)
| recorded =
| studio =
| venue =
| genre = Electronic rock, gothic rock
| length = 4:09
| label = *Island
| writer = * Bernard Sumner
| producer = The Killers
| prev_title = For Reasons Unknown
| prev_year = 2007
| next_title = Tranquilize
| next_year = 2007
}}
American rock band the Killers recorded a version of "Shadowplay" for the 2007 film Control, based on the life of Joy Division's lead singer Ian Curtis.[http://www.nme.com/news/joy-division/25825 NME, "The Killers cover Shadowplay" (15 Jan 2007)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070805010901/http://www.nme.com/news/joy-division/25825 |date=5 August 2007 }} Access date: 2 August 2007. This version plays during the film's credits and was included on the soundtrack album. The song became a live staple for the band's 2006-2007 Sam's Town Tour.{{cite web|url=http://www.setlist.fm/setlist/the-killers/2007/estadio-velez-sarsfield-buenos-aires-argentina-5bd6a7e0.html |title=The Killers: Concert Setlist |publisher=setlist.fm |date=2007-11-02 |accessdate=2017-06-05}}
The band's recording of "Shadowplay" was also included on the group's B-sides and rarities album, Sawdust. Rolling Stone magazine said the recording "should have stayed in the vaults".Hoard, Christian (11/29/2007), "Sawdust". Rolling Stone. (1040):84 In April 2013, the Killers were joined onstage by Joy Division and New Order guitarist Bernard Sumner for the first time to perform this song live at Festival Estéreo Picnic in Bogotá, Colombia. They did so once again in 2013 at Lollapalooza.
The Killers version of "Shadowplay" was released as a digital download single on 9 October 2007 and peaked at #68 on the Billboard Hot 100. A music video, directed by Spencer Kaplan and Jonathan V. Sela, was released on 21 November 2007, featuring the band interspersed with clips from Control.
=Charts=
| class="wikitable"
!Chart (2007) !Peak |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100[http://acharts.us/song/28915 "The Killers - Shadowplay worldwide chart positions and trajectories"]. aCharts.us. Retrieved October 26, 2007.
|align="center"|68 |
| U.S. Billboard Pop 100
|align="center"|43 |
| U.S. Billboard Modern Rock Tracks
|align="center"|19 |
| Canadian Hot 100
|align="center"|49 |
| {{single chart|Billboardcanadarock|27|artist=The Killers|accessdate=June 6, 2020}} |
| UK Singles Chart
|align="center"|115 |
Certifications
{{Certification Table Top|caption=Certifications for "Shadowplay"}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Brazil|type=single|award=Gold|relyear=2007|certyear=2024|artist=The Killers|title=Shadowplay|access-date=3 June 2024}}
{{Certification Table Bottom|streaming=true|noshipments=true|nosales=true}}
References
{{reflist}}
{{Joy Division}}
{{The Killers}}
Category:Silversun Pickups songs
Category:Songs written by Bernard Sumner
Category:Songs written by Peter Hook
Category:Songs written by Stephen Morris (musician)
Category:Songs written by Ian Curtis
Category:Black-and-white music videos