Werewolves of London
| "Werewolves of London" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Warren Zevon | ||||
| from the album Excitable Boy | ||||
| B-side | "Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner" | |||
| Released | 1978 | |||
| Format | 7" single | |||
| Recorded | 1977 | |||
| Genre | Rock | |||
| Length | 3:27 | |||
| Label | Asylum Records | |||
| Writer(s) | LeRoy Marinell, Waddy Wachtel, Warren Zevon | |||
| Producer(s) | Jackson Browne, Waddy Wachtel | |||
| Warren Zevon singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"Werewolves of London" is a rock song composed by LeRoy Marinell, Waddy Wachtel, and Warren Zevon and performed by Zevon. Included on Zevon's 1978 album Excitable Boy, it featured accompaniment by drummer Mick Fleetwood and bassist John McVie of Fleetwood Mac. The single was released by Asylum Records as catalog number 45472. It entered the American Top 40 charts on April 22, 1978, reaching number 21, and remained in the Top 40 for six weeks.
According to Wachtel, "Werewolves of London" was "the hardest song to get down in the studio I've ever worked on."[1] However, Wachtel "laid down his solo in one take, before he'd even had a chance to partake of the bump of coke and drink he'd placed in front of him."[2] According to Jackson Browne (who was the producer for the recording), "Werewolves of London" along with "Excitable Boy" were written while work was being done on the album that preceded Excitable Boy but were not included on that album in favor of other songs.[3] The song is in the key of G major, with a three-chord progression that runs throughout.[4]
Other versions
- Magnolia Electric Co. covered the song on the 2005 EP, Hard To Love A Man.[5]
- Masha covered the song for a Three Olives Vodka campaign.[6]
- In 2006, Jimmy Buffett recorded the song for the soundtrack of Hoot.
- in 1988 David Lindley and El Rayo-X covered the song on their 1988 album Very Greasy.
Personnel
Reception
BBC Radio 2 listeners rated it as having the best opening line in a song.[7]
References
- ↑ Zevon, Crystal. I'll Sleep When I'm Dead: The Dirty Life and Times of Warren Zevon, p. 138.
- ↑ Browne, David (April 12, 2013). "The Knights of Soft Rock". Rolling Stone (1180): 58.
- ↑ Zevon, Crystal. I'll Sleep When I'm Dead: The Dirty Life and Times of Warren Zevon, p. 112.
- ↑ Stephenson, Ken (2002). What to Listen for in Rock: A Stylistic Analysis, pp. 45–46. ISBN 978-0-300-09239-4.
- ↑ "Magnolia Electric Co. - Hard To Love A Man (CD) at Discogs". Discogs.com. 2005-11-10. Retrieved 2014-05-23.
- ↑ "AdWeek - Ad of the Day: Masha Sings a Sultry Remake of 'Werewolves of London' for Three Olives Vodka". adweek.com. 2014-12-04. Retrieved 2014-12-04.
- ↑ Vine, Jeremy (May 2004). "Greatest Opening Song Line – The Winner!". BBC Radio 2. Archived from the original on 8 December 2013. Retrieved 22 October 2014.