"Sunset Grill" is a song by American rock musician Don Henley from his second solo studio album Building the Perfect Beast (1984). The song peaked at number 7 on the Billboard Top Rock Tracks chart in January 1985.[1] Released as the fourth single from the album in August 1985, it peaked at number 22 on the Billboard Hot 100 in October 1985.[2]
| "Sunset Grill" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Don Henley | ||||
| from the album Building the Perfect Beast | ||||
| B-side | "Man with a Mission" | |||
| Released | August 1985 | |||
| Recorded | 1983–1984 | |||
| Genre | Rock | |||
| Length | 6:29 (album version) 4:26 (radio edit) | |||
| Label | Geffen | |||
| Songwriter(s) | ||||
| Producer(s) |
| |||
| Don Henley singles chronology | ||||
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History edit
Patty Smyth sings harmony vocals on this song, while Pino Palladino plays fretless bass. Randy Newman arranged the synthesizer programming for the song.[3]
The title and lyrics of the song reference the Sunset Grill, a hamburger restaurant on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles, California.[4]
Critical reception edit
Billboard said that the "deliberate rock beat and dense synths build an effective mood of aimless discontent."[5] Cashbox said that "this melancholy and dynamic track is orchestrated beautifully and Henley's vocals are right on."[6]
Personnel edit
- Don Henley – lead vocals
- Michael Boddicker – synthesizers, E-mu Emulator
- Benmont Tench – synthesizers
- David Paich – acoustic piano solo
- Danny Kortchmar – guitars, guitar synthesizer solo, horns solo
- Pino Palladino – fretless bass
- Patty Smyth – harmony vocals
- Synthesizer arrangements by Michael Boddicker, Don Henley, Danny Kortchmar, Benmont Tench and Randy Newman.
- Horns arrangements by Jerry Hey
Chart performance edit
| Chart (1985) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian (Kent Music Report) | 98[7] |
| Canada RPM Top Singles | 52 |
| Canada RPM Adult Contemporary | 3 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 22 |
| U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary | 18 |
| U.S. Billboard Top Rock Tracks | 7 |
| U.S. Cash Box Top 100 [8] | 20 |
References edit
- ^ Whitburn, Joel. Rock Tracks (2002): 69
- ^ Whitburn, Joel. Top Pop Singles 1955–1996 (1997): 274
- ^ Fremer, Michael (May 1, 2009). "Don Henley Finds His Thrill at The Sunset Grill".
- ^ Willman, Chris "The Sunset Grill is a Place to Sing About" Los Angeles Times January 2, 1986
- ^ "Reviews". Billboard. August 31, 1985. p. 82. Retrieved 2022-08-01.
- ^ "Single Releases" (PDF). Cashbox. August 31, 1985. p. 9. Retrieved 2022-08-01.
- ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 137. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ^ Cash Box Top 100 Singles, October 26, 1985
External links edit
- "Sunset Grill" at Discogs (list of releases)
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