"Flower of the West" is a 1991 single released by Scottish celtic rock band Runrig, released as the lead and only single from their seventh studio album The Big Wheel (1991). The single was released on 28 October 1991 and was released by Chrysalis.[1] Upon its release, "Flower of the West" became the highest-charting entry for the band on the UK Singles Charts, following its peak at number forty-three.[2]

"Flower of the West"
Single by Runrig
from the album The Big Wheel
B-side"Ravenscaig"
Released28 October 1991
StudioCastlesound Studios, Edinburgh, Scotland
LabelChrysalis – CHS 3451
Producer(s)Chris Harley
Runrig singles chronology
"Every River"
(1989)
"Flower of the West"
(1991)
"Wonderful"
(1993)

Background

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"Flower of the West" features an "intensely emotional evocation of a micro-historical landscape" as described by the National Museums Scotland.[3] AllMusic said that "Flower of the West concludes The Big Wheel in typical grandiose Runrig fashion".[4]

Commercial performance

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The release of "Flower of the West" brought Runrig the closest they had been to entering the UK Top 40 Singles Charts, after the song debuted at number forty-three in the United Kingdom. It spent a total of two weeks within the UK Top 100 Singles Charts, falling to number forty-seven in its second and final week, before falling out of the UK Top 100.[5]

Track listing

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CD, EP, single (UK)

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  1. "Flower of the West" – 4:55
  2. "Ravenscraig" – 4:30
  3. "Chi Mi'n Geamhradh" (featuring Karen Matheson) – 4:12
  4. "Harvest Moon" (Live at Loch Lomond)

Vinyl, 7", 45 RPM, single (Germany)

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  1. "Flower of the West" – 4:55
  2. "Chi Mi'n Geamhradh" (featuring Karen Matheson) – 4:12

Chart performance

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Chart (1991) Peak
position
UK Singles (OCC)[6] 43

References

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  1. ^ "Music Week - 2 November 1991" (PDF). Musicweek. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
  2. ^ "RUNRIG". Official Charts. 8 January 1983. Retrieved 1 September 2024.
  3. ^ "Music, Land and People: Runrig and Highland History". National Museums Scotland Blog. 28 July 2019. Retrieved 1 September 2024.
  4. ^ "The Big Wheel - Runrig | Album | AllMusic". AllMusic.com. Retrieved 1 September 2024.
  5. ^ "RUNRIG". Official Charts. 8 January 1983. Retrieved 1 September 2024.
  6. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.