Pray (Take That song)

"Pray" is a song by English boy band Take That. Written by Gary Barlow, it was released on 5 July 1993 as the second single from their second studio album, Everything Changes (1993). It is the first of twelve singles by the band to reach number one on the UK Singles Chart, staying at number one for four weeks,[1] and starting a streak of four consecutive number one singles. The song has received a Gold sales status certification and sold over 438,000 copies in the UK, won British Single of the Year and British Video of the Year at the 1994 Brit Awards, and was the finale of Take That's Beautiful World Tour 2007.

"Pray"
Single by Take That
from the album Everything Changes
Released5 July 1993
Recorded1993
Genre
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
GenrePop
Length3:40
LabelPolydor (UK)
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

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

AllMusic editor Peter Fawthrop described the song as a "quality ballad" in his review of Everything Changes.[2] Tom Ewing from Freaky Trigger complimented Barlow's songwriting on the track. He said that "at this point he was still the group's secret weapon – canny and professional enough to bring the hooks but with a streak of desperate earnestness. So the classic Take That song – "Pray" isn't their best, but it very much sets a template – wanders like a lost puppy on the verses then pulls itself together for a monster chorus."[3] Anne Slemmelid from Norwegian newspaper Laagendalsposten picked it as one of two "standout" tracks from the album.[4] 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."[5] Pop Rescue noted that Barlow's "soft soulful vocals make light work of this whilst the rest of the group put in some great vocal harmonies. The song is light and summery, thanks to the 90’s rent-a-beat".[6] Staffordshire Sentinel called it a "soulful ballad".[7]

Music video

The 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."[8]

Track listings

UK CD single #1 (74321 15450 2)

  1. "Pray" (radio edit) – 3:43
  2. "Pray" (a cappella) – 4:26
  3. "Pray" (alternative club mix) – 5:21

UK CD single #2 (74321 15451 2)

  1. "Pray" (club swing mix) – 5:37
  2. "It Only Takes a Minute" (Tommy Musto Underground dub) – 6:32
  3. "Once You've Tasted Love" (Harding & Curnow remix) – 4:20
  4. "It Only Takes a Minute" (Tommy Musto Underground vocal) – 6:16

EU CD single (74321 15478 2)

  1. "Pray" (radio edit) – 3:43
  2. "Pray" (a cappella) – 4:26
  3. "Pray" (alternative club mix) – 5:21

Japanese 3" CD single (BVDP-88)

  1. "Pray" (radio edit) – 3:43
  2. "Pray" (a cappella) – 4:26

Australian 'tour edition' CD single (74321 21112 2)(picture disc w/poster)

  1. "Pray" (radio edit) – 3:43
  2. "Relight My Fire" (live) – 8:07
  3. "Could It Be Magic" (live) – 5:32
  4. "It Only Takes a Minute" (live) – 4:11

Australian 'limited edition' CD single (74321 21113 2)(Personality Poster Pack)

  1. "Pray" (radio edit) – 3:43
  2. "Pray" (a cappella) – 4:26
  3. "Pray" (alternative club mix) – 5:21
  4. "Pray" (club swing mix) – 5:37
  5. "It Only Takes a Minute" (Tommy Musto Underground dub) – 6:32
  6. "Once You've Tasted Love" (Harding & Curnow remix) – 4:20
  7. "It Only Takes a Minute" (Tommy Musto Underground vocal) – 6:16

UK cassette (74321 15452 2)

  1. "Pray" (radio edit) – 3:43
  2. "Pray" (a cappella) – 4:26

UK 7" single (74321 15453 2)

  1. "Pray" (radio edit) – 3:43
  2. "Pray" (a cappella) – 4:26

European 12" single (74321 15454 2)

  1. "Pray" (radio edit) – 3:43
  2. "Pray" (a cappella) – 4:26
  3. "Pray" (alternative club mix) – 5:21
  4. "Pray" (club swing mix) – 5:37

2018 international digital single[9]

  1. "Pray – Odyssey version" (new arrangement and vocals) – 3:40

Official versions
  • Album version (3:45)
  • Radio edit (3:34)
  • A cappella (4:26)
  • Alternative club mix (5:21)
  • Swing club mix (5:37)
  • Live On the Advision Mobile Studio (6:33)
  • Live In Berlin (5:16)
  • Live at Wembley (4:00)
  • Odyssey version (3:40)

Charts

Personnel

References
  1. Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. pp. 555–6. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  2. "Take That - Everything Changes". AllMusic. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
  3. "TAKE THAT – "Pray"". Freaky Trigger. 24 April 2012. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
  4. Slemmelid, Anne (4 November 1993). "Musikk". Laagendalsposten (in Norwegian). p. 7. Retrieved 7 October 2020.
  5. "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. 17 July 1993. Retrieved 21 November 2019.
  6. "REVIEW: "EVERYTHING CHANGES" BY TAKE THAT (CD, 1993)". Pop Rescue. 19 August 2015. Retrieved 3 April 2020.
  7. Staffordshire Sentinel. 29 July 1993. p.25. Retrieved 28 November 2020.
  8. Notman-Watt, David (Director) (17 November 2005). Take That: For the Record (Television production). London: FremantleMedia. 15:47 minutes in.
  9. Pray Odyssey version on iTunes
  10. "Australian-charts.com – Take That – Pray". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
  11. "Austriancharts.at – Take That – Pray" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
  12. "Ultratop.be – Take That – Pray" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
  13. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 2913." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
  14. "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 2934." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
  15. "Hits of the World - Eurochart Hot 100". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. 14 August 1993. p. 40. Retrieved 21 July 2012.
  16. source: Pennanen, Timo: Sisältää hitin - levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972. Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava, 2006. ISBN 9789511210535. page: 280
  17. "Offiziellecharts.de – Take That – Pray". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
  18. "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (12. – 18. apríl)". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). 12 August 1993. p. 20. Retrieved 28 December 2020.
  19. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Pray". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
  20. "M-1 TOP 40". M-1.fm. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 31 March 2014.
  21. "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 36, 1993" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40 Retrieved 13 August 2019.
  22. "Dutchcharts.nl – Take That – Pray" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
  23. "Norwegiancharts.com – Take That – Pray". VG-lista. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
  24. "Top 10 Sales in Europe" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 10 no. 35. 28 August 1993. p. 24. Retrieved 20 March 2018.
  25. "Swedishcharts.com – Take That – Pray". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
  26. "Swisscharts.com – Take That – Pray". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
  27. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
  28. Zimbabwe. Kimberley, C. Zimbabwe: singles chart book. Harare: C. Kimberley, 2000
  29. "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.
  30. "Top 100 Singles–Jahrescharts 1993" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 9 November 2016.
  31. "Jaarlijsten 1993" (in Dutch). Stichting Nederlandse Top 40. Retrieved 18 July 2016.
  32. "Top 100 Singles 1993". Music Week. 15 January 1994. p. 24.
  33. Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010. Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing.
  34. "British single certifications – Take That – Pray". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
  35. Myers, Justin (24 March 2017). "Take That's Official Top 40 biggest songs revealed". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 24 March 2017.
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