"Cry Little Sister" | ||||
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Single by Gerard McMahon | ||||
from the album The Lost Boys: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack | ||||
Released | 1987 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 4:44 | |||
Label | Atlantic Records | |||
Songwriter(s) |
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Producer(s) |
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Gerard McMahon singles chronology | ||||
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"Cry Little Sister" is a song written by English singer-songwriter Gerard McMahon (under the pseudonym Gerard McMann) and Michael Mainieri, and performed by McMahon for the soundtrack to the 1987 film The Lost Boys, which peaked at number 15 on the Billboard 200.[1] The original song failed to chart, although it charted in Australia and the United Kingdom in 2003 when the track was remixed.
The track has been covered by several other bands. Aiden recorded a cover for the soundtrack to the 2008 sequel, Lost Boys: The Tribe[2] and appeared again in the closing credits of Lost Boys: The Thirst. In 2010, Seasons After scored a top twenty hit on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Songs with their version of the track,[3] after it was included on their 2010 album Through Tomorrow. Eight years later, Marilyn Manson released their version of the song as a single after it was featured in a promotional trailer for television series Titans.
Composition and style
The song was predominantly composed by McMahon, who said that its refrain was "brewing in my head with the choir as a chorus backing me. That all seemed to come within half an hour. [Producer] Mike Mainieri had this hypnotic beat, we refined it together and my melody and chords melted right into it. Then I wrote the lyrics within an hour or two [and] recorded the demo". Despite appearing on the soundtrack to The Lost Boys, the song's lyrics do not specifically reference vampires, as it was composed before McMahon had seen any footage from the film. After hearing the track, director Joel Schumacher commented: "You nailed my theme song to The Lost Boys! I can't believe you wrote this without seeing a frame of film!". McMahon additionally explained: "I always say that if I'd have seen the film first, I would probably not have written 'Cry Little Sister'. I didn't want the song to be specific to the vampire. I wanted it to be about the longing for family from a rejected youth's perspective, which I went through myself and that many of us have felt."[4]
Remixes and re-releases
The track has been remixed on multiple occasions. It was remixed by The Lost Brothers and issued as a single in 2003 under the title "Cry Little Sister (I Need U Now)", crediting McMahon by the name of his current band, G Tom Mac.[5] The remix peaked at number 21 on the UK Singles Chart,[6] number fourteen in Scotland,[7] and in the top forty of the Australian ARIA Charts.[8] G Tom Mac subsequently released a number of other versions of the song. The "Rebel Angel Remix" was issued on their 2005 EP How to Be Pop, Stupid, Cool, while "Cry Little Sister... Thou Shalt Not (The Mash Up)" was included on the 2007 album Thou Shalt Not Fall. The latter version mashed the original recording with elements of the 2003 remix. A video for "Cry Little Sister (Club Cave Mix)" was produced by DJ Lee and G Tom Mac, and included as a bonus feature on the Lost Boys: The Tribe DVD in 2008. A blues-inspired acoustic rendition was released as a non-album single in 2009, subtitled the "Blood Swamp Version".[9] In 2015, a remix of "Cry Little Sister" was featured on the trailer for the 'Definitive Edition' of the DmC: Devil May Cry video game.[10]
Formats and track listings
- Original 7" single (EU: 789130–7 · UK: A9130)
- "Cry Little Sister (Theme from The Lost Boys)" – 4:44
- "I Still Believe" (performed by Tim Cappello) – 3:42
- 2003 CD single (Australia: 674871–2 · Scandinavia: TMC101202 · UK: CENT60CDS)
- "Cry Little Sister (I Need U Now)" (Edit to Go) – 2:44
- "U Don't Know Me" (performed by The Lost Brothers) – 8:10
- "Cry Little Sister (I Need U Now)" (Club Mix) – 8:19
- "Cry Little Sister (I Need U Now)" (Enhanced Music Video)
- 2004 Maxi-single (Germany: PULSIVE–022)
- "Cry Little Sister (I Need U Now)" (Original Radio Mix) – 3:43
- "Cry Little Sister (I Need U Now)" (Steve Murano Remix Edit) – 3:14
- "Cry Little Sister (I Need U Now)" (Reeloop & Kaylab Remix Edit) – 3:46
- "Cry Little Sister (I Need U Now)" (Original Club Mix) – 8:22
- "Cry Little Sister (I Need U Now)" (Steve Murano Remix) – 7:41
- "Cry Little Sister (I Need U Now)" (Reeloop & Kaylab Remix) – 7:33
- 2009 digital single
- "Cry Little Sister" (Blood Swamp Version) – 4:13
Charts
Chart (2003–04) | Peak position |
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Australia (ARIA)[8] | 32 |
Scotland (OCC)[7] | 14 |
United Kingdom (OCC)[6] | 21 |
Marilyn Manson cover
"Cry Little Sister" | ||||
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Single by Marilyn Manson | ||||
Released | June 15, 2018 | |||
Genre | Industrial[11] | |||
Length | 4:34 | |||
Label | Loma Vista | |||
Songwriter(s) |
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Producer(s) | Tyler Bates[11] | |||
Marilyn Manson singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"Cry Little Sister" on YouTube |
Marilyn Manson released a cover version of the song on June 15, 2018. It was set to be the first single taken from the soundtrack to Josh Boone's then upcoming film, The New Mutants.[12] The film was originally scheduled for an April 2018 release, but has since been delayed to August 28, 2020. According to Rolling Stone, the eponymous vocalist opted to release the song as originally planned, "rather than keeping [it] under wraps for another year".[13] Despite the delay, Manson's version also appeared in another comic book adaption when it was played in the promo for the DC TV series Titans.[14] The band had been performing the song live for several months during the "Heaven Upside Down Tour".[15] A one-track digital single was issued on June 15.[15] A music video for the song was released on June 28, and was directed by Bill Yukich, but when The New Mutants soundtrack album was finally released “Cry Little Sister” did not appear.[16]
Charts
Chart (2018) | Peak position |
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UK Singles Downloads (OCC)[17] | 87 |
US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs (Billboard)[18] | 15 |
US Rock Digital Songs (Billboard)[19] | 5 |
References
- ↑ "Top 200 Albums | The Week of July 2, 1988". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. July 2, 1988. Archived from the original on July 18, 2014. Retrieved July 11, 2018.
- ↑ "Cry Little Sister (Theme from The Lost Boys) - Aiden | Song Info". AllMusic. All Media Group. Retrieved July 11, 2018.
- ↑ "Seasons After - Chart History - Mainstream Rock Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Archived from the original on July 18, 2018. Retrieved July 10, 2018.
- ↑ "Back to the 80s: Interview with G Tom Mac of 'Cry Little Sister' from The Lost Boys". Kickin' it Old School. Tblog.com. December 9, 2013. Archived from the original on May 12, 2015. Retrieved July 10, 2018.
- ↑ "Cry Little Sister (I Need U Now) / U Don't Know Me by The Lost Brothers, G Tom Mac". Amazon Music. Retrieved July 10, 2018.
- 1 2 "The Lost Brothers feat. G Tom Mac | Full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 10, 2018.
- 1 2 "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. December 14, 2003. Retrieved July 10, 2018.
- 1 2 "The Lost Brothers feat. G Tom Mac – Cry Little Sister (I Need U Now)". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved July 10, 2018.
- ↑ "Cry Little Sister - Blood Swamp Version by G Tom Mac on Apple Music". Apple Music. 25 August 2009. Retrieved July 10, 2018.
- ↑ Beck, Adam (March 10, 2015). "DmC Definitive Edition Receives a Launch Trailer". Hardcore Gamer. Retrieved July 10, 2018.
- 1 2 Childers, Chad (June 29, 2018). "Marilyn Manson Reveals 'Cry Little Sister' Video". Loudwire. Townsquare Media. Retrieved July 11, 2018.
- ↑ Moore, Sam (June 15, 2018). "Listen to Marilyn Manson's cover of the 'Lost Boys' theme 'Cry Little Sister'". NME. Archived from the original on June 18, 2018. Retrieved June 18, 2018.
- ↑ Kreps, Daniel (June 29, 2018). "See Marilyn Manson Cover 'Lost Boys' Theme With 'Cry Little Sister' Video". Rolling Stone. Retrieved July 11, 2018.
- ↑ Bullard, Benjamin (October 4, 2018). "WATCH: RAVEN JOINS THE TEAM IN TITANS NEW TRAILER". Syfy Wire. Retrieved October 10, 2018.
- 1 2 Schatz, Lake (June 15, 2018). "Stream Marilyn Manson – "Cry Little Sister"". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved July 11, 2018.
- ↑ Schatz, Lake (June 29, 2018). "Watch Marilyn Manson – "Cry Little Sister" Video". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved July 11, 2018.
- ↑ "Official Singles Downloads Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 11, 2018.
- ↑ "Marilyn Manson Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved July 11, 2018.
- ↑ "Marilyn Manson - Chart History - Rock Digital Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved July 10, 2018.