Pray (Take That song)

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

"Pray"
Single by Take That
from the album Everything Changes
Released5 July 1993 (1993-07-05)[1]
Length3:44
Label
Songwriter(s)Gary Barlow
Producer(s)
  • Steve Jervier
  • Paul Jervier
  • Jonathan Wales
Take That singles chronology
"Why Can't I Wake Up with You"
(1993) 		"Pray"
(1993) 		"Relight My Fire"
(1993)
Music video
"Pray" on
YouTube
"Pray – Odyssey version"
Single by Take That
from the album Odyssey
Released21 September 2018
Recorded1993, 2018
Length3:40
LabelPolydor
Songwriter(s)Gary Barlow
Producer(s)
Take That singles chronology
"New Day"
(2017) 		"Pray – Odyssey version"
(2018) 		"Out of Our Heads"
(2018)
Music video
"Pray – Odyssey version" on
YouTube

"Pray" is a song by English boy band

1994 Brit Awards, and was the finale of Take That's Beautiful World Tour 2007
. The music video for "Pray" was directed by Gregg Masuak and filmed in Mexico.

A newly arranged and recorded version was released on 21 September 2018 as the first single of their greatest hits album Odyssey. The album was released on 23 November 2018 followed by a Greatest Hits tour marking the band's 30th anniversary in 2019.

Critical reception

chorus."[4] Caroline Sullivan from The Guardian viewed it as "rather fine".[5] Chris Roberts from Melody Maker felt the song "boasted a fantastic chorus".[6] A reviewer from Music & Media commented, "The five messiahs have found a juvenile congregation in the UK willing to lend its ear. Now they're praying for continental attention for their matchless bubble gum soul."[7]

Alan Jones from

Staffordshire Sentinel complimented it as a "soulful ballad".[11]

Music video

The accompanying music video for the song was directed by Gregg Masuak and shot in Acapulco, Mexico. The clip features the band members in the exotic location singing and dancing. The band members are paired with a goddess of the four elements, taking on a different form with each – Air (Mark Owen), Fire (Jason Orange), Earth (Robbie Williams) and Water (Howard Donald) – with the exception of Gary Barlow who is represented in a neutral black and white context. In Barlow's autobiography, he stated that after the disappointment of where "I Found Heaven" was filmed, the band were a lot happier about the location for this video. Reflecting on the video in 2005 for Take That: For the Record, Donald remarked: "We was doing all the sexual thing and stuff. ... Even then it felt a little bit uncomfortable. But girls like it. Girls like this kind of thing."[12] "Pray" was later made available remastered on Take That's official YouTube channel in 2009, and had generated more than eight million views as of early 2024 on the platform.

Track listings

Original version

2018 version

  • International digital single[19]
  1. "Pray – Odyssey version" (new arrangement and vocals) – 3:40

Personnel

Charts

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[47] Gold 438,000[46]

References

  1. ^ "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 3 July 1993. p. 19. Retrieved 19 June 2021.
  2. ISBN 1-904994-10-5
    .
  3. ^ Fawthrop, Peter. "Take That – Everything Changes". AllMusic. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
  4. ^ Ewing, Tom (24 April 2012). "Take That – "Pray"". Freaky Trigger. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
  5. ^ Sullivan, Caroline (22 October 1993). "Rock/pop: Take that back". The Guardian.
  6. ^ Roberts, Chris (18 December 1993). "Singles". Melody Maker. p. 27. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
  7. ^ "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 10, no. 29. 17 July 1993. p. 13. Retrieved 21 November 2019.
  8. ^ Jones, Alan (10 July 1993). "Market Preview: Mainstream – Singles" (PDF). Music Week. p. 8. Retrieved 30 March 2021.
  9. ^ "Review: "Everything Changes" by Take That (CD, 1993)". Pop Rescue. 19 August 2015. Retrieved 3 April 2020.
  10. ^ "The New Take That Single!". Smash Hits. 23 June 1993. p. 49. Retrieved 9 December 2022.
  11. Staffordshire Sentinel
    . 29 July 1993. p.25.
  12. FremantleMedia
    . 15:47 minutes in.
  13. ^ Pray (UK CD1 & European CD single liner notes). Take That. RCA Records, BMG. 1993. 74321154502.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  14. ^ Pray (UK CD2 liner notes). Take That. RCA Records, BMG. 1993. 74321154512.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  15. ^ Pray (UK 7-inch single sleeve). Take That. RCA Records, BMG. 1993. 74321154507.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  16. ^ Pray (UK cassette single sleeve). Take That. RCA Records, BMG. 1993. 74321154504.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  17. ^ Pray (Australian limited maxi-CD single liner notes). Take That. RCA Records, BMG. 1993. 74332116125.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  18. ^ Pray (Australian Tour Edition limited CD single liner notes). Take That. RCA Records, BMG. 1993. 74321211122.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  19. ^ Pray Odyssey version on iTunes
  20. ^ "Take That – Pray". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
  21. ^ "Take That – Pray" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
  22. ^ "Take That – Pray" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
  23. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 2913." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
  24. ^ "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 2934." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
  25. ^ Danish Singles Chart. 6 August 1993.
  26. ^ "Hits of the World – Eurochart Hot 100". Billboard. 14 August 1993. p. 40. Retrieved 21 July 2012.
  27. ^ "EHR Top 40" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 10, no. 37. 11 September 1993. p. 22. Retrieved 10 April 2024.
  28. ^ source: Pennanen, Timo: Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972. Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava, 2006.
    ISBN 9789511210535
    . page: 280
  29. ^ "Take That – Pray" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
  30. ^ "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (12. – 18. apríl)". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). 12 August 1993. p. 20. Retrieved 28 December 2020.
  31. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Pray". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
  32. ^ 31 August 1993
  33. ^ "M-1 Top 40". M-1.fm. 24 October 1993. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 12 August 2021.
  34. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 36, 1993" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
  35. ^ "Take That – Pray" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
  36. ^ "Take That – Pray". VG-lista. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
  37. ^ "Top 10 Sales in Europe" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 10, no. 35. 28 August 1993. p. 24. Retrieved 20 March 2018.
  38. ^ "Take That – Pray". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
  39. ^ "Take That – Pray". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
  40. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
  41. ^ Zimbabwe. Kimberley, C. Zimbabwe: singles chart book. Harare: C. Kimberley, 2000
  42. ^ "1993 Year-End Sales Charts: Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 10, no. 51/52. 18 December 1993. p. 15. Retrieved 27 November 2019.
  43. GfK Entertainment
    . Retrieved 9 November 2016.
  44. ^ "Top 100 Singles 1993". Music Week. 15 January 1994. p. 24.
  45. ^ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010. Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing.
  46. ^ Myers, Justin (24 March 2017). "Take That's Official Top 40 biggest songs revealed". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 24 March 2017.
  47. ^ "British single certifications – Take That – Pray". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pray_(Take_That_song)&oldid=1218503575"