Wish You Were Here (Rednex song)

"Wish You Were Here" is a song by Swedish band Rednex from their first album, Sex & Violins (1995). Written by Teijo Agélii-Leskelä and produced by Denniz Pop and Max Martin, the ballad is performed by lead singer Annika Ljungberg and was released as the third single of the album in April 1995. It became a number-one hit in Austria, Germany, Norway, and Switzerland. In Austria, it was the most successful single of 1995. Additionally, the song reached number two in Iceland, number three in Sweden, and number six in Finland. On the Eurochart Hot 100, it peaked at number five.

"Wish You Were Here"
Single by Rednex
from the album Sex & Violins
B-side"Hittin' the Hay"
Released10 April 1995 (1995-04-10)[1]
Length4:00
LabelZYX Music
Songwriter(s)Teijo Agélii-Leskelä
Producer(s)
Rednex singles chronology
"Old Pop in an Oak"
(1995)		 "Wish You Were Here"
(1995)		 "Wild 'N Free"
(1995)
Music video
"Wish You Were Here" on YouTube

Critical reception

American magazine Billboard complimented "Wish You Were Here" as a "surprisingly sincere ballad".[2] J.D. Considine from The Daily Gazette described it as a "unexpectedly ABBA-esque"[3] and "melancholy ballad".[4] Chuck Campbell from Knoxville News Sentinel called it a "leaden ballad".[5] Howard Cohen for The Miami Herald viewed it as one of "a few melodramatic instances" on the Sex & Violins album.[6] Pan-European magazine Music & Media remarked that it focuses on a totally different side by the band, adding, "It's a ballad, sung with lots of Dolly-patented vibrato and pathos."[7] David Nagy from Red Deer Advocate wrote, "Just when the hillbilly party gets going, the band throws a contemporary pop ballad at you, and thoughts of ABBA come to mind."[8]

Chart performance

"Wish You Were Here" made an impact on the charts in Europe, becoming a successful hit in several countries. The song went to number-one in Austria, Germany, Norway and Switzerland. It entered the top 5 also in Iceland (2) and Sweden (3), as well as on the Eurochart Hot 100, where it peaked at number five in July 1995. Additionally, "Wish You Were Here" was a top 10 hit in Denmark (10) and Finland (6), and a top 30 hit in Belgium (24) and the Netherlands (26). In Austria, it was the most successful single of 1995, while in both Germany and Switzerland, it was the third most successful single of 1995.

The song was awarded with a gold record in Austria and Switzerland, with a sale of 25,000, and a platinum record in Germany and Norway, where the single sold 500,000 (in Germany).

Music video

The accompanying music video for "Wish You Were Here" was directed by Matt Broadley.[9] It shows a woman, played by lead singer Annika Ljungberg, sitting in a meadow, singing to her man, a soldier who has been killed in a war. Other times we see the male band members dressed like soldiers, on a battlefield. They are shooting at each other and some of them being shot. In between, romantic flashbacks between the woman and the man takes us back to happier days. In the end, the woman walks through the battlefield at night with a torch in her hand. She watches and sings to the dead soldiers, lying on the ground. The video has a sepia tone.[10] It was later published on Rednex' official YouTube channel in 2013, and had generated more than 13 million views as of February 2023.[10]

Other Versions

Blackmore's Night, the band formed by Rainbow guitarist Ritchie Blackmore (formerly of Deep Purple) and his wife Candice Night, recorded a rendition on their 1997 debut album Shadow of the Moon.

Track listings

Charts

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Austria (IFPI Austria)[30] Gold 25,000*
Germany (BVMI)[31] Platinum 500,000^
Norway (IFPI Norway)[32] Platinum  
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[33] Gold 25,000^

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Cover versions

References
  1. "Rednex – Wish You Were Here". Singles Top 100.
  2. "Billboard: Album Reviews" (PDF). Billboard. 13 May 1995. p. 76. Retrieved 2 March 2020.
  3. "Record Releases: 'Sex & Violins' Rednex". The Daily Gazette. 11 June 1995. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
  4. Considine, J.D. (16 October 1995). "Beyond Abba: Sweden Is One Of Europe's Hottest Pop Scenes". Montreal Gazette.
  5. Campbell, Chuck (12 May 1995). "America Opens Up To Unusual Rednex". Knoxville News Sentinel.
  6. Cohen, Howard (31 May 1995). "Rednex album OK as a novelty, but music annoys after a while". p. 2E. The Miami Herald.
  7. "New Releases: Albums" (PDF). Music & Media. 18 March 1995. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
  8. Nagy, David (8 April 1995). "Sex & Violins – Rednex". p. C5. Red Deer Advocate.
  9. "Credits - Matt Broadley". mattbroadley.com. Retrieved 29 January 2017.
  10. "Rednex - Wish You Were Here (Official Music Video) [HD] - RednexMusic com". YouTube. Retrieved 24 November 2019.
  11. "Rednex – Wish You Were Here" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  12. "Rednex – Wish You Were Here" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  13. "Rednex – Wish You Were Here" (in French). Ultratop 50.
  14. "Top National Sellers" (PDF). Music & Media. p. 22. Retrieved 28 February 2018.
  15. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. 22 July 1995. p. 12.
  16. Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Tammi. ISBN 978-951-1-21053-5.
  17. "Rednex – Wish You Were Here" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts.
  18. "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (04.11.1995-10.11.1995)" (PDF). Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). 4 November 1995. p. 26. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
  19. "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 24, 1995" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 18 June 2019.
  20. "Rednex – Wish You Were Here" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  21. "Rednex – Wish You Were Here". VG-lista.
  22. "Rednex – Wish You Were Here". Swiss Singles Chart.
  23. "Jahreshitparade Singles 1995" (in German). Retrieved 18 June 2019.
  24. "1995 Year-End Sales Charts: Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 12, no. 51/52. p. 14. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
  25. "Top 100 Singles – Jahrescharts 1995" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 18 June 2019.
  26. "Árslistinn 1995". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). 2 January 1996. p. 16. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
  27. "Jaarlijsten 1995" (in Dutch). Stichting Nederlandse Top 40. Retrieved 3 December 2019.
  28. "Årslista Singlar, 1995" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
  29. "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 1995" (in German). Retrieved 18 June 2019.
  30. "Austrian single certifications – Rednex – Wish You Were Here" (in German). IFPI Austria. Retrieved 18 June 2019.
  31. "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Rednex; 'Wish You Were Here')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved 18 June 2019.
  32. "IFPI Norsk platebransje Trofeer 1993–2011" (in Norwegian). IFPI Norway. Retrieved 18 June 2019.
  33. "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards (Rednex; 'Wish You Were Here')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien. Retrieved 18 June 2019.
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