Sunset Strip (song)
{{for|the Ray Stevens song|Unreal!!!}}
{{refimprove|date=June 2016}}
{{Infobox song
| name = Sunset Strip
| cover = Sunset Strip Roger Waters UK.jpg
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = Roger Waters
| album = Radio K.A.O.S.
| B-side = {{ubl|"The Tide Is Turning"|"Money" (Live)|"Get Back to Radio (Demo)"}}
| released = {{Start date|1987|9|12|df=y}}
| recorded = 1986
| studio = Billiard Room (London)
| venue =
| genre =
| length = 4:45 (Album Version)
4:06 (Single Version)
| label = Columbia/CBS (US)
EMI (UK)
| writer = Roger Waters
| producer = * Roger Waters
- Ian Ritchie
- Nick Griffiths
| prev_title = Radio Waves
| prev_year = 1987
| next_title = The Tide Is Turning
| next_year = 1987
| misc = {{Extra album cover
| header = Alternative covers
| type = singles
| cover = Sunset Strip Roger Waters US.jpg
| border =
| alt =
| caption = American single cover
}}
{{External music video|{{YouTube|cHWszLC8CNE|"Sunset Strip"}}}}
}}
"Sunset Strip" is a song written by the English musician and singer-songwriter Roger Waters for his second studio album, Radio K.A.O.S. (1987). It was placed as the fifth track on the record. It was also released as the album's second single, in September 1987.
Background
Billy is a young man with a disability. He uses a wheelchair and is thought to be incapable of speech. However, Billy is highly intelligent and gifted, and can hear radio waves in his head. He begins to explore the cordless phone, recognising its similarity to a radio. He experiments with a phone which his brother, Benny, now in prison, hid in his wheelchair after burgling an electronics shop. Through it Billy is able to access computers and speech synthesisers and learns to speak through them. He calls a radio station in Los Angeles named "Radio KAOS" and tells the disc jockey (DJ) of his life story. "Sunset Strip" is about Billy's sister-in-law, Molly not being able to cope and sending him to L.A. to live with his uncle Dave. During the song Billy expresses his longing for home and the song mentions various things associated with Wales, such as the Red Dragon, male voice choirs, the land of his fathers and the Black Fields.
Track listings
{{Track listing
| headline = 12" single
| title1 = Sunset Strip
| length1 = 4:06
| title2 = Money (Live)
| length2 = 6:28
| title3 = Get Back to Radio (Demo)
| length3 = 4:46
}}
{{Track listing
| headline = US, Europe and Australian 7" single
| title1 = Sunset Strip
| length1 = 4:06
| title2 = Money (Live)
| length2 = 6:28
}}
{{Track listing
| headline = South African 7" single
| title1 = Sunset Strip
| length1 = 4:06
| title2 = The Tide Is Turning (After Live Aid)
| length2 = 5:43
}}
Charts
| class="wikitable" |
| Chart (1987)
! Peak |
|---|
| US Mainstream Rock Songs (Billboard){{cite magazine|url={{BillboardURLbyName|artist=roger waters|chart=all}}| title=Roger Waters - Sunset Strip | magazine=Billboard| accessdate=31 May 2012}}
| style="text-align:center;"| 15 |
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{discogs master|50033|type=single}}
- Roger Waters [http://www.roger-waters.com/ official website]
{{Roger Waters}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sunset Strip (Song)}}