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Missionary Man (song)

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"Missionary Man"
Single by Eurythmics
from the album Revenge
B-side"The Last Time" (live)
ReleasedJuly 1986
GenreRock[1]
Length4:26
LabelRCA
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)David A. Stewart
Eurythmics singles chronology
"The Miracle of Love"
(1986) 		"Missionary Man"
(1986) 		"Beethoven (I Love to Listen To)"
(1987)
Music video
"Missionary Man" on YouTube

"Missionary Man" is a song by British pop duo Eurythmics from their fifth studio album, Revenge (1986). The song features Jimmy Zavala on harmonica and Joniece Jamison on backing vocals.

In the band's native United Kingdom, it was the fourth single to be taken from the album and peaked at number 31 on the UK Singles Chart. It was more successful in the United States, where it was the first single to be taken from the album and peaked at number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 (their last main US top-20 entry to date). It also made the top 10 of the Billboard Hot Dance/Club Play chart, and it received extensive airplay on American rock radio, reaching number one on the Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart, Eurythmics' only song to top this chart. The single also peaked at number nine in Australia, where it was released as the album's second single.

"Missionary Man" earned Eurythmics a 1986 Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal.[2] The video received heavy airplay on MTV and received five nominations at the 1987 MTV Video Music Awards.

Background

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Upon the single's July 1986 US release, the song was described as being inspired in part by Lennox's 1984–1985 marriage to devout Hare Krishna Radha Raman. When discussing the song's inspiration and meaning, Lennox stated "Obviously, there is a personal meaning in [Missionary Man] for me, because of my past history. But I also think that there are a great deal of people in the media, in the form of politicians or religious speakers or philosophical people, people who are generally trying to have some power over other people, who I just don't trust."[3]

Music video

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Directed by Willy Smax,[4] the music video for "Missionary Man" features stop-animation techniques similar to those used in Peter Gabriel's "Sledgehammer" video from earlier in 1986. The video received heavy play from MTV and received five nominations at the 1987 MTV Video Music Awards.[5]

Track listings

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  • UK 7-inch single
A. "Missionary Man" (7-inch version) – 3:50
B. "The Last Time" (live at The Roxy in Los Angeles)
  • UK 12-inch single
A. "Missionary Man" (extended version) – 6:55
B. "The Last Time" (live at The Roxy in Los Angeles)
  • US 7-inch single
A. "Missionary Man" (7-inch version) – 3:50
B. "Take Your Pain Away" (LP version) – 4:37
  • US 12-inch single
A. "Missionary Man" (extended version) – 6:55
B. "Take Your Pain Away" (LP version) – 4:37

Charts

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Release history

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Release dates and formats for "Missionary Man"
Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
United States July 1986
  • 7-inch vinyl
  • 12-inch vinyl
 RCA
United Kingdom 16 February 1987 [20]

Cover versions

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References

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  1. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. Eurythmics - Greatest Hits (1991) Review at AllMusic. Retrieved February 4, 2024.
  2. ^ "Winners: Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal". Grammy.com. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
  3. ^ Van Matre, Lynn (20 July 1986). "Eurythmics: They Express Themselves Through the Way They Look". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 15 August 2019.
  4. ^ "New Video Clips". Billboard. Vol. 98, no. 27. 5 July 1986. p. 52.
  5. ^ "MTV Video Music Awards: MTV VMAs 1987". Awards and Shows. Retrieved 8 October 2021.
  6. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 105. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  7. ^ "Eurythmics – Missionary Man" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 28 February 2020.
  8. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 0728." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 28 February 2020.
  9. ^ "European Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 4, no. 11. 21 March 1987. p. 18. OCLC 29800226 – via World Radio History.
  10. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Missionary Man". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 28 February 2020.
  11. ^ "Eurythmics – Missionary Man" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 28 February 2020.
  12. ^ "Eurythmics – Missionary Man". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 28 February 2020.
  13. ^ "Eurythmics: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 9 November 2016.
  14. ^ "Eurythmics Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 28 February 2020.
  15. ^ "Eurythmics Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 28 February 2020.
  16. ^ "Eurythmics Chart History (Dance Singles Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved 3 June 2020.
  17. ^ "Eurythmics Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved 28 February 2020.
  18. ^ "Cash Box Top 100 Singles – Week ending October 18, 1986". Cash Box. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
  19. ^ "Top 100 Singles of '86". RPM. Vol. 45, no. 14. 27 December 1986. p. 5. ISSN 0033-7064 – via Library and Archives Canada.
  20. ^ "New Singles". Music Week. 14 February 1987. p. 11.
  21. ^ "New Ghost Ep 'Popestar' Due This Friday; Listen To 'Square Hammer' Song". Blabbermouth.net. 12 September 2016. Retrieved 12 September 2016.
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