Hammerhead (James Reyne song)

"Hammerhead"
CD single cover
Single by James Reyne
from the album James Reyne
A-side"Hammerhead"
B-side"Coin in a Plate” / "Burning Wood"
ReleasedSeptember 1987
GenrePop/Rock
LabelCapitol Records
Songwriter(s)James Reyne, Simon Hussey
Producer(s)Davitt Sigerson, John Hudson
James Reyne singles chronology
"Fall of Rome"
(1987)
"Hammerhead"
(1987)
"Rip it Up"
(1987)

"Hammerhead" is the second single from Australian rock musician James Reyne’s debut self-titled solo studio album, released in 1987. The track featured uncredited backing vocals by Olivia Newton-John.[1]

Reyne reflected on the song saying: ""Hammerhead" was not necessarily about me, but let's say I thought I knew what I was talking about. I wrote it with Simon Hussey; the music Simon and I wrote together and I wrote the lyrics. From memory it seemed to come quite easily. I shouldn't make too much about the fact that it's about drugs. It can be taken many ways. It was an exercise in trying to write a song about that subject but to also make it that it could be about a relationship. It's a song about a relationship. And whether that relationship is with a substance or a person, it's an obsessive relationship".[2]

Track listings

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CD / Cassette Single
  1. "Hammerhead" - 4:46
  2. "Coin in a Plate" - 4:14
7" Promo Single
  1. "Hammerhead" (7" Edit) - 4:19
  2. "Burning Wood" - 2:43

Charts

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Weekly charts

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Chart (1987) Peak
position
Australia (Australian Music Report)[3] 8

Year-end charts

[edit]
Chart (1987) Position
Australia (Australian Music Report)[4] 71
[edit]
  • "James Reyne –"Hammerhead"". discogs.com. Retrieved 4 March 2016.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "James Reyne - Hammerhead". www.discogs.com. Retrieved 4 March 2016.
  2. ^ "SONGWRITERS SPEAK". www.debbiekruger.com. Retrieved 4 March 2016.
  3. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (Illustrated ed.). St. Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 250. ISBN 0-646-11917-6. N.B. the Kent Report chart was licensed by ARIA between mid–1983 and 12 June 1988.
  4. ^ "Kent Music Report No 701 – 28 December 1987 > National Top 100 Singles for 1987". Australian Music Report, via Imgur.com. Retrieved 12 December 2019.